Also, anticipate seam intersections, they will be double or quadruple thick, and they will cause "a traffic jam." Try to sew around those thick spots, or slow down your sewing machine, and really slow your hand motion down, and go over them slowly.
As a beginner, the sound of the machine will make you want to move equally as fast. DON'T DO IT! Put on some soothing music, and move to that rythem. If you do skip, from a "jeck" or a thick seam, stop and reverse stick to go over what you've just "skipped" and that will be a good solid quilt line (as you've just gone forward, backward, and forward again) and it won't show, unless you point it out to others to critisize.
Relax, go slow, let your machine work hard. Don't sew to long, you'll need to relax your arms and shoulders, and your machine will need to cool off. Clean your machine often, when machine quilting, whether free motion or planned patterns.

Carla Ann,
Thanks for all those terrific suggestions. I especially like the one about putting on some music. I can hardly wait to try that. My problem has always been to move the fabric too fast. That sounds like a great way to relax and move a little slower. A little waltz and not a Creedence Clearwater! :lol:

you are obligated to smoke a little dope before listening to Credence. it's a law. (waaaaaaaaaaaay down there in the fine print.)

therefore, i salute your intent to not try to quilt while it's on.

LOL :wink:

A little glass of wine to help my applique was one suggestion I've recently received. Now you say a little dope... my wouldn't that relax the old shoulders...

We're going to be named the "happy quilters" soon. :lol::lol::lol:

Think I'll stick to my Diet Rite and taut shoulders! :lol:

i haven't smoked any credence in a long time..may have to pick that back up, only thing is, it sure is hard to tell if you made a mistake ...ROFLMAO

hey! if it means i won't notice all my mistakes any more, i may finally have to give that stuff a try. LOL

Free motion quilting has more to do with rhythem than precision or spead, you'll get better each quilt you do, and even in the same quilt. Most people move to fast at first and will cause many "toe catchers" (very long stitches). The machines that come with a stitch regulator are usually the "long arm" machines. They will speed up or slow down depending on how fast or slow you are moving the machine over your quilt. The home machine, cannot sense how fast or how slow you are moving so it will set a speed and you need to learn how fast or slow you need to move to get the best stitches. I press down completely, getting the maximum speed for my machine, and I still have to move slower than I want to. I also have a machine that will stitch 1,000 stitches per minute. My point is, learn your own machine and rhythem, don't sweat mistakes (you can only get better with practice), and a finished quilt is always better than one that isn't.

Remember, when first starting a line of freemotion stitching, bring your bobbin thread to the top, and then take 3-4 stitches in place before moving the fabric to lock the threads, and another 3-4 stitches in place when you end, again to lock the stitches in place.

A great practice exercise, and fun too! Is get a piece of fabric, a fat quarter to a yard of easily decernabl :P :P :D e design (Batiks are out.) Use holiday prints, or florals, sandwich them together with batting in the middle and freemotion over every single line on that fabric. By the time you are done quilting that yard of fabric, you will have learned your spead, learned several new shapes, and relaxed enough to do an actual quilt.

Have fun!

First off, let me say I gave up smokin' that stuff 34 years ago. That said, it might be a trip being in the same room with you all when you are all high as kites.

I suspect it makes the Creedence sound better, but it probably won't do much fer yer quiltin' skills.

BTW - I can only assume the comment about a finished quilt being better is accurate. I might find out some day.

tim in san jose

you're funny.

Hi girls! I just wandered onto this site looking for info. about a ruffler foot for my Singer Ingenuity. I purchased one at JoAnn Fabrics yesterday. I am having trouble getting it on my machine. I'm wondering if it's the right one. It does not go on easily and it came with NO directions. I looked on the Singer site and it somewhat explains how to put it on; however it's not lining up correctly. Can anyone help? I know it's difficult without seeing but any info. would be appreciated. Thanks!