I now TOTALLY get why many quilters have so many UFOs
 

...because the quilting part !

Well, not totally terrible, but pretty close. I feel like I'm making no progress, and with an older machine, it's a pretty tedious process. I hope I'm doing this right...I've got a half log cabin pattern, and I'm just doing SITD...but there are all these stopping & starting points so I have a ton of hangy strings that I'm burying...I didn't make much progress today :(

Stick with it! Change projects to keep your mind fresh and creative and then get back to the quilting part when you are ready. I like piecing better than quilting anyway...

send your quilts to me! I hate making tops and only like doing the FMQ!!

Hi teeler,
I am thinking that you need to branch out and do some creative quilting to get to love it. You see the stitch in the ditch is nice, but it really limits your creative side. Think outside the box and find an all over pattern to play with. There are some nice books on learning to quilt that will open your eyes to another world of quilting you are missing. There are tons of titles available. The quilting can even change a very plain quilt into something jaw-dropping. Next time you go to a quilt show, check out the quilting, you will see what I mean.

SID is slower than FMQ. I'm not a huge fan of quilting, I'd rather piece, too, but the more you do the better you get and the faster and easier it is and the more you like it.

I hand quilt and love it..I get anxious to get to the next project tho..This caused many UFO's, so I now do not allow myself to have more than 3 projects....

I refuse to do SITD anymore. It was too nerve-wracking for me, and I was never satisfied with the results.

With a half log cabin, I would look for a way to quilt from one edge of the quilt to another edge (so there are no hanging strings). The stitching would be going step-wise.

Hey Prism99, that sounds like a good idea to me, too. I haven't done much finishing work, but that sounds like something I could do on my fence rail quilt. I was wondering how to go about quilting it. I had thought about following a path through the quilt by stitching next to the ditch. I really think I will try your idea. Thanks! :):):)

Teeler, I hope you find a method that works for you. I also am so not fond of the actual quilting of a quilt. (yet!?) I really enjoy piecing quilts. I really need to learn something besides SID also. I do pretty well with the small projects. But it usually takes me forever to finish the big ones.

For some reason, I really, really enjoy SITD. Now, I am working on doing it FMQ. My lines are not quite as good as they are with a walking foot; but I am getting there. I do bury lots of threads; but I plan where I am going to sew beforehand so that I have fewer starts and stops. Also, I do not quilt for long periods of time. I quilt on my Bernina, then move over to my Featherweight to do some piecing or work on cutting out fabric for a new quilt top. At night, I do appliqué or embroidery on a quilt block. That schedule works for me. I need to break up the quilting with other activities such as piecing. Best wishes on your quilting.

There's also different ways to do quilt as you go.

I attended a class where we were told that if the beginning/ending stitches were secure,we could closely clip them( without the hassle of burying them. It's sure a lot faster.

Nice to see so many ideas. I love SITD, enjoy just stitching away. I also FMQ, but not in a traditional way. I just use my regular foot and my machine - just a basic singer hd110...I can move forward, backward and sideways. I admire how amazing some of the pictures I've seen posted here are. I can only hope...practice, practice, practice!

I have a friend who loves FMQ . Every time she stops and starts she sews her ends in and every new bobbin she cleans the bobbin casing. Sounds slow going but at the end she has finished.

I don't consider my finished quilt tops UFO's. I used to quilt by hand, but now only hand quilt small things, I send my quilt tops out to be quilted. My UFO's are quilts I have started, and for some reason or other (usually another pattern I could'nt wait to start) got layed aside, temporarily. I have too many of them, thats for sure!

Machine quilting is not my favorite part of the process. The current quilt I'm working on has some machine quilting and the rest hand-tied. Tried machine quilting all of it, but fast became a pain in the hiney. After fighting it for two days, I remembered several posts here saying "there are no rules", "do it your way".

Stitch-in-the-ditch seems too tiedious to me. I tend to do cross stitching.

Teeler,
It is very important to vary your activity to avoid the issues with neck and back pain. All o our bodies have different tolerance levels and we need to work with it. I try not to FMQ on a large project for more than an hour at a time. I like to STID around every square and around each border so the quilt is stable. I like to use 60 wt thread on the top and whatever thread I use for the whole project in the bobbin. After stabliizing I can quilt wherever I want. As a result I quilt from the outside to the center. As soon as I have the border quilted I put on the binding-this removes a lot of bulk and is easier to handle. I like to hand stitch the binding to the back and do a little bit at a time. Usually my binding is finished before the quilting is finished. I always have more than one project going so I can use my body in different ways through the day. I set goals so a project needing to be quilted gets done. I'm doing an intricate design in 48 squares now-I do 2 squares each day-and them move on.

Hi Teeler---very important question! I saw a chiroprator for years after the early days of working at a computer in the wrong position. You need to make sure that your chair height is correct to keep your shoulders level when you're sewing. Also, as purpledog advised, take hourly breaks. One of the board members once said that she sips water while she works so that she has to get up and go to the bathroom as a reminder to take breaks. And your son's advice about working out is good too. Get up, stretch, do some head turns and head rolls. Good luck. Once you work out your positions and routine you'll have much more fun:)

hey, we've got an ARTICLE! http://www.quiltingboard.com/resources/article-90.html

And there's actually "quilting ergonomics" references online! Who knew?! I didn't even think to google it earlier. Excellent!

Machine Quilting for Beginners- Stress Free Ergonomic Quilting

In the Zone- Ergonomics for the Stitchy Set

15 Ergonomic Tips for Quilters

Try to find a pattern that doesn't have so many stops and goes. Look for a pattern that is continuos line. Also I agree with some other posters, maybe branch out to free motion quilting.

When a project starts to go south on me, I put it away in "time out", then I pick up or start another project, so I have several projects going at once. I also go in spurts, last fall I made 12 Bow Tucks bags for a craft fair, then had to do some regular quilt piecing for a change, but then I'd get a call to make another bag, and I can't afford to turn down the $. I tend to switch off to different projects according to my mood, or especially if I'm having trouble with the project.

Harriet Hargrave says that a lot of UFOs happen because the quilting is more of an afterthought. She suggests to think about the quilting as part of the initial pattern design. I adopted that attitude and it does make the quilting easier when I have a plan.

Don't give up. Practice, Practice, Practice!

I attended a GREAT FMQ class given by Paula Reid last week. She had us SID around only the blocks to stabilize the quilt. After that you can FMQ without worrying about running into pins or sewing puckers into the backing. We practiced FMQ on muslin sandwiches on which we had used simple stencils to mark quilting lines. In just a day, we learned a lot about how to move the fabric to follow the lines. She said you need to practice at least 30 minutesor an hour, EVERY day for a month to feel comfortable with FMQ.

I'd love to FMQ...my machine won't play nice. I don't have the darning plate, but I covered the feed dogs w/tape, and tried it, but the fabric still wouldn't budge...not an inch. So I am currently of the opinion that my machine will only do straight line quilting either SITD or a cross hatch. Sigh.

I agree. Piecing is more fun than FMQ. I also do my piecing on a Featherweight.

Teeler, the only way I got rid of the ice pick between my shoulders was by quilting standing up. My cutting table is the right height, as is my kitchen island. I do recommend making a styrofoam "surround" so you have a large flat surface around the machine (Youtube videos show how to make this), although I have also quilted without one.

Quilting while standing relieves all that pressure on the shoulders and neck.

Did you change to a darning foot? You can't FMQ with a regular foot. You need a floating foot or a hopping foot for FMQ.

My Quilter Friend, the More , the merrier. Sometime we just do other thing or project, do what we want to do, everyday, it's like FOOD, we don't EAT the same food everyday. Try to EXPLORE or to learn other tricks or technique, so we set aside other project, we all go back and finish it!

Me either.

I tried several different sewing machines until I found one that would FMQ well. The first one I ever tried it on was one of the Singer Simples that cost less than $100 at Walmart, and it did a fantastic job! But the harp was so small, I decided to try other machines. I got 2 fantastic sewing machines (Singer and Janome) but they just didn't FMQ. I thought it was *me*, but my husband found a great Pfaff at an estate sale, and it does some great free-motion stuff! It's old, and I'm always afraid it will die on me, so I got an industrial machine and I'm going to try FMQ on it once I get some thread it likes (advantage of Pfaff is that she'll sew with any thread or fabric and the industrial shreds the cheap thread I like to buy!!).

I got all of the machines (except the industrial) for $50 or less, so you don't have to invest a lot of money to find the one that works for you!

People who don't quilt really don't have a clue how long it can take to make a quilt. You think you're done when the blocks are completed but then you have to sew it all together, put borders on, either send it out for quilting or do it your self and the bind it. Each process can be a labor of love!

I find I am always starting something new after seeing all your beautiful and inspiring quilts. I have to have a go.i have a special juki just for quilting but I fail to keep up.

Hi fran , you have exactly the same work pattern as my self. Idiot realise somebody else was as mad as myself sewing all day. Meals quick and easy. I quilt on a juki or bernina and piece. On bernina featherweight or husqvarna Viking . The last machine is a lightweight to take to classes. Not fancy but I like it only problem can't move the needle position.
Night time applique, etc if no quilt related will knit or crochet. I just can't sit and do nothing with my hands at any. Time.

I am very fond of quilting especially FMQ, unfortunately, my arthritic shoulders are less so. Recently I turned 5 tops over to guild sisters to finish on the guild's LA. My current technique is to do small amounts at a time.