I'm working on quilting a quilt for my granddaughter and man, it is baaaaaaadddd! I'm just glad it's a kid's quilt though I am really messing up a top that I loved.

I'm so discouraged right now that I don't want to do any more work on it. I know I can't do that, her b-day is next week. It's just really bad.

How do I improve? Should I just use patterns instead of free motion?

I don't know. I am very apprehensive about machine quilting. I think I am going to try using patterns before I try free motion. I feel for you.

Pam: I've been trying to learn to FMQ for a year now and I'm no better now than I was when I started. Everyone on this board has given great advice and I've tried it all--NOPE!! I've come to the conclusion that I'm missing the FMQ gene. I draw the patterns on my quilt top and just stitch on them (with feed-dogs up) and I'm happy with the way it looks. It does take longer.
I wish you well and hope FMQ works for you. If not you can always try doing it my way: FMQ for Dummies LOL.

Your title mentions longarm and yes it does take lots of practice before you get good. I've had my LA for 3 years and still say I'm practicing.

FMQ at best is a constant practice. As time goes by it does become easier but still it takes lots of practice. When I first started I would draw all my quilting lines first and then follow the lines with the machine.

I chose a very simple design (loops) and did those until I was confident the results were better. Move on when you get one technique accomplished. I still like to do loops after two years, I like the look.

yes it really does take practice, but mainly confidence, and relax :) Im not real good at it yet but intend to be lol... Have tried on and off for several years but in the last couple of months it has finally gotten ok. Good enough to give a quilt to someone. Charity quilts are a good way to practice. They are finished and it isnt really a problem if they arent perfect. Keep it up and you will get there.
lyn

Yes -lots of practice. I've been told it takes at least a year to get the hang of it, and at least three years to get any good! Of course, they didn't mention how many hours a day. I just got a LA and am very much in the learning process. I try to choose threads that will blend as much as possible with the fabric so it's not quite as noticeable.

That's why I stick to pantographs -- I just practice the pattern I'm going to do for several hours. By the time I get to doing it on my actual quilt, I've built up muscle memory for that pattern, and it comes out pretty decently. I'll never be a free-motion quilter, and I'm fine with that.

I think probably you're being too hard on yourself. If you show us what you've done we will be oohing and aahing and loving it.

I also think we all practice longarming in different ways. I have not done any pantographs since I bought my longarm, and I haven't used the ruler or drawn on a design. Everything is freehand. Why? Because I am not ready to follow the lines yet! I know I would be wobbling all over them. At least with freehand no one knows what I was really aiming at. LOL Seriously, I do want to learn to control the ruler and do more controlled designs, but for now I'm having fun with my own wobbly feathers, McTavishing, spirals, etc. One thing in my favor is that I have not previously sent my quilts to professional longarmers, so I'm only comparing my work to my previous work on the sewing machine, and I have to say the longarm work looks better. (I have to say it because otherwise that would be one expensive hunk of metal sitting in my family room.)

Thank you for the words of experience. I understand muscle memory so I'll get some backings to use for front and back and just keep at it.

I'll get some nice pantos that I would be happy with doing too.

Why was I making mistakes?

hadn't thought it out well enough so I wasn't clear on how to move from section to section

couldn't see the line I was following from certain angles when the machine blocked my view

going too fast

All of those are correctable. One thing that may help is getting some micro-handles. Being so far away from the work and trying to do an echo quilting is like trying to draw while holding the pencil by the eraser.