I agree with DogHouseMom. PLEASE don't start on a "real" top until you have lots of smaller practice items under your belt. I'm sure that there are one or two naturals out there, but most of the rest of us needed hours and hours of practice before attempting a real quilt.
Originally Posted by
DogHouseMom
My heart breaks every time I hear of someone starting quilting on a real quilt they intend to keep.
All of the free motion quilt patterns take time and practice. You need to develop a rhythm, a "muscle memory", and a sense of where you've been and where you need to be on the quilt - and do it all at the same time. Equate it to somone leaning how to drive a manual transmission with no lessons and starting them at the top of a mountain pass.
Put scraps of fabric and batting together and practice on those until you are comfortable. I have tons of little scrap sandwiches laying around with practices of this and that motif. If there is a new motif I want to use, I'll practice it 3-4 times or more if necessary, before I attempt to put it on my quilt.