I've been looking for a FMQ class and would like to take one either on a Saturday or next summer.

My local quilt shop listed a class called: Beginning machine quilting - finishing your projects!

I was so excited and a friend and I were going to take it together - until she called and found that the class was: how to straight line stitch/quilt (no meander, etc) and binding, & maybe bias binding.

I can DO that already. I want the next step - whatever that is. I've searched and have a few shops who said they'd let me know when the next class was scheduled, but ... no telling how long that will be, or if it will happen...

Any ideas? I'd rather have a teacher who can help me as I go through the process... but if there's another way... tutorials? Books?

Suggestions? How do you find out about class offerings of shops that are not near you? I'd be willing to travel - live about an hour SW of Houston, but during the summer would even go as far as San Antonio or Austin.

I'm doing one in a couple of weeks,come to Australia, I would love to do a class with you lol.
My LQS's come out with a list of classes usually very 3 months or so, so that is how I found out about it, keep pestering them, hopefully they will get the hint and put on a class like that sooner rather than later.

Can't help with classes near you, as I'm in the UK. But...

There's a ton of info on http://www.daystyledesigns.com/ - videos for all her designs, brilliant explanations, and she does all her FMQ on her domestic machine. That's how I started learning - that and reading all the FMQ topics on this board. :)

Have fun!!

There are a lot of You Tube videos if you do a search there. That should help you.

Have you tried Quilt University? They offer lots of great classes online.

I learned by checking out every quilting book from the library on the subject I could find. Eventually I took a class on trapunto by machine, background patterns, and then a fmq class with Diane Guadynski. I learned so much in all of them. So I would just get a book, practice, practice and then practice some more while keeping your eye out for a class. I have found that for myself, meandering is harder than marking feathers or other motifs. I am always getting trapped in a corner! When I want a fast quilting job on a quilt, I do converging chevrons. Then I can use my walking foot.

Great info! Will have to check this out. My LQS has a machine quilting that covers not only stitch in the ditch & straight stitching, but also meandering & stippling. Unfortunately, it is a mid-week, all day class, which means I would have to burn a precious vacation day. Class isn't until March. Hopefully I can find an alternative before then. Straight stitching sure does get boring after awhile.

The quilt university classes are very interactive even though it is online and the teachers are always available for answering questions. If you've never tried it, I think it is a great place to start.

there is a quilt shop that does classes in Salem NH call Bits and pieces. you bring your quilt...and for two hour one on one instruction with teacher is $40.00 (that is for two hours) - you than can rent the machine forgot what the price is but its fairly cheap.

Sorry to sound ill-informed, but what does FMQ mean? Thanks.