Does the thought of free motion quilting scare the *&$# out of you? Here are a few things to try :)

Every Tuesday night Ms. Cara from CaraQuilts hosts a wonderful Twitter chat where you get to talk with other quilters and have a really great time together.

Each week she asks questions and this week she asked do you quilt using straight lines, free motion, or patterns.

There were a few people there that had never tried free motion. I admit, the thought of trying this scared me to death. I had worked so hard on my quilt for days, hours, and sometimes weeks. Now I am going to screw it all up trying to do something I didn't understand?

So then I started buying books. And then more books. And then more books.

Here are the things I learned along the way:

1. ALWAYS use the best thread.
   
   Personally I like Aurofil. However, in order to discover that I liked that thread best... I had to try out several different kinds first. I recommend you do the same and get a feel for each one.
   
   
2. Don't be afraid to mess things up.
   
   When we make quilts, it is made with so much love that there could not possibly be any flaws in our work. Would you say your child is flawed because one ear is lopsided? No. Be proud of your work. YOU made it. How could it not be special :)
   
   
3. Practice, practice, practice, and did I mention practice?
   
   I screw up a lot. I admit it. Each time I get better and better. If I keep practicing I will continue to get better. You will too!
   

So how did I get started? 

Well, I kept hearing that you should get the movement down first. I kept trying on paper but, I just couldn't get it. Then I found something that really helped.

This was my Ah-Ha moment! It was fabric that looked like exactly like the quilting I was trying to do!!

I bought up tons and went home and used this fabric as my guide. It worked!! It helped me so much. Then the next quilt I made, I used this fabric for my background and instead of quilting from the front...

I quilted from the back!! I just followed the lines :) I wish I had a picture but, the owner picked it up and took it immediately. Dang mother.

I still have about 12 yards left if you want some AND I am heading to Chicago tomorrow to get more.

I will also be looking for fabric that we can all use as backgrounds to learn new free motion techniques :) Just follow the lines until you get the hang of it!

Then when you build your confidence up, check out Mindful Meandering: 132 Original Continuous-Line Quilting Designs - Great book!

Whatever you do - Just remember.


What you create is beautiful and unique because it was made by you!!!