Hubby bought me an Inspira frame and Pfaff grand quilter for Xmas. I have been practicing FMQ and am not too bad it. However, I just can't seem to get myself to load a quilt top on it as I'm afraid I'll mess it all up with my quilting. I have about 6 tops to quilt and they are screaming at me to get on the frame!! Could someone please tell me how to get over my fear of quilting these tops before the pile of tops increase significantly.

My DH made me a Flynn type frame but I don't have anything to try it out with yet. We're in opposite problems. However....once I do have something finished, I too think I'll be a huge chicken to actually try it. Pock Pock Pock right along with ya.

just try it on plain fabric or you could use a panel i keep a small one to practice on any thing new i want to try dont use a quilt top that matters when you first try

OOoh, lucky you! What's the worst that could happen? You know it won't happen, but even if you don't like it you can take it out and try again. You said you have practiced..take the top you like the least (haha, I bet they are all gorgeous) and start with that. I always seem to scare myself before new steps too, and only rarely have been really disappointed with the finish...at the least you will have learned. Go for it!

I am always a little apprehensive when I get ready to load a quilt on my frame. Sometimes I make loading mistakes and have to redo, but that is all in the learning process. I keep a practice piece attached to the side and use it before quilting the quilt. I can check my tension and give my arms a little warm up before starting. This helps ease me into the swing of things. I always wonder after, why did it take me so long?

I loaded sheets and cheap batting on mine when I got it. Then I drew the blocks, same sizes and shapes as the first quilt I wanted to make, on the sheets with a Sharpie. I practiced and practiced and practiced and then went for it.........DO it, it's not as bad as you think. AND you can take the stitching out if you REALLY don't like it.

I like amandagrandma's plan. Problem - Mine is already on the frame and getting the quilting design planned is holding me back. I have been practicing different designs on paper to determine which one I will go with. I have quilted 4 so far. The first one was a practice one that my sister and I tried pantagrams, stippleing, and different free motion designs on. The second one we used a pantagram, the 3rd and 4th were stippling and stitch in the ditch. The one on the frame is a bit more special and I am nervous. It is for my DD and she suggested I am cheating because I am not hand quilting as she prefers and does well herself. So I do want to impress her. When she got the top unfinished for Christmas, she asked if she had to finish it. I told her no, I would.

Ditto. And I'm also making some stash quilts just for me so that I can practice on something 'real'.

I can so relate to your post. I just got my LA this summer. I had one practice sandwich loaded on it and quilted the bejeepers out of that practice piece. I tried all the things I wanted to do on a real quilt, stencils, panto, pebbling, spirals, animal doodles, fm flames, flowers, leaves and vines. By the time I got done with that one yard piece I was really chomping at the bit to load a real quilt top but I too was afraid I might ruin it. My solution was a top that had languished as a UFO for 10, yes I said 10, years. For a top to be a UFO that long I had finally come to the realization that I just didn't like it. So I figured what the heck, I don't like the top who cares if I ruin it. It turned out great! Quilting it made all the difference for me on that top. Still not crazy about the colors but not liking the top gave me the freedom to just go crazy on it and not worry about ruining it. That old UFO gave me tons of confidence and my intimidation of my LA is completely utterly gone. In fact I feel so confident I am quilting someone elses top right now and it is coming out great, well at least I think so. You always have that nagging feeling that your customer may not like it as good as you. Anyway if you don't have a top you don't care about start haunting your local thrift stores or good will. You would be surprised at how often an unfinished top turns up there. You just have to go for it. Here are pictures of that very first quilt I did on my LA. I am now on #3. You can do it and don't be afraid of ruining it. I am sure it will turn out great.

Buy yourself some inexpensive muslin and practice, practice, practice :)