For your first attempt that looks petty good to me. My first attempt resulted in me spending 4 hours unpicking one horrible mess.

Practice, practice and more practice. Relax, enjoy and be adventurous.

You have to start somewhere It gets better with practice remember!!!

I agree with Tartan. While it is not actually at all bad for afirst time, keep it so you will see how much you improve....and you will.
BYW, I learned to control my FMQ by writing in cursive on the quilts. It is easier to control with a slightly larger area than a potholder. Maybe do 4 at once, then cut them apart.

I don't see loops and crazy bird nests. That's what my first time looked like. No way mine would've been a gift for anyone. I think you are off to a great start.

Your first attempt is good and as you continue you will get better and better. Check out this site for lots of FMQ lessons. www.daystyledesigns.com/365project.htm

Keep practicing. I am just learning too. I'm making quilts for my staff, and they have been advised that I am practicing my FMQ. They will be coming over in a couple of weeks to trim the threads, as I HATE doing it..

I don't think it's terrible. It's your first attempt, trust me it will get easier with practice. ~:)

My free motion quilting was ugly when I first started and I had even taken a class, it's just like anything else...practice, and that's what I am still doing practicing. Believe me anyone would be happy to receive your pot holder.

It doesn't look bad and you started on what they tell me is a hard thing to do - following a circular pattern. Try FREE motion quilting. Let the fabric wander while thinking of large puzzle pieces. After you give yourself permission to sew in all directions and practice with the writing finger of your dominant hand on any surface before you start, it'll come.

Congrats on starting! I see nothing wrong with your first attempt. It's only bad if you never start!!!

LuAnn Kessi says to get a sketch pad and practice your FMQ there first. Don't pick up the pencil point from the paper - make your designs with continuous motion. Using a sketch pad and pencil builds muscle memory. Once you practice it on a sketch pad, your brain will have a good idea of movement and where to twist and turn. I did stippling for about a year before really trying anything ornate. I did some thread painting and more stippling. Finally, I got the sketch pad and worked out the designs on paper first, then when I was happy with them, I went to the machine. Guess what? The machine quilting was better than my drawings!

Watch Leah Day do her quilting: www.daystyledesigns.com/365project.htm She explains how to work a design and how to get out of corners if you get stuck. She's got lots of designs to choose from and they are in categories so you can pick easier ones to start with.

LuAnn Kessi, as I've said, is a sketch book believer. http://luannkessi.blogspot.com/searc.../Sketch%20Book
She has sketches of her sketches. You should sign up for her blog because she is always sketching. I printed out some of the sketches and traced over them, then tried to do them myself, sometimes with good results and sometimes with not so good results, but always worth the effort.

Patsy Thompson has some excellent beginning FMQ videos. http://www.patsythompsondesigns.com/free-video/
She has lots of FMQ designs you can download for free. I downloaded them and traced out the patterns.

You will definitely build your confidence if you look at the above websites. You've already got a good start on your FMQ and you will be so happy with your results when you master some basic designs. You won't want to stop! LuAnn says to FMQ or sketch a little everyday.

Here is a video that will also help you build your confidence. Karen talks about "What to Quilt on Your Quilt." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emNxO...ature=youtu.be

Good luck and keep posting!