How long do you feel it took you to get good at FMQ? How much practice fabric did it take? Hours, days, months, years? Will I ever get it? I find my hands all stiff when I practice and it doesn't look so great. :(
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How long do you feel it took you to get good at FMQ? How much practice fabric did it take? Hours, days, months, years? Will I ever get it? I find my hands all stiff when I practice and it doesn't look so great. :(
I still haven't mastered it. I cross my lines now and then but I keep at it.
Here are a few tips to help you out. I love my Fons and Porter quilting gloves and they have made all the difference in my FMQ. You also need to stop when you need to move your hands. It's important for the FMQing and to help you relax a little. Don't forget to breathe and keep your shoulders relaxed. You need as big a workspace to hold your quilt as possible. I used to pile books up near my sewing machine until I got an extension table! Plan on quilting just a small area at a time. Don't look at the whole quilt, just the 6" square you're quilting at the moment, then move your hands, move the quilt and quilt another 6"square. I'm sure if I can do it you can, too. I took a busy quilt (which wouldn't show the stitches too clearly) to practice my first FMQing. It gets easier. Keep going! Keep practicing! Keep quilting!
Cyndi
I find it frustrating because I have the perfect machine, the perfect set-up, and all the tools to help (gloves, slider, etc) and I can get really nice stitches a lot of the time...but then some really bad ones too! Or the quilt slips when I start up for a jog in the stitch line...or I run out of thread, etc. so it's never perfect! I haven't been at it too long but I look at all those beautiful quilts out there and wonder the same as you...how long?!?!
I'm still learning as well, and I have the same type of problems--a jog in the stitch line when I start up again after shifting the fabric or longer stitches, etc. But I feel like I'm getting better at it. Practice is the answer. Do like Cyndi said--take small bites at a time; take lots of breaks, use gloves (I have the gloves as well and love them!). I need to get a slider and that's on my shopping list for my next trip to Keepsake Quilting.
ok i have heard about the gloves but what is a slider? when i practiced it was wierd it felt like i was holding the quilt off the bottom and my stiches were always diferent. i tried to maintain the same speed not too fast or slow. am still going to practice cause i love how it looks.
Cyndi, you said what I already figured out! I did a better job the 3rd them, then I did the 1st & 2nd time because I figured out that I needed to stop when I move my hands, but I still haven't figured out the breathing part yet, lol. I have to stop to breathe! Good advice !
The slider I'm referring to is the "Supreme Slider", which is a glossy, teflon sheet for your sewing surface. It's very helpful...you can read about it here...
http://www.daystyledesigns.com/supremeslider.htm
I am having problems with FMQ also. I got this link today and I watched one of her videos. Sorry, now sure how to post the link where you can click on go directly to the website. I really want to learn FMQ, Here is the link http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com.au
I'm still too chicken to even try FMQQuote:
Originally Posted by Donna F
I still don't feel comfortable with FMQing. My practice pieces look okay in places, but I sort of tense up at the thought of doing it on something I want to turn out nice. :)
I am a beginner quilter but wanted to learn FMQ so I used Leah Days tutorials, used information from an excellent FMQ book Heirloom Quilting. The information I got from this book I think helped me the most. I also practice as much as I can. I also make Muslim practice squares with scrape leftover batting and date my squares to see if I am improving. This weekend I stippled my first project and while it does have mistakes it came out ok for my first time but I think practice and proper tools are key.
I still have not master FMQ yet but besides all the great advice you have already received one of the things that helped me was someone (I think Lea Day) said. "don't watch the needle but instead watch just in front of it; were you want to go"
Thanks everyone for your help. I feel a little better about what I'm doing and I am sure eventually I'll get better. You guys are great!
I haven't ever tried to FMQ, scares me. I have just SITD. I think quilts look so much nicer and hold up better when they have been FMQ. Good luck!
It took me time over several months. Each sewing machine is different too so you will have to feel each one out. Pick one and stick to it while you are learning.
Every new design I do on a practice sandwich! You'll never be "perfect" but you can always get better. Once you develop your own style and figure out what you like to use (gloves or no gloves, supreme slider or just a flat surface, certain threads) you'll be rockin!
Ok.. here's my opinion.... relax is the first thing...but more important... it takes a lot of patience to FMQ on a home machine without a frame... when i got interested in quilting i tried 2 quilts on my machine.... of course it wasn't perfect.. and stippling is NOT in my bag of tricks.. so i'm content with the loop de loop.... now all that being said... it took so long and i hated most of it, that i went pricing a frame... i bought a pinnacle grace frame and the package came with a janome 1600 high speed machine... DH set it up at the smallest size and it took a while, but i got the hang of it... decided i liked it, but wanted bigger, so he took it apart and we went out to the full 10 or 12 ft.. i guess... NOW,,, it's in the middle of the sewing room and i have to walk around it every time i want to go from the pressing area to sewing... (i tell myself it excercise.. LOL)... I don't dare say yet that i'd like to get a bigger throat machine... i'm using what i have and getting good at it... going to stay content with that... as long as i'm happy with "side to side" stitching... and so far it's enough.. it's fun... there is a learning curve, but if you want the beautiful quilts , i recommend going for the "big stuff"... i have a friend that has the "Millinieum"... but we are talking huge dollars.. she's got lots of room and is making some money at it.. of course, she had to invest even more to get the computerized thing,,, so she can "stitch" and let the machine work.. LOL
Sooooooooooooo all that being said... looking at some of the SITD quilts here that are so nicely done... it's stick to that or go larger..ME... i've got a lot of fabric to use up....i had to do something... perish the thought, i get rid of any of it!!! hehehe
[QUOTE=mrsg730;99430]I am a beginner quilter but wanted to learn FMQ so I used Leah Days tutorialsQUOTE]
I haven't attempted FMQ but did check out L.D. tutorials and find them great! Maybe this summer, when I have time off, I'll give it a go.
I'm just taking a break from some FMQ and have more to say, of course. First, listen to your machine! It will tell you when you're going too fast or if the tension isn't right. When everything is just as it should be it will hum right along. Another thing to listen to is music! It will help you to relax and enjoy yourself more. I quilt until a CD has ended. Then I know I need to take a little break. There! Two more cents from CyndioftheVortex!
Okay, I love, love to FMQ. No I'm not very good at it but I still love to do it. As I have said before I bought the Craftsy classes by Ann Peterson on FMQ and she is wonderful. I have learned so much from her. It does take lots and lots of practice but even the pratice can be fun. The difficult part is learning the proper speed of your hands to the machine. That is when you can start making the proper size stitches. I'm still trying.
Wow you ladies have given me a lot of advice and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I never thought I would meet so many nice people on a forum. This place is awesome!