Fairly new quilter - have several tops ready to be quilted, usually do small projects to avoid any quilting that is complicated. How did you experienced quilters go beyond basics in machine finishing? I've done cathedral windows, quilt-as-you-go & in the ditch - my attempts at even meandering look so messy I've quit trying. HELP!

When I started out I needed to practice ,practice practice.Things do get betterr and once the quilt is washedthe boo-boos disappear...dont get discouraged.pab

Thanks for the encouragement

I took the plunge to FMQ with placemats - the first set for myself, so it didn't matter so much that they were ... uh, WAY less than perfect. Second meandering attempt was placemats for my mom - who would think they were wonderful no matter what. SMALL SMALL projects was the key for me. I'm getting a little more confident and ready to tackle a lap quilt next. Keep practicing!

Baby quilts helped me get over the hump!! Big enough to teach you how to handle fabric while free motioning but nothing like a King size monster. Babies don't care and Moms are too frazled to notice seams that don't match or quilting that is ''strange''.....she is just thankful for a clean blanket with pretty colors!! And yes, after a good washing/drying, most of the quilt designs ''soften'' and goofs are really not noticable.

Dog beds/mats for a local shelter is another good idea for practice pieces.

jodi in leavenworth

I agree with the others, practice is the key. Start small and keep going..you will get better at it the more you do it. Don't stress...it's suppose to be fun :!: :!: :!: :!: :!:

Just make a sandwich and go go go!! A lot of women can put the pedal to the metal and do it great, me I set machine at low-med speed and enjoy. Also, check your manual for the correct tension, you might have to adjust it to avoid the eyelashes on the back.

I am right there with you! I have tried FMQ but just can't get the tension right on my machine. I have a Singer 301 and Santa is bringing a darning foot for it. I hope to try FMQ after Christmas. Lots of members say it is easier to FMQ on the older machines.

I am right there with you. I have a muslin sandwich next to my machine, and I practice almost every time I sit on the machine for a couple of minutes, it DOES get better. I am now at the point where my stippling on small size quilts look OK. Can't for the life of me do it on bigger quilts, too unorganized and the quilt is heavy. But I did ask Santa for the FM slider to help the bigger quilt "slide" on your machine, so maybe this will help.

Also, a couple of things that helped me where reducing the motor speed to half, and then floor the pedal, this way the speed is constant, and I can just control moving the fabric.

We will get it one day:)

me too...hang in there...I keep thinking I am being given the opportunity to practice patience and fmq at the same time,

I haven't tried yet, either. I need to get a darning foot for my machine. My plan for practice is that I'm going to make myself a large quilt and kind of quilt as you go...breaking it up into 4 or 6 manageable portions (depending on how big it ends up! lol) and FMQ each portion then attach them together. I'm not doing it a block at a time because I just don't wanna. lol

Check out the book "Foolproof Machine Quilting" by Mary Mashuta. I believe that is the title. It is often assumed that machine quilting is only in the ditch and free motion. This book show how the walking foot can be used in more decorative machine quilting.

Placemats - manageable size for sure - I'm making a few small tabletoppers & may try fmq (just figured out what those letters mean LOL on them. Thanks for encouragement.

I'll see if I can find it - thanks for suggestion.

Lead Day has an outstanding blog where she gives you designs to quilt on a DSM...and she posts videos of her doing the designs on quilt squares. I use her designs on my longarm - they are awesome! Her blog is: http://www.freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/

Wish I could remember (a sign of old age) the exact sites I've been into about FMQ but one I did enjoy watching was:
http://www.sharonschambernetwork.com/default.asprx. Good luck to you - FMQ always scares me half to death but it is true, after they are washed you don't notice.

When I learned to free motion I started with "Quilting Made Easy" It's done with paper and they are all over patterns. The long edges have an adhesive that sticks to the quilt but leaves no residue. You have lines to follow but if you go off the lines it doesn't matter.The one thing that you have to do is baste your quilt. You can't pin them because you can't see the pins. The do have a website www.QuiltingMadeEasy.com. I no longer have to use the paper. It's a good teacher.

My DIL and also have read this - use a pencil and paper and draw your meandering over and over until it just flows without much thought. Then go to your machine and do a practice piece and then you are good to go! Hope this helps.

I hear you! Somehow I seem to get worse the more I think about it.....

This may sound really odd but sometimes (if I am quilting in the evening!) I have a beer first to stop me tensing up and over-thinking everything. I haven't got it yet but the trick with this sort of activity is that your brain has to learn it physically so that it "just happens"- like riding a bike. In order for your brain to reach that stage it has to experience it. Lots of times.

Sadly this means you have to look at the iffy results while your brain is laying down those neural pathways, but you can always save some off cuts of batting and cheap pieces and just agree in advance that they are going straight in the bin if you think they will be too scary to look at!

Urg. I have created an image of riding a bike while drinking a beer, havent I? Not good.

I can't seem to do it either. I'm real bored with SID. I'm doing it right now and hate it. I have tried small sandwiches but get discouraged real quick and stop. I think I may end up being one of the people who just make the tops and quit. What a waste!

Oh :::shudder::: I have one of my 1st FMQ practice pieces to remind me of how far I have come! I agree that practice is the key. The other two things that helped me was www.pajamaquilter.com and a white board. You can practice your 'doodling' with out being afraid of messing up fabric. What ever you can draw (don't put your elbow down), you can quilt. Be brave...oh..and some music and a glass of wine don't hurt!

The best piece of advice I've received for fmq was to worry only about the part of the quilt that's under the needle. The rest will take care of itself. Much easier to quilt one block than to think of the whole project!
The other thing that I think helps is give yourself a project that you can "play" on. In other words, anything goes and you don't have to worry about it being perfect. My scrappy log cabin was my latest "play time" quilt. I have many!
Another suggestion is to pick a shape that's easy for you to use. I can make hearts til the cows come home. I now make really neat vines with heart shaped leaves.
Best suggestion I can give you - Go have some fun! Play!
P.S. I remember in a much earlier discussion of fmq someone suggesting a glass of wine and music.

Something that helped me is to 'doodle' the design you want to make on paper. I went through pages & pages of paper doodling it. I can't make round circles to save my soul, but practicing on paper & then on a quilt sandwich helps a lot. It's like playing the piano - the more you practice, the better & more confident you get.

I'm also new to quilting and get lost with some words. What is Ditch quilting? What does SID stand for? I think I have figured out the rest.

I'm still in the dark about what all those initials mean. In your letter you used fmq and lol. I draw a blank on both and others that I have seen in other links. HELP! Maybe I should ask Konstantin for a vocabulary abbreviation list. Flo. [email protected]

Potholders are a great way to practice different quilting techniques. If they don't come out "quite right" , they still serve a purpose.

I was really bad, wouldn't drop my feed dogs for anything, even after taking some FMQ classes. I finally decided to trace on tissue paper, pin to quilt, drop feed dogs, & go for it on some quickly pieced donation quilts made from scraps. I had to pick paper off, but quilting looked great! That was about 3 years ago, & I still do it to this day. I just found that for me, no amount of practice worked...this does! Good luck!!!

I'm still in the dark about what all those initials mean. In your letter you used fmq and lol. I draw a blank on both and others that I have seen in other links. HELP! Maybe I should ask Konstantin for a vocabulary abbreviation list. Flo. [email protected]

fmq = free motion quilting. lol = laugh out loud

try this link:
http://quiltinggallery.com/2009/04/2...ters-acronyms/

Thank you for the resource. I will print it out so I can refer to it later.

I am like you, but the other night I got brave and I am not sure what it is called, shadow quilting? But anyhow, I top stitched 1/4" away from the seam line, I actually really really like this, until I get braver....

I was too afraid to 'ruin' my tops with bad quilting, when a friend asked me to assist her with charity quilts. She was really 'forcing' me to practice,practice,practice. I am now fairly good at it (and still learning). You have to either find charity quilts to practice on, or do small bags and pot holders etc until you become acceptable. It doesn't take long once you get the hang of it, and all your fears go away. My moment came when people started to ask me how much I would charge if I would quilt their creations for them. However, the best (for me) was when a lady, whom I consider to be a very good piecer, asked me to quilt her quilt for her...Have courage and I think you will surprise yourself as to how good you can become.

I have taken two different classes in machine quilting under two different instructors. The tip that worked for me was this: Leave the feed dogs up instead of putting them down. This way, the "teeth" of the feed dogs help to guide you somethat during free motion and makes your stitches more the same size. You still use a free motion foot.

Stitch in the ditch just means to stitch in the furrow that is formed when you join two seams together - so to stitch on the seam line, or very close to it.

Ditch and SID (Stitching In the Ditch) mean doing the actual quilting of the layers together by stitching between quilt top seams, or "in the ditch" where 2 pieces of fabric have been joined.
I was told to slightly pull sideways with each hand (I wear garden gloves, less expensive than quilting gloves, but still have "grip") where 2 fabrics have been joined as the fabric "feeds" under the needle to place your quilting stitches between the rows, aka in the ditch. Then the stitches are barely visible when finished.
I hope my explanation makes sense.

Good idea - thanks.

Thanks to everyone who has offered suggestions - I will begin with scrap pieces and maybe a pot holder or two, plus like the idea of doodling on paper as well. When I finally FMQ on something larger, I'll let the world know!!

Don't be hard on yourself. Practice and practice more. Eventually everything will come together. Keep on trying.

It just takes practice. Check out Leah Day's website and just do the ones you think you can do. You'll be surprised that it's easier than you think it is. I've practiced on Downy quilts. I have a hard time just practicing on scraps and I don't want to wreck my quilts. The Downy kids won't care, and I've never ruined one. It gives me a chance to practice while making something useful. I've done different designs in every square.

Everyone says practice, practice, practice. I say that you have to learn patience along with the practice. I still do not like my stippling and/or meandering, but it looks OK. I'm satisfied enough with it to keep trying. - Cynthia