Quote Originally Posted by a1angiem View Post
I did a few practice squares and then quilted an entire quilt. By the time I got to the bottom of the quilt I was so comfortable and much better. Just don't start off on too small a scale - it gets exhausting! I was really proud of my work, but now, 2 years later, when I look at my meandering it's hysterical! It looks like screwed up kidney beans! It is pretty bad...but I have come so far since then and that quilt will always be special as the first. You'll get better and better with each project and you have to start somewhere. You might as well dive in on a whole quilt so you learn how to deal with it and what to expect. You'll get into a rhythm and soon find what works for you. Good luck and have fun - it is just the best!
I agree! I literally practiced about 15 minutes, then dove in. FMQ on a small piece (table topper etc) is nothing like FMQ on a full size quilt. So the only way to practice effectively is to dive in. Sure, my first quilts won't win any prizes, but my family and friends still think they're beautiful so who cares?

By the way, there's a huge improvement between my first couple of quilts and my fourth. You can get better really fast if you just keep it up.