Steep Learning Curve

Free Motion Quilting Part 3 of ?

My current machine quilting is free motion only in the sense that the feed dogs are down – I’ve resorted to drawing on the fabric before sewing! I had a “design” in my head I could follow on small practice sandwiches, but now that I’m on a child size quilt I find myself getting lost.
Thanks to a new flow point on my wood-burning tool I was able to burn a puzzle-like stippling continuous line on an overhead transparency (another use for silicone baking mats). I then traced the pattern lightly onto the quilt back with a pencil, but found it too light to follow successfully. It is a soft lead so I’m going back over it in smaller sections just prior to quilting. That’s more work than I anticipated; especially since I originally thought I wouldn’t even have to “draw” a quilting line.
After finally getting a “pattern” technique developed, my next frustration is pulling the bobbin thread up to get started. I divided the quilt into 10 sections, hoping I would only have to do this ten times, but I realize now how much thread this project is taking as I frequently run out of bobbin thread. At least I preloaded the four empty ones I had available.

I started the quilting with curved safety pins for basting. After I carefully examined my first section, I’ve included many straight pins between the safety pins and just remove them upon the needle’s approach. That first section had a few puckers that I think will just have to remain as evidence of my beginner’s status.
Due to poor tension in an area that I could “hear” almost as soon as I started a section, I stopped, ripped it out and restarted. I missed an area and went back and quilted in a closed “puzzle piece”. There were also a few “puffy” areas where I left too much of a space between the quilted “lines”. That “school of hard knocks” is quite a task master!

It surprised me how difficult it is to maneuver the fabric and not let it move where it wants to go due to the small surface and the quilt’s weight. Ugly rubber coated work gloves I had never used have proven to be an invaluable help. Who needs special quilting gloves? –Not me!

On the positive side, I’m proud of my stitch length so far – if anything the majority of my stitches are probably too close together. There are a few quarter-inch gaps that have snuck in – but very few.
This quilt still needs several sessions to complete – I find I need to work in short spurts with breaks in between. I’ll keep plugging along – I have another “Quilt for Kids” top pieced and waiting. ~~K