Head First Dive

Okay, so seriously… Free motion quilting isn’t for the faint of heart. I’m not even joking. Alright, maybe this is just my experience. Either way, I want to point out that at least for me this has been really challenging for me.

If you recall, my first big attempt at free motion quilting was with my Rocking Block Quilt Pattern. The pattern is free, by the way, so go check it out!

After that attempt I was pretty discouraged, so, I went back to quilting with straight lines, usually following seams, with my walking foot.

Eventually I decided to take a deep breath and look through tips and tutorials for free motion quilting. I just really want to open up all the design options that come with being able to free motion quilt.

So, here are a few pictures of large quilts I am working on.

This is my Americana quilt and I shared the tutorial for this quilt in a previous post.

I am completely finished with all of the quilting on this quilt and just need to bind it. I will share some more photos when I finish the binding because the quilting on the back of this quilt looks AMAZING!

So stay tuned!

Here is some quilting I am doing on my Robin Pickens quilt! I received the pattern and fabric for this quilt in my precutsquilt subscription box! Yes, all the fabric for this quilt (minus the backing).

I am having a tad more fun on this quilt and am trying out a bunch of different designs.

I am almost halfway done with the quilting! I will share a lot more photos when I am completely finished!

A few free motion quilting tips

I am no expert, mind you, but here are a few things that have helped me.

1. Quilting gloves. When I first watched tutorials and saw people wearing gloves I kinda scoffed at it. I thought it was more of a novelty purchase. Well, these gloves came in one of my subscription boxes so decided to try them. GAME CHANGER! The little grippies really help move the fabric MUCH EASIER.
2. Practice. Practice on some scraps each time you sit down to quilt! Seriously, it gets you tuned into the motions before you start on your actual quilt project! It helps smooth out your jerks and bumps!
3. Look ahead! Don’t watch the needle the whole time! This was my big problem at first! If you don’t look ahead you wont go smoothly toward the point you are aiming for.
4. SLOW DOWN. I tried to move the fabric as quickly as possible. I was panicked and just wanted to finish! Go slow. Your stitches will be a lot smoother and you will have a lot more control over your project.

I will probably come up with more tips, but these are my top tips for now!

Have fun quilting!

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Bye for now.