jcarilyn

When I get this, it's because I didn't flip the button on the presser foot. I have the Pfaff 2.0 and it has a little lever/button on the presser foot that you have to engage when you put the foot down. Good luck, I'm still struggling with FMQ too, but keep on sewing! I figure eventually, I'll get "mediocre"!

Carrie

Quiltzilla

If you local quilt shop sells long-arm or mid-arm quilting machines, you can often rent time on them. They make sewing the meandering style much easier. Some quilt shops will want you to take a short class on using their machine before they will let you rent time on it.

A long time ago, I learned about the Project Triangle. It states that in any project you can only have two out of these three: Fast, Cheap or, Good.

The quilting is so much faster and easier on these machines that the cost of renting the time on one seems to be a good value. Yes, I guess I am trading in some Cheap for some Fast. I also get more Good. The Long-arm and Mid-arm machines give me better results than my home sewing machine.

mtspools

I did all that yesterday, LOL my bird nest was was so tight under the needle i hardly got it out of machine

LivelyLady

One of the best investments I ever made was Harriet Hargrave's "Heirloom Machine Quilting" book........it took the fear right out of FMQ and she covers everything in such detail that it has become my quilting bible. Of course, you have be dedicated to practice, practice, practice. :D