lakekids

I have done it but I don't find it fun. I use the 'squish' method. You need space to the left and back of the machine to support the quilt. I am lucky to have my sewing machine recessed into a cabinet. It also helps to have the quilt supported to the left of your chair. I pull out the drawers in my cabinet and place a piece of laminated shelving on the open drawers to act as an additional table support. Other people will lower their ironing boards and place to theier left or purchase a small folding table.

I start in the middle of the quilt and stabilize the quilt by stitching in the ditch between blocks/sashings/borders - working my way from the middle to the right - column by column. Half of the quilt is in the throat/harp of the machine just 'squished' there. You need to concentrate on the approximatley 6 inches that surround the needle. Those 6 inches need to be kept flat. The rest of the quilt can be 'pooled', 'puddled', 'squished' any way you want. Once I have finished half the quilt I rotate and stabilize the rest.

Then I start with the FMQ. Again I start in the middle and work my way to the right. Most of the time I am not doing anything fancy - some version of stippling, vines, hearts, etc. Occassionally I have selected a pattern for blocks, printed the quilt pattern on thin tissue paper (golden threads). then I adhere to the quilt with temporary spray adhesive and stitch through the paper. Afterwards I tear it off. Or use lightweight wash away stabilizer and draw/print your pattern on it.