One thing that has helped me is to play with a child's Etch-a-Sketch. A friend turned me on to this strategy and it really worked.

I have only been quilting a short time and wanted to FMQ my landscape quilt. I practiced on a 'sandwich' and then dived into the landscape. I found that a slow steady speed was best for me and I can slow down my machine. I also learned to use the "correct" size needle!. I kept breaking needles and they are too expensive to keep replacing, so I double-checked the size and changed to the correct size and had no further problems. I can't do feathers and circles yet but want to learn...Good luck.

I have only been quilting a short time and wanted to FMQ my landscape quilt. I practiced on a 'sandwich' and then dived into the landscape. I found that a slow steady speed was best for me and I can slow down my machine. I also learned to use the "correct" size needle!. I kept breaking needles and they are too expensive to keep replacing, so I double-checked the size and changed to the correct size and had no further problems. I can't do feathers and circles yet but want to learn...Good luck.

Man if there was a majic spray, the ingenious creator (who I'm sure would be a quilter) would make a fortune on it. :lol:

AMEN, SISTER!!!

And sweetie, if that doesn't work, try drinking red wine and eating chocolate--together. (And by then you may not even care!) Seriously, you have my sympathy as I can't free motion quilt either --after hours of practice. Try self-hypnosis and keep saying," This is fun, I love practicing and I am getting better." lo love

This thread is inspirational! I'm just putting a quilt together, and am going to FMQ it. I've told the sad story of the quilters edition machine that won't quilt on another thread. After years of thinking I was just incompetent, I've tried 4 different machines in the past few days and produced OK stitches on all of them. I'm amazed! One of the many things I've done while searching for answers to the problems I've had was to email Leah Day, whose FMQ Project website has been mentioned. She sennt me such an encouraging and helpful reply. Her advice came down to - just put a quilt on your machine and FMQ it. Just do it. I realised that she's right - I'm getting nowhere while quilt tops pile up because I'm scared to quilt them. None of them are going to be precious heirlooms: once I know that I'm using a machine that isn't causing its own problems (in this case my Mum's 50 year old Husqvarna, which doesn't even have a modern darning foot but quilted quite happily) I'm just going to have a glass of wine and set to. And if it all goes horribly wrong, I'll drink the rest of the bottle of wine and then I won't care any more :) For me, half the battle is defeating the perfectionist demon....

thanks, I would like to try free motion quilting

I feel for you" I tried it for the first time and it wasen't too bad but it was much harder to move the fabric then I imagined it would be. I thought it would simply slide around easily. Haven't gotten back too it but I will. I am going to practice on some squares and then start out small on a doll quilt. I figure the grandkids aren't going to care if it isen't perfect. take care

I'm on too many meds...guess there's no hope, huh? :-)