Getting good at FMQ

[Donna F]

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.

[CrazyMtnLady]

I still haven't mastered it. I cross my lines now and then but I keep at it.

[cyndiofthevortex]

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

[a1angiem]

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?!?!

[quilter.martha]

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.

[Sasha Anzures]

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.

[PAQuilter]

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 !

[a1angiem]

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

[cherokeerose]

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

[Genny]

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'm still too chicken to even try FMQ