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I'm looking for advice on quilting with a normal sewing machine. i have a little janome 3200 & I'd like to use it for some quilting, sometimes free-motion. Got any advice? I've done the 'quilt as you go' method where you basically quilt a block then stitch it to the quilt. What else works? TIA!!

Toryam .. i LOVE fmqing on my Kenmore portable and my Brother that is so portable i'ts only 12 pounds and I haul it everywhere ... beeing honest,I'd love a George or a handi Quilter ..but i also want to go to PA.. PA wins out!
First . dothe feed dogs drop -if not - dont' worry about it. mine don't, I altered my hopping foot/darning foot ala Leah Day and what a w nderful new tool THAT produced.. BTW whe is a wise young lady filled with talent you can find her on You tube or google her name -
after altering that foot, it's screwed on and your prepared work is slipped under that foot ..lower presser foot - does project slide easily - not loosely, easily, under there? if not, adjust the foot up or down as needed and try again .. I practice on a sandwich about the same as my project .. then .. GO .. 1 stitch down/up and pull up the bobbin thread and ove out of the way - tie it off after a few stitchees and snip so it doesn't get caught anywhere .. step on the peddle and move your hands at the same speed - yes it takes practice, do not be afraid, if you have speed adjustment use it for your ease of mind. I use the finger tips from some garden gloves i got out of the traveling box on my fingers if the project is bigger, but i seem to get a pretty good grasp without them most of the time, a bit of Moo on your hands is always good ... dont try to make big patterns too fast and don't swirl around too fast, work with some arcs and letters and numbers .. you'd be surprised how easy that gets ... you are going to love this .. pm me your email if you want to chat more or want me to call ... Mostly - jut relax your shoulders, deep breathe - and go for it. did you learn to ride a bike? rollerskate? drive? they are all far more difficult ... let me know how you are doing!!! I'd love to hear ... this pic shows my first attempts at drawing something and then stitching .. not so pretty, but it's a start! ////

This message has been edited. Last edited by: City/Sandie,

Off the top of my head, this site will keep you busy with ideas, advice, and inspiration.
Be sure to print off "pre-flight checklist" to remind yourself of details before each quilting session.
I've got a couple more suggestions, but I'll have to come back to post those...
http://www.patsythompsondesigns.com/

..... that is a beautiful site - thanks for sharing it ... I found the FMQing by choosing 'education' from the bar along the top of the homepage ... I shall re-visit!

Thanks! Now I need to clean up may work area so I can actually work there, lol

I have received so much great advice on this board! One of the best for FMQing was to slow my machine down. I thought the advice was silly at first, but it made such a big difference for me. My Janome has a sliding bar that reduces the speed of the machine. For machines that don't have that option, someone on this board posted a picture of a wooden dowel, placed on her foot pedal (horizontally) , that kept the pedal from going down all of the way. That would work, too. Of course, the real secret is practice, practice, practice! Have fun!
Susan

Did you find what you're looking for toryam? Here's another link that had tips that helped me find the courage to tackle FMQ on my machine. http://www.battsintheattic.com/PrimaryPages/tips.html Be sure to browse around her site.

...and if by chance you have some of the old Simply Quilts videos saved, episodes:#125 w/Sue Rasmussen, #524 w/John Flynn, #829 w/Kathy Sandbach, #901 w/Diane Gaudynski, #1014 w/Patricia Nelson, & #1034 answers a viewer question about machine quilting.

HGTV still has Kathy Sandbach's episode here:
http://www.hgtv.com/video/mach...ng4-video/index.html
http://www.hgtv.com/video/mach...ng2-video/index.html
http://www.hgtv.com/video/mach...ing-video/index.html
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Patricia Nelson's episode is more about free motion embroidery embellishing, I think you might like.
http://www.hgtv.com/video/mach...ry2-video/index.html
http://www.hgtv.com/video/mach...ery-video/index.html
http://www.hgtv.com/video/mach...ry4-video/index.html
This segment she is quilting "round robin" project created by others from episode #1032.
http://www.hgtv.com/video/roun...lt2-video/index.html
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#1034: http://www.hgtv.com/video/ask-...ing-video/index.html
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What size quilt are you planning to quilt. Bed size? Couch throws? Table toppers?
For the bigger ones, is your machine set down into your sewing table? If it isn’t, find a way to create flat, slippery surface for the quilt to glide on. Marguerite McMannis(sic?) has made some great YouTube videos that show you some great suggestions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...A4pIM&feature=relmfu this link is for #1. She has 2 & 3 also, in addition to lots of other quilting videos. Well worth your time, I think. This is her blog site: http://www.crazyshortcutquilts.com/quilting-videos/

At first practice on small quilt sandwiches cut from old sheets & batting scraps. These make good pet quilts. I know, horse blankets!!!
Someone suggested practice doodling on a chalkboard or dry erase board. It all helps to turn the "points" into the curves you like. Another hint said to practice 20 minutes a day.
Try to have upbeat music playing to help keep you rhythm. Maybe you'd prefer soothing music to help you relax...maybe a glass of wine would help, too.
If you learned cursive writing in school, remember the practice pages you did? Sometimes, try drawing lines on a practice sandwich and do rows of letters. c, e, l, u are some that look good as quilting designs and you already know how to make them.

That's about all the info I've collected. Hope you find just the right combination that will be a good fit for you.
edited to fix a link...hope they all work now.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: wildcatmom,

All of the above tips are good. Are you one who can be creative with a design on the spur of the moment or do you need a design drawn to fit your purpose?

I have a hard time thinking of meandering and where it should go, but I really like motif design work. I use a stencil and chalk or marking pen/tool and then stitch to follow the lines. If a line is not right on the mark remember that when the mark is removed, no one knows it was there and the design looks great.

Slow and steady is a good way to start, think of a young student learning to write cursive, that is the same as you are doing with the quilting. It will come faster than you realize.

Also, practice designs alot on paper or a white board, etc. If you have drawn a design that you really like and want to keep for future reference, trace it over on an overhead transparency or other plastic sheet with a fine point permanent sharpie. Then you can lay it on the quilt to see how it would look when quilted.

Another tip: if you are quilting a larger sized quilt, I have never rolled mine. The roll is too heavy, hard to move and gets in the way. I used the fluff and stuff method. I have done queen sized quilts (many of them) with my regular Pfaff machines using the fluff and stuff.

I do find that some gloves or finger grips help to not have as much strain on the hands to hold and move the quilt as needed.

I quilt all my quilts on my little Kenmore. I have struggled and sometimes glided, lol.

Slow and steady is the best advice. When I started I had read to go fast but I find that I have much better control when I do it slowly.

Wendy Shepard has a fantastic blog at www.ivoryspring.wordpress.com She quilts for several magazines and does it all on a domestic machine. Check out the "thread talk" articles found in the right hand column. She makes to much easier.

Good luck and have fun with it!

.....Brandy LOVE that site - thanks so much for sharing it .. her use of 'what nots' is fun .. and nicely explained, I think they would make great mistake cover-ups as well .... of course I have to play with that today.
And I have this wing needle I have been wondering how to use creatively and there was some work on that baby pillow! YEP great site .. TFS ...

I kinda skimmed everyone else's advice and will come back later to really read it.

My only suggestion is don't worry if you get off the drawn design line. Once you wash out the marking - no one is going to be able to tell if you "colored in the lines" or not.

Oh...and check this out:
http://www.freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/

Thanks y'all! Lots of good advice, I appreciate it