Originally Posted by Rose Marie

Make a sample with all three layers to practice on.
It takes awhile to get good at it.
There are all kinds of notions but so far I havnt found them very useful but a lot of people like them.
The slider, the ring, gloves, I dont like any of them.
A large throat machine and a flat bed around your machine are the best helps. Also some simple designs to follow, like leaves or hearts around the border.
Borders are the easiest to do because the quilt is always to the left of the machine so you are not stuffing it through all the time.

How do you finish off the stitches on the back? I always end up with nests and then I trim off when done.
A darning foot with an open front so you can see where you are going and be sure the feed dogs are down.