Show me a picture of what you think stipling should look like.
 

I'm new to it and mine just doesn't look good.

i googled that and these are the images that came up https://www.google.com/search?q=imag...w=1031&bih=648

http://www.rendezvousquilts.com/stipple_quilting.aspx I just google this but there is a picture on her site

Show us a picture of yours!!! We may be able to provide better feedback than just showing our own work. Meanwhile I'm off to try to get a picture of mine.

Here is a picture of my all over meander/stipple. Hope that helps.

I know what stippling should look like, but I have a hard time getting mine to look like the pictures. Does anyone have any tips?

Just FYI, once you wash and dry your quilt, any mistakes will be much less noticeable :) My first meandering quilt looked "eh" beforehand, but after a trip through the washer and dryer, it got that crinkly texture and looked downright impressive (if I do say so).

Here's one I did.

I don't know if will help you but I hum YMCA to give myself shapes to aim for.:D

[ATTACH=CONFIG]380993[/ATTACH]Here is tiny stipple. I bet everyone would have their own spin. Like handwriting!

I have been wondering what folks meant when they said stippling....thanks for this thread. It looks hard. I think I will have to stick to SID. :)

Dina

I don't do a lot of stippling these days so I really had to HUNT for this!! LOL* This is what I "like" my stippling to look like, but I'll be truthful, this one was just one of those days that everything meshed and it turned out consistent. That doesn't always happen. ;) Quilting is as unique as handwriting. Don't stress over it!!! Also realize that everything gets better with practice! ;) Good luck!

I was told to think of the end of a dog bone and just keep doing that over and over...I practiced on paper and that helped my hand to start learning a pattern because my brain always wanted my hands to do straight lines....so after I doodled on paper for a while I think it helped me...and I kept that image of the end of a dog bone in my head :o

Do you see the Leah Day articles? check out her stipple tips! I think you draw a line and then stipple over it. More or less curvy...check out what she says!

I always think of jig saw puzzle pieces while I'm doing my meandering. For me it's a lot of fun.

I had to use a dry erase board and just sit and "doodle" until I was comfortable doing it on the quilt.Its a "hand -brain_ eye coordination that you are trying to conquer.Try this out and see if it helps.Have a great day

Everyone has his/her own 'signature' stipple style. However, if you try to make a horseshoe shape each time before curving in another direction, you will soon get into the rhythm.I think consistency is what makes or breaks the look.

My biggest problem with any FMQ is not watching where I am going and 'paint myself in a corner or dead end'. Then I have to rip stitches. A neat tip is to watch ahead of your sewing machine- where you're going instead of where you are. And practice- lots.

On this note - it is REALLY helpful if you have an open toe foot or a darning foot that is shaped like a small metal ring. They allow you the most visibility and help you see where you are going! I also will literally stop in a needle down position if I have lost track of where I'm going or am supposed to go. Better than heading off in a direction you didn't intend!

That is what I think of too...I like to have relaxing music on while I quilt...seems to help me with the "flow"...and if you want something just a step up from meandering/stippling...most of the time I do stipple with loops, or with hearts or stars...I think that is even more fun.

This is some of the stippling I have done on my Singer Featherweight. What I have in mind when I am doing FMQ stippling is thinking about puzzle pieces. It works for me.

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I'm in the process of doing the "quilt as you go" method Leah Day does. I've basted about four squares together and hopefully it will turn out!

The "pure" definitation of stippling and meandering is in the size. Meandering is the larger shapes as shown in most of the examples above. Stippling is the same shapes but much much smaller shapes very packed together.
Many quilters will get a meandering stencil and mark a few times to get the rhythm of the design until it comes naturally to them. Meandering should give the impresson of no specific design but an all over coverage of the quilting
To some the motion comes easy, to others (like me) it is amost like trying to rub your head while rubbing your stomach. I find in class that many students try to create a specific pattern - such as frame but the designs hould move across the surface with no distinct pattern created but just to see an all over background fill.
One problem most have is "backing themselves into a corner" with no place to go especially in triangle areas. there is a good illustration of meandering in triangle areas in the book "Trapunto By Machine" by Hari Walner

LOL! I talk to myself mentally. Does that count?

I tell my quilters to imagine drawing puzzle pieces. Some of them have their own ideas and one imagines drawing dog bones and another draws gingerbread men!! Just relax and keep your curves curvy and it will all be ok especially when washed!

My son, who does my LA quilting on a Gammill, refers to his stippling as "jig saw puzzle pieces" and he can go from teeny tiny to bigger, whatever I have in mind for the quilting. I have several sheets of patterns, but we both still prefer the "free hand" or "stippling" patterns. My sister, who comes over to do her own quilting on my big machine, prefers "free hand" too, but she likes to add circles into her patterns. My son is left-handed, so he says he can't work the circles into his designs. He is just lazy, I tell him......

my own stippling looks "eh, ok" on the top. several times tho I have had to pick out ALOT of it due to birdsnest thing on the bottom. now I'm afraid to do it at all. so I have 4 tops done for the kids that I am too afraid to do. If I had any money they would be at a longarmer's home right now. I am going to try on some mugrugs next week and see if I can't get it right. Is this a problem with tension? Nice examples of your work have been posted and I look forward to tips. pretty please

just found a thread addressing this very problem-tension and fmq. I will check there for help

All of them look great to me. This is from someone that has never done it.

To cheerio. the birds' nests, etc. are a tension problem--my son's answer to that is to use the same thread for the bottom that you use for the top; do a sample run before you do your quilting; there is a certain way to put the bobbin in, try it out, let it hang from your hand and fall free (not so good at explaining here); try it and see what happens. If you still have questions, PM me, and I'll have Bryan try to explain it to you.

Mine looks like this only a bit bigger. Maybe I'm just too critical of myself. The only difference is my stitches aren't an even width and these look alot more consistent. If I'm only using a regular sewing machine is that just how it is?

I tried hers. And she has a great one where you follow a pattern that is in rows, but doesn't look like rows, that is unless I do it. Whoever said it is like different handwriting for each person is right. I do think that part of the problem with some if the Utube things like Leah Days tutorials is that they aren't trying to this with a regular sewing machine and they will have better results of course.

I guess mine is meandering. Sorry

cherrio, why don't you post the link for the thread. It would be helpful. Thanks

Gingerbread men, YMCA, dog bones, puzzle pieces - great ideas! These are helpful visual tips that I can definitely "get" - not being able to take classes or hangout with/talk to other quilters IRL is sometimes a bummer. Another reason why I love this board!

I have a Bernina with a stitch regulator so a consistant stitch length on our domestic sewing machine without one takes lots of practice.

I don't quilt, I only piece, but I just wanted to tell you this is a beautiful table topper! Everything about it says "gorgeous". The colors pop, and your work is excellent...the stippling is flawless!!! I would pay big bucks for that!!!!

I have watched Leah Day tutorial on stippling. Still could not get it to look right. Looks like there are skipped stitches. I ordered the $50 Ultilmate Quiltilng Kit (Supreme Slider, bobbin washers & quilting gloves) to see if this will help. Can't wait to receive it in the mail.

This is a picture of my stippling, don't know if you can see it good enough.