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Originally Posted by GrannieAnnie
Originally Posted by fabric whisperer
Needless to say, I stitched out whole last name (11 letters long) by FMQ on the length of the scarf... Steal that, ya brats, i can prove its mine!!!
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Originally Posted by GrannieAnnie
Okay, what about those of us who can't draw any better than a kindergartner?
2. Instead of working on a full quilt to start, use scraps or blocks. That way you can focus on the technique and give yourself permission to mess up. When you feel confident on the test piece THEN move on to the quilt. 3. To me, the answer to the original question lies in the term itself "Free" - as in, the fabric moves without being constricted by the feed dogs, and "Motion" - as in the fabric is being moved by the hand of the quilter in a pattern. The pattern is not that important because it can range from stippling to meandering, to well- designed patterns. 4. To learn more FMQ patterns check out Leah Day's website. She is developing a quilt-pattern for each day of the year and she works in 6" squares. |
Originally Posted by MadQuilter
Originally Posted by GrannieAnnie
Okay, what about those of us who can't draw any better than a kindergartner?
2. Instead of working on a full quilt to start, use scraps or blocks. That way you can focus on the technique and give yourself permission to mess up. When you feel confident on the test piece THEN move on to the quilt. 3. To me, the answer to the original question lies in the term itself "Free" - as in, the fabric moves without being constricted by the feed dogs, and "Motion" - as in the fabric is being moved by the hand of the quilter in a pattern. The pattern is not that important because it can range from stippling to meandering, to well- designed patterns. 4. To learn more FMQ patterns check out Leah Day's website. She is developing a quilt-pattern for each day of the year and she works in 6" squares. Good advice otherwise. Thanks |
I FMQ'ed a king size quilt for son and dil that had the entire "Our Father" written in, what else, quilting. I started on the bottom center and went in a complete circle around a center border. It was tough, but quite doable. Now that I have a LAM, I don't do the intricate stuff. I'm struggling to drive it.
I do have a suggestion for the scrap practice pieces. I use muslin on the bottom and ugly fabric on top. (I don't know how I always have yards of ugly fabric). I practice on fairly large pieces.....about twin size. Once I've finished practicing, I cut it into 30 inch squares and serge the edges for a clean finish. Then donate them to a nursing home. They use these bed pads for bedridden patients. The nurses and aides are able to move a patient in the bed using the pad by grabbing the corners and lifting. Naturally, I can't supply enough for the local home, but every one helps. Even the ugly fabric pads are appreciated. |
FMQ is really fun on the older Berninas and Kenmore machines..they really know how to Free motion! BUT they were made for monogramming and repairing, so they can take it!
Lots of professionals do FMQ on domestic machines! |
Originally Posted by thepolyparrot
"Free-motion" just means that your stitching isn't machine-guided - you are free to drive the fabric in any direction, instead of driving it forward in a line as when you're allowing the feed dogs to drive it. :)
You can do squiggles, but you can also draw anything that you can draw with a pencil on paper - loops, flowers, color-book drawings, feathers, swirls, spirals, etc. And you can go beyond line drawings into free-motion embroidery - or thread-painting, as it's sometimes called. |
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