Need advise on Stippling...meandering...FMQ

I have a 60x60 quilt to FMQ. I have watched several of the Leah Day http://www.freemotionquilting.blogsp...ilt-along.html Videos and read many a articles there.

I don't like the very small, or close together FMQ so I am doing Stippling/meandering as being a beginner I think that will work better anyway! So I get "how" to do it, however, she uses small quilt pieces to do her work. I also started practicing with small pieces and found it really easy that way, but with the full quilt...rather hard..only in that with the small piece it is so much more movable. That big near twin size quilt with half of it shoved in the neck of the machine the other half, hanging to the side or in my lap...makes it very much harder to move with the stippling.

So... does anyone have any tips on how to stipple that much quilt? She says don't roll and for the most part I agree, but there are times that it has to be rolled a little just to fit in a table top machine. But Ikeep it unrolled much as possible. But other than that...I have not seen her or anyone else stippling a large quilt as fast as she does the smaller ones. So if anyone has any tips or videos showing this, please, pass them my way!

And, in doing the more intricate designs....tips on how to do them (they are pretty specific and small) I just can't imagen doing those intricate designs on a large quilt.

Also, which do you prefer....stitching within the seam lines or crossing over ? And do you STID AND stipple or one or the other or both? I am looking to do wide/large stippling as to close makes the quilt so stiff and non-cuddly.

Forgot to include pic of the quilt....

what ~I do is always use the machine extension table, use silcon spray on the extension to make it good and slippy. I also have a rather odd arrangement of my ironing board in beside my chair, flush with the table to support the quilt to my left so that non is hanging anywhere which removes the drag of gravity on the quilt. I dont roll unless I have to, sometimes you need to roll a bit but I do so as little as possible. Divide your quilt into quarters.......I sometimes do it mentally if the quilt pattern allows.......looks like yours will or I tack some bright coloured stitches to divide. Then just go for it! Kepp you speed smooth, if you have a speed control, use it and just hit the floor with the pedal or as in my case I just hit start and dont worry about the speed because I have it set.

I play music while I quilt, I chose a beat that matches the speed I am going at. For a meander I play Queen.....'Dont stop me now'. The beat and 'sway' of the music helps of the music helps me stay smooth. For Loop de loop I play the Flower Duet.....its nice and slow and smooth, has excellent rise and fall in the music to help me loop. For a Stipple, if its a table runner or cot quilt I play Meatloaf 'A Bat Out of Hell' lol and I go like a bat out of hell :) If I am just quilting a Whatever Pattern I play some Abba and I just focus and go....let the music take me anywhere.

There you go.......we eaach have our own tricks............ohhhhhh and I switch the phone off! Nothing worse than the phone going. I quilt for only 20 minutes at a time then take a break away from the table because I get awful Quilters Shoulder

That is the most wonderful tutorial on FMQ I have ever read! I love the idea of the music! I love that you have specific songs to go with certain methods. This is going to help me a LOT I know, because when I'm alone in my sewing room and FMQing (I'm a newbie also!) I find myself (this is gonna sound weird) moving my JAW in the direction I'm taking my quilt! LOL! Music!! Hadn't thought of that. That is gold! Thank you!

So do you stipple in rows? Do you start in the middle and work your way out or start on the outside and work your way in? I am so scared to start a bigger piece and hate it when it is done or have to use the seem ripper to take it all out!!!!!

I use my ironing board as extra table space too. Music.....never thought about that, might have to give it a try. Don't know if I have any ABBA but I do have Queen and Meatloaf. Hubby is a music addict and he has all his CD's on his computer - might have to network into his and grab some music because if I took his iPod he'd probably cry.

I just finished FMQ a good sized twin quilt (Holy Henrietta--you can see a pic in my current album) and had pretty good success with it. I tried Leah Day's idea of working in rows to keep me from getting into a tight spot. My quilting was on the large scale as I did not want it to be stiff when it was finished. I'd say the lines run anywhere from 1/2 to 2" apart in places. I started in the middle, worked down abot 4 to 6 inches and then up and to the left. That makes the "row". Then I started another "row" below and worked my way back to the middle. So on and so forth until that quarter was finished. I then went back to where I began and worked my way up the quilt row by row. That method worked really well for me.

I do not roll the quilt, but I make sure I have lots of surface area to hold the weight of the quilt. i play music as well, but just for background noise, not to quilt to. And, yes, I have done both STID and FMQ on the same quilt. Depending on the quilt, I'll go over the seams. It makes no difference. What matters is what YOU want to do with the quilt! The one I just finished was a log cabin, so there were LOTS AND LOTS of seams to quilt over. That block does not lend itself to anything other than a basic meander, so that's what I did. I like how it turned out.

I always start in the middle and work out in loose rows

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Originally Posted by Divine Daisy

what ~I do is always use the machine extension table, use silcon spray on the extension to make it good and slippy. I also have a rather odd arrangement of my ironing board in beside my chair, flush with the table to support the quilt to my left so that non is hanging anywhere which removes the drag of gravity on the quilt. I dont roll unless I have to, sometimes you need to roll a bit but I do so as little as possible. Divide your quilt into quarters.......I sometimes do it mentally if the quilt pattern allows.......looks like yours will or I tack some bright coloured stitches to divide. Then just go for it! Kepp you speed smooth, if you have a speed control, use it and just hit the floor with the pedal or as in my case I just hit start and dont worry about the speed because I have it set.

I play music while I quilt, I chose a beat that matches the speed I am going at. For a meander I play Queen.....'Dont stop me now'. The beat and 'sway' of the music helps of the music helps me stay smooth. For Loop de loop I play the Flower Duet.....its nice and slow and smooth, has excellent rise and fall in the music to help me loop. For a Stipple, if its a table runner or cot quilt I play Meatloaf 'A Bat Out of Hell' lol and I go like a bat out of hell :) If I am just quilting a Whatever Pattern I play some Abba and I just focus and go....let the music take me anywhere.

There you go.......we eaach have our own tricks............ohhhhhh and I switch the phone off! Nothing worse than the phone going. I quilt for only 20 minutes at a time then take a break away from the table because I get awful Quilters Shoulder

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The music sounds like a great idea! I'll give that a try!!! Stippling to the Oldies!!!! or in my case...country oldies!

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Originally Posted by EnumclawGramma

That is the most wonderful tutorial on FMQ I have ever read! I love the idea of the music! I love that you have specific songs to go with certain methods. This is going to help me a LOT I know, because when I'm alone in my sewing room and FMQing (I'm a newbie also!) I find myself (this is gonna sound weird) moving my JAW in the direction I'm taking my quilt! LOL! Music!! Hadn't thought of that. That is gold! Thank you!

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Do you remember (or maybe still does) watching kids play the hand held games and while they are "shooting" in a certain direction they tend to point their arms in that direction and just moving with what they are doing...no sense in letting the kids have all the fun! Quilting with the Oldies,, I can do that!

I spent about 6 hours FMQ'ing today...doing a wide meander. I'm having some tension issues...bird nests on the back of the quilt, but I'm learning to check the backside every few inches, so I don't have so much to rip out if I am having bird nests form. I think I need to use a different thread, was watching Leah Day videos and reading about her love of Isacord thread for FMQ'ing. I think I'll order a spool to check it out. Superior Threads are supposed to be good also.

I was having a ton of problems with broken thread and skipped stitches. I really was about to call the shop up and argue that they had done something when they did maintenance on my machine, except it only happened with FMQ. I cleaned, and changed tension, changed threads, changed needles.....microtec, quilting, embroidery, big, little , changed brands of needles and quite by accident, I had stuck a universal needle back in, that I thought was probably used up and VOILA, problem solved. I am going to try the Superior topstitching needles after watching their needle education video, but for my Pfaff, it was as simple as using the Universal needle for FMQ. WHAT A RELIEF!

That is exactly what I'm talking about. My jaw was sore before I became aware of what I was doing. I was just glad I was alone in there! Ever watch someone feed a baby and they open their mouth when the spoon goes to the baby's mouth? Same thing I think.

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Originally Posted by EnumclawGramma

Ever watch someone feed a baby and they open their mouth when the spoon goes to the baby's mouth?

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Yep, Guilty. Right Here. LOL I'm working on my very first project-a table runner made of three blocks of four charms which are snowballed on three sides to make a flower. (So three flowers) Anyway, I got my quilt top done, measured and cut my backing and batting, pinned the sucker down and stood back wondering what I should do now. I ordered a free motion foot for my sewing machine but it hasn't arrived yet. I thought of doing the whole thing by hand because Lord knows if I try to machine SITD it will look like a dogs breakfast. My machine does these fancy little stitches though so I chose one that looks like a leafy vine and I am pretty much just bordering around the flowers. It is just a table runner though, I can't imagine trying to get a twin sized quilt into the throat of my machine. LOL, So I really have no tips or advice for you but I feel your pain in the jaw, I've been tilting my whole body the way I am sewing and it hurts! Being six months pregnant doesn't help either. Maybe baby enjoys the rocking...

I am hoping someone answers on the STID and stipple or either...

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Originally Posted by ttucsok

Yep, Guilty. Right Here. LOL I'm working on my very first project-a table runner made of three blocks of four charms which are snowballed on three sides to make a flower. (So three flowers) Anyway, I got my quilt top done, measured and cut my backing and batting, pinned the sucker down and stood back wondering what I should do now. I ordered a free motion foot for my sewing machine but it hasn't arrived yet. I thought of doing the whole thing by hand because Lord knows if I try to machine SITD it will look like a dogs breakfast. My machine does these fancy little stitches though so I chose one that looks like a leafy vine and I am pretty much just bordering around the flowers. It is just a table runner though, I can't imagine trying to get a twin sized quilt into the throat of my machine. LOL, So I really have no tips or advice for you but I feel your pain in the jaw, I've been tilting my whole body the way I am sewing and it hurts! Being six months pregnant doesn't help either. Maybe baby enjoys the rocking...

I am hoping someone answers on the STID and stipple or either...

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I have used a decorative stitch when I STID'd...I did it on the seam and one time used a wiggle stitch "ununun" kind of look and also an "aztec" line thing <><><><> kind of look, both looked and worked really well.

I personally do the same as Mrs Daisy does. I use the silicone spray, its a real life saver!!! Love it! And I use little Genie bobbin washers for the bird's nests, those are a huge help and I noticed that my bobbin makes alot of rattling noises until I began using those, now now all quiet. Music is wonderful for getting in the groove. I normally don't drink but I have found if I have a glass of wine, my shoulders aren't up around my ears when I take my breaks. I sometimes do stitch in the ditch and fmq on the same piece it all depends what my plan is. Have you taken a look at Patsy Thompson's fmq videos yet? I think between both her and Leah you can be a master in no time. Practice makes perfect but perfect won't happen the first time so don't beat yourself up about it. Just have fun. I hope this helps.

Donna