You ladies are all so wonderful! I am definitely bookmarking this thread! I had given up on FMQ prior to reading all this great advice! I love this group!

I am in the same position as you. It looked so easy in the store. I have practiced, but I am no where near ready to do it on my own. Together we will learn. I have spent many, many hours taking out tiny stitches.

Your machine definitely needs to go faster than your hands. If you have a speed control for your motor, you might set it at what seems appropriate and that would be one less thing you have to worry about.

Also, curves and circles are some of the hardest things you can do. When you go around the curves, you have to slow down just a big, otherwise you get those stitches that are quite a bit bigger than you really want.

And just do what everybody else is saying...Practice! Practice! Practice!

and, it is like riding a bike, don't look at where you are, look at where you want to go, you hands and quilt will follow.

I also have tried FMQ but always revert back to either grid quilting or hand quilting. I have made small pieces and do ok with stippling, but when you get a large quilt and start in the middle..... how do you handle the other half of the quilt that is inside the machine. I can't "freely" move the area that I am working on with all that bulk. I always seem to end of with small pointy stitches and I end up picking it out. I have tried rolling it up, throwing it over my shoulder. What do you guys do?

My sentiments exactly! Took a class this past fall....oh what a wake up call! Practice is the only way!

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. I think I'll try FMQ now...have been stuck in a rut with wavy lines and BIG meandering lines. I feel inspired...

Go look up Leah Day and her blog. She has outstanding training videos on how to freemotion quilt on a standard machine. When you are finished, wash and dry your project...most of the "mistakes" will magically dissapear.

so much wonderful advice here, you probably don't need my two cents :-) . (plus, I haven't read through all the pages - naughty me...) but:

1. my machine allows me to set it to a slower speed, and I do; before this machine, I just used a gentle touch on the foot pedal. Slow and steady wins the race.

2. Use a paper and pencil and draw your loopy meanderings.

3. Each time your loops become Points (hey! it happens!), stop sewing, hold your finger in the air and "Draw" your loopy quilting. This helps your brain and hand Connect, and helps you to slow down.

Like everyone here has said, it's all in the practicing. And even though this particular quilt will not be perfect, it will have been made with Love and the Highest of Intentions... and that's what it's really all about.

Charity quilts are Beautiful things. xoxo

Hang in there, my first attempt was filled with a lot of sharp points when all I wanted were swirls. I have only done two large quilts and now I can get a swirl most of the time but I still get the sharp points if I am not relaxed. I was surprised that I really like FMQ. I have always sent my quilts out to be quilted. Ran out of extra money so was forced to do my own. I did not like the first one at all , it was on a lap quilt for our local convalescent home. The people that get the lap quilts think they are wonderful and beautiful. MNM