My first quilting experience was about 20 years ago. I made these placemats (I guess I was doing FMQ and didn't know it back then, lol). I get them out every fall, they have been washed many times and are still holding up. I did a zigzag stitch. I think being young and more carefree made it easier back then.

I am sending you a quilting hug!!!! You are just having a bad day....try doing another stich or better yet, take a break form it, have a cup of coffee and a choc candy bar!!

I've been quilting for about 25 years....love the creative part of picking the pattern and fabric and watching the top come together. HATE the quilting part....so I do as little as possible. Put PolarFleece on for backing and batting so it needs little quilting, and what it does get, is utilitarian at best. Hang in there and whatever you do----DON'T USE ME AS A ROLE MODEL!!!!!!! Practice quilting and you'll get it figured out, I promise.

see if your machine has a SID foot..it helps..don't be so hard on yourself...take your time...start on small projects first and work your way up..it could be too that your trying to fit a bit rolled quilt into a small throat..doesn't work too well...every quilt is a learning experience...more onto the next...you will get it..blessings

I've decided there are some things I do fairly well, and some things I don't do well at all, and no amount of practice will help me with the tools I have. I can't afford to buy a longarm, and I don't know how good I would be on one anyway. I made the conscious decision about a year ago that I would basically just stick to handwork, and leave the machine quilting to others, and except for the baby quilts I've made, I've stuck to that decision, and I'm a lot happier. Also, on the quilts I have done, invisible thread is a good choice. My mistakes, and there are many, don't show as much.

I love you Avatar. Is it your pattern or does it have a name where I could find the pattern somewhere.

I agree that SID is for the birds. A special foot is a help. I saw one lady use rick rack over the seam which added an embellishment and hid the "not so great" stitch in the ditch. 1/4 inch echo stitching is very easy and quite pretty. Copying a pattern on copy paper, pinning it to the quilt, and free motion quilting over it is very easy and doesn't need a walking foot for a smooth line. Who cares if every stitch isn't the same length on FMQ.

I am with you, I feel the same, just finished quilting a quilt top, it was that way and I look at myself and say. Self you have been doing this for a while, you can't sew a straight line and everything you make is wonky. What is wrong with you. My problem is tho, no matter how hard I try, it doesn't get any better. I guess I had better put the rest of the word on my forhead. I had stu there time to put pid.

Rita

I am still in the process of learning - it seems to go on forever for me. I did find that if I quilt 1/4" from the seam, rather than in the ditch, I can ge a straighter line. Maybe this would help...

Please don't be so hard on yourself. If you look closely at pictures of the quilting in the quilting magazines, they are not perfectly quilted either. Just enjoy the process and don't worry about perfection. Quilt away then stand back and take a look at your quilt, let it rest a couple days and you wouldn't see what you thought was terrible. Have fun!