FMQ....I don't think its for me.
 

I just don't think my brain can grasp free motion quilting. I've tried on a few practice pieces...but I tend to freeze and panic. I can't even imagine trying on a bigger piece if I can't even FMQ something as small as a placemat. I feel so frustrated.:(

I have to draw (well, actually trace) the pattern I'm going to use when I quilt. I can't draw for the life of me and I don't doodle at all. My "doodling" consists of writing my name in cursive and coloring in the spaces in closed letters on the document that I'm using. I am amazed at people who can FMQ without having the pattern drawn on first. I don't know how they do it and make it so perfect.

Take your time. From what I understand, it takes several weeks of practice to really get the hang of it. Some people take more time, some take less. Research different strategies. Some people use gloves or super sliders, etc

Try a simple meandering and just stick with that for awhile. The fancy stuff can come later.

Some placemats are pretty big... how about a 12x12 or 15 x 15 inch piece made from some muslin and cheap battng you can afford to just *doodle* on ? And right, if you want to stencil somethng on first, and try to follow the lines, or freehand draw some lines.. you could try that too...

I'm still learning FMQ and I felt the same way you did at first. I still can't do feathers or anything super symmetrical - most of my designs are really loopy and ..."creative"... LOL I gave up trying to be perfect and have been focusing on having fun instead. I'm getting better and better and (most importantly) enjoying myself and not stressing out about it.

Gloves definitely help me. Sometimes I draw out a skeleton of where I'm going to go; for the most part I just wing it. I just do one small section (maybe a foot square) at a time and that helps. Plus I don't worry if I cross lines here or there, or have to travel stitch back to get myself out of a corner. That kind of stuff is nearly impossible to spot (especially if you go with a design that deliberately has crossed lines and travel stitching!), and I figure as a beginner I'm allowed all sorts of "sins". ;-)

Check out Leah Day's "Free Motion Project" site. It has really helped me to watch the designs get stitched out, and it's great to see that up close, even the great Leah Day's stitches are a little wobbly and uneven sometimes. Looking at her work shows that it doesn't have to be perfect in order to be stunning!

I am still very timid when it comes to FMQ so I signed up for some craftsy classes. They are wonderful and quite helpful. Now I just go for it and practice away. I used matching thread on my last piece and I can't see the errors. Just keep trying.

I've signed up for a few classes and watched them and watching Leah Day and youtube videos, but it just doesn't come very easy to me. I know that I'm tense, and I want to be perfect right off the start which doesn't help my cause at all. My practice pieces have only been around that 12x12 or 15x15 sizes. Thanks for letting me know that it just takes time and practice. I will keep trying.

Get yourself a MagnaDoodle (child's drawing toy) or a whiteboard with erasable markers. Choose one design that you would like to be able to quilt, like meandering or loops or leaves - nothing too difficult. Now practice over and over and over on the drawing toy. Chant to yourself to get a rhythm going - 'up and to the right, down and to the left' or 'one, two, three, loop, one, two, three, loop' or whatever will help you keep you from crossing over or getting boxed into a corner. The more you do it, the easier it will get. When you feel more confident here, then move back to your machine and fabric. Your brain will now have this 'road map' saved, so that part of the process will be easier.

It can be frustrating at first, but one day it will all 'click' and then it's so much fun!!

Andi

A few things that might help you loosen up -- remember to breathe! When we concentrate, we tend to hold our breath and that can make our work less flowing and smooth. I like to put on some music and hum (or sing) along. That keeps me breathing and my quilting smooth and even.

Use something to give you grip, like Machingers gloves or, if you don't like gloves, a trick I learned years ago from Diane Gaudynski is to use Neutrogena hand cream (the kind in the tube). When you use just a small dab on your fingertips and palms, it makes your hands sticky and you can grip your quilt better. (I have a tube I bought about three years ago and it's still probably half full - you really do only need a small dab and yes, it works great!) I love my Machingers, but I still often use the Neutrogena cream when I just don't want the gloves on. :)

And if all else fails, try a half glass of wine before quilting - it can work wonders! :D