Good Morning, Quilters!
I think the vast majority of us began to learn free motion machine quilting well after we learned how to cut, piece and applique quilt tops.
THE MACHINE QUILTING MYSTIQUE
I have observed that in some circles, there is a certain mystique about machine quilting–that machine quilting is mysterious and harder to learn than cutting, piecing and applique.
I’ve been wondering….
What if we started teaching machine quilting the same day we started teaching proper cutting techniques?
Would that remove some of the fear of machine quilting?
Would quilters be more comfortable machine quilting if they practiced a little here and there while they were also learning the other fundamentals of quilting–instead of after the whole quilt is already pieced?
AN EXPERIMENT IN TEACHING QUILTING
As you know, my daughters, Faye and Nora are beginner quilters and are sharing their journey here at The Inbox Jaunt. Read Nora’s introduction HERE and Faye’s HERE
(You can also follow them on Instagram —Nora HERE and Faye HERE)
My plan is to use them as guinea pigs and experiment with two different teaching styles. Nora is going to learn to machine quilt as she learns the other lessons while Faye is going to learn quilting in the more traditional method–piecing first, then machine quilting.
I think there are valid reasons for both methods.
NORA BEGINS MACHINE QUILTING
Nora is a busy mom and she loves to doodle. She is a creative “free-spirit” and I think she would LOVE the freedom and the immediacy of machine quilting. (I’m guessing she will be an “improv quilter” someday.)
Nora had her first machine quilting lesson this week–under what are typical conditions–two little ones and very little time!
MACHINE QUILTING BEGINNER TIPS
I set up the machine and gave her a small quilt sandwich (In retrospect, the sandwich as too small–her hands were off the fabric) I recommend starting with a fat quarter quilt sandwich. (Bigger is too cumbersome and smaller doesn’t allow you to position your hands correctly.)
If you are new to machine quilting–start with YOUR doodles--they come most naturally and don’t require a lot of thinking.
Nora’s first attempt at machine quilting reveal her doodles.
Do you recognize The Shaggy Dog Quilt motif? Nora designed it!
Another of her typical doodles is the Little Girl–maybe she will design a tutorial for that too!?
WHEN DID YOU LEARN TO MACHINE QUILT?
What about YOU?
When did YOU learn to machine quilt–while you were learning to quilt or after?
Do YOU think there is a mystique about machine quilting?
Do YOU know anyone who has a fear of machine quilting?
Have YOU ever taught machine quilting?
We’d LOVE to hear what works for YOU!
Happy Fearless Machine Quilting,
Lori
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!
66 comments
Bernadette
Lori ,
I am one who reads ,accumulates supplies and slowly ponders how to begin. In other words I am still cautious of the free motion process.
I have your first boook and your video which when I sit to doodle or practice with my sandwiches make me smile and feel comfortable.
I loved hand quilting when I was in my twenties ,now that I am In my late sixties I feel that free motion quilting is a skill I should have tried earlier,
My niece has asked to sit in my sewing room and watch me sew and I find myself encouraging her to try everything . Callie tries everything!
Thankyou for giving so much to us all, your enthusiasm for sharing your talent has enabled me to encourage her . Callie is delighted with each item she makes and so happy when she can see her own progress.
Thankyou
Bernadette
Terry Robbinsq
quilted for a long time before I tried to FMQ. It was intimidating and I couldn’t do a straight line no matter how hard I tried. Now my stitch length is good and I am not afraid to try anything….but it took a lot of practice. I think I would have liked to learn at the same time as I began to piece.
Suzanne
Intriguing questions Lori; I think you’ve instinctively hit upon two very important factors: 1) the new quilter’s available time (if I remember correctly, Faye is single & of course Nora has little ones), and 2) their individual characteristics (Like Nora, the free-spirit) Plus, everyone has a different learning style, I’m very visual, some people do best when reading instructions while others need to just “dive in and do it”.
I’m in my late 60’s, have sewn all my life but began quilting only a year and a half ago when my best friend enticed me into our church’s quilting group. We make quilts for the parents of newborns, to be given when the child is baptized. I was immediately hooked but also intimidated because everyone else had been quilting for some years. My first quilt was a semi-disaster stitch-in-the ditch piece but good enough to give away, so it went to a family who loved it. (wow-really!?) However, with the help of my group, plus LOTS of reading and watching video’s on Pinterest and sites like yours, I developed the confidence to try FMQ – and I did it. I just began practicing on smallish sandwiches. I’m now working on a snowball pattern quilt with a paisley FMQ design and it’s coming out great. Not show quality or anything, but respectable. I think part of it is due to the fact that I once studied art and the other is that I love the creativity involved.
So for what it’s worth, I think there is no “right” time to learn FMQ, it depends on the individual.
I almost forgot, there’s one more factor that made it work for me: using a NON-hopping foot. I’ve discovered that the up-down movement made it virtually impossible to keep track of what I was doing and where I was going in my design. Switching to a non-hopping foot was a “Eureka!” moment for me. I first thought it was just me and my vision (old eyes) but have since learned that others who’ve had trouble with FMQ found that once they switched to a non-hop, their FMQ improved tremendously. Perhaps there are more quilters out there who would benefit from trying this.
As always Lori, thank you so much for your generous support and inspiration. I suspect there are many of us out there who might never have tried had you not been on the internet inspiring us. You are amazing.
Thanks again and God bless.
Lori Kennedy
Hi Suzanne,
Thank you for sharing and for your tip about the NON-hopping foot. I do think they can be distracting. I also agree that the best time to learn machine quilting depends on the quilter.
Marta
Please do you mind sharing what kind of foot you did use? I would like to try without the distracting movement of the foot..Thank you.
Suzanne
Hi Marta! Right now I’m using the darning foot that came with my Brother machine. It a screw-on type labeled “C”. It’s simply a flat little closed metal circle and it makes FMQ much easier for me.
I’m also about to try changing an open toe hopping foot to a non-hop based on a Pinterest tutorial. Here’s a video link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/767863805188664594/
. You could also buy one. Go to SewingMachinesPlus.com – they have a generic open toe darning foot for a reasonable price. When you get there, search for “generic open-toe darning foot”. You might check your accessories box too. You could have one already and not realize it. If you choose to try this I would be cautious. You want to make sure the alteration doesn’t harm your needle assembly. When I try it, I’m first going to move my needle up and down manually and watch carefully to see if it hangs up anywhere. I expect it will be fine but would rather be safe than sorry. Wish I could send you pictures but I don’t know how to attach them to this site.
But go ahead and watch the video – it’s very interesting.
I hope you find that a using non-hop makes it as easy for you as it did for me.
Good luck and God Bless!!
Marta
Suzanne….After watching the video, I am absolutely in AWE! First the foot is clear. I had never perfected the skill of seeing thru metal anyway. LOL.. The video is so clear about what can be done. Hope has sprung up or is springing up or something. THank you so much.
Suzanne
You are so very welcome Marta. Isn’t it terrific how Lori’s kind and encouraging influence brings quilters together and gives us the opportunity to help one another? If only our world could operate this way!
Best wishes,
Suzanne
Marta
Amen..just what I was feeling while reading all the entries !!
Marta
Thank you for all the help. I have ordered in the past from S M Plus…. always good experience. My feet are limited as I bought it all from a neighbor who stopped quilting to oil paint more. I have an older Brother which is straight/zigzag only. I will check their website. I do appreciate the advice and suggestions.
Lori Kennedy
Hi Marta,
Always great to hear from you! I use the BERNINA #24 foot.
Marta
Thank you …Uh, because I have a machine brand other than Bernina, pray tell what does #24 look like? maybe I can match it to my brand feet, Viking.
Pam Hotle
I free motion quilted my first quilt I made. (10 years ago) At the time I didn’t know it was something to be afraid of. I just watched a few videos on youtube and went for it.
Christine reeves
I’ve had lessons on FMQ but it’s a fear that it won’t be good enough on my quilt that stops me from actually doing any. Now I really want to finish an accumulation of quilts sandwiched but just sitting around, but then a comfortable sewing space and time to practice need to be sorted. I’m exploring all quilt as you go methods while I work up the confidence to do whole quilts too so I can complete stashed quilts.
Marta
That baby smile is worth millions of bucks.what a blessing !
Marta
My first quilt was 7 years ago and was large… cause I didn’t know any better! A friend asked me to use her deceased husband’s shirts ( plaids in many colors) and she had a photo of the stitching she wanted, It was 4 inch pieced squares and quilted parallel to the edge of the squares.. Piece of cake !! LOL she also insisted on two layers of batting. Well, she was paying for it.. It was so heavy and even with a large drafting
table to sew on, I had to have my husband hold the part of the quilt not under the
presser foot. To add to the situation, from 9 long sleeved shirts, there were enough squares to make 2 double bed size quilts.. for their two adult children. I had to have her take the second pieced top to a shop and pay for it to be quilted. It came back with meandering and she was not a happy camper.
That experience turned me off to do my own machine quilting for couple years. But I found The Inbox Jaunt and it changed my quilting life. A triumph was large sunflowers for adult granddaughter’s request. I got carried away and stitched petals all out into the borders of the quilt without realizing what I was actually doing. It turned out great! and I realized I had crossed the threshhold of reticence into true free motion work. Next one, I stitched all over scales with metallic thread on a fish that was 14 inches and on the water he was jumping out of. Then an eagle’s wings for granddaughter’s fiance’ …..and so I am very thrilled to finally be a “real quilter “! LOL Thank you Lady Lori !!!
Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses
I have been teaching basic FMQ at my LQS for over three years. I am a firm believer in “Perfect isn’t flawless. Perfect is finished.” I tell my students that the goal is a finished quilt you can use (either for cuddles or decorations). I do find that beginners are more willing to make mistakes and less afraid of ruining their quilt.
Carol C
I learned from my mother to sew garments as a teenager, so piecing came easily. I taught myself to piece, just saw a picture of a quilt back in 1976 (before rotary cutters), drew templates from cardboard, wanted it warm so stuffed it with 2 layers of polyester batting, and tied it with yarn. I thought that was the thing to use to tie with. The yarn was so hard to pull through all the seams at the intersection of the pieces that I had to use pliers. Because I wasn’t aware of classes to learn how to actually quilt the finished tops, they just accumulated and fear built up over spoiling them with poor quilting. I probably have 15-20 tops just waiting to be quilted. The only ones I’ve quilted so far have been a few stitch-in-the-ditch, no FMQ yet. But I really like your idea of starting on sample quilt sandwiches – nothing to ruin. And your idea of doodling first is really helpful. I have found I can’t even draw a good circle or loop – they are not round enough, so that is what I am practicing on for now. I am trying to get in the habit of doodling while listening to TV late at night, since I don’t have much time, working 10-12 hour days at my job. I can’t draw at all, so seeing how you take a design apart and draw it with a continuous line is an eye-opener and something I can mimic. Thank you for your generosity in sharing your talent.
Lori Kennedy
Hi Carol, Stitch in the ditch is a great way to finish quilts. Another way is to machine tie the quilts. Add one small motif in the center of each block. This method requires a lot of knotting, but it’s a great way to learn a motif and complete a quilt. One other thing—don’t be deterred because you can’t draw a good circle–use that to create at your design–make all of the circles “off” to create a different look,or stitch really wobbly circles to look like flowers. No one need ever know you did this because you couldn’t do circles!
Chris K.
I’ve found ruler quilting to be a good starting point for FMQ. With the ruler you know where you’re going as you quilt, so you can just pay attention to speed and moving the quilt. I’m now getting confident enough to put some FMQ on my quilts.
Lori Kennedy
I think your experience is interesting…since I still find holding all the parts challenging. But it is a great reminder that if one thing doesn’t work–try something else! We all have different ways of learning!
mother007
My reasons for learning free motion was financial. Hiring a longarmer for every quilt I wanted to make
not feasible on a single income. I started quilting baby quilts and placemats. I moved on to bigger quilts and realized that they do not have to be perfect. Tension was a scary issue along with the variety of thread that is out there. I have a goto thread set for top and bottom and a goto design that I became proficient at. When I began playing with top and bottom tension I felt more at ease branching out to newer designs, different battings and even ruler work. I am no longer afraid of my machine and no longer afraid of free motion.
Lori Kennedy
Your advice is spot-on! and don’t you enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve completed the entire quilt yourself?
Amy N.
I quilted the very first quilt I made. In fact, I have quilted all of the quilts that I made. Back when I started quilting, very few quilts were FMQ–most using just plain straight stitches. When FMQ started to take off, a year or two after I started piecing and quilting, I took a class. It was fairly easy for me and at that time meandering was about all that was done. The next thing that became popular was to trace designs on paper like golden threads or mark quilts using stencils and FMQ those (essentially free motion, but not freehand free motion). You had to train yourself to look for continuous design free motion stencils. I did that too. As more designs became available using freehand free motion and the internet took off, it was a natural progression for me to do more. I always bought books with designs and newly developed techniques too. I kind of progressed right along as FMQ and technology did!
Lori Kennedy
Hi Amy, I think I followed the same progression you did! It’s fun to see how far we’ve come and imagine what is next?
lynndon3
HI Lori, I taught 4 boys and 2 girls ages 15-16 how to iron, cut, piece and free motion quilt for their required community service projects. I found that they had no problems with any of it as it was expected that they did what I told them to do. They didn’t know they couldn’t or should be afraid, so we donated 8 total quilts to the Veterans. It was a fun experience for all of us. If someone is told that fmq is the next step, they just do it 😀. Thanks for all your fun instruction, it is appreciated! Best, Lynn
Lori Kennedy
That is awesome! I think one of the biggest challenges beginners face is comparing their quilting with quilting created by people who have been doing it for years!
lynndon3
BTW, they free motioned hearts, stars and things that they already knew how to draw.
Jane J
I think learning both at the same time is brilliant. Then you are not a beginner “again”! I also adopted the idea that I will get better and only gave quilts to people that already loved me and did not quilt! They loved the personal gift and had no idea that it was done by a kindergarden quilter. That “better finished than perfect” has made me really enjoy the process much more. So my earlier quilts are not as good as the most recent, but I am sure that will be the same case again in a year! But I love to quilt and love the feelling of the finished product. Along with the oooohs and aaaaahs of the gift. Even my husband loves his quilt because I made it just for him. It’s always about the gift not the perfection.
Enjoy and look forward to ooooohing over your first quilts!
Lori Kennedy
I agree entirely, Jane! Personalization is what makes quilts wonderful, not perfection!
Mary Honas
I learned to FM after years of quilting with a walking foot. I had that muscle memory and the sound and feel of my machine making consistent stitches. I did take a class with Pam Mayfield who had us write our names in cursive first! Then quilt it! It was a good way to remember continuous lines for i’s dotted and t’s crossed. As I’ve gone on to not only quilt my own quilts but also quilt for others and teach I still fall back on that first lesson, quilt something that’s familiar–your name, e’s and l’s on lines drawn like primer paper, playing with shapes like swirls, arcs and loops (e’s and l’s, again)..
Lori Kennedy
That’s a great tip and wonderful insight!
Pamela Simpson
As an “old dog” trying to learn “new tricks” I worked at FMQ long after my first quilts. Interestingly, my 11 year-old granddaughter picked up a quilt sandwich and just started “doodling”. She was totally relaxed and actually having fun drawing with thread. I think starting when you learn other basics is a great idea!!!
Lori Kennedy
I think your granddaughter’s quilting demonstrates two things–if you have fun while you are quilting, your quilts will be fun –and when we have no expectations of what our quilts “should” look like, we can relax and enjoy the process.
Martha
I still ‘fear’ machine quilting ~ mainly because of other quilters’ comments that they hire all their quilting so they won’t ruin their meticulously pieced tops. But I actually do want to quilt things myself… so it is past time to start with some smaller quilting projects to get some practice and confidence before I attempt one of my bigger tops!
Lori Kennedy
Yes! Get right to it! Pick the smallest quilt you have that you have the least emotional attachment to and start quilting!
Sue
Hi Lori, Having been a hand quilter for several decades I’ve had a lot of trouble with machine quilting. I’m getting better though. It’s just so different!
I don’t know if I’ll ever get really good at it. I don’t seem to have the dexterity and I can’t draw to save my life. Right now I’m watching one of your Craftsy videos and enjoying it.
I do think it’s a good idea to start learning machine quilting early in the process of quiltmaking.
When I started quilting nobody was using the machine, well, maybe not nobody but certainly not that many.
I really want to get to a good place with it! 🙂
Kerry
I did take a course on machine quilting but it was very daunting – and that was when I’d only just started. Since seeing tutorials on Youtube etc, I found it much easier to follow and not going with all guns blazing from the get go! I think the speed was an issue. My first quilt was hand quilted – because I enjoy doing that, so the next few were with the walking foot. I wanted to quilt so giving it to someone to finish was not an option. So in at the deep end. I wanted to do feathers and my first feathers look like leaves on bendy twigs, but the more I did, the more it improved and my fear of getting it wrong started to diminish. Seeing new quilt tutorials that say not to worry, keep on and don’t unpick, go at a speed to suit you because you tend to speed up when you become more confident – and carry on regardless have been great. I found when sewing feathers and doing curves I do speed up (eyelashes! adjust speed!!) and just seem to get into the zone now. I thank you all for the inspiration and super encouragement!
Elizabeth
Oh, brilliant! Learning to machine quilt when you have a top ready can result in quilting paralysis. “I’m too afraid to ruin my hard work and I don’t know what else to do but stop or pay someone else to do it.” (something like that) Oh, I wish I had learned earlier. I am still very glad I hand quilted a few, but I would have fewer in my “to do” pile now, if I knew what I was doing sooner. Thank you, always, for the encouragement.
Anne Dirks
I’ve always longed to go to a quilt retreat and take lessons. But never could. So I Gave a class to 19 of our church member. Ages ranging from early 20s to 80s! Don’t know how good I did but at least half if them have taken off and done more quilting. I’m 64 and wish I would have started much sooner, like maybe as a teen!! I LOVE to FMQ. Buy I see it takes practice, practice and more practice if I want to do as well as I’d like. I stressed the practice on paper to get the muscle memory. I’ve learned some good tips from you, Lori. I could never get holly leaves till I found your tutorial. Thanks for all you do to encourage others (me) to keep on trying.
Jane
I started learning FMQ early without fear: my very first quilting class was free motion quilting, with explanations of batting; threads; stencils; doodling; writing my name, words, & phrases; and the guidance that every quilt has a story told by fabric, piecing, and quilting. Once you know the story, the quilting design will reveal itself. In the ensuing years I have included more FMQ classes among piecing technique classes, and have enjoyed growing as a quilter. So far I have FMQ’d on my domestic machine all my quilted creations, from coasters to crib quilts, table toppers to wall art, with the exception of a large pieced Christmas Tree skirt, which was long-arm quilted by my neighbor/friend/favorite-quilt-teacher. I’ll be interested to see the results of your “experiment”, Lori, and watching your daughters’ quilt journeys.
annieofbluegables
I “made up” quilt-as-you-go long before I’d ever heard of it, out of desperation. I had made all these blocks and decided before I put them together I would quilt them. To quell the fear that I would ruin the quilt, I used Golden Threads paper and stitched over the traced pattern. This was my crutch for years, mainly because I am always on a time crunch for most of my projects.
However picking out minuscule pieces of paper gets old, and thanks to you, Lori, I’ve been getting my courage to try without the paper… I’ve done many borders with lots of your fun motifs.
But when it comes to feathers I’m still tempted to use paper. I am actually overcoming that fear as well, thanks to a washable pen. The first sets of feathers had everything marked, but lately I just trace the curvy spine with washable pen and draw in an occasional feather to remind me which way I’m going with it…
I am so grateful for your generosity of sharing your talent. I have purchased both of your books and both Craftsy classes. You’re a great teacher, and no matter which method you teach, I’m certain your daughters will come out winners.
sheilaoxley
When I was finished piecing my first quilt I decided to do free motion. But I’m an artist so to me it was another way to draw. I didn’t think about it, at least I tried not to let myself get too caught up in the scariness of FMQ. I kept thinking of being able to quilt my own quilts and of how far I could take it. I gave a tutorial at my guild meeting (I’m not a good speaker so I’m sure I missed some info!) OH and the first thing I ever quilted I used your star pattern!!! I was bold and used gold colored thread on a dark background. It’s not close to perfect but I love it and it’s on our couch as a symbol of the first steps of my adventure!!! That was over a year ago.
Jessica
I’m a newbie quilter. I love the look of free motion quilting, so I decided to practice it while learning to cut, piece, & assemble a quilt. It paid off as I was able to finish my first fully cut, pieced, & free motion quilted quilt! It was such a fun project & now I have two more quilts in progress. I believe that learning to free motion quilt as you go makes quilting even more fun…plus you can say you did it all from start to finish!
Rowena
I think sometimes it is the fear of ruining a quilt top that you have worked hard on when things to wrong, so your ideas of having quilt sandwiches to learn and practice on is good, and warming up is always a good idea.
Linda B
Totally agree with Rowena… it is so much less stressful to “learn” FMQ by doing it on less valuable items than that wedding quilt you promised! I started with mug rugs and table toppers/runner and baby quilts (Lori’s fish) and have been feeling much more confident in my machine’s ability and my own! And pretty much always do a little test to check out the design on that particular fabric & batting. For me, figuring out what to put where is still a challenge.
Lori Kennedy
It’s also a good idea to gain confidence on small quilts and work up to the big quilts!
annwalsh2015
I’ve been sewing most of my life so cutting and piecing didn’t feel new for me, but I had never machine quilted until about three years ago, when I decided to make a couple of Jelly Roll Race quilt tops. I was planning to hire out the actual quilting to complete gifts for friends, but while I was waiting on my fabric order, I decided to try FMQ on my old sewing machine with the darning foot. I fell instantly in love with the process, so I quilted those two myself and kept going from one quilt to the next as I’d found an unexpected passion for machine quilting. I’m currently binding my 200th quilt! I teach FMQ classes and I have my students go from doing straight line in various directions, to loops and cursive writing (what do we know how to draw better than our own names?!) and then on to simple combinations they can use right away to fill blocks or whole quilts. I’ve seen people go from fearful to joyful when they see what they can do in just one lesson!
Connie Boulay
I learned machine quilting about a year after I learned to piece, but really about the same time I was learning to machine piece, I learned hand piecing and hand quilting first. Deciding what to quilt is still the hardest thing for me, I actually discovered you (Lori Kennedy) while researching quilting ideas for a Christmas quilt last year, your poinsettia design made the cut, along with some other designs. I love being able to quilt without marking!
Dawn Spero
I don’t have a fear of FMQ. I actually like it very much, but I don’t spend enough time practicing. I’m always working on multiple projects so my machine is set up for piecing. I don’t like having to change the machine set up from piecing to FMQ. (Maybe I need to get over that!) Because I don’t practice enough, I never feel my FMQ quality matches the “quality” of the piecing effort which results in a lot of pieced tops waiting for me to decide how to get them quilted! I’m hoping to purchase a longarm in the not too distant future. If I can’t manage that expense, maybe I will set up another domestic sewing machine (much older machine) to have one machine set up for piecing and the other for FMQ.
Lori Kennedy
I do find it very helpful to have two machines set up–one for piecing and one for quilting. Also, if you are very clear about how to switch from regular sewing to machine quilting-and keep your supplies handy, it can be quick!
Donna K McMichen
I was an experienced seamstress and quilter, but was still hesitant to do FMQ because I thought that perfectly even stitches – just like a machine pulling the fabric thru – was essential. While that’s a nice goal – it’s not essential to FMQ. My biggest battle was just a mental battle of letting go. Just do it! Don’t over think, don’t stress – just play. Ever since then I’ve enjoyed it immensely! One thing that helps an experience sewer, IMO, is knowing that the speed of the machine sounds like in connection to how fast your moving. To me, that was a useful bit of knowledge to with connect the FMQ.
I’m now trying to learn how to use ruler/templates. A little more structured than FMQ, but fun results….one day. =)
bobbiesews
I can’t say “I’ve learned” even yet. Did my first free motion back int the 70’s. The challenge was and is- I’m not good at doodling. Something inside my head says “not good enough”. I know it’s not true but it’s there. I worked on a small Brother for most of these years. Have made dozens of quilts- most were free motioned but only 2 had recognizable designs. Lots of outline of the prints. Practiced hard at writing my name and dates though. I’m still pushing myself on the doodling but your books & your blog have helped a lot.
Dianne Brisson
I think the main reason why people don’t try FMQ is the possibility of changing their TENSION! Once they get over needing to change tension it’s a go from there.
Lori Kennedy
Tension was definitely one of my biggest challenges!
Cheri
Fear of fmq, gee maybe that is what it is! I was never interested in the quilting part of the quilt unless I could hand quilt it. Machine quilting wasn’t prevalent the first ten years of my experience. I was so focused on designing, cutting correctly, and piecing AND possibly failing. It wasn’t until about 10 years ago I decided I liked the idea of trying machine quilting, there were so many more options. Fast forward and now I own a Simply Sixteen. Still need to practice, but with your help Lori I am learning a lot!
That cute little guy sitting in the chair must be the ham of the family!
Maxine Borosund
My first quilt teacher encouraged us to stipple our quilts. Good advice I think. My machine quilting skills developed along with my piecing skills. Whereas doing your own machine quilting after have some quilts professionally done is pretty discouraging.
Pat knight
Loved the happy baby pictures
piecefulwendy
This will be fun to follow. I have a fear of free motion, and I’ve been pondering whether just practicing using whatever doodle comes to my mind/hand might be easier for me. My biggest fear, even after practicing, is wrecking the quilt with whatever free motion I do. I suspect the only way to get past that is to just free motion a quilt top and show myself it isn’t wrecked. Right? 🙂
Loreen
Angela Walters offers a free motion sampler quilt tutorial. It is available for free on youtube. First you piece a quilt top, then she gives a lesson on a different quilting design for each block. It will take the fear out of free-motion quilting!
LAURIE BIUNDO
Practice on charity quilts. Also, if you wash them before donating them, they look great!
Lori Kennedy
Get started! But I do recommend you start with samples–testing the batting, thread and motifs!I think most of my quilt “failures” were the wrong choice of batting or thread–more so than poorly executed motifs!
Mary B
Love the picture of the smiling baby in the chair. That’s one happy, happy baby!!! I’m still fearful of machine quilting. I only do it in small sections, then use a ‘quilt as you go’ method to join them all together.
Lori Kennedy
That isn’t a bad method! If it is working for you–go for it! Make the most out of it! Using a method that works for you will help you overcome the fear of the big quilt later!
Phyllis
I think most of us have a fear of free motion quilting and some put it off a long time because of failure. You just have to do it and practice. Just love that smiley face from that cute little boy!!
Lori Kennedy
I agree! You just have to jump in and make a few mistakes. And I also LOVE that smiley face–my grandson! He ALWAYS has a smile on his face!
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