Originally Posted by
katier825
I took one class a few years ago...then I just practiced. It was a while before I was willing to take the chance on a "real" quilt...but I finally did. The more I do, the better I get. I practice a little before EVERY quilt. Early on, I did not do well with stippling, but did ok with loops and swirls. So once I mastered those, I practiced stippling more. I am much better at that now, but I still don't care to do stippling. I like the look, but find it boring to do on large areas. Also, when I first started, I used thread that matched the back and blended in more on the front so my mistakes weren't so noticeable. Now I am not afraid of contrasting thread.
katier825: LOL at this paragraph. I could have written it. That is exactly my journey into FMQ-land. Before taking my class, I was convinced my old cheap Kenmore sewing machine was the problem. The first night of the class, the teacher sat down at MY machine with MY thread and created beautiful smooth curves and perfect stitches. So much for blaming the machine!
I find that short straight line designs -- like motifs with square corners or triangles -- are easier for me. Although I'm getting better at curved things. One thing, though, is that I don't do well when trying to follow traced pattern. I usually just mark dots at key points, and then "aim" for them.
Have fun with it ... and remember, the quilting always looks better later -- that is, when you're not looking at it under a magnifying glass, and after the quilt is laundered.