FMQ Doodling & Muscle Memory Question
 

When practicing a FMQ design, do you always doodle to scale? I'm wondering if I could gain muscle memory from doodling a smaller version of the design. I could get in more practice with a smaller doodle, if it would be beneficial!!

interesting, will watch for the experience of others

I always doodle much smaller than what I am actually going to quilt. Doodling is more than muscle memory it is getting comfortable with transitioning from tight spaces or different designs. Doodling is very helpful.

I agree with Peggy. It really helps solidify the pattern for me and work out problems with it and transitions as Peggy mentioned. Sometimes, I'll draft it to scale if I'm trying to get a better feel for how it'll fit and look in a specific area, and/or draw it on a clear sheet of plastic that I've laid out over the quilt top piecing, using a wet erase or dry erase marker.

For years and years and years, well before I became a quilter, I would doodle what I now know as a "meander" pattern, and also a lot of swirls.

When I started FMQ, both of those patterns have come to me very "naturally". I can meander and/or swirl all day long, any size and it comes out nice and consistent and I rarely back myself into a corner. But something like feathers...I'm terrible at those. Jerky, lopsided, uneven...I still need a LOT of practice on those.

So I think doodling is VITAL to good FMQ skills, and I really don't think the scale matters. I think the figuring out how to get from point A to point B to point C without getting stuck, and getting your hands and mind used to the various shapes, is what is the most helpful about the doodling.

I can see the point of doodling and have done it some. But, just speaking for myself, since I FMQ on a domestic machine and move the fabric, sometimes I have trouble transferring doodling by moving the pen to moving the quilt under the needle. Different to me.

Doodling doesn't seem to help me much; I assume it's because when I quilt, I'm moving the fabric under the needle, rather than the needle over the fabric.

I doodle in a small sketchbook And I also use my machine to doodle for relaxation. I use cheap craft felt for my sandwiches. I buy packages of the 9"x12" size and put two pieces together then just doodle away. It is a good way to loosen up-- and it's very relaxing to just sit down at the machine and start Fmq without a preconceived idea + it's great training for those times when you've got an odd space on a quilt that needs to be quilted. The nice thing about the felt is you don't have to take the time to cut fabric and batting and baste a sandwich. I just put a pin in each of the corners to hold the two pieces together.

Rob

I would give doodling a try. It has helped me a lot when trying new designs, and even when I haven't used one in awhile. Just see if it works for you. I was reluctant because I just wanted to do the quilting but it has helped me.

I was taught that doodling is to build visual memory, not muscle memory. That makes more sense to me. Understanding what something will look like when connected altogether is something that doesn't always come naturally to people & that's where doodling helps. If I can draw it, then I can figure out how to get it on a quilt; however, it does not start to come automatically to me (muscle memory) until I've actually done the motion a number of times (i.e., practiced on an actual quilt/quilt sandwich).

One way I know some people build muscle memory without working with actual fabric is to draw the exact design they want on a sheet of paper -- you can do larger designs by buying tracing paper on a roll. Then, they will tape a laser pointer to a stand or a light fixture or something so it's pointing down and then will hold the piece of paper like it's a quilt & move it so the laser pointer traces the lines on the paper. You are lacking the weight of fabric & batting, but at least you're doing the actual movement for FMQ.

I rarely worry much about scale when I'm doodling. When I draw an original design, I will use layers of tracing paper to figure out what quilting designs I want at the actual (or much closer to the actual) size of the quilt. But other than that, I just practice the motion of how the line transitions from one part of the quilting design to the next with doodling. If I have a tricky part, I will draw it out with marker on a practice sandwich & practice quilting on my machine. I do find that all of that helps me.

I use a dry erase board to practice designs. when I was first trying fmq i bought a pkg of felt squares to practice on rather than making "sandwiches". I think it helped co-ordinate my hands and I didn't feel so "wasteful"

I haven't really gotten into the idea of practicing FMQ designs on paper because my drawing with a pencil is worse than my FMQ. I would have never quilted anything. And then, I wanted to do feathers! After much research on line and buying a couple of books, I did practice the feathers on paper and found it very helpful. Really worked for me on feathers.

I don't doodle to scale either...sometimes I use a clipboard with scrap paper or a dry erase board from my sewing room..other times I'll just doodle on whatever is handy. About the only thing that comes close to actual size is when I practice drawing feathers. I mostly FMQ on my DM but I feel the doodling is still helpful.

I also use a Boogie Board. You can doodle all over then push the button and it's gone. I got mine for under $25 and keep it close to my Sweet 16. Then I can doodle for a while, do a practice piece, and quilt it on my quilt top. My Boogie Board is probably a 4X6 surface area.

I've been using my ipad and a free app called SketchBook to doodle with. I tap "undo" instead of "clear" to avoid the ad flood attached to "clear". My GC like to play with the app too. :)

I doodle on dry erase to. Mostly just for fun and to remember designs I want to try on quilts. I like doodling in different sizes on purpose, because it's much more natural for me to doodle small, but I have to almost 'force' myself to make the shapes real large. I actually have to think about making it bigger. As I doodle, the shapes start leaning and shrinking naturally.
SketchBook is fun too...so is scrap paper...

The repetitive motion is what gives you the mental motion. Any scale you draw in is okay, small or large, the more you do it the motion the better you get at repeating it in any size. It is nice to play rhythmic music while skating across the paper.

Any size I have room for on my white board. Doodling doesn't so much work on muscle memory if you are a sit down quilter but it does help you figure out how to move around your space without trapping yourself in a corner. In my opinion, anyway.

I use a sit down but still feel doodling really helps even though I move the fabric rather than the needle... don't tell my pastor but I often doodle in church

God would approve of using your time wisely.

I use a Etch a Sketch to practice on it certainly does the job and no way is it to scale. I probably need to try to find a new one it's loosing something after all these years.

I am a dry erase fan as well. May I suggest low odor markers (I almost asphyxiated myself on the first regular odor marker!) and don't put your elbow down. Teaching your arm muscle memory and not your wrist helped me alot. Also check out

www.theinboxjaunt.com for weekly FMQ motifs and prompts to try new things. Lori Kennedy is an awesome teacher! Lots of past tutorials to check out as well.

Bree123, love your idea about the laser pointer. No wasted paper or fabric! Will definitely be trying this.