MarleneC

I agree about this class. It is my favorite of all the Craftsy quilting classes. Ann Peterson is a great instructor.

Lady Diana

Before you start, be a sponge, go to YouTube, or Leah Day site and watch her videos on FMQ. Read the techniques, then try several. Start Small. Do a pillow top. Draw some designs with water soluble pen, then try and go over the design, it doesn't matter if you stay on a line, it will wash away and your stitching will still be perfect. Make sure you have the proper needle for your thread. Use a topstitch needle, it has a larger eye. I use a 90/14...but it depends on the thread you are using. either 80/12 or 90/14 Microtex sharp...just check the type of thread. Superior Thread has a free video this month, usually $25...go on their site and order it. I have been sewing for 40 years and I learned a lot about needles, thread, tension and myths. Back to your FMQ. Don't move your hands faster than your foot pedal or machine speed or you will get what is called eyelashes on the back....ask me how I know. Slow your hands down and or speed up your machine a little. Never move your piece after you take your foot off the pedal...wait to see if your needle is up or down at that moment...ask me how I know this....I pulled my small project to the side after FMQ...needle was down, yet you guessed it, broke that needle. I'm am telling you these boo boos because you will have a few as you learn and it is normal. Since you have a small harp, there are techniques for quilt a larger quilt on your machine. Divide your batting in thirds. Place the batting on the left side of your project either pin base or spray baste...I like the spray base. Roll up your fabric without the batting into the harp side. This way you won't have all the bulk in that small space only the fabric without batting. Now quilt the left side of your quilt up to three inches of the edge of your batting. Take out your quilt and baste the next third of batting, to your three inches of batting. pin or spray your top to this piece of batting and roll the remainder of your fabric up again to the right of your needle. Do the last third the same way.....now all of your quilt is to the left of your needle and harp space. Be sure to support your quilt on the left side and back with a table or ironing board so it doesn't pull on your quilt under the needle. Hope this helps.

Marvel

One of my aunts learned to do fmq on a strip of the blocks,batting and lining all set as a row of the finished quilt It becomes very doable. Then you do the next strip and so on. Then just sew the finished strips together. It takes awhile to get the hang of it but the rewards are great. So,get your feet wet as we say in the south. Best of luck. Okie quilter

IBQUILTIN

I agree that it would be easier with a larger harp, but we sometimes have to make do, and you can make that work very well. Just remember to puddle what is under the arm, not to roll it, and you can make it work

ArchaicArcane

I've also mentioned this a few times in other threads - Turn your machine 90 degrees.
Face the nose toward you, like it was on a frame. Try quilting like that. It's a tip a friend got when she attended a FMQ class last year. I never got around to it before I got my short arm then upgraded from that, but I'm told it's great!

blondeslave

Before I understood it probably couldn't be done I quilted a queen sized quilt on my humble Kenmore. About a 7 1/2" harp. It certainly was a challenge and I was only stitching the ditch but I did it. Now I have my fancy Esante with I think an 11" harp. If only I would get something done where I could try it.