Which patterns do you try to avoid on LA
 

I have an HQ16 and have to hand guide the quilting. I mostly do pantos but there are a few that are more forgiving than others. I am working on one that has square blocks inside square blocks and trying to keep the straight lines is very difficult for me. Up, Down, Across and Back again...oh my..

I prefer swirls, curves, flowers, leaves, clouds, hearts etc..
Stars are also not my faves.

Are you asking about quilting patterns or the piecing patterns to quilt? I get bored with SID but realize that it's pretty important to get the look I want.

Straight lines really need a ruler, few people can really draw a straight line free hand. I hand guided, free handed quilted with my HQ16 for 10+ years. feathers were not a favorite pattern - even though I did lots of them.

If you clients want STID then you need to look into using rulers.

You're talking pantos, right? For hand guided quilting, I prefer those that are curvy rather that straight lines, diagonal, straight lines are the most challenging, but can be done......perhaps you are going too slow, and trying too hard to exactly follow that line....relax, speed up a bit, and pretend it's just a large pencil and you are doodling....after you have completed quilting the piece. Those lines will look fine! For fm, I can do straight horizontal and vertical, with no guiding ruler, but diagonals, I do need a ruler....love all the curved rulers out there now!

I agree with you that straight lines are more difficult than curves. I have tried adjusting a few things to make them better, but mine still look like a kindergartner drew them. The good news is, the people who received those quilts love them, and your recipients will too!

Thank you for the encouragement, I did try going faster and relaxing a bit...and the more I work at it the better it is..and it doesn't look to bad.

I once followed the pantograph pattern "Shazam!", which is all stars made with straight lines everywhere, by placing a ruler on each line on the pantograph and following it with a stylus. It took a long time to quilt that way, but I liked it better than the previous time when I followed that same pattern with a laser light.

I don't like straight lines at all. Mine are so very childish looking. My theory for quilting is that curves, petals, feathers, wildlife pictures....anything is better on a quilt than straight lines. I sure am glad I am not quilting for the public, because I might have to do the straight lines and that would ruin my day. Happy Quilting!

I just quilt for myself and a few friends that are not at all picky. I do not like pantos and never do them. I jut do free hand designs from the front of the machine on my HQ16. I don't have many in my quilting brain but most of the quilts are so busy not much show up anyhow. I don't like dense quilting either. These are mainly charity quilts and I want them soft.

I wanted to outline blocks once and did a free hand small serpentine stitch around them. I call it a wiggle stitch. Looks cute and is simple to do.