The Long and the Short of it

So, I have spent some happy time this week stitching 2 pairs of my quilt rows together whilst listening to Quilter in the Gap's first 3 podcasts (which are very good!)... and I reach a point where a decision needs to be made!

At the moment the quilt is 5 ft long by 4 ft wide. I have enough squares left to add either 1 more row to make the quilt 6 x 4, or one more column to make it 5 x 5... or I could leave it at 5 x 4.

I admit I got a little bewildered at the description of putting it all together - the top, the backing and the batting, and using a frame to facilitate the sewing it all together process.

I have half a mind to wait until the local quilt club (complete with quilting machine) starts again at the end of next month so i can seek advice and see what would work best with their machine...

But I'd also like to carry on, either hand stitching it all, or running it through my sewing machine if possible... I just don't know which size would be either easiest or most useful as a quilt!!

At 5 x 4 it fits as a throw, about the size to sit on top of the matress; at 6 x 4 it'd fit more fully over the bed, and at 5 x 5 it'd be a bigger lap quilt quite nicely,though it would be fine at 5 x 4 for that!

Any of my expert followers have any suggestions? i have no overwhelming preference for the use of the quilt, so that probably makes practicality of assembling it the key factor in the decision!