FMQ spirals.
 

Just cannot do them.
Does anyone have any hints and tips on these.

Thanks, Watson

check out u-tube.

Leah Day has some awesome free videos on how to fmq just about any pattern you want. I'm like you...though for me, I'm having a rough time getting fmq down at all. I'm way too critical of my stitches, spend more time with the seam ripper than the machine.
I admit I haven't practiced much either tho.
Here's a link to 1 of Leah's spiral vids:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hSTd92LWE3E

And a link to Angela Water's "Shape by Shape FMQ" book. I bought it, and it really does make sense for me. She and Leah both also have classes on Craftsy you can sign up for (they cost, it varies).
Now to just get going and put my seam ripper up!:
http://www.amazon.com/Shape-Free-Mot...=UTF8&qid=&sr=
I'd also Google how to spiral fmq.

Regards,
Kif

Everyone is different, but I have received or heard this advice from free motion quilting instructors in online classes, face to face classes, blogs, tutorials- every way used to instruct: muscle memory is critical. I doodle in a spiral notebook when I am out, or use a small white board and dry erase markers at home. The things I want to try to free motion quilt I draw over and over and over before I start practicing on my sewing machine. I know it seems like just one more step to the final outcome, but for me it really makes a difference.

Yes, I even did this as a longarm quilter. Also traced the panto designs before I started quilting.

REALLY pay attention to how and where you are stitching. Leave large spaces between your "rounds" so that you have space to stitch out of the spiral. As you come out of one, stop, plan direction of next spiral (swirling left or right) and where it is going to be placed, then go for it. You can practice on paper as Cybrarian suggested. It took me a while to train my brain to make one to the right and next to the left. Hope you get the hang of them, they are fun to make.

Have you tried this?
http://theinboxjaunt.com/2012/11/01/...ilted-spirals/

What great links you all have listed! Here's hoping that these will help me along with Watson.

I have trouble with spirals too and really have to pay attention to whether I want to return on the "inside" or the " outside" when I get to the middle, because if I don't, I end up with an extra revolution to get back out or not going in the direction I want to go next. :-/. Not to mention the spacing issues :-0

Have your exit strategy in place before going in.

And I 2nd the advice to doodle/draw your shapes and patterns a lot. Be obsessive about it. Any time you're just sitting there, doodle and put your focus on being smooth and keeping the spacing fairly consistent.

Then just do a whole quilt of spirals. Don't stop and rip out if you make a mistake. Keep going and keep making each one better than the last.

build that muscle memory by doodling them over and over. And one tip so that they don't all line up in straight rows is to change the direction of the initial loop every so often---it;s ok to have a mix of spiral in/spiral out when they are close together as a background filler. And on some things like sashings the alternating of them allows you to move along the sashing.

I took an iQuilt class where the teacher said to at least draw out the first row of spirals so your muscles can memorize the movement. Don't worry about hitting the line exactly; it's just to give you a visual cue for spacing. Also, you need to consider whether you want a rounded center or a pointy center. For the spiky center, it can help to stop your machine at the point before spiraling out. You need to hesitate at the point for a second anyways so a full stop is not a huge deal. For the rounded center, I try not to stop until I've finished the spiral.

Also -- one tip for hiding imperfections is to add a small spike between the loops and alternate whether you start at the top or bottom. That way everything doesn't have to line up so perfectly and it still looks good.

I have been practicing swirls (spirals) with pen on paper. I JUST attempted my first row of spirals on a table topper. I decided to just go for it with a simple swirl. I didn't make it complicated. Just a simple swirl (in and out) and straight into the next. Are they the same size? NO. Are they even? Not yet. BUT I did it and I am OK with my imperfection and as I got to the 4th turn, the swirls got more even and more the same size. It takes practice.

My suggestion: Test it on a reasonably busy print.

I feel like I really missed the boat, paying attention in school. I should've spent more time doodling!!! ;)

For many people, doodling is not incompatible with paying attention. I actually focus very keenly on auditory input while doodling, more than I would if simply sitting there and looking around.

I was just doing a quilt with a lot of spiraling last night. One thing I noticed helps is to have a couple of other mini-motifs that you work in throughout the quilt to save you from awkward spots or blank areas. For me, often that will be a little paisley, or a smaller version of the spiral, or a heart -- whatever. As long as you repeat it randomly around your quilt a few times, it looks intentional.

I would check out u-tubes and it does take some practice.

I'm still learning...love watching he Craftsy instructors. One thing I came up with is to get a notebook page protector and some fine point erasable markers - insert a printed page of spirals, feathers, etc into the pocket of the protector and trace...trace...trace. You just erase and start over for as long as you want. Good luck.

Yes, doodling is the answer. I practice on paper, dry erase board, Plexiglass, chalk board... whatever is available at the time. The key is to develop the skill to 'see' where you need to go next when you come out of a spiral.

I was recently trying to work out a cabled feather that I had in my head. (Two feathers intertwining like a cable.) I probably filled 20 sheets of paper trying to work it out before I was ready to try it on my plexiglass over the practice table runner. Once I'd done it on the plexiglass how I liked it, I transferred reference lines onto a scrap practice piece and finally did the practice runner. This week, I'll be transferring the reference lines onto the real queen sized quilt and finally get quilting.

Quilting, even FMQ takes a lot of planning and practice. Stick with it and it will become second nature.

Practice, practice, practice. And tell yourself that you can do it :)

The advice you have received is all good. You MUST develop muscle memory, hence the necessary doodling both in fabric and on paper. It takes hours, not all at once, to develop smoothness and confidence. Keep working on it.

I've learned a lot from this guy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuT2...ature=youtu.be