romanojg

There's a fantastic web site Leah Day, she has lots of things on FMQ,you can also check out Craftsy.com for online classes

TeresaA

You'll have the best luck with a large-eye needle. And, as people have said, a quilting needle works best, since it's designed to allow the thread to move at many angles without the thread getting pressure from the needle. You want to poke a decent sized hole through the quilt sandwich so that the thread can get through it all without breaking. I have actually heard people say that they shouldn't have to use a different needle for different thread or different types of sewing. That's a little like saying that you refuse to use anything but a fork even when eating soup! Needles are truly designed for different purposes and should be changed as needed ;-). I have hammered that one home, haven't I? it's so true.

Make sure that your bobbin hook is well oiled and is clear of lint (clean it regularly, since the batting will cause a great deal of lint). A poorly oiled or dirty hook will "kick back" and affect tension.

You want a good quality thread that isn't too nubby. It can be 100% cotton, but it doesn't have to be. People swear by polyester threads for the sheen, and the smoothness. It is better, at first, at least, to match the weight of the top and bottom threads.

You want a consistently basted sandwich, not too loose, not too tight.

You're just doing a table runner, but if you were doing a whole quilt, you would want lots of table space on your left and behind the sewing machine.

Practice A LOT before doing the project that you care about. It will take a bit of time to learn how fast to move your machine to get the stitches right.

For FMQ, use a darning (aka quilting) foot, not a walking foot. For ditch stitching and other straight line quilting, use a walking foot.

Leah Day is my favorite online instructor. Watching some of her videos has helped my quilting and I've been doing it for awhile. Just listening to the speed at which she runs the machine along with the speed of movement of the quilt sandwich has helped me get my rhythm right.

I always liked Harriet Hargrave, too, but videos have helped the most.

Good luck.

emcay

Someone suggested to me to begin with a panel instead of a using blocks. There are no seams to quilt over, there's a picture to outline and a background to fill in. You can often find them in clearance piles and when done all you need to do is bind it. Especially when you are beginning, it makes more sense to use a panel so you don't "ruin" something you've spent a lot of time making only to be unhappy with the final project.

quiltingshorttimer

Leah Day has great stuff--check out her website and she also has a new book out. and I love Angela Walters (her 2 Shapes books are great reference books, but get the FMQ book which gives lots of suggestions on the stuff you've asked about). Good luck! keep in mind that it's practice, practice,practice--so get that sketch pad, etc out to draw and doodle while watching tv, etc.

celwood

Angela Walters has some very good books. Also on her website she has some excellent tutorials. Her website is:
www.quiltingismytherapy.com

rj.neihart

Long ago, I joined the National Quilters Circle ? this gave me tips and tricks, some new to me and some updated for my quilting needs. There are video tutorials for step by step procedures in quilting, needles for machine, types of thread, materials used to make life easier...etc., etc. No matter how many years or challenges have touched a quilters life, there's always always always something new to learn!

Three Dog Night

Another great resource that we sometimes forget about is your local library. I often will check out a book that I have seen somewhere and that gives me the option of reviewing before buying. My library has gotten me books from other libraries if they don't have my requested book in their system. Love my library.

quiltlady1941

I really can't help you on finding a book on FMQ, as I am still in the beginning of FMQ myself.
I really want to thank feline fanatic for telling us about the Harriett Hargrave book. I looked it up on Amazon and this book seems like it will be a great help for me and others I am sure. I did order one used for 9.99, thanks so much ..

Bree123 thank you so much for all the information, you really gave a lot of interesting things on quilting that I sure didn't know about.. What a great help..
This is why I love this group, everyone so helpful and share so much info....Thanks again Ladies..

tuckyquilter

I am extremely challenged when it comes to FMQ. SO, I researched a ton of folks on youtube, asked everyone I know, and borrowed books from friends and my guild library. Here's what I found.

I like Sue Nickels "Machine Quilting - A Prime of Techniques". I don't have a fancy machine and Sue quilts ALL of her quilts on her domestic machine. In quadrants. Even her show quilts. Book has been really helpful to me.

There are some great teachers on Craftsy. I have a couple of Ann Peterson Classes I paid for and they are good visual aids.

jmoore

I am also a fan of Leah Day...she has a nice teaching style and many of her tutorials are accessible online. I took a class with her in 2015 and she really helped boost my FMQ confidence on my DM.