No polite way to say how bad this is!
 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]366036[/ATTACH]It's pouring here so I can't go running and my client just cancelled so I had some time to kill and I decided to make my first attempt at free motion quilting. It's terrible!!! And it's hard! But I sort of have the vaguest sense of how it's done now, and I'll keep trying. This is a potholder, by the way, that will be a gift for someone who really loves me a lot!

You are being too hard on yourself. For a first time it looks great!!!

Just keep practicing. It gets easier, it really, really does.

Practice writing your name in cursive as your FMQ pattern. That helps you learn to move the fabric in an up-down-left-right motion instead of turning it. You already have muscle memory for this motion of writing your name. Most of those who FMQ will tell you that muscle memory of whatever design you are trying to use is important. They often will take a couple minutes to 'practice' their FMQ before starting on the actual quilt, even if they quilt every day or so.

Jan in VA

Jan in VA

You didn't learn to ride a bike the first time you hopped on it. Practice makes perfect! (Actually it doesn't look that bad to me.)

You are being too hard on yourselft it looks great!!

I see a vibrant colored potholder made by a first time FMQ'er who did a much better job than I can do, and I would be proud to have that potholder in my kitchen!! Keep going!

It looks better than my free motion. Count me in the "gave up" group.

Nobody will notice unless YOU point it out to them, so just keep practicing! I've actually done three entire quilts in the past couple of weeks and just practiced a little while before jumping in. I'd just done swirly patterns on the first two, but actually did some decent stippling and clouds yesterday! The longer you do it at any given time the better it gets, and go SLOWLY! If you run into a spot you're not sure about which way to go, STOP, needle down and contemplate before moving on!