I've got it. Now, what do I do with it???? Help!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Now, that I've got it, I'm at a total loss. What do I do with it??? My new longarm was delivered Friday and set up. My rep showed me the basics but I am totally without a clue here. I think I am learning the panthograph fairly well. But, I am more worried about free motion quilting. How do I learn to make feathers? Do I draw them out and do it that way or just practice until I get it down? How do you go about choosing a design and then implementing it?

I'm in the same boat. I got my Gracie queen and my bailey 13 a couple of months ago. My daughter has helped me set it up and her husband put in new plugs and got every ready to go. I still have to make my leader cloth then I'm ready to start using it. I am so nervous. Like you, I don't know how to make feathers and just where to start. I think that is why I haven't finished making my leaders. Because I am afraid that I will not be good at it. everyone says it just takes practice, practice practice. I think I am going to start out with just stippling at first. I did hand stippling on a huge queen quilt I just finished but doing it on the machine is to me a bit scary. I`m hoping I will do ok. Good luck.

I've been wathcing some videos on you tube and other tutorials. That is helping. I'm getting dizzy watching these though. I have also been doodling on paper to try and get the hang of how some of them go. I'm going to have to buy more paper looks like. Get that leader cloth on and put in some practice cloth. Just remember that you aren't alone in this boat. Maybe we will both get some good information from these gals/ guys on the board. I'm also going back and reading some previous threads where others have had questions. Hang in there!! We will make it.

Thought I was the only one. My longarm (haven't even named it yet) has sit there for a year...just looking at me.

Lynn

Sew. Just sew. It's a sewing machine. The more you practice, the better, more confident you will feel. I'm still improving with every quilt I work on. I see the beautiful things that other quilters do and I'm inspired...sometimes I think that I could never do that, but, maybe I'm not supposed to do that. I'm a squiggly, swirly, leafy, feathery kinda girl. Yes, Hang in there and just relax. You'll get more comfortable with it the more you use it.

I'm taking an online class right now from Craftsy - machine quilting in negative space. It has been really helpful in getting me to brainstorm ideas. Have fun!!!

there are several books - especially written by Sally Terry showing how to do the different motifs in free motions quilting. Check them out.

Congratulations! I still can't do feathers (of course I haven't tried very often). When I first got my longarm and frame I put white fabric and batting on and just started playing. I did hearts, and flowers all kinds of free motion stuff. Go down to the fabric store buy some cheap muslin and play.

I've had mine a year and after lots of drawing, my feathers are almost presentable. Keep drawing, practice on cheap fabric, and watch videos. I watched the Pajama Quilter DVDs and a Km Brunner DVD called Machine Quilting For Beginners or something like that.