I took a class on it and she said the key was to go fast and relax. I still am not up to the fast and accurate. ut I practice on blocks I put together to practice on. I did one lap quilt in it's entirety and went a little slow where I could see what I was doing. Turned out well. So fast is not always the answer for me. Thank you for the links for learning.8)

i felt like you. don't give up take all info and play on scrap piece every day. roz

also go to daydesigns.com she has a blog and you can see her motion quilt. roz

oops! it should be daystyledesigns.com. roz

That link takes me to a computer company.
Sharon W.

i bought a large stipple pattern stencil that you can mark on your quilt. i can't remember where i bought it but i'm sure someone would have it. roz

Oh my goodness this is just a wealth worth of info to take in....THANK YOU ALL for posting info and sites to go to. I love the look of free motion quilting and hope to do more of it as I learn learn learn! Oh, kwiltkrazy the potholders are such a great idea and you can give them as gifts later....what a great thread to read! :thumbup: :thumbup:

Stippling worked best for me in the beginning. You can make it large or small as you want and it gives good practice on controlling where you are going. Just my opinion.

sorry sharon it should have been daystyledesigns.com. roz

I didn't see this thread until I did a message a short time ago. I just completed a 14 day free motion challenge. My confidence level was elevated by about 5 notches. I'm over the moon pleased with myself.

Anway I just posted a link to my blog about a tool that might interest you if you are a free motion quilter. I saw it on The Quilt Show where Judy Woodworth was demonstrating how to do free motion feathers. This vinyl tool helps you decide what free motion design will look good where.

http://quilt-knit-run-sew.blogspot.c...oodle-pad.html

i like it ( would be better if i had a longarm
machine) to me it makes the quilt come alive and complete, also it means im am that much closer to starting my next project!!!

Tracing a design on tracing paper and placing it on a prepared quilt square of muslin fabric (front and back) and just practice, practice and practice some more. Eventually you will realize that you are pretty good at simple designs and will want to expand your talents. Wish you luck!

I'm just up the road in Jefferson - hello Georgians!! Lived in Lawrenceville 26 years.

waving back!!!!! Jefferson is lovely! Away from the traffic!

What a wonderful idea. This way even your practice time is rewarded not only rewarded with a new skill but some completed projects.

rahaube, your avatar is beautiful! Could we see a bigger picture of it?

I would love to leard to FMQ but it's intimidating to me also I don't want to have to pic out if I mess up

just work on something that is not important...even if it is potholders or placemats until you get the hang of it! once you learn, you will be glad you did!

I will second that! It was very intimidating to me but once I got the hang of it I love it!!!! I still do mostly stippling as that is what appeals to me just now and it's what I can do best, but I hope to get into more intricate stuff before long!

I tried feathers today!!!!!!! I am laughing at how funny they look but I tried them!

The first one I did, I FMQ on a tablerunner. The front looks pretty decent, but the back, OH MY!!! That's okay tho, I'll still use it! After all, it's just a table runner and the back doesn't show unless I turn it over!

it's important to TRY! remember you can't drive the Indy 500 with a learner's permit. Most of us just have learner's permits when we start out with machine quilting. It's the practice that gives you the skill. That's 90% of the learning curve. I think some quilters have a natural gift for the artistic taste and style that goes into FM, but other than that, it's practice. What you lack in artistry can be learned these days. We have so many wonderful templates, dvd's, videos, and on-line sites to help us!

Grammyj,
Quilting is supposed to be fun!! Relax and have fun. It doesn't have to be perfect. You could turn your practice pieces into dog blankets for the local dog shelter.
Sharon W.

I agree! I like to make a quilt start to finish! I do my best and the recipient knows that every stitch has lots of love in it. Not to mention a few cuss words once in awhile, but NOT OFTEN.
:D :D :D

interesting thought, I just tossed a baby quilt that I finished FMQ every inch of it for practice. I thought it was too messy for even a baby changing pad but maybe a puppy would like it!

Slow down. Move the fabric slower and make the needle move at a moderate speed. It really helps with the control.

I'm told that it is better if you sew faster. I'm willing to try anything. thanks

I am trying free motion quilting, and was told to remember to breath...often! My mentor told me it is easy to get tense and hold our breath...I agree. I have also learned on this site, that is perfectly OK to rip out whatever stitching we don't like, so I am trying to get brave.