hi yesterday i decided to "bite the bullet"& start practicing fmq. had several6"sq sandwiched so decided to use them.was that a mistake ? they seemed to be hard to handle,problem because they were too small?i HATE practising anything , thought i couldjust use up what i had.have lots of plain muslin,should icut larger sqs?be easier to handle?help,thanx,dar

I would cut 15x15 and work your way up to 24x24 in muslin sandwiches so you can see how it feels to work with larger pieces. A 6 in one is too small and would be harder to get the feel for it.

I would use a much larger piece...I would be running over my fingers every 30 seconds trying to use a 6"square, and getting a needle stuck through your finger while FMQ is not pleasant. Ask me how I know. Twice. :oops:

What is fmq? calla/Sue

larger would be better but you can use them. just keep your pinkies out from under the needle!

you could sew a few of those blocks together to make it bigger then have place mats, or a runner something...

OUCH - you'd think you would have learned your lesson the first time LOL.

Free Motion Quilting - stippling, meandering and then the more fancy feathers, etc., etc.


Cindy

12" X 12" would be the smallest that I would try practicing with. You can use the same pieces over and over, just use different colored threads :wink: :D:D:D

thanx,never thought about sewing them together .DUH!!!

I think Leah Day uses the smaller pieces to practice and perfect her designs. I'm still not there - I still don't even suck yet (no matter what the size) lol

I would use larger pieces and when you are done practicing with them just finish the edge and donate them to your local animal shelter. The dogs and cats love them.

When I teach classes inthe FMG I always have my students start with a single piece of material. This way you can get use to moving your material around in a even manner. You will also get a tempo or speed that is best for you. then draw some flowers and feathers, some loop or leaves on your practice material and learn to follow the line. Then practice your meandering, everyone meanders differently so you just come up with your method. Then when you get use to doing the machine quilting, you practice with the three layers. The hardest thing about free fourm quilting on your machine is getting your rythum down. I hope this helps you.

oh , sew some of the six inch blocks together!! then fmq them.

It really is true that you just have to practice. And it is so frustrating. I started with a smallish sandwich about 6 inches by 18 inches. Then I made a bigger one. I worked on those till I thought I had it down somewhat. Then I decided that I was wasting a lot of thread, so I bought cute fabric to make a picnic quilt for my daughters. I made them about 44 " square. I figured that it was something they would throw on the ground and carry in their car, and would not care if the quilting was perfect. I get to practice and make something useful. I am now ready to bind my second picnic quilt for my other daughter and I am getting better. Not perfect yet, probably never will be.

I have sewn since I was a little girl and I must say that FMQ is the hardest thing I have ever tried to learn. But I am determined to get it down.

Make it bigger than cut it up for something later.

that is a good idea to make picnic quilts, thanks for sharing your idea with us

I use a 9x9 to practice, and use insulbrite and make potholders, I hate waste. http://daystyledesigns.com is a great to learn all about fmq, and somewhat quilting in general. I also make small candle mats and wall hangings, I really enjoy it.

Just remember to relax and enjoy yourself, it is only practice.