I haven't really done any free motion quilting. When I lived in India I had to use a darning foot and a darning plate on my Singer machine to free motion. Also, I used to use layers of muslin as my batting so it didn't lend itself well to free motion quilting.
I did try working with polyester batting and it was not too bad but I didn't do very much with is since I don't like polyester.
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I guess it's not too bad all things considering. My lines are worse now on my practice piece!
And the second was this mug rug.
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This one feels a lot more wobbly. I still used the Mug Rug though - on my desk at work.
Now I have a cool machine, open toe foot, quilting gloves, cotton batting ... so I really should have got to work on learning this skill a long time ago!
Anyway... I'm working through Leah Day's 2012 Free Motion Quilt Along videos. I hope it goes well.
I can already feel my wrists hurting though... do you have any tips on how to protect my wrists and back while I'm doing this?
Practice and build up those muscles. Free motion quilting is hard work. I know I get sore from quilting too much still. It just takes a different group of muscles than you are used to. Make sure to sit up straight and your machine is at the right height, your elbows should be at or near a right angle to your body. A normal height kitchen table is generally too high for most people to quilt on comfortably.
ReplyDeleteThank You! That's great advice.
DeleteCarol
I completely agree with the above advice and I will add a couple of things- stop to reposition your hands and quilt frequently, and always look where you're going instead of exactly where the needle is. Quilting a quilt feels a little different than quilting a small project. You'll need to readjust frequently, because you are constantly "fighting" the weight of the quilt, which you don't have with things like mug rugs or wall hangings. Good luck and take the plunge!
ReplyDelete:) Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation
Frequent breaks!! Some people suggest getting a "supreme slider" - a piece of mylar or something that goes on your machine and helps the fabric move easy over the bed. A good pair of grippy gloves helps, too!
ReplyDelete