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I make practice sandwiches the size of small - medium - or large pet crates and when I'm finished I give them to our local pet rescue group. I cut up an old flowered sheet and practiced following the outlines of flowers, leaves, etc. I didn't even bind them just zig zaged around the outside.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mindless (Post 8031723)

Your quilting looks great. :)
I don't think it is possible to get too much practice. You can practice by sewing on paper, or with a dry erase board (be careful with that) too. Doodling first on something unimportant can help you to relax. Lori Kennedy is VERY generous with her free fmq designs and tutorials, and they are a fun way to practice. She is at The Inbox Jaunt here:
http://theinboxjaunt.com/
While it's good to try to be consistent with your stitches, it isn't necessary to be overly critical. Unless you are working on something that will go into a show to be judged.
Have fun. :)

I totally concur with Mindless. I Love Lori Kennedy. She does have a book out with a new one on preorder. Alot of the designs are on her site, tho.

I also suggest Jamie Wallen's you tube video on thread tension. He is talking about long arm tensions, but I think its good for all machine quilting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1mRhcquZTM

I usually match my top thread with the bobbin thread. If my tension is a titch off, its not noticeable.
You are off to a great start! Welcome to the machine quilting club!

Always do a Test quilt sandwich before free-motion quilting on your quilt.

The best advice I received for free-motion quilting was to always practice on a Test quilt sandwich using the batting and fabric scraps from the quilt you will be quilting. Also use the same thread that you have chosen for your quilt.

You can see how the thread color and the thread thickness will look with your fabric colors as well as check for the proper thread tension. You can put your test quilt sandwich to good use....our guild makes tiny quilts for stuffed animals to be given to children in stressful situations. I keep it simple and usually don't do binding on the tiny quilts.

Most of all remember to have Fun!