Oklahoma Suzie

I think it is good for a first try.

littlehud

Oh please keep it up. I think it looks good for your first try. I love the quilt and really the quilting isn't that bad.

NancyRose

I agree that it looks good for a first try. I found a UFO that I tried free motion on about six months ago, and I was surprised that it didn't seem as bad as it looked to me when I first tried. The gloves should help you with control. My problem is that I can't figure out where to go next when I try FM. I am going to try the soap trick to see if it helps! In a class I took, they suggested using pencil and paper to sketch out designs and get the used to "filling the paper".

Debra Mc

Stipling is kinda hard at first. Just takes pratice. I don't even mark a pattern when free motioning. You should try doing longarm machine quilting. That is hard.

deedum

Think that is bad, you should see the one in my car! Yes,it is not pretty-my first attempt, actually it was just terrible. I still love that little lap quilt. So I put it in my car, you sure don't mind what it looks like, when your cold! What is funny, is that when people are in the car and see it, they love it and cuddle with it! I have made a couple more since then, getting better. It takes practice!

Jingle

After practicing on a 18 x 24 quilt sandwich I jumped right in with both feet.I FMQ with gardening gloves - almost impossible to do without them, it did not turn out too well but, all the rest have and I just keep doing them, since I give most of my quilts to family and friends I can't see them from here. They look even better than I thought. Everyone is right just keep trying. No such thing as a perfect quilt. I think your first attempt looks great. I don't mark any lines or designs and I do have to relax and not tense up. I usually make full size and larger - in case I want to use it for our bed. Going faster and moving your hands slower will help make more consistent stitches

Jingle

I forgot washing and drying it will help hide a lot of things. I have given most of them away and never had any one refuse to them. I always start in the middle, quilt across center and from top to bottom, dividing the quilt into fourths and I always quilt next to quilting - never jumping around.

Eddie

I think it look good for a first try, I really do. It really is something you have to practice to get the hang of as far as it looking fluid. When I first tried FMQ'ing, I used a paper stencil to get the feel for where to go with it, and then tore that paper off and just went to town with it. I love FMQ'ing now, and actually HATE having to stitch-in-the-ditch. That's how much fun it can be. :D

earthwalker

I think it looks very good...I am giving FMQ a try soon, so all these posts and tips are very helpful, so thanks for posting. Ugly quilt...NO WAY!

PattyH

I just FMQ'd my first quilt and it's not so bad. However, I did parts of the quilt at different times and I have some areas that are smaller and some larger meandering. I guess like they all say, practice, practice, practice! I know I'm not giving up on FMQ! Too cheap to send my quilts out to the longarmer.