My daughter bought a Gammill when you could not enter a quilt in a show if you had a stitch regulator. She still doesn't have a stitch regulator. She entered two quilts in Road2CA. One one a 1st prize and the other won a 2nd prize. You DO NOT neet a stitch regulator - it's a real bonus and if you can afford it great, but it is not totally necessary. It just takes practice, practice, practice. Put your sewing machine on the slowest speed possible and that helps sometimes.

What she said.

There are tons of videos on UTube that teach FMQ. I have been studing them and practicing my self and i do not have a stitch regulator. Good Luck and PM me if you want I will send the links

YES YES this is the one i like!!!

not only have I mastered it, I machine quilt on a Pfaff, home machine with no regulators, feet up or down, doesn't matter try both, practive for about 40 hours and you will have it!

Practice, practice, practice... long before there were stitch regulators, there was free motion quilting... make a few 'muslin sandwhiches' and Practice, practice, practice

Good Luck.

She was trying to sell you a machine I would think. Many of of us don't have stitch regulators. It just takes lots of practice. I would start with stippling. Good luck.

I'm, new...what does FMQ mean?

I did some FMQ on my Singer 66 Red Eye, no stitch regulator. However, I did a lot of practicing before going to work on the actual quilt. It helps to have a quilting foot (I used the one that goes on my embroidery machine). It goes up when the needle is up, and down when the needle is down. This helps somewhat in getting stitches close to the same size. Mostly it's a matter of coordinating between moving the quilt around and the machine speed.

A quilting machine with a stitch regulator would obviously make this much easier, but it can be done on a regular machine. I've even seen a video of a lady doing free-motion topstitching on a treadle, making purses. That sort of talent only comes with LOTS of practice.

Not true. I started FMQing before I had a stitch regulator and I don't use my regulator all the time now when I FMQ! :-D :-D :-D

I learned to machine embroidery and stipple on an older 930 Bernina,loosen the top tension to 0 ,Dropped the feed dogs , get a hoop , then practice, practice, practice,I can do it on my singer 221 replica too, ,cover the feed dogs, put on the spring , sold at the San Francisco worlds fair, put on a hoop and practice , practice ,practice, (LOL )I also have the new 830 Bernina with all the bells and whistles, You still need to practice , practice, practice, I use my practice pieces to make pot holders, purses etc,You can always find a way around if you think about it and then just do it :thumbup:

Free motion quilting

of course....thank you!

One thing I've learned in the 19 years I've been quilting is:

There isn't anything you MUST do--every quilt is unique. There are no rules that apply all the time. It's your quilt, so you know what's best.

So, you don't need a stitch regulator to do FMQ--it's a nice extra to have, but beautiful quilts have been made on machines without them. Your skill and talent make your quilts beautiful, not special gadgets.

Enjoy!
Carole
Marlton, NJ

I have never used a stitch regulator. Drop your feed dogs, grab a Pepsi and practice! It just takes some practice. Sandwich some 20 x 20 muslin squares with batting and practice on them or make some Linus (or other kid's charity) quilts and practice with them. Once you get the rythm it will go quite smoothly. Practice making circles. I was determined to do it on my own instead of letting yet another appliance control me. Let us know how you do.

You do not need a stich regulator!!!She's just trying to make a sale-shame shame

You have to be aboe to put your feed dogs down.

FMQ comes the same way you get to Carnegie Hall...Practice, Practice, and more practice. Without practice even a stitch regulator won't help.

Although I can't do it~~~ I know people who do beautiful machine quilting on their home machines without stitch regulators. One friend wins "best of show" internationally using her home Bernina. I think one has to be super patient, go slowly and practice, practice, practice!!! Then there are people like me, who can't ride a bike! ha ha. Good luck and keep trying. I do.
Blessings.

Practice, practice, practice!!!! I made 4 or 5 baby quilts for our local police cars while I was learning. Your stitching will be uneven and then all of sudden you will get into the grove. Even after years of quilting I always practice before I start on a quilt. If your hands slip try wearing disposable glove (like the doctors use). Good Luck!!!!

I do FMQ with the feed dogs down and it does take practice & more practice. I have done king quilts on my regular sewing machine. Just hang in there it all works out

That's not the case. It takes LOTS of practice to get even stitches and a stitch regulator takes care of it.

Grandma Pepsi, I have not gone through this entire thread just the first page but I like you am trying to teach myself to FMQ and if you look at professional quilters like Diane Gaudenski (sp) and definitely Patsy Thompson (who by the way has tutorials on You Tube) use only a domestic machine. I figure if it's good enough for them and they win all kinds of awards it's sure good enough for me. I also use a etch a sketch kind of thing that I bought for one of my grandkids to practice with instead of wasting reams of paper.

That's craaazy!! She's obviously trying to sell you something. While it may be nice, it's not a necessity. In fact, when someone tells me I can't do something - it just makes me prove them wrong. Just do a lot of practicing and experimenting. Before you know it, you'll be an expert!!!

Sorry but I forgot to say that Patsy also teaches to use a sewing silicone on the bed of your machine even though she still uses the gloves, it helps the quilt to glide without buying other items. She also encourages you to have the small sandwich of fabric to practice on, and the best thing she taught me is to wall baste the quilt regardless of size. Watch the video's they are so very informative.

You've got 7 pages of great advice here, I've got nothing to add. Just get practising and have fun!

I'm new to quilting and I'm working on My First Queen size quilt, FMQ almost got it done, all I needed was a darning foot and it works great...I find the faster I go the more even the stiches come out, and this is my first FMQ and I'm stippling! Learning one stich at a time until I conquer it!

Here's a pic, yes there is a few stiches that are messed up, but like I said I'm learning and not using a stitch regulator, I just drop the foot and use the darning foot, for FMQ...a lot a practice helps, I made a few pot holders so I wouldnt waste the material....

[IMG]http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/...1/IMG_1276.jpg[/IMG]

I have a longarm and only quilt with my stitch regulator on (I'm a wimp and my quilting speed is anything but steady!)...but I took a class from Karen McTavish and her advise to us was to turn off the regulator when we quilt, especially when we are doing feathers or McTavishing.

If you are looking for tips for quilting on your DSM, check Leah Day and her blog where she is giving us wonderful quilting designs that she also demonstrates via video on her DSM. She is amazing!

Yes, the disposable latex gloves works awesome to help move the fabric!

You don't need it. Just practice

I have the stitch regulator and don't use it. You can FMQ with dogs up or down. Keep trying and you will master it. Make you some small sandwiches and practice, practice and practice. Good Luck.

I know I need to practice to become a better FMQ but just hated to. So I "tricked" myself and used my FMQ practice pieces as the fronts of tote bags that I use for shopping. Course now I am giving them away to friends. The other thing I do is make bigger practice pieces and then sew binding on them and donate to local animal rescue places; they use them for the animals' cages.

It's too bad that the shop owner was more interested in selling a machine than in helping you expand your knowledge! You do not need a stitch regulator to free motion (it does make it easier, especially when learning). Drop your feed dogs and put a darning foot on your machine and off you go! Take some time and check out tutorials here and on other websites. Then, practice, practice, practice! Good luck and have fun!

It's too bad that the shop owner was more interested in selling a machine than in helping you expand your knowledge! You do not need a stitch regulator to free motion (it does make it easier, especially when learning). Drop your feed dogs and put a darning foot on your machine and off you go! Take some time and check out tutorials here and on other websites. Then, practice, practice, practice! Good luck and have fun!

Wow, that's a bill of sale BS I've ever heard. I'd rather do without the SR!!! drop those feed dogs and PRACTICE!!!! that's what you need more than anything.... and a little patience and good music and relax, you'll have it down in no time!!

I bought a Bernina with a stitch regulator because I thought the same thing. Tried it and and don't like it and never used it again. I prefer to FMQ without it. It takes awhile to get the coordination of hand and feet and practice takes care of that. Don't give up!

I was conned into buying a stitch regulator with my long arm. I am ready to throw the thing out the window. No matter what I do, when I try to move the machine to the right, it skips stitches, big time... I think I am back to hand quilting. The dealer told me there must be lint on the roller or it is off track...not so!

I have a 20 year old New Home & I FMQ often. I'm a long way from perfect, but I have been paid for doing it for someone else. Like so many others say- practice, practice, practice!

Testify! I am not great at FMQ yet, but I have been doing it on an older machine that doesn't even have a way to drop the feed dogs, just a little plastic cover for them. Indeed!

Nope....there is no MUST in the equipment.

That said, I would have loved to have a stitch regulator on any of my machines...I just bought them too soon I suppose.
Practice, practice, practice.... ;-)