I am feeling very inept at quilting. I mean, I can follow a pattern (piecing) but when I get to the quilting part, my work stinks! (And no I won't post a picture, I would die from embarrassment!) I can't even SID without going outside the lines forget trying to stitch a design . I need to change my username, nobody want's those kind of memories! Sorry to rant, just having a bit of a pity party! :oops:

Been there, done that. We will commiserate with you all you want. I will say, it really does get better!

It is okay, I have felt this way before. My advice would be to not try to do a SID, but do a wavy line type stitch until you feel more comfortable with SID. There is no reason why a line always has to be straight. Now Chin UP! You are in good company...and Do Not Change your name!

Don't feel bad I can do it all till it comes to quilting it.

I look at all these people's work and it is beautiful mine stinks too.
That's why I just look.

I wouldn't post mine either.

Don't be so hard on yourself. We all started at the same place. Practice makes most better. Unless it's my free motion, nothing helps there yet. Keep going, and post pics.

What kind of pattern are you using for the quilt top ? Does it have lines that you can follow with the machine ?

I had one quilt that the person wanted butterflies on , so I found a basic butterfly, photo copied it, pinned to the top and sewed over that :wink:

Practice is what helps the most :lol:

I'll get the ice cream and whipped cream we can all join in with you!! It is so hard being our worst critic. Just don't quit it will get better I still have yet to get out of the SID it scares me and yes I go outside the lines but tell myself I meant to do that!! Some like to do a meander over the ditch and some zig zag. I have taken to viewing a website that does free motion quilting and well I have yet to practice. I am here to support you!!

The actual quilting takes lots and lots of practice. Some people seem to have natural capabilities of quilting without working at it. I've been quilting for 8 years and still can't free motion good. Keep at it, don't give up. We've all been there and done that.

I find that when such happens I need to go back and slow down. Perhaps find a better way to bunch the quilt in your lap and under the machine. There is something happening that is not necessarily y our fault but you can probably correct. Look over your process and try to discover what is making the problem and find ways to correct it.

Oh dear!! Perhaps it is just one of those days!!! Get yourself a cuppa and some chocolate and it will be fine!!!!!Well it works for me!!! (Sorry I.m English! A cup of tea here is the answer to everything!!!)

Make some quilt sandwiches about 12" square. If you want to become better at SID, make some simple rails, 4 patches or 9 patches. Then practice, practice, practice! If you want to become good at free motion, just use solid fabrics. Keep working at it, and you WILL get better.

And if you use the insulbrite batting, you can be making instant potholders.

Right now I'm quilting a top using FMQ. I read just about everything written about it here, then watched some Utube videos. I practiced and started quilting this top. Trust me it's far from perfect, I'm just doing wavey lines, some of the stitches are too long, so too short, however, I'm really enjoying this and I know I'll get better, the more I do it. I'm going to give the quilt to a friend for her birthday. She won't know it's not perfect, shes not a quilter. Just keep practicing and don't be so hard on yourself.

Hey....at least you are trying to quilt!! I have one quilt top done (My first) and am working on a 2nd and I have not so much as attempted to quilt them....too scared!! PLEASE don't give up or I'll be that much more horrified to even try!

This is why I use a decorative stitch when I SID well that is all that I have ever done actually. it helps when it goes a little wonky and looks like I meant to do it. little do lookers know the truth. hehe

Just remember that each of our mistakes teach us something new and we then learn how to approach it successfully. Everyone has their frustrating days over many times very simple solutions. Be patient and kind to yourself and step back and then try again. It takes a lot of practice to get things as we want them to be. Don't be hard on yourself and don't give up because YOU can do it and will in time.

I like to use a wiggly stitch on my machine for quilting, it looks great too.

Why on earth would anyone think SID is easier than other forms of quilting. I find that it actually is much more difficult than trying to do wavy lines, stippling, or other quilting. It is way too hard to move a whole quilt (or a big machine) in straight lines. My DS made a doggie jacket and just shook the whole thing back and forth under the machine until it was all quilted. It looked great after it was all done. Wiggle and dance while you quilt and quit worrying about straight lines!

Don't beat yourself up. Sometimes after you take a second or third look, you like it better. And, I agree with suggestions to do a wavy or very long narrow zigzag instead of trying to stay in the ditch. Betty Cotton calls it a "wobble stitch".

Thank you so much everyone! You guys are just what I needed. No more straight stitches for me! Wiggle and dance just may be what I need! :-)

Sharon b - I'm doing a Warm Wishes quilt (actually I have two already pieced and ready to quilt). This one I will try to finish the blocks but the next one I'll try to keep it outside the lines instead. :-)

CoventryUK- More like "one of those weeks"! haha

Redvette54 - I have followed a ton of Youtube video's mostly of Leah Day (she makes it all look so easy). I read on here (QB) where someone suggested using a few papertowels and try FMQ with that and I have tried quite a few of those but still stink at it. Still trying though. (I never could even draw a stick man without making him look sick ).

Thanks again everyone for the encouragement! It means a lot!

I just started a machine quilting series to learn the finer points of FMQ. We are using the Machine Quilting Made Easy book to follow along.

http://www.amazon.com/Machine-Quilti.../dp/1564770745

OMG - what a difference a class makes. Even the tips for basic straight stitching were wow-worthy. Maybe it would help you too. Don't give up. You may just need to practice a different way.

I always find that after a night's sleep things don't look so bad in the morning. And besides, I wonder if any of us would even see the things you are seeing as so bad. Don't be discouraged and just keep on quilting :)

you are not the only quilter in the world who is better at one phase than the other.

there are those who can't join a point or a straight intersection to save their lives. yet, their freemotion is so beautiful you can hear the angels sing.

i'm usually pleased by the results of my piecing. the quilting? yoiks! you can hear the angels laugh, cry, and sometimes call ralph! but they surely do not sing. :lol: :lol: :lol:

I think every quilter has felt this way about some project we've made in our quilting history. I have a quilt a triple Irish Chain quilt all pieced and ready to be quilted that I made while taking a class at our LGS several years ago. I've made two attempts to quilt it; the first was stitch in the ditch, but I 'ditched' that idea after wandering out of the ditch too many times. I tried again another way, but quickly stopped. I took it to quilt bee and got the opinion of some of the other ladies, and that helped. I hope to successfully finish it soon. Sometimes things can look bleaker when we're tired, especially at night. I've often found things look better the next morning. One more thought, I found a special stitch in the ditch presser foot is well worth the investment. That plus a thread that will blend in helps a lot, but it is still tedious. Machine quilting is the hardest part for me, and I too feel so inadequate. But I'm determined I WILL get the hang of this machine quilting thing if I keep at it:-) Let's just keep quilting!

wavy lines are great. or echo quilting 1/4 inch away from seams or pieced blk sections. keep trying, you'll do fine.

This is one of those areas of quilting that just make you want to scream. Don't be so hard on yourself, know that there are many 'seasoned' quilters and those that consider themselves experts that use a seam ripper more often than they'll usually admit.

I am the first to say I 'rippit' a lot some days. There are classes fmq, hand quilting, and lots of things but it all comes down to practice. What looks imperfect to you will look beautiful to someone else.

Enjoy it, relax, shake your shoulders frequently, and most of all go slower than normal. You'll get it. We expect ourselves to be able to do everything perfectly the first time we try and it's just not feasible. Learn to live with upside down/wavy lines........you'll truly enjoy your quilting more!

Hugs

everyone is bad at first, there are very few people in the world who can just sit down and stitch beautifully right from the beginning, instead of beating yourself up put together some small quilts and start practicing on them start small (like a 12" square) you can make it into a potholder later...as you get good on ones that size make a 15" or 18" square and keep practicing, making your practice projects a little bigger as you master each size. you will be pleasantly surprised how quickly you are quilting queen sized beautiful quilts.

Do not be so hard on yourself. I made a quilt and to this day I still do not feel comfortable even attemting to quilt it. I have practiced on potholders and oh my !!!! I cannot even follow a line I traced..

You may want to try stitching a 1/4" from the ditch, I like this much better, I can't sew a straight line either. I usually FMQ with a large stiple, after you wash and dry it it will look okay. Look at it across the room and it will look good.

Been there. Oh how I wish I didn't understand but I sure do!

I used to take my quilts to the longarmer until I got one myself. I couldn't quilt those big quilts eighter, don't feel bad.

Chances are very high that if you posted a picture the problem would be pretty much invisible. And not every technique is for everybody. I was a dreadfully perfectionistic knitter, so when I took up quilting I vowed never to rip anything out, no matter what....it's led to some creative applique, some pretty hideous FMQ (which the recipient still thought was brilliant) and amazingly few orphan blocks. Pick something fun and do that. Maybe you don't even really like SID.....

Nobody is born knowing how to do it. Practice makes perfect. You are probably the only one to notice. If other quilters do notice I would hope they would have the good manners not to mention it, as I'm sure they could all remember when they first started.
For any non quilter who should be so rude as to point it out just ask "when did you make your last quilt"? Rest assured the people who receive your quilts will not be looking for what you consider faults. They will be more interested in wrapping themselves in the love that your quilts carry.
Don't give up. Just make more quilts so you can practice more.

The first time I tried to do any machine quilting was horrible I was out of the ditch, My 12 little practise squares were birds nests and my poor faithful machine stopped! Meanwhile a 13 year old in the class could write her name,do circles, squares the whole enchilada1 What a day that was.I had visions of having a quilt done that day so I took my poor machine in for repair used little squares of muslin and batting and worked on these I still can't do it perfect but it is passable most of my loops are round and things are better. The only way I can do an form of SID is with my walking foot without it I'm out of the ditch and off the road

I can't stitch in the ditch either and I don't dare try free motion. My straight line quilting isn't straight at all but no one seems to mind.

I'm still there with my quilting but when I am done no matter how bad it looks I'm proud of myself for not giving up. Do I post a picture on here? Oh yes I do because I want to show off my accomplishment.

sounds like you had a day like mine....

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-66642-1.htm

I like SadieMae's idea - the decorative stitch instead of SID.

Ok, if you can't stitch in the ditch without going outsidet he lines, use some of those decorative stitches that work with the design and stitch in the ditch with that.

FMQ and do swirlies instead of stippling.

Ok do you doodle? If so what do you doodle?

I like this lol

Maybe you try too hard and are overcorrecting too much. I used to do this. Slow and tedious. Finally one night I thought I would just put the pedal to the metal in order to get done. And use the quilt in a dark corner of the living room. Actually, it came out pretty good and my SID was so much better when I wasn't "on top of it" all the time. Just a suggestion. I have one machine that is way better than the other for SID'ing. Don't give up.

I hate SID...do it very seldom. And the people I make quilts for just love the stippling. Little do they know that it is so easy. They ask..."How do you put all those little curli qu designs in there"? HaHaHa!!!! Let them keep thinking that design is really really hard. I'll never tell!!! What they don't know won't hurt them...just make me feel gooooood!!! So don't be so critical of your work...whatever you do you are creating something that a lot of people cannot do!!! Just go for it.