Claire123

I don't know what you've tried so far, but here are a few things you could think about. Try quilting on computer paper for awhile. Also, see if there are any charity quilts you could practice on.

QuiltingBear

The MOST helpful YouTube video I've found shows a woman who created a "book" of sample free motion quilting styles.... she creates pages by quilting a practice sandwich with one or two styles. Confidence and skill can ONLY be gained through practice... no amount of DVD watching or videos comes close to hands on experience... and having reference of a style you quilted and may want to repeat isn't a bad thing. Watching is good for new ideas but just like the piano, it's practice or have someone else play... if you don't put the time in you'll never be happy with your own results... if practice sounds way too boring or not your cup of tea the send your tops to a longarmer... you'll be happier and have more time doing what you like... for me, I wanted control and to do it all myself. .. I am a looooong way from where I started but not yet where I want to be but for me the process and practice is fun and reviewing my past work to see how I've improved is so very worth and sore muscles from initial stress over fear of ruining a quilt with bad machine quilting... onward and upward!

zozee

What helped me get started was drawing designs on a white board and on an oversized paper art tablet (cheap newsprint, or any fairly large scrap paper . If you try to confine yourself to 8.5 X11, you aren't going to have much freedom to spread out.

Next thing i did was make about 3 practice sandwich mats about 20x20, solid on top so I could see my stitches.
Ugly fabric on the back. Open toe foot, barely resting on the fabric do you can move fabric easily around. Long stitch length . Write your name in cursive over and over . Try meandering. Feathers. Bubbles. The alphabet. Simple shapes. Just don't worry about anything. Let yourself go and know that this is just practice. Let yourself be a kindergartener . Muscle memory takes time, like playing the piano or a sport or anything new. I practice on those ugly sandwiches before every quilt I attempt to FMQ. I'm still far from good at it, but I'm no longer afraid. It's truly fun . Oh, yes, wear garden gloves (rubber palms) to grip the fabric. I was frustrated by all the slipping until I did that.

quilttiger

A few years ago, I was priveleged to take a FMQ class from Judy Woodworth. I had been trying to do feathers without success. Once she explained how to pretend sewing part ways around a coin and then finish off the feather by doing a gentle curve towards the spine, this was my breakthrough point. Doing feathers is so much fun for me nowadays.

gmcsewer

put Leah Day feathers in your search browser and look to the right for Youtube There is one which shows two ways to do feathers. Look at it it might help you.and it is free.

Hulalulu

Great video on line -- What to quilt on your quilt -- by Quilt Expressions...runs about an hour.
There's only a few movements you use for all the quilting -- and knowing those makes
it easy to progress to feathers! Hope you enjoy it -- you go girl!