One of the common things I hear from quilters is that they are afraid to learn free motion quilting. While it is not uncommon to have a feeling of uncertainty when trying something new, I believe that without the right attitude it will be really difficult to be successful. If you’re afraid to free motion quilt and can’t get past that feeling of fear, you won’t even try free motion quilting – and you’ll have a lot of unfinished quilt tops hanging around in your studio! There are 3 basics reasons why quilters say they are afraid to learn free motion quilting:
1. I won’t be good at it right away
2. My results won’t be as good as someone else’s
3. I’m afraid I’ll ruin my quilt
Don’t Be Afraid!
I won’t be good at it right away
I know that many of us think that we should be good right away at whatever we are learning. But that isn’t true. When you’re learning, you’re starting from scratch. As a beginner, you’re not expected to know anything about what you are learning, but, with practice, you will improve.
Remember when you first learned to ride a bike – you probably had a few spills, right? What about when you first learned to cook – I’ll bet there were a few culinary disasters. Do you remember when you first learned to quilt? I’ll bet your first project wasn’t without a few mishaps.
Think back again to that first quilt you made – you didn’t know anything about quilting, but you learned and improved. It’s the same with free motion quilting. It’s a new technique that you are going to learn and you aren’t expected to know anything about it before you start learning it.
My results won’t be as good as someone else’s
I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “Comparison is the thief of joy”, well this is so true in quilting. When you are first learning to free motion quilt, your results won’t be great and you might feel frustrated. That’s okay. Recognize your feelings, but don’t let it stop you from continuing on.
What you don’t want to do is compare your first efforts with those of quilters who have been free motion quilting for years. It’s just not a fair comparison. Everyone starts at the same place – at the beginning. I guarantee you that everyone’s first projects looked a lot like yours will – not great – but with practice they improved – and you will too!
The only comparison you should be making is comparing your results today with your previous results. As you practice, you will get better and keeping that first project close by will show you just how far you have come!
Remember, practice makes improvement, not perfection, and you should always be striving to improve with each project you quilt.
I’m afraid I’ll ruin my quilt
Let’s face it, when you are first starting out free motion quilting your efforts aren’t going to be pretty, so don’t expect them to be. I’m going to be brutally honest here: your first free motion quilting project will not be pretty, as a matter of fact, it will be downright ugly. Bad tension, uneven stitches, big gaps in the quilting lines. It is likely that the end result of your first attempts will be more suitable for use as a “dog blanket” than a wall hanging. Let’s just acknowledge this right now and make sure we are managing our expectations.
Don’t start with a “good” quilt top as your first project. You don’t need that added pressure of worrying that your skill level isn’t “good enough” for a major project. I find a good place to start is with a panel. Panels are inexpensive and you can use the lines in the design as your quilting lines. You don’t have to think of a quilt motif, just stitch on some or all of the lines on the panel.
Get Set for Success - Take Action!
Change Your Thoughts
I want you to change that thought of “I’m afraid to try free motion quilting” to “I’m excited to learn free motion quilting”. You change your mind about things every day and you can certainly change how you think about free motion quilting. It’s not written in stone anywhere – it’s all just in your mind and you can change that! Keep a few things in mind as you start your free motion quilting journey.
Everyone who free motion quilts started in the same place you are now – at the beginning. Don’t expect your beginning efforts to look amazing – they won’t. Do expect that each time you free motion quilt you will get better because you will. Everyone has to learn to walk before they can run and this is true of free motion quilting as well.
Don’t compare your free motion quilting with anyone else’s. A lot of quilters will compare their beginning efforts to someone else’s quilting and feel discouraged. Quilters like Angela Walters have been doing this for years and for hours every day. Of course she’s good! You can admire her work, but don’t feel discouraged if you aren’t at her level – yet! Keep practicing and who knows, one day you might be the quilter that everyone else is admiring.
Tools
I believe that using the right tools having your quilting area set up properly will make your free motion quilting easier and give you a better chance of a successful outcome.
The most important tool is your sewing machine. Free motion quilting is different than normal sewing and if your sewing machine is not set up properly then your experience will be frustrating and ultimately unsuccessful. You will need to have the proper needle, needle plate and darning foot set-up in your machine. You will also need to have the feed dogs down and to set the speed control to a comfortable speed for you (if your machine has that option). Your machine should be threaded with the top thread and you should have some bobbins pre-wound with the bottom thread. I hate having to stop my quilting to wind more bobbins
Set-up
The set-up of your quilting area will have a big impact as well. It is important to have a way to support your quilt as it moves through your machine. Your sewing table is probably adequate for small projects but you may need to set up tables adjacent to your machine to support larger projects. Your sewing surface should be smooth and “slippery” so that the project moves through the sewing machine without a lot of effort. I like to use a sheet that will stick to my machine bed, but has a slippery surface on top which allows the quilt to move around easily on the machine bed.
You also need to set yourself up. Make sure that you can sit comfortably at your machine because free motion quilting can take a long time and will take a toll on your body if you are positioned awkwardly. You will want to use something to allow you to grip the quilt so you can move it around under the needle. Some quilters like to use gloves, such as Machingers or gardening gloves. I find gloves too warm, so I like to use Martelli palm quilting paddles to control my quilt.
Choose the right project
When you are first learning any technique, it’s a good idea to start small. Choose smaller, simpler projects at first, rather than a large quilt. Don’t set yourself up for discouragement and frustration by trying to work on a huge project with a complicated quilt motif that you aren’t comfortable quilting. Start small and gradually work on larger projects as your confidence and skills grow.
Audition
Before I start to quilting my project I like to get the quilt design in my head. Practicing the design before you actually stitch it helps to get it into your head and your hands – muscle memory. I do this in a few different ways. If am unfamiliar with the motif that I am going to be doing I will often draw the design over and over on paper until the motion sticks in my head. If the motif is something I have done before, I will move the quilt sandwich around under the needle of my machine, without stitching, in the motif I want to do. Once I am comfortable with the motion, I begin stitching.
Have a Quilt Plan
Many patterns have detailed instructions on how to make the quilt top but don’t give you suggestions on how to quilt it. Granted, there are endless ways to do this but some guidance other than “quilt as desired” would be helpful. There are an infinite number of ways you can free motion a project so it’s important that you have decided on the quilting design and the motifs that you are going to use before you start stitching. There is nothing more disheartening to discover halfway through your project that your choice of motif is “not working”. Unpicking a quilted project can be a soul destroying task – believe me, I know.
Practice
I hope that you’re feeling optimistic about learning free motion quilting. It’s a technique like any other in quilting and you will be able to do it, if you practice. But here’s where the tough love comes in. While I’d like to be able to wave a magic wand and you’d instantly be an amazing free motion quilter, the reality is that you do have to be committed to do the work and you do have to practice. Nothing good ever got accomplished without putting in the hard work.
Conclusion
I want you to 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 will result in early successes and will build you confidence in your abilities. The more confident you get, the more creative (and daring!) you can be with your projects.
Remember, practice makes improvement, not perfection. You should always be striving to improve with each project you quilt. Put in the work and you will be amazed at your results!
Start your learning right now!
Download the free Get Out of the Ditch! guide to learn how to start free motion quilting by clicking here.
Now that you know the reasons you need to learn free motion quilting, check out my course “First Steps Into Free Motion Quilting” by clicking here.
