This is my 5th quilt. So, I am very new to quilting. I just finished the quilt top today. I found the pattern for the center square on line and then I just added borders. I'm afraid to FMQ again. I tried on one of my previous quilts and had a few puckers on the backing. I'd love to do some feathers on the blue & the tan borders. There is a long arm quilter in my area, but is that really expensive? Any suggestions on how to quilt this since it has so many borders. Hope I attached the picture correctly.

Have you tried 505 quilt basting spray? I think it's a quilters best friend...I don't want to be without the stuff! :thumbup:


Ditter

No, I only used large basting pins. I will certainly go looking for the 505 basting spray. Thank you!

Beautiful :!:

You're far braver than me. I took a FMQ class. Hated it. (My bad, I know.) I'd much rather pay a professional, just have to get the dollars saved up to do it-----oh, and actually FINISH a top to be done.

One thing at a time...........

You did a very nice job on yours. And only the 5th one???? Good!

I wish there were FMQ classes in my area. I'm trying to learn by myself. All of the fabric in this quilt came from a thrift store. So, I don't have much money at all in the top. I need to call to see how expensive a professional will be. If, it's too expensive for me then I'll try my FMQ again. Wish me luck!

Since I started using basting spray, I have very few puckers in the back. I use the June Tailor brand and am happy with it, but hear the 505 is great.

Check out You-Tube for video tutorials on just about any subject you can think of. It's probably more helpful than instructions from a book.

Lots of practice is the trick! :)

be sure to do alot of basting, either with pins or the spray

No suggestions on quilting it, but love the colors and pattern :thumbup:

I love basting spray. It helps avoid puckers.

Beautiful quilt! I only hand quilt, but do want to learn to FMQ, just haven't worked up the nerve yet!!! On my to do list along with a million other things!

I wish I could learn to hand quilt. My stitches are horrible. So thought that I would try the FMQ. I guess with everything you need practice, practice, practice. I'm going to make some squares out of extra material and practice my FMQ before quilting this quilt top.

I would set it aside for a while and put a few sandwiches (blocks with top,batting and backing) together and just keep practicing your FMQ until you feel comfortable with it. and I would also use the 505 basting spray to keep the puckers out. Just my opinion, I feel if you put that much time into piecing it you might be so much happier quilting it yourself. Good luck to you!

This center design is exactly the next quilt our church group is planning to do for our fundraiser. Your colors are so rich. Can't believe this is only your 5th quilt top.

I agree with the basting spray use. It will help tremendously. Also agree, you might want to practice on something else before you tackle this project. I decided several months ago, that I would tackle smaller projects with my long arm to work on skills. Those quilts will go to local lap quilt charities while I am "learning". That way, I am also not wasting fabrics or my time. Seems like a win/win situation.

Just relax and enjoy the process. We all have a little "wrinkle" or two from time to time. When the project is completed, bet you won't even be able to find your "boo-boos" .

Keep posting your beautiful work.

That's exactly what I did this morning. I made a couple squares. My feathers didn't look so good, but I did make a fairly decent vine with leaves. I'll have to do some more practice.

I'm definitely going to try the basting spray. That's a good idea about making small projects for charities. Would love to have a long arm...maybe some day. I've thought about the John Flynn System, but have heard pros & cons. I have a home sewing machine that does FMQ. You'll have to send me pictures of your long arm projects.

Love the centre. Good luck with the quilting. Not that advanced myself yet.

Or - good old fashioned thread tacking!!! I stitch large basting stitches in lines (starting int he centre) through all layers at about 4 inch intervals - takes a while but gives a solid foundation to FMQ or hand quilt onto.

Awesome colors!!

Post pictures when you are finished. Nice colors.

Love your quilt, I like your colors, I have trouble putting fabrics together so I try to study what others do.

I just finished my first FMQ ... (well, I have one more row of vines/leaves to do around the border but I ran out of thread). I found that meandering was really hard...had to think about where to go next (in addition to trying to keep my hand motion speed consistent with the needle speed). On my next attempt I'm going to stencil on a pattern to follow so I don't have to worry about that part.

I did use the 505 basting spray and liked it a LOT!

I also wish I had made my quilting a little more sparse ... to make the quilt softer. Again, hard to see that when you're meandering (and have essentially no experience except for a little practice).

Have said all that, I like the results, albeit with inconsistent stitch length and some eyelashes. I'm really glad my backing fabric is busy enough to hide the mistakes :-)

And that is one quilt FMQ'd so now another and this one will be better etc etc - you have done great!!

Not all machine (or hand)quilting has to be curvey. A friend of mine can do it but I can't. For me it is all about straight lines and stitch in the ditch. I love diamond shape filler quilting and zig zags that go from side to side in borders, too. Those I can do.

I read somewhere that I could put half the batting in place (sticky spray) and quilt that, then machine zig zag the rest of the batting to the original batting and quilt the second half the quilt. That just about seemed reasonable for the size and weight of my current quilt.

I found wearing quilting gloves (less than $5) very helpful.

Pretty quilts! I agree that practice will get you a long way. Fat quarter quilts for girls who play with dolls that you know and same size for dogs you know, too.

Jois