I did a few squares with the even feed foot on. I learned that I can do things like a zigzag IF it's the width of my foot away so I can follow the line. If it's farther--I can't do it. But that's okay. If I use the foot I'll be doing in the ditch anyway. And if I zigzag--it'd be in a small place--like the middle square of a table runner.

Then I switched to free motion. I labeled the #1 try at stipple, the #2 and #3. Can you see it actually got better??? :thumbup: My daughter came in in the middle of #3 to tell me her GPA, so I goofed. (It was so good--the GPA!! :D )

I really like the ones I put a star next to. Some of the bad ones were an attempt at clouds--oh boy--kind of sad. :lol:

BUT, I'm learning which designs I CAN do--so I'll just stick to those. :wink:


OH! The first time I worked on it--my thread broke. It was making strange unsmooth lines before it broke--bumpy. I switched to "machine quilting" thread and it was much better. But, I have to say the back looks smoother than the front with both threads. Ideas?

You are on a roll, you will be free motioning every design you want before you know it! You are catching on very quickly, I can't wait to see what you do the next time you sit down to practice :D :D :D The oops is totally understandable when give such awesome news! :D :D :D

Looking good! I just learned how to free motion myself. I still need lots of practice tho .

Karla isn't great fun, once you get over the initial nerves!!! :D

Well done to you....stick with it I can see some serious competition going on between you and I.....thats healthy isn't it - just a bit!! :lol: :lol:

Wow, that's great. You've given ME hope. :) :)
I, too am a beginner, you're an inspiration.

Great job! Keep up the good work!

Karla--Great start, kiddo! It'll get better and better with practice. When I do the free-motion stuff, I toss a favorite CD into the player and sing along while I stitch. Meandering's lots of fun when you find you're swaying along to the music!! I also like to have plenty of practice squares of batt sandwiches made up. Sometimes I'll sew the dickens out of one of them before taking on the real quilt. It's worth the extra thread once you feel your confidence kick in!

That gives me inspiration to try free motion again. The first time I tried it was'nt so good. I quess practice is the answer. Nice work Karla.

you are doing great Barnbum! And i think i will try Leslees tip of putting on a favourite CD and with Michael Buble on i cant help but sew smoothly!!

You have done a great job. Honestly, you are going to be doing it more now you have begun. Your samples look like you had fun and gave anything a go. The more you do the better. I'm so pleased you gave it another try. Keep up the great work and do venture into using it on an actual quilt too and you will be staggered by how much more confidence you will gain with the repitition.

Oh, Karla you are doing sew good. You've inspired me to get started learning :thumbup:

I think you're off to a really awesome start!! It's fun isn't it? :) I really like your zigzag design (bottom right in your first pic). May I borrow that one sometime? :D :D

I hope you stick with it. It's obvious you're already on your way to being very, very good at this! My first attempts looked nowhere as good as yours!!

:thumbup: :thumbup:

wow! looks great! i'm new to it too, but i'm really enjoying it!

Okay--I just did this one. See where I started in the middle and ended in the upper right? What am I supposed to do with the starting spot--do I just leave the end open like that?

I stopped because the bobbin ran out. :lol:

I need suggestions from quilters. What do I need to adjust/practice?

lin--oh heavens--these are all ideas from the book. Well--the good ones. :roll: If I give anyone an idea to use--that'd be terrific. :D

You could leave it open or just jog it back around to another spot to "close" the loop.

You are a natural :D I am inspired :D

With a stipple you tend to start at a corner of a block and in therory you can meander around an entire quilt without stopping again until you get the next furthest point on the other side or in the other corner. That stipple looks lovely and even. You are making great progress.
The trickiest thing with stippling is not to get yourself stuck in a corner so a little planning is required here and there. Just stop and look ahead where you want to be and visualise how to get without crossing over but I always think what is a little corssover between quilters!!. Can be tricky but you will get the hang of it. Keep up the good work.

So Marie-I start and end on an edge so it looks like the design just goes off the side? That's a gerat idea! The book said to start in the middle. I did do one continuous line on this 16" square--but boy, on a whole quilt that'd sure be tricky. I know exactly what you mean about not getting stuck.... I was almost there many times. :lol:

Are the loops enough NOT in the same direction? Like too much looping before I switch directions? I'm struggling with how to word this. :roll: There's a spot in the top I don't like. Of course if there was an actual quilt under there I'd not notice, but....

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. :D

I am very impressed! It all looks great to me. You do lovely work. That is far down the road for me.

Karla, it looks just great to me. I start & stop along the edge just as you've described. I don't think there is anything wrong with your sample of stippling. In a machine quilting class I took, she told us that to get your stippling more to "how you want it to look"....just doodle with a pencil on paper frequently. (see...you could even do this in class, or on the phone, etc) She said you have to train your eyes more than you have to train your hands. Keep it up girl, you are doing great!

Barnbum I loooove to stipple!!! I find it very relaxing.

I really like your practice pieces. There are some neat ideas especially the zig zags that could look really nice in a quilt!!

Cheers

I have done that! And I've traced with my finger the stippling on quilts my quilter did for me. :D

I think I'll do it more. :wink:

Your encouragement is going a long way--trust me. :D

Hey Karla you are coming on a treat with your stippling...one little thing I read somewhere is to recite......big head....little neck....big head....little neck...as you do the big loop little loop to encourage you to get into a rhythm...it worked for me lol!!!

Janstar - off topic but is that a wire fox terrier avatar? I have a wire.

Also, nice quilting. I am still a complete newbie, just started cutting out my first quilt - yellow brick road. Haven't even started sewing yet but I am excited about the whole process.

Hi Bodie358, He is half Bichon and half Schnauzer, hence, a Chonzer. His Mom is black and both of my boys have the same Bichon Dad. We have him trimmed with the Schnauzer cut. Thanks for asking. Love to see a pic of your wire. Happy quilting to you!