Thank you Roben, I am trying to talk myself into trying this very soon. After much reading and questioning it is nice just to hear how much fun it is. I am a major procrastinator when it comes to trying something new so I'm going to keep your post in mind for this weekend!

How do you know where and what to sew :oops: i m a total newbie

Thank you Roben and everyone else for the tips. This "control freak" has been practicing (and buying needles-I keep breaking them). Keep posting any and all hints. I'll try anything!!

Keep the tips coming. I just took my first Machine Quilting class last night, and my first attempt looks like a drunken second-grader's project. :oops: Very humbling when I can't even follow a traced line. My biggest problem was in wanting to "turn" the design as I was sewing - and the instructor had said not to do this. But then, when I needed to sew behind the darning foot, I couldn't see the lines and would get lost. Then, of course, I would panic and stiffen the shoulders and get a death grip on the fabric and it was all over. I realize this will only happen when following a pattern, but how do others deal with this? (I did a little better, barely, with the freehand stuff, which seemed easier than trying to follow that dratted line.)

2wheelwoman, when I first started every word you wrote was me! I never could figure out how to see behind the machine - so (since the quilt police aren't staring over my shoulder) I keep where I am going in front of me. If I get in a tricky spot, I stop (needle down) and rotate a bit so I can see what I'm doing.

I think you really need to play with different ideas to find out what works for you; it is a very individual thing, and what works for one may be Latin to the next guy. I was working with someone a few weeks ago, whose meandering first time out looked pretty good - but she was nervous and wanted a line to follow. I'm the opposite; I prefer a blank piece to play with, since I can get paranoid about missing the line :wink:

sunnyhope, I started out just stippling and meandering all my quilts. There are even stencils for marking a meander or stipple on quilts (who knew? LOL) I don't know how everyone else does it, but I concentrate on learning and practicing one design family at a time (stipples, loops, curves, etc.) I figure the longer I work at it, the more complex my quilting will become.

I think you are doing a wonderful job!
Love all the tips!!

After further disscusion in chat on her post here i told roben i would show pics of my method for quilting. As some of you have seen my clockworks quilt has gears quilted all through it, well here's how i did it. I cut a piece of rigid awning canvas to the desired shap in this case a gear then pinned it down to my quilt and sewed around the edges it worked great for me especially the fact that the canvas is very stiff it doesnt move all over on me. Some of the largest gears wer done with the walking foot and pattern some of the smallest with free motion hope this helps someone.

Also when i made the skull quilt i was considering quilting skulls all over it wich i didnt end up doing. So here is my practice piece from that also i have used it to try other things as well what a mess lol.

Chris, those are great pics - thanks! The gear is what I thought you were describing - a fantastic, reusable template :D Can I borrow that idea? LOL

Your machine quilting is really good - I'm not a skull kind of gal, but I absolutely have to admire anyone who can stitch one! Even tho you didn't use it, great job :thumbup: :thumbup:

I finished quilting the main panel portion of my project yesterday - since it is a Halloween piece, I was going for making the quilting look like wind (along with some outlining of bigger fabric motifs.) Some I'm very pleased with, some not so much - but overall, I'm satisfied.