When you get a top done, how do you figure out what or how you are going to quilt it? How do you determine if you stipple, meander, do feathers etc.? (using a domestic sewing machine) Do you just "see" the design in your head and just quilt, do you draw them out..if so how do you know what to draw! If I sound frustrated, I am! I look at my quilt and wind up "trying" to stitch in the ditch because I can't think of anything else to do. Can you guys help me out here?! I just spent good money on a DVD by Sue Nickles called Successful Machine Quilting on the Home Sewing Machine..don't waste your money, very little "sewing" was actually shown, lots of what thread to use, how to sit correctly , take breaks etc., but not much actual sewing technique, would show her starting then break away and viola she would be at the end...I need to see whats going on in the middle...very visual learner here! I guess what I need is ....here's the space..in this space you could either do a,b,or c and here's how you do it. I really wish they would show you on an actual quilt sized quilt, I know how to practice on the 12 by 12 squares! Sorry to vent so much ,but I can't be the only one with this problem...please...tell me I'm not the only one!!????!! LOL :-(

I posted the same problem several months ago so you are not alone! What I've come up with is--start simple with grids and stitch in the ditch and work you way up to feathers and more complicated stitching. There is also a website that has been posted about a lady who has created a FM quilt pattern every day for a year. That was helpful to me too.

It's called the Free Motion Quilting Project.
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/

To me it is one of the hardest parts of making a quilt...most books say "quilt as desired."
Some quilts are fine with an over all stipple, or stipple with loops or stars or something like that, but some quilts are worthy of more intricate quilting. Some quilts will do fine with just straight line quilt in the ditch, or something like diagonal lines maybe 3" apart(I use 3" wide masking tape to do that)...and some quilts are nice with "echo" quilting around applique designs. There is no right way to quilt a quilt.
I have many books and pattern packs of designs, and when I have a quilt that I want to do something special on, I will pull out those designs and go through them and see what will most compliment the quilt. Then, I draw the designs on examining table paper (get it from a friend) and pin the designs to the quilt, quilt on the lines, then tear the paper away after quilting.
Hope that helps with a few ideas for what to quilt.

Thanks for the link~

Try these links... leah day is an amazing teacher and she does actually SHOW you what she is doing on a domestic machine.

http://www.daystyledesigns.com/articles.htm
http://www.freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/

On the first one, I stippled it because of the large amount of solid back ground. Didn't think a grid would do it justice. The second picture is one I am just finishing up. I used stitch in the ditch with a grid, because of all of the blocks. Stippling would not have helped with the design. 3rd quilt (next project) I will use FMQ and simply let it flow through the design mimicking the waves.

I hope that helps you with the examples.

Thank you so much! I knew I could count on you! Quilters rock!

those quilt patterns are awesome. thanks for the link.