Practicing FMQ
#21
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,585
I'm speaking of my own experience here - When I first got my longarm, I had a hard time because I was so good at piecing and I sucked at quilting. It's hard to like doing something you're not good at. The 15-minute thing is a great idea. I decided to try my hand at pantos. It's working! I'm happy with my quilting, I'm getting more familiar with how my machine moves and sounds and behaves. Small successes build into confidence, increased skills, and feeling good. When you feel good about doing something, you want to do more of it, which builds into even more confidence and increased skills. So find a way to be successful at your quilting, whether it be 15 minute practice sessions, or pantos, or something else, and you'll grow.
#22
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Dakotas
Posts: 3,030
I like to FMQ two 10-12” fabric squares sandwiched with layers of flannel for practice. I cut them smaller & bind them into potholders & donate to a place that helps people get set up with household items in an apartment and get on with a better life life.
#23
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 133
I’ve been following this post as I aspire to one day tackle FMQ. So here’s my dumb question because I try to be cheapish and I’m also curious. Would doodling on paper count towards practice? I’m imagining just knowing where you want to go is part of the skill. It would be the brain exercise. No doubt that practicing with the real thing also makes you better.
#24
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: North Idaho
Posts: 1,704
I’ve been following this post as I aspire to one day tackle FMQ. So here’s my dumb question because I try to be cheapish and I’m also curious. Would doodling on paper count towards practice? I’m imagining just knowing where you want to go is part of the skill. It would be the brain exercise. No doubt that practicing with the real thing also makes you better.
#25
I’ve been following this post as I aspire to one day tackle FMQ. So here’s my dumb question because I try to be cheapish and I’m also curious. Would doodling on paper count towards practice? I’m imagining just knowing where you want to go is part of the skill. It would be the brain exercise. No doubt that practicing with the real thing also makes you better.
#26
Some people swear by doodling, yet it doesn't help me at all. I am very much "move the fabric" kind of person. Maybe if you are using a long arm, doodling helps more because it is the same movement...you are moving the "pen" and the fabric is staying stationary.
But again, some people swear by it, so try it yourself.
I also wanted to say to set the speed of your machine at whatever speed you are comfortable with, so you don't have to worry about both your foot pedal speed and hand speed at the same time while you're practicing. Just put your foot flat down on the pedal and it will only go as fast as you have it set.
Watson
But again, some people swear by it, so try it yourself.
I also wanted to say to set the speed of your machine at whatever speed you are comfortable with, so you don't have to worry about both your foot pedal speed and hand speed at the same time while you're practicing. Just put your foot flat down on the pedal and it will only go as fast as you have it set.
Watson
#27
Power Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Mableton, GA
Posts: 11,355
Some people swear by doodling, yet it doesn't help me at all. I am very much "move the fabric" kind of person. Maybe if you are using a long arm, doodling helps more because it is the same movement...you are moving the "pen" and the fabric is staying stationary.
But again, some people swear by it, so try it yourself.
I also wanted to say to set the speed of your machine at whatever speed you are comfortable with, so you don't have to worry about both your foot pedal speed and hand speed at the same time while you're practicing. Just put your foot flat down on the pedal and it will only go as fast as you have it set.
Watson
But again, some people swear by it, so try it yourself.
I also wanted to say to set the speed of your machine at whatever speed you are comfortable with, so you don't have to worry about both your foot pedal speed and hand speed at the same time while you're practicing. Just put your foot flat down on the pedal and it will only go as fast as you have it set.
Watson
#28
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,183
Doodling does help me both at the long arm and when I'm sitting down, if by nothing else as becoming more familiar and learning the best/easiest way to do things. I'm usually a left to right sort of person, but sometimes the quilting just works out better going the other direction. Likewise, I prefer to work from the top down but sometimes I get better results going the other way. As I mentioned before I often draw out my designs on parchment paper and then sew through them. I can tell you by the time I'm done tracing the design more than once, I'm improved by knowing exactly how to do the motions, first it's up here and over there and down and around and -- watch that curve there, you have problems with that.
As a musician I was trained to have muscle memory so that when our brain/memorization fails us we can rely on the fingers knowing what to do in what order. I believe that our sewing/quilting is indeed a physical activity that requires hand/eye/motor coordination.
As a musician I was trained to have muscle memory so that when our brain/memorization fails us we can rely on the fingers knowing what to do in what order. I believe that our sewing/quilting is indeed a physical activity that requires hand/eye/motor coordination.