How do you keep your stitches the same when free motion quilting? When I move it around some of my stitches get big..I hardly move it and it stretches the stitches..---_ __---- sort of like that...when I put feeddogs up it won't go in circles???

With FMQ you have to run your needle pretty fast and move your fabric really slow. Especially around corners. You regulate the stitch length with how fast you are moving your fabric.

Hope that helps.

When you have feed dogs up It grabs and moves the material as the presserfoot is holding it down. I have a pressure regulator on my machine for the presserfoot from 1 to 3 with 3 being the tightest for regular sewing. You can do freemotion with feeddogs up if you have this on your machine. I did it this way with the pressfoot on 2 and sometimes 1 when I started stippleing. I finally graduated to feeddogs down and presserfoot on 0. Your hand movements will finally get in a rythym with your speed. It takes Practice,practice, practise and more practice. I love the Freemotion.
Good luck!!!!
BillsBonBon

It's an acquired skill. I haven't acquired it yet! :D

Set up some practice quilt sandwiches and try it out. I've only done it a few times and I'm getting a bit better. It also helps to go back to your practice piece and "warm up" a bit each time before you go back to your project. I'm going to set up a larger practice sandwich with muslin (about a yard long or so) and keep practicing bit by bit...when I fill the practice up, the dog will get a new cushion cover for the old chair she sleeps in! Little expense, no real waste.

You just have to practice..... a lot. The length of the stitches are determined by how fast you move the fabric. I'm not the greatest at it, but I really love doing it. It relaxes me.