Originally Posted by
Homemother
Your quilting is splendid! I love what you've done and you will be a fabulous inspiration when you teach your class! FMQ is a lot of fun. It something you jump into and play and don't worry about the results. Then....to your delight....the quilting turns into something special! I say jump into because so many quilters are not sure of the waters of FMQ. I have a sketch book that I draw designs in. Then, to my surprise, the designs are so much easier with the sewing machine than with a pencil!
I agree completely!! You can actually make lots of "mistakes" and they just blend into the overall quilting and seldom stand out at you. I find it is easier to learn by doing completely free design rather than following any kind of stencil. I always spend some time doodling the design I'd like to try on paper, doing the motion over and over until my mind and hand remembers how to do it! It's like learning to ride a bike or any new motion we learn and put to memory. Keep your eye a bit ahead of the needle, like when you drive a car, you are looking out ahead of you,not directly at the front of the car! You need to anticipate where you need to go next.