Hi Sandy :c)

I actually went and took my first FMQ class this past Saturday! It was a LOT of fun! It amazed me that the one thing that looked the simplest (stippling) was the one thing I had the most problem with! By the end of the class, I had gotten pretty good at writing my name though. She said that was the best thing to start with since we all already knew how to write it. Seemed logical. LOL! I'm going to practice, practice, practice before I actually start on a real quilt, but I LOVED it! :c)

I'm also working on trying to get my fabric organized. I got three HUGE tote bags full of fabric wrapped on comic book boards to put in my shelves, I've gotten pieces of fabric that were big enough cut into fat quarters, and next on my list is to go through the scraps I have left from that and cut them into 10 1/2", 8 1/2", 5 1/2", 3 1/2", and 2 1/2" squares. May leave some in strips if they seem long enough to do anything with. I'm going to put in a different storage system after I get my taxes back, and have to get everything ready to organize when the time comes. Gotta do some Christmas presents as well!

Donna

Love your machine.

I first tried FMQ on pot holders but found that to be too small.......so then I did a larger thing......place mats. That was much better thing to practice on........I had read that you could just make big S"s and that worked pretty well. I think you really have to have a foot that you can see through because you have to be able to see where you are going. I find it easier to start on an edge,,,,,sometimes I sew my self into a dead end..when that happens, I go off the edge./...than i can start over at another spot. Dont go too fast, it seems to be easier to me to go slower......and the gloves really help too, it keeps better control of your fabric. I think the main thing is doing it over and over until it becomes more comfortable.....you can always sew all those practice pieces together and make a dog bed for your dog, or for your local animal rescue organaization.

What I have been focused on lately, is trying to be accurate. Good points, 1/4" seams, and so on. You'd think I would have addressed this previously!

I have been watching many tutorials and even sitting in on classes in FMQ. It is my opinion that most of these teach patterns and not the basics of FMQ. One must learn the basics first to be really successful

Holice, you've once again hit the nail on the head - I've been to at least three FMQ classes at LQS, two by locally respected quilters. I've watched Leah Day and Missouri Quilt Co and others. I've also studied books by Hargreaves and Gaudinski and a couple others. I know the fabric, thread and needle combinations, I've been shown half a dozen ways to get patterns onto a quilt to sew/trace, I've got the right feet and the machine lined up and the gloves on...but I just can't execute what I want to so I end up "doodling" freehand.

Am I somehow missing the basics? I learned precision piecing from Sally Collins books, but who is going to teach me to FMQ?

How slow? I've always been told to rev up the machine and go fast until you stop. Slow like stitching a curve of applique?

Try stacking several layers of paper together with the design drawn on the top one. Using your sewing machine with no thread and a large needle, sew through all these layers. This will mark all the ones in the stack with perforations.

It also used to be called "snip and stuff" if that helps? Karen McTavish does a lot of it.

Absolutely true. I find that a lot of grade one work is good for getting the hang of it - lots of handwritten letters: s, l, e, i, o etc. Try zig zags, and boxes. Then move on to combining these shapes together. This gives you a really good feel for how the machine and you work together. I mentioned in another thread that I've just come off 3 days of classes with Jamie Wallen.

He said:

• that anything you can draw with an artist's pencil, you can quilt.
• 30 minutes of "quilt on paper" practice a day.
• (a little more appropriate for the longarm, but still works for a domestic machine) when you go to her, say, "Oh! You're (just) a pencil! " - your brain doesn't distinguish between the movements with a pencil and a machine.

My suggestions:

Practice drawing what you like to draw. You'll build the muscle memory and quilt it easier. For instance, one of the most natural things for you to write is your name. Try it. I didn't think I could, but I did and it was legible first try.

Trace continuous line designs you like with a finger or a pencil. Over and over again. When you sit down (or stand) at the machine, it will feel natural - and look better than it did on paper.

Wow!! that is awesome. Keep up the good work.