Originally Posted by
gmcsewer
After all the practice and actually doing a lot of FMQ, I finally bought a pair of the gloves and that makes it a lot easier to move the quilt around. Buy the smallest size that you can get your hands into, as that keeps the gloves from moving around on your hands. I did most of my FMQ on individual blocks, and then graduated to strips of t shirt quilts. Faster speed on the machine helped me to do smoother curves with no jerking sideways, etc. HOpe you enjoy it as much as I do.
Gloves do make a difference, rather its the machine quilting ones or the gardening ones that are cheaper, or even rubber gloves. They allow you to move your fabric around easier and not grab the fabric which doesn't give a smooth stitch and it also makes your muscles more tense. My FMQ always looks better when I'm going faster which is what most teachers tell you as well. Make a bunch of squares of quilt fabric which is the 3 layers, top batting and backing so that you get a better feel and then practice away. You can then sew the blocks together for a throw or a dog bed or the kids to play with; no waste this way.