Originally Posted by jaciqltznok
FMQ means just that..FREE motion quilting...there is NO stencils, pantographs, or lines to follow....if you use stencils, goldenthreads paper, press-n-seal, etc. then you are just machine quilting. Meaning you followed a pattern and did not free motion(free style quilt).
There are many ways to do this, including making REAL plastic templates that you use to trace the design onto the quilt. Sort spendy, especially if you are not going to use the design over and over!
many prefer the papers though.
There is some already preprinted basic designs, or you buy the Electric quilt companys CD's and print off thousands of designs in hundreds of sizes, you can buy books from Laura Lee Fritz and trace the designs onto your quilt, you can get golden threads paper and trace the designs onto that and then sew over them.
so many ways....
Press-n-seal was thought to be great, but in the end many found it gummed up their needles, dulled the needles, did not play well all thread types, etc, etc...best to use a product that is meant for this purpose and save yourself some frustration in the end!
I thought I saw on- I think the Fons Porter show- where a lady was long arm quilting and used thick plastic templates to help make different designs on her quilt