I have issues...
 

Does anyone else feel this way? I am a perfectionist and am so inspired by the art of quilting; however, my struggle is with the actual quilting part. After working so hard to piece a quilt together, it feels like such a letdown to stitch in the ditch on my little sewing machine. I have tried machine quilting on my home machine, but it is very limiting, and just can't look as good as I aspire it to look. Does anyone else feel like "what's the point of quilting if I don't have a longarm?", and what area do you focus on to substitute for the fancy quilting done on these machines. I don't mean to sound like a whiner, I just need another way to think about this. Maybe i should focus on hand-quilting....

I have to agree. I bought a Craftsy class on free motion quilting, and have yet to "read" it. I do know the technique calls for a lot more practice than is in my nature.. I see such beautiful stuff on this site and not all of it is done on a longarm, but I have not mastered anything more than SID.

I used to feel the same way as you, but as I have quilted my way through many quilts, I have gained the experience needed to feel good about what I do. Some DSM can be very limiting with a small throat area, but it just calls for imagination....I have 9 inches of throat space and do all my own quilting, even up to huge king size. Go to Leah Day's website and watch her FMQ....she is an absolute master at what she does. Her videos gave me ideas for quilting and I couldn't wait to try them out. Don't get discouraged when your fmq doesn't look professional, it takes lots and lots of practice. Something else to think about is maybe taking a class in fmq. My LQS gives classes once in a while.

Hand quilting is an art in itself. I just don't seam to have the patients for it. Most LQS in my area have LA's to rent time on. Why not take a class from them and use there LA? Your quilting does not have to fancy, it is only one aspect of the finished quilt. Remember if your not happy with the piecing of the top no amount of fancy quilting will make you happy with it. Keep trying with your DSM. I have seen beautiful award winning work done on one. Whether you hand quilt, LA, or use your DSM it all takes hours and hours of practice to get right. Good luck, keep us posted.

Maybe your strong suit for now is designing the tops that you would love to quilt. Do you have a longarmer that you could collaborate with? I am getting into machine quilting, been a hand quilter for over 30 years. The learning curve is huge. I did some smaller pieces on my 9" Mega quilter to get the feel of the machine, and moving the quilt. It gave me more confidence to put the machine back on the frame and try more on there. I think everything has stages, and you are ready to jump to a new stage in your quilting life. Thank goodness quilting has sooo much to offer, traditional, contemporary, hand or machine work.

Being a type A personality is tough. I have had to learn to let a lot of things go. It is a challenge to find what satisfies a person, our tastes change quite a bit over time. My problem is I put so much of myself into my quilts that when I give them away as gifts, I feel a bit let down. Like someone moved out! They become a part of me. My choice of pattern, fabric, color, quilting design, etc. These are all my choices. And, probably the only thing I will ever have control of!!

The search for what satisfies you will make your quilting world expand. You will always need to know more, accomplish more, perfect more, try more. No, you are not whining, you are on an adventure!

I do all my own quilting on a Juki with a 9" throat. I don't quilt tops in the queen or king size. Most of mine are twin, maybe up to full size and large throws. Lots of smaller quilts, wall hangings, baby quilts. I don't have a large number of FMQing designs I feel I am real good at, but I do have a few and that is what I use. I do loop-d-loop, loops, stipple (large and small) hearts and leaves and some just random fillers. You can do a lot with just one or two designs. and then the learning curve is not so steep. You can add designs as time goes on.

I know how you feel. I told myself to just go with the flow and I would be able to get to where I wanted to be as a quilter. It takes time to evolve but its worth the wait.

It takes a lot of practice to reach a level of perfection in machine quilting. I know if I dwell on what I think is perfect I won't be happy with what I get done. It hit me one day, lower my level of perfection. My quilting looks better with each quilt and I never allow myself to think it could be better. It will or it won't.

I know what you are feeling. Hang in there with each quilt you do you will get better and better. Maybe you could strive for improvement instead of perfection.

Not really. Designing the top and then working with a LAQ for the perfect quilting design is very rewarding in itself. Hand quilting is also viable as well W's qayg blocks.

Self taught hand quilter as I couldn't figure out how to machine quilt. Was it beautiful the first few quilts, goodness, no but getting better and I love the connection to my roots. I find it very relaxing while the hubby is watching sports on TV.

Very good advice indeed! I also do all my quilting without a longarm. I did buy a used HQ Sixteen sitdown model a year and a half ago, but MUCH prefer the fine control I have using my DSM for FMQ! 99% of the time, the HQ Sixteen sits on a shelf covered in plastic; I've only used it for a couple of quilts. I even tried out some longarms at a quilt show last fall and decided I really don't even want one. I've done queen/king size quilts on my DSM and have been VERY happy with the results.

thanks for all the encouragement!

check around your area local quilt shops, machine dealers- you don't disclose where you are so can't help--but many shops that have/do quilting also allow you to take a class to learn to use the long-arm then you can rent time and use the machine to quilt your own quilts.
when i bought my machine i took a class at a lqs that was $50 for the certification class- once certified you were able to rent the machine for $20 an hour to quilt your own quilts.

Grab an oar...I'm in the boat, too http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...s-t215930.html

I invested in a walking foot & darning foot this week to see if it improves my situation (1985 Kenmore 385 1254180 machine), but if not, I'll be sending my quilts out to a LA or investing in an up-to-date machine that I can learn and actually DO FMQ on. I really would like to do my own, but I love the look of professional LA. But yes, I feel your pain.

@ ck: how long does it take to complete a quilt on a LA (say, queen size)?

I know how you feel, I'm working on the quilting for the shadowbox quilt top I just did and I've already ripped out four rows of stitches because it wasn't even and the back started to pucker. Ugh.... I'm taking a break just to calm myself down. Hang in there, it will get better.

And this would be why I got a long-arm. I wanted to finish the whole process myself and just had not the patience to quilt using my DSM. I've never hand quilted, but keep thinking that I need to try it,and as slow as I am I wouldn't get a whole lot of quilting done in my lifetime.

I'm with you. I've started doing some QAYG but in 3 strips, then each border. It seems like a lot of work but I've been happy with the results. It certainly gives me more options with the quilting. I'll never be capable of the feathers and other fancy ideas mainly because I don't like just practicing. I've joined a smocking group and I was working on a project last week and one lady said I was an over achiever. I've thought about that ever since and I think she's right. I just don't see "simple". I seem to have to put my all in to everything. My mum always told me "if it's worth doing it's worth doing well". I think she made me what I am. At least I always know I've done my best, which isn't perfect but is my best although I'm sometimes disappointed in my accomplishments. Oh well I'm to old to change now.

I solved that by buying a HQ Sweet 16. Now I just need more time.

Harriet Hargrave said in her lecture at our guild last month that for many people the actual quilting is like an afterthought. "Now that I made this top/pattern....how in the world am I going to quilt it?" She suggests to think about the quilting as you are deciding on the pattern/fabric. I tried that with my next project and it does make a difference. I am not dreading the quilting. BTE, she does all of her quilts on a regular DSM.

ckcowl, I'm in Franklin, TN, and as far as I know, there are no shops with long arms to rent. I would love to do that!

Longarms have a learning curve as well. I thought I could get one and go right to quilting. No so. Practice, practice, practice! I've done several quilts and still not getting the results I wanted.

that is exactly how I felt so I managed to take out a low rate loan for a long arm...I would not have been able to do it without the long arm or pantovision....they say if you can draw, you can fmq...well, I can't draw a stick figure!...but I can trace and that's how I get to do my quilting and love it...I hope you find a solution that works for you...there are quilt shops that will train you and rent time if you want to see how you feel about it...

I always hand quilt, but then I only make "country" quilts. It takes a lot of practice to get the stitches small and even. My stitches aren't perfectly even but I think it just adds charm.

I don't always like the look of long arm quilting. I also quilt my quilts on my sewing machine, it does have a 11 inch throat which helps. I try to do some different things, I don't quilt in the ditch. One can do curved lines also. I also have tried FMQ, doesn't look to bad on a busy fabric, plain or marbled fabric forget it. I used to hand quilt but not able to do anymore. Wasn't very good at that. I try to do what ever I am best at doing.

dgreen, don't be discouraged and let yourself develop at your pace. Practice does help, but as my very quilt teacher said, "Just do it!" and you will get better as time goes by. There are different ways to learn, and you will find which learning method works for you. I took a couple of FMQ classes and they were worth it...after one class, I finally overcame my fear of doing feathers. Here is my quilting philosophy...every quilt is a rehearsal for the next quilt! :)

I have so many quilts waiting to be made that I am doing only the part that I love. I pile up my tops and if someone wants to quilt them, I use them as payment. Pick one that you want and quilt one for me. Whatever works for you!

Beautiful and "fancy" quilting can be done on a domestic machine. Check out Diane Gaudinsky's books and Harriet Hargrave's, "Heirloom Machine Quilting." Harriet says she does hand quilting by machine -- and she does. I took a class from her and saw her quilts -- ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS -- and she does them on an older model Bernina which does not have a large throat. I just haven't practiced what I learned in her class, and because I, too, am a perfectionist didn't want to "ruin" my tops with imperfect quilting. So, I continue to hand quilt because I am comfortable with it and admittedly prefer the look of it to machine quilting. My reason for taking the class was to finish all those tops hanging in my sewing room -- five years later they are still hanging there. So, I need to get off the computer and get busy finishing those tops either by hand or machine.

I quilt all my own quilts, even up to king size, on my domestic machine. It is definitely a learning process, and I'm glad that LA's and online quilting sites were not so prevalent when I first started FMQ, because looking at pics of what LA's can do would have been very discouraging. I don't have the space or the money for one. I did buy an E-Z quilter frame for my DMS several years ago, and ended up not using it because the quilting space is so small, especially for large quilts, and I had to keep moving and adjusting the quilt in the frame. I just kept at it. I can turn out a very nicely quilted quilt that I am happy with, and isn't that the point? I also recommend Leah Day- watching her helped me immensely, and I use a lot of her patterns.
I also think its important to enjoy the process, which I do, very much. FMQ is my favorite part of making a quilt. I can't wait to finish piecing so I can quilt.
Having said all that, I believe that there are people who are better at piecing than quilting, and vice versa. I think those people should get together and trade talents, and there's no shame in that.

have you tried "quilt as you go" method?? I was feeling the same way as you (except the perfectionist part ) because I would have to send mine out to a LA and I really could not afford it. There is a QAYG method called "fun and done" and I like that. You can quilt your designs on a regular machine.

I find this is so true! I do think about how I'm going to quilt it, even before I start piecing, and all the way through the piecing process. While I'm making the quilt, I will be looking at pics of quilting, and books, and YouTube, and even drawing out ideas because the quilting has to suit the quilt. I usually try to decide which is the "star" of each quilt- the fabrics, the pattern, or the quilting. That helps me a lot.

I have ruined two quilts while trying to quilt it on my home sewing machine. If I had to do that all the time, I would never quilt again. I send all my large quilts out to a LAQ and always happy with the way they turn out. I don't feel bad about it as I don't like the sandwiching part, at all. So, if I don't like it, I don't do it. This is supposed to be fun.

I have only recently started learning machine quilting. I usually have my quilting done by a long-armer. But I am working on smaller projects now and learning to machine quilt on my DSM. I don't have much of a space so smaller projects are best for now. I haven't taken a class on it, though they are offered in LQSs around me. I would like to sign up for one to get my feet wet. I just finished a lap size top for me and a larger top that I plan to donate or give to someone (not keeping it because I don't like the colors). My friend who has done some large bed quilts on her DSM is urging me to try it on mine. Not too sure I want to do that big of a project though. Maybe watching the video someone suggested will give me the oomph I need.

suzyquilter
 

I agree with others that answered you. It takes LOTS of practice. I did buy myself a good machine with a large throat area. I made the sales person in the shop roll up a king size quilt to make sure it would fit so I could quilt any size. My other tips are set up tables around your sewing area so the quilt does not fall over the sides. That pulls and can really mess with tension. When I quilt a large piece I know my sewing room will be tight until I'm finished. Good luck.

While I admire the work done on a longarm, I don't think it is the be all, end all, if you know what I mean. I kind of enjoy the simple quilting such as stitch in the ditch too. I find it very fulfilling to have done the entire quilt by myself. I tried some FMQ on my last baby quilt and it wasn't too bad, just will take time!

My FMQ is not good, but I feel confidant that it will be good ... eventually; I am of the opinion that if others can do it, so can I. I have a nice machine/table set-up dedicated only to that and will practice a lot when I have some current WIPs completed and out of the way. I neither like nor dislike to hand quilt, but I do it; I always have at least one hand quilting WIP. I have quilted by machine (not FMQ) designs that required me to tie and bury the thread ends, which is annoying, but effective, with a much quicker end result than quilting by hand; of course, I can only do this with straight stitching (such as grids) or wavy (such as vines and ribbons). In fact I do whatever is necessary to have my quilts done by me, from start to finish. It's just how I am and not advice for anyone else. As a matter of fact, I think the LA quilters who do such a fabulous job of quilting the quilt tops sent to them deserve a big round of applause.

You are me...or were...So much so that it has been 3 years since I started machine quilting...and I finally last night "got it"...and I only have domestic machines...I will say that I did just get the Janome Horizon 7700 machine...mainly for the 11" throat space and the fact that it will do more than just the straight stitch that my Brother PQ-1500 does...that being said, I must say the 1st time I tried fmq (just a simple meander stipple) with my Janome, it was way different than on my other machines...thread didn't pull, needle didn't break, no birds nesting or thread bunching...after 3 years I really almost fell out of the chair that it went as well as it did...Now I am certainly not saying that it was the machine that made it better...as operator error surely covers a lot of what I do...lol...but I can tell a big difference in the fmq with this machine.
Also, have you checked out Leah Day's website? She only quilts on a domestic...has stated several times she does not want a la...which is certainly a preference thing (in my case it is also a $$$$ thing....;), I did good to finally be able to purchase my Janome). Leah also has tons of videos, and fmq designs all free...check out her site and see what you think..
http://daystyledesigns.com/
Good luck,
Kif

I quilted about 150 quilts on my Bernina short arm before it died (3 years old!!!) I have access to a LA, but my body says no. You can FMQ even a king sized quilt on a regular machine, just to a small area at a time. I now have a Janome and could do almost anything, but my arthritic shoulder objects. If you can't afford the $ or space for a LA, just do what you can. Remember, you can quilt even a king sized quilt as 4 smaller pieces.

Marti Michel has a great book in which she breaks down machine quilting into quilting just a part of it a a time. You can either plan ahead and do a sort of quilt as you go - or finish your top and backing, sandwich it and then remove the outer thirds of the batting, so you don't have to wrestle with the entire batting while you're quilting.You quilt the center third first. It REALLY makes a difference. It's a piece of cake to reattach the batting and finish quilting the outer thirds after you finish the center third.