I'm sorry, but I am having trouble typing through the tears in my eyes from laughing so hard!!!! You sound like me and my feeble attempts at machine quilting and FMQ. I finally decided I would quilt on my embroidery machine. After playing with hoops, designs, water soluble stabilizer, etc. I had no better success than you. Well, I ended up doing you one better. Instead of spending $$$ on lined paper to practice on, I bought a long arm quilting machine. I got it just before Easter, and I have now graduated to a more controlled meander. As far as the fancy designs, I see none of those in MY quilting future. I even managed to make a curlique in my squiggles that is actually not too bad. So keep up the good work! And keep your sense of humor about it. After all isn't quilting supposed to be fun :!: :?: :roll: :lol: :?