I think part of the being scared, at least for me, is after you put all the work into getting it pieced and our pleased with it, you don't want to take the chance on chaning the looks to the point of you don't like it. Messed up. I've only done 1 quilt and a couple of wall hangings and that's how I felt. Next I'm doing a quilt as you go or scrappy so, then I can see what it will look like sooner, before all the piecing.

I'm new to this great group. I've been handquilting for about 25 yrs, but new to machine quilting. My Mom told me that it's just fabric not life and death. So with that in mind it's easier for me to not be so scared of doing something new.

When ever I'm nervous about doing anything I listen to smooth flowing Bach or Vavaldi classical music and before I know it my body and mind is flowing with the music and the relaxing momentum shows in my qulting. It opens my blockages/fear and sets me free.

Smooth Quilting,
Andie

I just started to machine quilt. I bit off more than I knew. This quilt is 60x80 and "I have already used 2 spools of 1200 yards and not finished.
THE GOOD NEWS is I FOLLOWED THE PATTERN AND I am GETTING GOOD in just 2 days.

.Get A PATTERNED PIECE OF FABRIC AND FOLLOW THE PATTERN. YOU WILL GET GOOD AT IT PRETTY FAST.

Relax and enjoy I hope to post it in the next couple of days. I can't believe .

I did it

I notice that some people are suggesting that you start in the middle of your quilt for FMQ. My advice is differently accented:
For hand quilting, I always start in the middle and work outwardly. For FMQ I start on the outside and work all the way around the outside edge before working gradually into the middle. I don't have puckers. A few anchoring lines are handy on a big quilt so that you don't have twisting or distortions. In this case, I will stitch in the ditch in a few places to keep the thing square. If it is noticeable, or doesn't enhance the design, this stitching can be easily removed if you use a longer, basting stitch. If I intend to remove it, I use a really wild colour such as lime green or orange, so that it is easily spotted. Another trick is to baste it with dissolving thread in the top spool and cheap cotton in the bobbin. When you wash it, the basting stitches will fall out.

As you sew, so shall you rip!
If it doesn't look totally to your liking, you can carefully rip the stitching out. Been there, done that! You'll know.
Good luck.

Go for it I did and I'm still tryingLOL

I made a turkey wall hanging for thanksgiving.I thought well it's for you so if you ruin it nothing lost really.So away I went. Just finished ripping it out as the back was all loopy!Geeeze!But I'm going to try again!!!

Just go for it !!! Once I got the speed and movement synchronized, it was like learning to drive with a stick shift. I only stipple, but it took me a couple of quilts to get comfortable with it. Practice,practice and you will love it. Have fun !!

Just go for it !!! Once I got the speed and movement synchronized, it was like learning to drive with a stick shift. I only stipple, but it took me a couple of quilts to get comfortable with it. Practice,practice and you will love it. Have fun !!

I still get nervous, put it off, then finally take a deep breath and go for it. I've done 4 now and I am getting better and better. The key is to relax! I slow my machine speed to 1/2, slap on my gloves, have plenty of bobbins pre-wound and go. I have tried a few techniques that I've read on here. One was to turn the machine vertical...like it were on a machine quilting frame. I didn't like that. In fact, my quilting on that was the worst! For my last quilt I worked the quilt toward me, instead of pushing it away as I FMQ. That worked very well for me. I do start in the middle and work on only 1/4 of it at a time. Sipping a glass of wine does help!