Gramma B

Thanks for the link; I'm going to try free motion quilting; wasn't sure where to start. You're always so helpful!

weezie

Long story: I've done it satisfactorily off and on for a several years, but it's been a long while since I've done any serious FMQ. I had a 12' frame up with a Janome 1600DPX on it, but had to dismantle it when my son moved back home, so he could have his space back. I have recently set the Janome 1600 on a table in another room and snugged thick styrofoam all around it (covered with a sheet of vinyl), so it is now ready for oiling and practice. I bought a book called, "Free-Motion Quilting Made Easy" by Eva A. Larkin, in which there are '186 designs from 8 simple shapes'. My goal is to learn to free motion quilt precisely; I want the stitches to be exactly the right length and where they should be, so I will feel confident that I won't make a mess when I sit at my machine to get some of my quilt-top backlog quilted. She (Eva) says it's quite possible on an ordinary machine to achieve this goal; practice is the key. We shall see! She has pictures of her work in the book and it is so fine!

ania755

Thanks for sharing..... :lol:

sheliab12

Who doesn't love it. However how many can do it. I have taken classes, studied bookes, looked up everything on computer. They all say practice. I do. This is the key point. They say it is the same as drawing on paper except it is fabric. I have determined that if you can't draw on paper how can you draw on fabric. I can't even draw stick people. I tired to follow a pattern and that is even harder. So I will just hope I can do a decent meandering.

Maurene

Thanks for the link for free pattern ideas, looking at the leaves and flowers gave me an idea for a pattern that would match my Flying Geese UFO symbolically + filling in between the geese - a pattern from illustrations of wild rice!! Am thrilled to have this idea, it is an extra tardy UFO deserving attention.

Thanks for the tins for little scraps idea too - I suppose we could also use cardboard tea boxes until the tin collection comes up to scratch.

I can see this board is going to be a lot of fun and very helpful!!

Maurene

itsmesuzq

I too want to learn to FMQ. Yesterday I looked at the free video at Sharon Schamber web site (FMQ 101) and she uses a quilting "halo" that makes it so much easier to control the fabric. Her videos are fantastic because she goes slowly and is very easy to understand. You don't have to pay a thing to see many of her videos (just a login name) and she's the best I've seen so far. I wonder why none of the other teachers don't use her halo method?

Oh, by the way I got her name from someone on the Quilting Forum. This is the best site for quilting etc., on the internet!!

Beachbound

thanks for the update. I'll call my dealer. I am trying to practice on a baby quilt that I made from scraps. I want to get use to having some "extra" fabric to move around. Sometimes it works great and then other times...opps. :oops:

Maurene

Thanks for the BSR update, I'll get the new spring - have barely used the old one so will experiment first.

Maurene

dgrindey

I've tried but I cannot get the smooth rounded look on my free motion---I tend to make them pointed and cross over.

Sadiemae

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but a very good way to practice is to practice drawing. I draw on the cheap drawing pads, and a white board is really good to practrice on. It helps you brain learn the shapes and movements that you want to do.