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I have been longarming since 2006 and will tell you that it takes practice!! We are always more critical of our own work than others are. I am pretty picky about my quilting, especially on customer quilts. Love the designs you are working with.....keep stitching and practicing.
20075You work is so impressive. I think I want to follow in your footsteps...
by toogie
28 Feb 2020
Ah Christine, I don't think I am worth yet for your nice compliment, but I do appreciate your vote of confidence. Thank you
Don't follow too close or we will both fall down if I fall, I mean fail.-lol-
no joke, I really do appreciate your comment
173580I love this sunflower quilt, Toogie... I would stitch in the ditch all of the seams first, then, I would free motion quilt the panel following the printed flowers (going around all the petals, leaves, centers and boxes around the flowers) and also the lettering. The two vertical sides adjacent to the panel would look great with just straight line quilting in each of the pieces maybe 1 inch apart. I use stencils for other "fancy" elements like flowers or feather quilted designs. I mark them with a frixon heat erase marker and then free motion quilt the designs. I have a set of rulers and a ruler foot for my Ellisimo...they do take practice. My experience has been good with small quilts or test pieces...no larger than about 30" x 30"...but when I have tried to use them on a larger size quilt, my machine stitches well when stitching forward, but it skips stitches when I change direction to stitch sideways or backwards...I think it is the weight of the quilt that causes it to do this. I really need to take a larger quilt to my dealer who sold me the ruler set up and find out if it is my machine or teach me what I am doing wrong when I change directions using the rulers and let them see the skipping of stitches. Panels are a fantastic way to practice free motion quilting. When I use to teach FMQ, I would always have my students use the same quilt panel for our class...
by toogie
28 Feb 2020
Thanks Kim for all your suggestions. I went yesterday to my quilt group and talked to the longarmers there. They pinned out different designs to try. Since I have to practice, before I actually quilt Lanie's quilt and time is my enemy on this, they suggested deciding on a design and doing the same all over. I can always try my hand later for different fancy stitches on a smaller piece such as a wallhanging, pillow, etc. Since I don't want to mess her quilt up at this point I think they may be right.
by toogie
edited 28 Feb 2020
Kim, I just watched Leah Day on a quilt and she said this. Sometimes when you have trouble with skipped stitches when you change direction try bumping up to the next size bigger needle. She said she has found, in most cases, this has help her. I hope this helps you if you have not tried this yet. Good luck my friend.
by dragonflyer
05 Mar 2020
Thanks for the tip on the needle size, Toogie... I will have to give it a try...and I will also have to Google Leah Day...
313684You are much too hard on yourself, you are doing a fantastic job!
Who ever receives it is going to love it, not because of the quilting but because YOU made it for them.
Happy Quilting - remember to breathe.....
by toogie
28 Feb 2020
Ah yes, I always have fun, but the time frame doesn't give me option to play. Not stressing yet! I do have to decide & start, so I can finish this one anyway, in time though.
3290You have done really well. Wouldn't think this was your first attempt. You have been given some really good ideas. I think I would be tempted to echo quilt the sashes and then choose a different quilt design in for each colour section. That would give you a chance to practice some challenging designs but also incorporate some you are more confident with.
by toogie
edited 28 Feb 2020
I hate to use this as a practice piece. What I may do though is decide on an allover design and practice that design on a sample piece, before actually quilting on this quilt, as time is short to finish.
13241Hi, Toogie,
woderfull job on your test pieces. keep on trying. for this quilt i would also go with martines sugestion. for more ideas check out patsythompsondesigns dot com and at you tube, for rulerwork and she also has free DL pattern for practise freemotion quilting .
sue
by toogie
28 Feb 2020
Thank you Sue. My time is running out, but I will check out all you suggest. I appreciate the help.
20463Hi Toogie. Here are the links to free motion quilting I hope you will find helpful. They are using a regular sewing machine not a long arm but this might give you ideas. Let me know if the links are helpful. The second video, I think is a little harder, but I liked the design.
Pam
by toogie
28 Feb 2020
Oh Pam thank you for these. I just love how Angela Walters makes the Paisley Feather! I also think the echo swirls and also the leaf echo is nice. Gosh so many to practice and so little time for this quilt. I need to decide on one and just practice it to death so I can finish. Birthday in 8 days!!!
by sewpam
edited 28 Feb 2020
You are welcome. You will get it finished and it will look beautiful. I liked the Angela Walters video also. All three of those videos have been saved to my favorites. Not sure if I mentioned, I have not tried free motion quilting, just looking at videos and convincing myself I can do it.
2263The more you do the better you'll get. I think you are off to a very good start. Looks great
23222Toogie keep practicing and you will get there. Maybe not for this quilt but for future ones. They make it look so easy on you tube and at the Craft Fairs. My friend bought some rulers but I think she gave up too soon. I am not game to buy any as I know I would not master them. Keep trying. Hugs
by toogie
26 Feb 2020
I think I would like the ruler just for the straight stitching. The other designs, I'd like to master by free motion as I cannot program my machine and ruler work is slow. Encourage your friend to keep trying ......or send me a ruler-lol-Thanks for the vote of support.
52676Toogie, I was taught to free hand quilt by having someone hold my pencil think of it as the machine needle and moving my paper-your quilt. Your hands quickly gain muscle memory of the design you want and then it translates to quilting with your needle and quilt. I usually do 4-6 patterns and then go to my machine and take off.
by toogie
26 Feb 2020
I like your suggestions. They make sense. What design or designs would you suggest for this quilt?
by jrob
edited 27 Feb 2020
I love what you have done in practice. Those large green and yellow squares beg for the large blooms and the rectangles around the panels will be perfect with your stem of leafs. I'd stipple in the squares that are busy already and do some straight lines as in a hatch pattern. Maybe the black or dark charcoal would contain a swag of some type.
158552Hi Toogie, personally I would do the leaf design you've done above in the long sections surrounding the flower panel and then a meandering swirly stippling design elsewhere, that's just my opinion. I think you are doing great with your practice. It's going to look great with whatever you do anyway, it's such an OUTSTANDING colour combination. Love Chris
by toogie
26 Feb 2020
Thank you Chris, I think you like it as much as me😉. I sure don’t want to ruin it at this point.
234253Also think int is good. Far better tan i can do. Give it another try and I am sure you Will be satisfied
by toogie
26 Feb 2020
Thanks for the vote of confidence. I am sure Lanie wouldn't mind if I used her quilt for my 'ginnea pig' so to speak. My sister says she won't notice....I'm not so sure.
113270Wow that is really good for your first attempt. If it wasn't for your grid I would not have noticed it was not perfect. I am planning my first attempt at free motion or quilt in the hoop (Have not decided which) when finishing the quilt I am currently making. If you are interested in a simple Loop design, I will try to find a recent video I saw and send you the link. I know whatever you do, it will look fantastic!
by toogie
26 Feb 2020
I don't want to hoop and embroidery. I am trying to do this on my quilting machine and I'd rather learn without a ruler or pattern. I do need some drawings, so I can practice on paper to store them in my head and hand though.
by sewpam
26 Feb 2020
The simple loop design is a free motion design, not in the hoop. I did not make myself clear.
by toogie
26 Feb 2020
(red faced) Sorry I misunderstood, I thought you meant a loop design in the hoop. I need all the help you can send me. Thank you.
2263This is going to sound crazy. My first attempt at quilting a design I printed out on paper. This way I could follow it. Mind you it was only a border. The rulers takes some time to get used to and I thought you did real well.
How would it feel to you doing echo lines within the box panels and a large swirly or leave kind design on the flower panel? I know it will be great when you are finished.
by toogie
26 Feb 2020
That is a great idea Angie to echo the box panels. I can echo fairly well. The swirly lines with leaves sounds good too. I might can do that.
109762I think you're first attempts are great and you will only get better! I agree with Martine- in the ditch and then have a go at free hand. But, I'm a hand quilter, so what do I know?! 🙄
by toogie
edited 26 Feb 2020
If it wouldn't be for the panel, I would consider hand quilting. Do you have stencils of designs? If so, what are you marking with? What would you stitch ?
It has to get better, only one way to go!-lol
by sewdeb
27 Feb 2020
Yep, I have stencils or sometimes I just use a straight-edge. I have bought the rulers and the special foot to do the quilting with my machine, but I haven't gotten up the courage to try them yet. I tend to use chalk for my marking. I've use those heat erase ball point pens - but the lines seem to show up again as a faint shadow. The water erase pens tend to be okay during a "dry, non-humid" spell of weather, but the lines tend to disappear because I can't quilt fast enough! LOL!
70753For a first attempt it looks rather good. Practice is said to make perfect, but they never tell you how much practice :)
I'd start with in the ditch and then try any free hand in the different areas.
But don't take my advice too seriously, I get my new machine this Friday. I'll tell you next week (?) how well I am doing.
by toogie
26 Feb 2020
More practice is good sound advice-lol-when you say free hand in the different areas, exactly what do you mean? I think I can do loops and stars pretty good, but stars wouldn't be what I'd want to quilt here. I was thinking doing more like flowers and leaves because of the panel but then I'm not too good yet..
Are you getting a quilting machine? What kind? Do tell!!!
by mops
26 Feb 2020
Not really. I am getting a Bernina 570 QE and the ruler set. Daughter #1 took my sewing machine so I had an excuse to buy a new one.
by toogie
26 Feb 2020
Those daughters, whatever will we do! Best excuse I ever heard to get a new machine! Enjoy!
145190You did a great job! Amazing it was your first try at it! Good for you!
841Looks like your having fun by looking at your pictures. I am not a quilter so I’m no help at all.
by toogie
26 Feb 2020
Yes I am having fun and I would have more fun, if we didn't have to eat!-lol-seems I am always in the kitchen. I'm cooking a beef roast right now, with rice and gravy. Also a pot of pinto beans and a skillet of cornbread, a pot of okra, corn and Rotel tomatoes cooked together. A real southern meal. Oh and a creme cheese filled Mardi Gras cake (bought of course). His brother is here rabbit hunting with him and one of his nephews. He will stay overnight and they will hunt again tomorrow.
Yesterday my son and his youngest were here but I was ok while I played, we were having gumbo and potato salad leftovers. Then Ashley and her two little ones came in. It's a good thing gumbo goes a long way!-lol- Needless to say, they finished it up. Ashley said Grayson came home the night before and told her he had eaten here and he loved the gumbo. She knew I'd have some left-lol
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