nclauri

My suggestion you have already received. I won't pay for a professional quilter so I watched Leah Day's videos - free ones and started practicing. It came pretty easy - the stippling part anyway. Then she had a class at Craftsy that I signed up for when it was on sale. You can do this. Just practice on some 12 x 12 squares or whatever size until you feel comfortable. It really comes fast. Good luck.

charlottemarie

Before you try to quilt on your regular sewing machine, buy the machingers and the Supreme slider and then you can try to quilt. Those two items could have saved me from buying a mid-arm, but I'm not unhappy with it. Those can be found on Leah Day's Daystyle Designs website and they made a world of difference in my quilting life. Just a thought!

Pattycakes

I have not done the FMQ myself but have been watching Leah Day on you tube. Or you can type in Day style designs with no spaces and watch her that way. She is really good and explains alot. She makes it look easy.

tlpa

I could never bring myself to pay for LAQ either. So I've been doing what comes easiest to me which is straight line stitching like SID. It's been a couple of years, I'm not nearly as productive as some of you ladies, but now feel confident enough to try FMQ.

GammaLou

I have sent all my queen and king quilts out to get quilted. I don't want to destroy all my work by messing it up! I have done some baby quilts and table runners on my home machine, but that's the extent of it.

stchenfool

Thanks for the Leah Day suggestion - I'm going to check her out. Absolutely practice, practice, practice - it is fun!

Emma S

The advice already given in very valuable and will get you started on the right foot. I am new to FM myself, the biggest hurdle for me was just to start. Once that first attempt happens some of the mystique disappears and it actually becomes exciting. My quilts will never be Quilt Show quality but they get better every time. Just jump in, you'll like it.

GrannyFitz4

I have done FMG on wall hangings. I enjoyed it, but a little hesitant to do large quilts. Is it true that when meandering, the spirals shouldn't intersect each other? I don't think my FMG would pass the Quilt Police lol.

debbiemarie

I fully agree with these ladies...I am new to quilting, so far I have made 2 baby quilts, I was thrilled with how they both turned out, now I am trying to a twin size for my elderly mother. I played it safe with the baby quilts and stitched in the ditch, it's hard to mess it up really. On the first two baby quilts I used thicker batting and the stitching was hidden by all the puffiness, it was thicker and harder to maneuver because of the thickness, but they look wonderful. I am thinking of using the thinner cotton batting on the twin size, hopefully I can stitch it nicely because it will show much more. I am like you I have the top finished by I am afraid to start it.

QultingaddictUK

Your getting your knickers in a twist, it is a whole load of fabric beautifully chosen and put together, now it is time for you to put your own personality on your very own completed quilt.

Have a go at what I started at, wavy straight lines! Nobody's will look the same as mine as we all get our own rhythm of it but it is so effective. Once you have mastered that you can start putting little flowers, hearts or clover incorporated. Check out Leah Day's site, she is what gave me the determination to do it and now I am one of the very few here in North Wales that do FMQ, so much so that I am giving workshops on it, but believe me I am not perfect or advanced I just like my quilts to look like proper quilts. Umm looking at the pics they look a bit scruffy but in fact they are fine, it's just Muffin had taken a particular fancy to this quilt!