I think you are off to a great start. I can't offer any more advice than you have received here. Just keep practicing and it will get better and better.

Great tips quilters! You encouraged me to practice my FMQ today. I still stink, but I'm getting better! :wink:

We all had to start somewhere. I still stink too, but about halfway through the quilt it starts looking better. LOL :lol: :lol: :lol:

Bravo to you for taking the plunge! I have been practicing a lot of avoidance behavior when it comes to machine quilting!

I would try tightening the upper tension a little. It seems to me the bottom tension is a little loose, even on the straighter stitching.

I just finished my first FMQ quilt-- I hope my experiences might help you. Thank goodness I planned ahead and did a scrappy bargello out of busy 30's prints for my daughter. I named my meandering pattern "Spaghetti" since it meanders and crisscrosses a little. One side is definitely better than the first!

I figured just managing the bulk and getting the stitches done on this first quilt was an accomplishment. Even though I had done many practice pieces on 20" X 20" quilt sandwiches, moving that large quilt was different. Keeping a "nest" of flat quilt around the needle area by folding, bunching, and supporting the rest of the quilt was one skill I needed to master quickly. It's so easy to let the machine get away from you. Having a slick surface under the quilt is really necessary to have rounded curves and not jerky points. The quilt really does need to flow easily. Learning when to stop, with the needle down, to rearrange the quilt, remove any basting, and think about what I would do next improved with practice.

I have two vintage machines that are supposed to be good choices for FMQing, so I found the correct tension settings quickly on both of my machines. But, I realize it might take awhile for me to gain control over really consistant stitch length, especially in the curves. One of my machines makes bigger stitches when I'm stitching from right to left, so I'm learning to slow my hands down there while maintaining the same speed.

I got better as I found my rhythm and learned to relax. I concentrated on making rounded lines and consistant unquilted spaces. I used a finer poly thread for this project in a very neutral natural shade so my stitches wouldn't show as much as the heavier cotton quilting thread. But the thread color was also more difficult to see, so I had to find the right kind of lamp. I figure the puffiness caused by the unquilted spaces after I wash and dry the first time will further minimize my mistakes. (It also helps that my daughter loved the pieced top before I quilted it, so she doesn't seem to notice the wild FMQ).

I'm not sure if stitching in the ditch quilting would have been an easier choice for my first machine quilting project. I'm going to do some SITD to secure the outer edges of the blocks and one of the borders before I begin FMQ for my next quilt. It will have smaller areas of FMQ, not an all over meander, so I'm not sure how it will go.

i agree. it looks like the bottom tension is a little too tight. but it's a good beginning. when i started, i played music and moved my body to the music as i kept my hands in place. gradually, my hands took over and my butt stayed still. you might also try following a drawn line. have we all made you crazy yet?


nobody was born fmq'ing. keep practicing and you'll get smooth curves. show us your progress, please.

After reading all of the great advice on here, I set my stitch length to its lowest setting and put my machine on full speed. I also played with the tension a bit and slowed down on my curves A LOT.

I'm happy to report that it's looking much better and my curves are now nice and smooth with only a little scalloping on the backside! :lol:

I have never done this before but I think this is great and I hope that my first attempt looks this good! loved all the tips as I will be attempting this very soon myself!

Great!!! I will love to see a pic of it now.

Now you just need to play with the tension a little more. If you still get the scalloping try changing the thread. I have found at times that some threads are better than others. What machine are you using?

Maria