Marking Top For FMQ
 

Hi all,
I'm sorry if this has been hashed out before. I did do a quick search on the topic, but didn't find anything.

What is your preference for marking a quilt top for FMQ? Do you mark the pattern before or after putting the sandwich together? I was thinking of marking it before I make the sandwich. This will be the first quilt I will attempt on my Grace Mini Frame so I wanted to have it marked versus doing the quilting on the fly. I will be doing a simple meander.

Cheers,
Shari

sschick, If I am doing a simple meander, I don't mark the quilt at all. I make a small, placemat size sample quilt to practice and get the motion worked out. Once the placemat sample is done I bind and use them for the Senior Center. Once I have done a bit of practice, I move onto the quilt. Mine are certainly not perfect by any means, but the mistakes get lost in the overall quilt. And once washed, even I can't find those slip ups.:-)
I have also used a roll of the examination paper and a stencil to draw the design on the paper. I repeat the width of the quilt as many times as needed to cover the quilt. Pin one paper to the quilt sandwich and quilt the design through the paper. Add a second paper and repeat until the quilt is done. Once done I remove the paper. Honestly this takes as long as the quilting but allows me a fancy design that I could not replicate without having a path to follow. I am not able to follow the pattern exactly and may wander off a bit but once done and the paper is removed you will not be able to tell you veered off line. I have also used a large flower print for the backing and quilted the flowers from the back of the quilt so the design shows on the front. Please allow yourself to relax and enjoy the process. Hopefully this will get you started.

I'm right in Lena's camp. It takes a bit maybe to get the idea of the meanders and how to not get yourself in a place you can't get out again -- but even if you do, is it really that big of a deal?? For me I find music helps keep my rhythm and keeping my size consistent.

From a practical standpoint, if I'm going to mark, I prefer to do so before sandwiching, I can get a better drawing on small bits of surface with a hard surface than I can with the batting and backing included. If I'm using pounce pads the stencils go on pretty nicely on the sandwich, but can wear off so you have to decide on how to deal with that. But, I also have to deal with vision issues. I've never found the best marking techniques for my typical scrappy style, using lots of small pieces of light and dark or different colors.

So I've also used paper, typically I use parchment paper I get from the dollar store, comes in 1 x 25 foot rolls. The supplier has changed in the last couple of years and/or my move to a different part of the country and I seem to have a bit more issues with the current stuff, but it is pretty darn easy to work with and a nice price. I would buy pantographs and copy them onto the parchment so I could sew through. Yes, time consuming, but that is what it takes for me to get the results I wanted. If you use white thread there is a chance that pencil graphite or sometimes ink can carry through onto the thread and be almost impossible to get out again, would not recommend the pencil/parchment combo on a white on white type project.

Some of the ladies in my sewing group are doing very well with pre-printed designs as well. In general they do not have much experience in machine quilting.

I found in terms of improving my skills I would do a rather basic grid of some technique in the bed/center of the quilt and a more complicated design on the border, If you have a serpentine stitch option on your machine, I really like that for a number of reasons for the grid.

I've tried the using the design on the back and that hasn't worked too well for me, mostly tension issues being more noticeable on the top. But if your stitches are nice and consistent from both sides -- hooray for you! I do recommend a really good sandwich and would probably use spray baste... A lot of stitching tension issues disappear with the first wash but some don't so much, especially small tight arcs for me, I get the eyelash thing.

Totally agree with Lena1952 and Iceblossom's posts. Get some paper and doodle a meander until you feel comfortable, then do some small practice pieces before moving on to your quilt and you shouldn't need to mark the quilt at all. If you get stuck somewhere it's ok to stitch over design to get out or make a loop and change direction. After the quilt is done and washed no one will ever be able to find it.

I also have used designs printed on foundation paper on top of top and traced my stitching over it which works pretty well for more intricate designs. It does take time to rip the paper off but I do it when watching TV.

I don't mark my quilts for FMQ. I just wing it and do an allover design whether it's loops or leaves or hearts or a combination of motifs. I agree with using paper to draw your designs and to practice pieces. I took an online FMQ class and the teacher had us do a lot of practice pieces and a lot of drawing designs. I think it really helped me.

I'm thinking about building a light box to use when marking larger swirl/floral patterns on some of my quilts. I can tape a section of a pantograph to the light box and then place a section of quilt top on it and with the help of Crayola Washable Markers trace the pattern I want. It will take a while to do it, but once I get the hand/arm movement down it should be better and faster. Light boxes can also be found at art supply stores and on Amazon. I have a small one, but would love one about 12x24" or more.

If you dont have a light box you can use a window and tape during the day. I used it frequently when I was in college for graphic design and worked on projects at friends houses.

And if you have a glass shower stall….it works great in the evening light 🤪. But it is nicer to be able to trace on a flat surface, the arms get kind of tired tracing on the windows and doors.

Someone on here, showed a picture years ago about how she set up for free motion meandering - she drew a wandering line that went from side to side, varying the top to bottom part too - this was the general line to meander around (not exactly on) so that you never got stuck in a corner with nowhere to go... it gave you an idea what direction to take your quilting. I've tried it and it worked for me.
(If you were the genius behind this idea, thank you and my apologies for not being able to remember who said/showed it)

​​​​I tend to meander in rows, occasionally leaving gaps as I sew left to right. When I do the next row I dip down into the gaps in the previous row so the pattern kind of goes in hills and valleys, making the rows less obvious.