Originally Posted by
Tartan
The most valuable tool for me was being able to control the speed on my machine. I set it to half and put the pedal to the metal. This allows me to concentrate in moving my hands and quilt in a smooth manner.
This is so TRUE!! You want to be able to move the fabric at the same speed that the feed dogs would if they were engaged. I was so lucky to take a class from Harriet Hargrave. She has always been in my opinion the best! Her book "Heirloom Machine Quilting" should be a staple in any machine quilter library. Take a quilting class at your LQS. You will learn MORE than you could watching videos.
luana is correct. Make charity quilts for kids and practice on them. That is what is done at the local Gammill dealership. They let their students practice on charity quilt tops made by the local quilt guild.