In these blog posts I dive deep into free motion quilting. I don’t just talk about the technique because that is only half the battle for quilters who struggle with free motion quilting. I also talk the obstacles that stop quilter’s from using what I believe is one of the most creative techniques in quilting.
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The wide range of applications of free motion quilting can complicate the process of learning the technique. The solution to addressing the impact of the endless possibilities with this technique is to develop a step-by-step approach to both learning AND applying the technique.
So many quilters are missing out on a really creative part of the quilting process because they are reluctant to try free motion quilting. While these are all ways to learn free motion quilting, I believe the best way to learn is in an online membership and here is why.
The free motion quilting journey starts when you decide you want to break free of “the ditch” and do something more creative. Free motion quilting has lot of variations and a huge amount of room for creativity. Striving to master those variations and use them creatively is what motivates most free motion quilters and also what makes it both scary and exciting when you first start.
Free motion quilting is like making music. You learn the basics (scales) and practice the piece (motif) then one day the rhythm takes over and you are making music on your project. Just as you can’t learn the piano by just reading a book or watching a video, you have to actually practice your free motion quilting to develop the “muscle memory” that you use when working on your project.
You are wasting money if you don’t do your own quilting on your projects. A little math will show that you could save hundreds of dollars by doing our own quilting.
You really, really need to know how to free motion quilt. Free motion quilting is the most creative and satisfying part of the quilting process. You’re missing out on this part of your project if you don’t know how to free motion quilt.
If you’re like me, you shudder when you hear the words, “Quilt as desired” in the pattern instructions. This is so not helpful for someone who has never quilted a quilt before. How could you be expected to know what you should quilt on your first project? You would think that the pattern design would have some idea about what would look good on their design. So not fair!
The biggest problem I hear from quilters when it comes to the quilting part of their project is that they don’t know what motif to put on their quilt. They’re afraid that they’ll “ruin” their quilt, either through lack of skill or poor quilt motif choice. I’m not going to say that you can’t ruin a quilt through poor choices in these areas, but there are 4 considerations that I think will help you to avoid “ruining” your quilt.
The thing about comparison is that there is never a win. How often do we compare ourselves with someone less fortunate than us and consider ourselves blessed? More often, we compare ourselves with someone who we perceive as being, having, or doing more. Although I sometimes struggle with social comparison in my everyday life I make a conscious effort to avoid it in my quilting because of its effect on my enthusiasm and creativity for quilting.
Change that thought of “I’m afraid to try free motion quilting” to “I’m excited to learn free motion quilting”. Changing your approach to free motion quilting you will result in early successes and will build you confidence in your abilities. The more confident you get the more creative you (and daring!) you can be with your projects.