I used to have a booth at a 4-H fair where you could pound nails for $1.00 and sink it in three hits and maybe win a candy bar. Most men will bite on that just to show off. It's a wonder that we didn't put out someone's eye. They tried to clobber it and it went flying. Along comes a tiny little woman from somewhere in Asia. She had what I can "hand/eye/coordination". She could sink the nail in three hits almost every time. Grown men not so much.

Moral of the story, some people are coordinated and some are not.

Yes, I believe it’s a gift some have and some don’t. Yes, practice certainly helps but some can practice for a year and still it looks pretty bad and others are doing feathers in a month. My DIL did not know how to sew on a button but was very interested in some embroidery she saw. So one Christmas DS bought her a cheap plastic Singer sewing machine and her dad bought her a cheapo embroidery machine. Within months she bought a much better embroidery machine and in 6 months she had a business going part time. Most people don’t do that well, she had the ‘knack’. So it is with FMQ. I don’t think I have it, but I can get by.

Janie W, I found your comment very interesting: [rather they haven’t been taught what to practice.] Could you elaborate on that comment, please because I really don't know what to practice or perhaps you could provide a useful link. I practice drawing the design on paper and then practice on practice sandwiches but now I wonder what else I am missing. I am one of those to whom fmq does not come easily.

I think part of the issue is fear. Just as young people took to computers when they came in because they weren’t afraid of them, I think some people can get hung up on being afraid of FMQ. So they tighten up and have issues. Also, people think FMQ has to be perfect. It is never going to be perfect. We have to get over that inner editor. Yes, some people are more artistic than others. Yes, some people are more coordinated than others. And these play a part, but fear is another big factor.

I agree with others it all comes with practice and what you are interested in doing. I think quilters develop over time. At first it's the patterns and colors that pull then as we conquer those difficult tasks, it gets more detailed. I have a friend who is exceptional at quilting feathers. But I know she has practiced them for over 8 years. I'm still in the patterns and colors interests. I also thinks it takes bravery to try fmq. When I first started I made placemats and practiced on those. Oh the eyelashes and pulled threads. But they are great placemats.

As with anything that involves hand-eye coordination, I suppose there's some "knack" involved, but I agree with "practice, practice, practice" mantra. For me, though, practicing meant "just keep trying". When I started, I swore the reason I couldn't do it was because of my machine -- I had a very basic Kenmore machine. Stitches were bad, tension was terrible ... had to be the machine! But I took a class at a LQS; the first night, very first thing, the instructor sat down at MY machine, and stitched out a beautiful shape. (the nerve!!!)

Anyway, I learned that it could be done ... on my little machine! The class helped a lot -- I think it does help to have someone look over your shoulder and recognize things you might be doing that you don't realize. There are lots of things you can get to help yourself -- sharp needles; right size needles for your thread, supreme slider (helps some folks, though not all), quilting gloves. But mostly, I think the key is to relax and not stress about it.

Definitely. And I don't have a knack for it.

I'm a beginner, but I can tell you beyond all doubt that this is my problem. Once I ever get the speed coordinated correctly, I'll be okay. Until then, I am doing wavy line walking foot quilting on a lot of my projects.

Somewhere in a video or blog, (Leah Day, maybe?) I remember seeing that if you make a stack of quilt sandwiches and practice for a few minutes every day, after one month you will see enormous progress. It's something I plan to try.

I found that my fear of doing fmq was what was holding me back. I kept telling myself that I couldn't do this well and therefore I couldn't. When I asked myself why I couldn't do this, I got much better. Believing that you can do something makes a lot of difference. Still not great because I don't do it every day but definitely presentable. I also discovered that the direction I go makes a difference i.e. right to left vs left to right. Drawing on paper or a dry erase board also develops muscle memory and that helps.

I think the secret is, if you like to do it. If it's something you like, you will practice. Also, you have to like the imperfections that go with it, like it won't look like a computer did it. For me, I love it!