Binding. That's the one for sure that kicks me in the rear end. I've tried it possibly a half dozen times, and each time thought, "it shouldn't be this hard to follow the line a second time and get it straight, but it is...."

Just finished binding my first quilt tonight, and I'm not sure I made it better with my,...holy cow, what, more than 5 hours of effort? It wasn't that big. Apparently I'm also a very slow binder.

I will set aside some time to practice FMQ the rest of this week and see what progress I can make. For now, my forearms are sore from wrestling a quilt from a cat the whole evening.

I really can't believe I just said that. The quilt inspector was on-site for all of the finishing work. We tried to make her wait but she just wouldn't, so I worked around her.

For me I have found thread tension a problem with all machines. Especially if you use non matching thread. Such as Bottom Line with a different top thread. These problems don't just start at the beginning, they develop! So keep checking your tension, on the bottom of the quilt, and the front. Oil your machine every time you put new thread in your bobbin. ESPECIALLY if you are using Bottom line, embroidery bobbin thread or a thin thread. I keep a cue tip by my machine and dab some sewing machine oil on the cue tip. Then when the bobbin is out I swipe it around the pin that goes through the middle of the bobbin case. I also swipe the back of the area that holds the bobbin case.

If you are sewing for a long time, make sure you check under the throat plate, mine accumulates lint, clean it out, and oil again, moving parts. You don't need lots of oil, just make sure that the cue tip is oiled and it oils the part you want. Keep it away from computer boards. I had a singer that was made in 1971 and used it for many years. However, it was very loud, and the timing would go out while I was quilting.

When you start making mistakes, and you will. Stop get up, take a break. You are tired. You can't expect the machine to work non stop and not make mistakes--and in this case the machine I am talking about is you. If you start having problems with needle breakage take a look at your throat plate. Do you see some little nicks? That comes from pushing your fabric or pulling it too fast for the machine. Ask me how I know? Pam Holland doesn't drop her feed dogs when she free motion quilts. I have tried it, it works, just try what you like, and work from there. Good luck.

Thanks for the tips! I'm a little fanatical about keeping my machines clean, so hopefully I'll avoid that pitfall.

I had wondered if some of the "bobbin threads" would be an issue. I got my hands on a sample of filtec bobbins a while back and really disliked them. The thread kept breaking with regular sewing. I didn't buy any more, and I have 3.5 of them here I will probably never use.

I have no computer boards in any of my machines. Apparently I'm "old school" :)

Thanks for the reminder about breaks. I'm terrible about remembering this. When I FMQ at our sewing circle, I get told to get up and walk and stretch. It doesn't occur to me til I hurt the next day.

If your top and bottom threads are a reasonable match, the crossover between them is less visible. I suspect you are being too hard on yourself and are much more critical than others would be. Since I switched to using Thermore batting, however, the density of that batting tends to reduce the problem. Bed sheets tend to accentuate the problem, in my experience. Good thread and good quality quilting needles do help. After I tried titanium needles, I don't think I will ever go back.

I have only had my Brother1500 for a month but could you tell me what needle brand and types/sizes are working best for you?