Originally Posted by
Doggramma
I agree loopy designs are easier for beginners (well...after straight or wavy lines of course). When I first started FMQ I actually bought a stippling stencil! It didn't really help me that much. What I eventually realized is that it gets better after hours of doing it. It's part training your hand/eye/brain coordination and part learning what works for machine speed/hand moving speed.
I picked up a stippling stencil at a yard sale because I just couldn't get the hang of it. I marked it on the quilt using the stencil and after using the stencil a couple of times, it enabled me to finish the rest of the quilt freehand because I recognized the rhythm.
I also agree that loops are easiest for beginners. I will sometimes use a stencil for a certain object, such as a butterfly, adding loops between. It works.