Just tried my first attempt at FMC today (on a practice piece) What a disaster, how in the world do people do this. I don't think I will ever get this. I have the books too. Couldn't even do stippling

It's your first try! I'm still practicing. It isn't easy, but it does get better with time and effort!

You'll get better!! Keep practicing. Don't get discouraged. It's common to feel like it's a disaster. I sure did ---but you WILL get the hang of it. I'm really proud of you !!

I'm taking a FMQ class in March at my LQS...and from what I have been hearing am planning on lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of practice...and then lots more! :D

I have a hard time with stippling. You not only have to concentrate on moving the fabric at an even pace but where you're heading with your stitching. Try practicing some easy loops or curves to get your stitch length even. Once you feel good about that move on to the more challenging designs. I like to practice on plain muslin and mark a design to follow. That way I don't have to concentrate on too many things at once. I'm by no means an expert but these are some practice tips that have helped me.

I'll bet you didn't ride a bicycle perfectly the first time you tried that, either. :)

There's a lot to learn to coordinate all at one time! Stick with it! Practice!

Draw your designs over and over and over - use paper and pen or a dry erase board. Draw a design until you can almost do it with your eyes closed. Draw it until it's automatic and you can do it without even thinking about where to go next.

Do your FMQ on a practice sandwich. Just do straight lines, first. Then go to wavy lines, then lines which reverse direction. Start simple and when it's simple for you, go to the next step and stay there until it's simple for you, too. Have fun with it! :)

I've only been FMQing for about a year and stippling is the hardest thing to do. Start with something simpler like quilting alternate blocks and stitching the rest in the ditch or using a wavy zigzag all over.

Mostly..don't be discouraged with your first attempts

Diana

Don't be discouraged my first two pieces were sooo sad pleating on the back. Went right to a strip quilt and believe me tearing out stippling is NO fun. It does take practice. I am branching out in my designs from stippling and so far so good. Pin no farther than a handspan in any direction. Pin back of quilt tauntl to carpet if you have. Leave pinned until all safety pins are in then release from the carpet. Get a large artist pad and practice drawing. I'm no expert, but these things worked for me. The very hardest part for me is controlling the speed am still working on even stitching.

Lots of practice... Please don't give up... You will be comfortable with this before you know it, but it does take lot's of practice.

Tape a pencil/felt tip vertically to your machine , then practice moving paper around under the pencil as if you are fmq until you get the 'feel' of it, you have to get into the groove, finding your own speed, stick some music on, relax and go play!!

Oh and go slower when doing a curve or you end up with eyelashes underneath (ask me how I know that!!)

Big head, little neck, big head, little neck is what I used to chant as I was practising LOL :thumbup:

Don't laugh! If you're left handed, try quilting in the opposite direction that the book shows, i.e., right to left instead of left to right. It seems to flow a little better for me.

Peggy
Sunny, Windy Fla!

Don't give up! It takes a lot of practice to feel comfortable doing it. I've gone thru many practice sandwiches before attempting on a "real" quilt. I think stippling is one of the hardest things to do well. I find that I do pretty good with loops, curliques, wavy lines. I can do straight lines now if I turn it so it is forward/backward. I don't do well with diagonal lines. When you practice, notice which types you feel most comfortable with and do lots of those. Once you get the hang of that, move on to other things. When I first started, I couldn't follow a pattern well at all. I'm much better now. Keep trying! And relax, it's supposed to be enjoyable! :)

My neck and shoulders got so stiff !

Yes, that's common. You need to take frequent breaks and stretch. Being tense while doing it makes it worse. Try to relax and enjoy! It really does get easier. :)

What happen...just try and have curvy lines and do not have the lines touch. Don't be afraid to take many breaks. Very important to be relaxed...a glass of wine...LOL here are some videos that you may find helpful http://www.thriftyideastoday.com/201...-quilting.html

My first practice was stippling, and a major fail. My second and third were actual quilts, meandering, and I did far better. Maybe try bigger for a bit to build skills and confidence?

Don't give up! It takes lots of practice. I am getting better, but still have a ways to go. I really enjoy it though and I think you can finish a quilt faster using meander (big stippling). You will get the feel of the speed of your machine and the movement of your hands.

Dont be discouraged. It takes practice. Remember to put down the presser foot. That was the mistake I made when i started.

Stippling is more challenging than it looks. It can help to trace with your fingers on paper a stippling pattern. It helps "set" it in your mind and your hands will do a much better job when you move back to the fabric and machine. But really, it's like many things in life, the more you do it the better you get. Good luck and I know your FMQ'ing will just keep getting easier and better! :D

Thank you, those are great videos, she makes it look so easy (which it's not) Going to buy a new bottle of wine tomorrow LOL

Practice practice, practice. It WILL come.

That was exactly the way I felt when I first tried FMQ. I was so intimidated that I went back to STD. Then I took a class at my LQS and it took the fear out of it. Now after a lot of practice, and I mean a LOT of practice, I just love FMQ. A book the instructor suggested (which she claimed was her quilting bible) is by Harriet Hargrave "Heirloom Machine Quilting". Worth every penny :)

Michelangelo didn't paint the SIstine Chapel the day after he first dipped his brush in paint. Give yourself a chance and some time. You'll get it.

It took me 3 yrs to get stippling and that is all I do for now. I don't think I will ever get to feathering. All I can say is stay determined and continue to practice. For me practice on scraps wasn't fulfilling so I practiced on small pieces and wall hangings with nylon and my mistakes weren't as noticeable. I am determined not to send my stuff to a long arm quilter. If I make a quilt I want it to be all mine. So stay with it you will get it. I wish I was as determined with sticking to my diet. Watching Leah Day was also helpful to me.

It is hard, I was very discouraged when I first started, but a friend told me to practise an hour a day for a month, and at the end of that month It would be much easier. She was right. Practise Practise Practise Hang in there!!!

My first time quilting on my domestic machine was in a 2-day class taught by Jill Schumacher. I went home wondering if I shouldn't bother returning for the next day's lessons. But come the morning it was AMAZING how many of the ladies in the class discovered a new-found skill!! It seems that the stumbling frazzling attempts we made the first day created 'muscle memory' and our second day's work was AWESOME!
Consider joining one of your local guilds. For 2 years I've been driving 60 miles twice a month to quilt my guild's community quilts on a longarm and I'm having a ball! My technique has improved so much, I'm discovering and creating new motifs and methodology, and I've helped to LA quilt over 500 quilts a year for my guild's projects! There are a LOT of warmer, happier kids out there now!
BTW, are you using quilter's gloves like Machingers on your home machine? Do you have a large bed attachment or does your machine sit down into a table? The larger the flat area, the easier to work. Also, if you get a Sew Slip sheet designed to eliminate the friction on your bed while quilting, you'll be amazed how much easier it is to move your work around.

Then you most definetly need more wine! J/K...but really, that means you are tensed up when doing it. Shake out your shoulders and relax. Make sandwiches and just play...no pressure...no worries about "wasting"...practice, practice, practice, then you'll find your groove.

When I started to do FMQ, I purchased the book and CD, "Skillbuilder Companion for Machine Quilters" by Renae Allen. I also bought her Skillbuilder Samplers. I noticed that when I finished all of the FMQ on the sampler, the last instruction was "Sew binding strips together and bind sampler edges." No way! My FMQ on the sampler was horrible! I just kept practicing and now I love FMQ although I'm still not as good as I'd like to be. Keep practicing. I'll bet you'll learn to enjoy FMQ also.

I got a Janome 3160 for Christmas and have been getting used to it. I just got a darning foot but they were out of the walking foot. I am self taught and have been piecing and tying quilts for several years. I was so excited to start at least stippling with the darning foot but it is not easy and not even fun at this point! I know, practice. I have several quilts sandwiched and ready for quilting but I don't want to ruin them so guess I will wait until I feel comfortable with FMQ or following a pattern.
I suppose I need a good book too but I have a few questions for you experts:

Is it possible to go back and quilt a quilt that has been tied and bound?

What is the difference between a walking foot and a stitch in the ditch foot? Do I need both?

Do you use stencils or just wing it with FMQ designs in your head?

what is an FMQ?

I am with you. FMQ is difficult at best for me. It makes me so tense that when I am done my shoulders and head hurt big time.

Feffertim: Your efforts give me courage! I'm hoping to do my own FM work soon and am taking a class Machine Quilting 101! I've only done one quilt on a long arm (I'm a newbie at all this) and have completed a quilt top for my granddaughter which I would like to quilt on my own machine. I'm hoping with the class and lots, and lots, and lots of practice I can complete her quilt with something acceptable. For all those who responded to Feffertim...I'm taking all your advice too! Thanks also for the website.

free motion quilting

I used to be able to make the hotpads you have in your avator. Someone showed me long time ago. Since I don't have the pattern written down anywhere, I'd like to know where you got the pattern. Thank you.

My first try got ripped out no less than 7 times. It turned out to be fun once I got the hang of it. Keep trying

Put on some good music you can find a nice rhythm with and make lots of practice sandwiches and you will get it in no time. It's so much fun. Also you can go to daystyledesigns and get good ideas from Leah. There are lots of tutorials on youtube and many quilt shop sites. The trick is to find the way you and only you can make it work for you. Just loosen yourself up a bit, do small areas at a time and relax and enjoy even your mistakes because that's the only way any one of us ever learns. None of us ever got it right in the beginning but learned and laughed at what we did and then it just finally hits you. We each will find the designs that work the best for ourselves and continue trying to perfect those we have a difficult time with. Wishing you all the best.

Don't be discouraged, just go slow. It is eye-hand co-ordination. Draw it out with paper and pencil, then practice-practice on a small 12 by 15 block. You will do very well, just take your time.

It does take practice, and the one thing I kept forgetting to do was drop the feed dogs. Dont forget

I set up my laptop next to my sewing machine and watched Leah Day's 365 Days of FMQ tutorials and then did what she did. They didn't always look like hers, but they were okay. I recommend starting with the easy ones and going from there. It worked for me. Still practicing.

It gets better with practice, but I am still far from where I want to be. Each attempt shows progress and that is what I am looking for.