Free Motion Quilting Large Blocks

I have learned a lot about FMQ this large of a quilt and the detailed blocks.

1.  PIN

Pin the quilt to death.  Really.  I didn't do enough pinning with this quilt.  I only had a few days with my mom and really needed her help to get it ready for quilting so I used what I had.

I watched a few YT videos and no one really showed how to pin this kind of quilt.  It was the basic start in the middle, move over 4 inches in all directions and work out.  That's the layout I first used with my mom.  Then as I got started quilting I realized how much this idea doesn't work on an intricate quilt.  I needed pins everywhere.

Today I spent the afternoon working on pinning the rest of the inside blocks for FMQ around the designs.



Yes, the border needs pinned.  My back hurts so that will be for tomorrow.

I have a variety of pins.  Some large, some small and some curved. I like curved pins, but they cost a lot.  Use what you like.

2. Free Motion Feet

I'm torn between the two feet I have, a hopping foot and a FMQ floating stipple foot.  A hopping foot drives me NUTS with all the banging up and down.  However; it does hold the fabric in place while you go around the designs.  The FMQ floating foot is nice if you have excellent control of the fabric and speed as it "floats" along the top of the quilt.  I think it's personal preference.  What I do hate are the oval feet.  I like circled feet.  Note:  If you buy this foot for your Husqvarna machine, it does hop until you reach the right speed.
   

 

3. PLAN

Maybe this should come first.  Plan your quilt design.  My center may need redone as it wasn't planned well.  I came up with the pattern as I went and ended up ripping out corner flowers and had pleats when I did the lines.  My quilted lines are NOT straight because I don't know how to make them straight.  If you follow the sashing like I did, it isn't straight.  I have no idea how to keep a block "square" while you quilt.  Being self-taught can be really frustrating.

I'm sure if this quilt was on a long arm machine and basted correctly, the quilt sashing would look straight and so would the quilted lines.

Had a planned better, this quilt would be done much faster and look much nicer.

I am enjoying this quilt more.  My FMQ stitches are nicer and I'm more confident in my ability to FMQ around anything after doing eight blocks.  I really love my Designer Ruby machine for FMQ.