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Quote:

Originally Posted by Weezy Rider (Post 5799542)

What do they call quilting that uses the old stencil patterns then? Don't you FMQ those? Who works with those?

I don't care for the all-over bit. Right now I have some strips that I might like to do a couple of ovals on, then straight stitch some others. I'd like a site that shows that method. I've got some books - Leah Day does have some decent practice techniques, but I don't like the finished style. I'm playing with that quilt sampler, and I simply don't see the fills she is using. My vision for the blocks is totally different.

I guess I want a tutorial about mock hand quilting, FMQ style. I want to highlight the fabric and color, not machine skills in particular. I think the mock, using patterns would require finer control.

I used her tutorials to learn how to FMQ; once you know how you can use any motif you want. I've found using stencils and marked lines to be MUCH easier than free form quilting. But maybe that's just me.

Look for tutorials on marking quilt tops. You'll learn what you need there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weezy Rider (Post 5799542)

I would get some fabric with a bold print. make some sandwiches up and practice FMQing on the lines of the print. When you can follow the lines pretty well, then you can use stencils to mark your fabric and quilt on the lines.
The reason why machine quilters like the patterns they do instead of the traditional quilting motifs is you have to constantly stop and tie off your threads. Many traditional patterns are stand alone motifs where the more modern FMQ patterns let you do all your quilting without stopping, tying off, and restarting all the time.

I would suggest that you go to Leah Days site start from lesson one, for some one so young she has some very sound advice, she certainly helped me gain confidence in my own quilting capabilities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaperPrincess (Post 5799483)

In reality, when you FMQ on anything, from a placemat to a king, you are actually only going to be working on a 'table mat' section at a time. The whole quilt is there, but you can only work on a small section. Position the quilt in your machine and so that the weight is supported by tables. Pick out an 8 or 9 inch square area you want to work on. Now puddle (nest? scrunch?) up some of the quilt around this area so you can move the square freely. Quilt this square and stop at the edge of the area. Stop, readjust the quilt so the adjacent area can move freely and do this section. don't know if this helps.

Very nicely explained.

That hesitation and "figuring out where to go next" are difficult to overcome.

Get a Dry Erase board or even large sketch tablet and pencil. Doodle one design until you don't even have to think about where you're going next. I do this with every new design I try. I draw it until I can almost do it with my eyes closed. When I sit down to the machine, the mechanics are different, but I don't have that hesitation about where to go next. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tartan (Post 5799587)

I believe someone did a tutorial on QB on how to predict your path for FMQ meander. I believe she marked the main directions? Look in tutorials to see if it would work for you.

I bookmarked the thread that Tartan refers to: http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...g-t177072.html. It is an easy way to focus your meandering. Good luck!

I agree about Leah Day. Every time I'm ready to start FMQ I review her videos and where I am in the process.

I am told that many questions get a stencil and mark it until they get the rhythm. It aparantly works.

Craftsy has a class: Quilting Big Projects on a Small Machine by Ann Petersen. She teaches how to break the quilt down into smaller chunks so that you know where to go next.