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I'm with the "can't fm to save my life" group. I can get the fabric to move ok, but I just can't seem to make that meander stitch look right - it's a mess and then I would have ruined what took so long to piece. I wish I COULD do some of the quilting by machine, maybe I could get something done then!! How do you figure out how to "fit" a meander stitch into one spot then move to another?

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Originally Posted by pinebeltquilter

What is straight line quilting? I have a medium arm quilt machine and I would like to know. Have never made a full size quilt on the machine.

I not positive, but I think she's talking about quilting in a grid. Corner to corner for a diagonal grid, or top to bottom, and side to side?

Also, I saw someone who had done irregular lines like you might do on an etch-a-sketch. Depending on the quilt, it doesn't look bad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by freezeframe03

I've always wanted to make a quilt. I did take a free motion class and working on a scrap was great. Big quilt...not so great, at least fun-wise. I can't seem to do free motion quilting unless I hold me breath and keep a death grip on the fabric. It just makes me so tense that I cannot keep at it very long and quilting is then not fun. I cannot afford to send tops out to a long arm quilter. Besides that, I want to be able to say I made it completely myself. So I always stuck with small wall hanging, pillows, potholder projects. Then I came across this quilting board and although all the free motion quilting designs look awesome, the straight line quilting is what has caught my attention and spoken to me telling me that straight line quilting is fine and looks as good as swirls and other free motion designs. Why didn't I figure this out 25 years ago?! Why did I think quilting had to be a fancy design? As always, better to learn late than never at all. I'm working on my second real quilt and happily I'm straight line quilting and trying to dream up my next quilt design. I have always thought quilts were more about the design and the fabric than the stitching design on top. I am a straight line quilter. What kind of quilter are you?

Have you ever seen the 'quilt as you go' method? Georgia Bonesteel wrote some books about it, with patterns that your library might have copies of. It breaks even monster size quilts into manageable units. You quilt sections, then put them together , and quilt along where the joins are. Huge quilts, and small quilts can be done this way. Good luck. :thumbup:

Don't know if this will help but I found a site called www.daystyledesign.com she has lots of videos on fmq and how to set up your regular sewing machine I have found a lot of information on her site that has answered a lot of questions about speed control, hand and quilt control plus why I get buildup thread on the back of my fmqs.
retiac

Quote:

Originally Posted by freezeframe03

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Originally Posted by sueisallaboutquilts

Have you done any hand quilting??? That is my quilting of choice but I'm learning how to machine quilt so I can get more quilts done :)

I try not to hand stitch anything except binding to the back of a quilted project. I do not like hand sewing.

lol to put it mildly if it need hand sewed it will prob sit there for eternity! my hand sewing to ummm put it nicely SUCKS! I wish i would have paid a little more attention to my mother when she tried to teach me. darn where is that time machine when i need it!

Freeze - who not make up a sandwich of some extra fabric - either leftover from something else or some "what was I thinking when I bought this?" fabric and some batting. Pin-baste it and use it as a practice piece to learn free-motion quilting. Like everything else, it takes doing something over & over to master a skill. I am not nearly as good as I would like to be, but I don't let it bother me - I just keep on "practicing." I took several machine quilting classes. I learned something (lots of somethings) each time. In 2 of the workshops, we needed to make this sandwich using 1 yard of 2 fabrics & batting. We were to divide this sandwich up into 4 rows of 4 squares each. We were to use SILK thread - love that silk! - In each square we were shown a different filler pattern and were to fill the square with that one. It's amazing how much better I was after just that 1 class. Try it a few times - you just might start to get the hang of it. Who knows.

Kathy

What kind of quilter am I ?

A good one, I hope.

take a piece about 1 yard square, and sandwich it and just play with it. Make vines, and squiggles, and stipple, and meander and just have fun. You can then add a binding to it for a table runner, a dresser scarf, or a candle matt. You will be suprised how happy you are with it when you get the whole thing covered with "PLAY" stitching. It will really help build your confidence. Beleve me, If I can do it, anybody can

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigsister63

I do both SID and FMQ. I use SID to anchor my top down and then do FMQ in larger squares and borders. PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! and then press the pedal to the metal go for it. TRy FMQ on small projects and then graduate to larger. I find that FMQ is really quicker and easier after you get the hang of it especially if you meander. Just remenber to keep the quilting distance recommended by the batting manufacturer. This is also true if you SID . Good luck and Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree practice practice practice. Have been following a blog by Leah Day and find it fun practicing her designs, now have the confidence to try bigger things and am just about to finish my third baby quilt and really enjoying it too. Have a look at 365 days of free motion quilting, you can just google it and it will come up. Always used to hand piece and quilt everything but running out of time now. Have made a rule for myself, handpieced quilt are handquilted, machinepieced are machine quilted. Works for me and I actually get some finished as there are so many waiting. Still enjoy handwork most but leave that for the evenings.
Happy quilting every one! :thumbup:

I want to learn it all, so I don't know what kind I am. God bless.