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Old 12-16-2012, 07:29 AM
  #6  
DogHouseMom
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Knot Merrill, Southern Indiana
Posts: 5,781
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I see three problems <g>

The first as PaperPrincess pointed out is your hand speed vs your machine speed - that is causing the eyelashes on your curves as seen on the back of the project.

The second is that I am seeing a variety of stitch lengths - lack of consistency. This can bee seen on both the front and the back in both the curved areas and the straight lines. Again this goes with hand speed and machine speed.

The last I believe is a tension issue. When looking at the back in the areas where you were sewing a straight line, even in the areas where you had a good stitch length going (see the pic of the back at the very bottom, the straight horizontal line - stitch length is closest to correct here - and notice that when your stitch length improved here you did not get eyelashes on the curve on the right hand side!), I can still see little buttons of top thread poking through at times. Increase your tension slightly - by one notch at a time - sew a straight line and check tension again.

FMQ hand and machine speed takes a lot of time and practice to get the right combination. If your machine has a speed setting and a "start/stop" button - as opposed to using the foot pedal - you might find that helpful. Don't expect to get good at FMQ overnight, or in a week, or even in a month.

Relax. Relax your shoulders. Make sure you are in a good sitting position with back upright and not slouched over your machine.

Breath. Yup. We forget to do that sometimes.

Sometimes wine helps!! (seriously ... it can relax you!).</g>
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