Good luck in your endeavors Moira. I've been forcing myself to fmq on a birthday calendar I've been making. It's taken two years. There is a base with borders and each month is a mini quilt that snaps onto the center of the base. The individual months are about 16 by 20 inches. In the two years I've become better at fmq but I'm no where near what I see here on the board. But I have found as you step away from your work and look at it, it does look better. I decided I had to learn the skill and it's taken actual quilts to help me do it. Yes practice helps, but the biggest step to helping you is what you are doing right now. Congratulations on the courage to do so! You will be amazed at how you feel about it and how it will really look good.

Just wanted to say thanks to you all for the encouragement and helpful comments. I don't post often now because of poorer internet connection but thanks to you all. Charlie