By Diane Harris,
HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador
My machine quilting skills are okay. They’re not stellar and they’re not horrible. They pass, most of the time. They are best when I’m nicely warmed up.
Getting warmed up can take anywhere from an hour to a day. I’ve discovered a trick that will help you put your best stitches forward.
I machine quilted this New Wave Quilt recently on the HQ Stitch 510. I started by quilting straight lines with a walking foot in the gray and hot pink sections.
The straight lines are not perfect, but their overall effect is okay. I have learned not to expect flawlessness. I agree with the popular saying that “finished is better than perfect.”
Once the straight lines were done, I moved on to the tumbler sections. This is where the trick comes in. When you start the free-motion quilting on a project, if you have a choice, start with an area where the quilting will be somewhat camouflaged by the fabric. I quilted the section just above first because I knew my warm-up would be less than perfect, and this fabric would help to hide it.
This section with the teal and yellow leaves came next. My motion improved. I was getting warmer.
By the time I quilted the floral above as the third section, my big loops were looking better. I could move on to the sections where the fabric would not hide the quilting as well.
The novelty pins in the print above allow the quilting to show. I was warmed up enough that it was fine.
These stripes allowed the quilting to show most of all, and they were among the last sections to be quilted with free-motion loops.
It’s just a small thing, but it can be a big help as you are learning the art of free-motion quilting.
That is such a great idea. I’ve been using Handi Quilter for 14 yrs. and still say I’m a novice beginner. I learned my warm up takes a little longer so I do my quilts upside-down. so by the time I get to the finished end my quilting gets better. Crazy but sure works for me.