Danny

...and whatever you do, DO NOT throw it away if it doesn't turn out the way you envision it should. This is a great tool to go back to and learn from, it will show you what not to do and what to repeat on future quilts. Who knows, you might be the next up and coming great teacher and what better way to teach your students than by showing them the good and the bad? Have fun with it.

sewbizgirl

I have to have a plan before I start. I like to 'anchor' the layers with large quilting first and then add fill in and detail. If its something I've never done before I like to practice drawing it on paper, then trying it out on scraps. This takes less time than picking out unwanted stitches. Once I feel confident I start sewing. It sounds like you are doing fine tho. Please show us your work!

Joy Higdon

I would show what I have done so far but I don't know how to add it to this post.

sweetlummi

You are funny. I'm with you a cup of coffee may do it for you. Just a thought.

IBQUILTIN

Just take a deep breath and jump in there. You might try quilting the marked parts first, then google free motion fillers to get some ideas

FroggyinTexas

Fiddlesticks! If the term is free motion quilting, why all the fuss. Free implies that whatever you do and wherever you go on the item you are quilting is all right because it is "free." All these rules about not crossing lines and how to fill in the blanks are a long, long way from "free." froggyintexas

Sandi

Good for you for taking The Plunge! I think there is good advice here but do what you need to do. I can't wait to see it!

Joy Higdon

Froggy, you sound like Cindy Needham on Craftsy. She is the one that gave me confidence to start trying to FMQ. One of her fillers is called scribbling and looks great in a small space. She throws all the rules about crossing the lines out the door. She does some of the most beautiful wholecloth quilts I have ever seen. Such a great teacher. You can bet mine is totally free. I was laughing at some of mine yesterday and trying to figure out what pattern it was. I just decided to name them Joy Boo Boo or Oops.

Skittl1321

The 'free' of free motion actually refers to the fact that the motion is not guided by feed dogs.

But you are right- there are no rules in quilting. I often cross my lines when I do filler designs, just depends what the design is. There are definitely design implications to what you do, some things will be more pleasing than others- so I'm not sure I will agree that anything is right, but if you are happy with it, it is right.


To the OP: Personally, I like to doodle on a piece of paper the designs I plan to quilt and layout what I want to do. Then go to my machine and make it happen. Don't spend too long on the planning stage, but I think the quilt suffers if you do not plan something. I heard Claudia Pfiel, a brilliant quilter, say this weekend "think about what you will quilt, but when you start quilting do not think anymore"- too much thinking ruins the design.

DonnaPBradshaw

Here is my two cents worth, are you using a long arm? or a regular machine? I would start in the middle and work out. Do not work from one end and then the other toward the center you will not like the result.