So I tried to do some free motion quilting. What do ya think? This was my first effort so give me some honesty as to what I need to do to improve. And I know my squares don't match up but this was just for practice :) Be brutal if you must :D

It's hard to see. :(

Not at all bad for a first go. Some tips - try and relax a bit, you're a bit jerky. Have a glass of wine if you're so inclined. And the other thing I'd say is meander wider apart at first. I think that's easier to keep smooth than all these tight turns. You can move on to stippling later. But this really is a good job!

Hey, where did the pic go? I SAW it - black and white fabric and blue stitches, right?

yeah I deleted the pictures after I realized that it was too hard to see. Then tried again. They should be there now :)

Yup. Being relaxed is way helpful.

Also, the stitches seem to change in length a lot. Over time, you'll get the motion/speed thing down.

Hooray for trying it out!

Wider apart! I can do that. I just kinda winged it. I tried to find a beginner tutorial but didn't find anything that I really liked. I am super impatient so after a few minutes I gave up and figured I could ask questions later. Thank you for the tips :) Too early for wine as it is only 1030 in my world but tonight :) Thanks for the help!

I usually try to mimic puzzle pieces. a BIG puzzle.

I think youtube.com has FMQ tutorials.

Good Job!!! AND Good for you for giving it a go!!
You did wonderful, I think you should be very proud of yourself :D:D:D
I can't wait to see more from you!!

Maybe slow down the movement a bit... it will help your curves and the length of your stitches... OR speed up your machine a bit to match your movements.

I find larger designs are easier to do than smaller ones, too :D:D:D

I think for a beginner, you did a great job. No one knows how hard it is until you try it. Luckily, the more you do it, the easier it gets.

Thanks everyone. So what I am gathering it is suppose to generally be further apart and curvy I guess? How far apart should I aim for? I tend to get carried away and over do everything. Thank you so much for all the suggestions.

How close together you make your lines of stitching will depend on how you want your finished quilt to be -- really close together will result in a stiffer quilt; the farther apart your stitching lines are, the softer your quilt will be. The kind of batting you use will also determine how close your stitching lines need to be; check the instructions on the batting so you'll be sure to quilt it closely enough.

I've found that large meandering movements that kinda look like jigsaw puzzle pieces are the easiest for me to do. For me, a random pattern can cover up a lot; it's a lot easier to see my mistakes if I'm doing something with a noticeable pattern.

Like others have said, staying relaxed is important. If I find myself tensing up, I stop for a little bit and relax. It also helped me to draw on a piece of paper before I go to the machine so I can get the movements in my head, and I try to visualize where I'm going to go next before I actually get there (if that makes sense). Keep practicing and have fun!

Far apart and curvy could describe ME let alone my quilting! :lol: Another tip I just thought of, when doing meander, don't cross your lines. I try and visualise section by section how I'm going to work my way around an area to be quilted and make sure to leave myself an escape route. The main thing and perhaps the most boring is PRACTICE! When you come to start wanting to do more definite shapes and patterns, draw the design on scrap paper first, again and again and again. It really helps.

It helps me to do a practice square to warm myself up before starting on my quilt. Music of choice and relax, relax, relax and don't work so hard at it....enjoy the flow and movement. Try and not cross your lines....puzzle type pieces or just free flowing motions.....try and not be too angular but softer curves. You did great for your first try! Go to Leah's website....daystyle designs (I think) and you'll get a lot of tips, designs and helpful info.

Music is great. :-D I also sing to myself, which is maybe not so great! :shock: :lol: And if I'm doing hooky curves for example, at the curve I actually say outloud "cuuuuuurve" and at the point I sat "POINT!". It's OK, my family are used to me! :mrgreen: