Acknowledge that your quilting will not be perfect (there is no such thing), and just by letting perfection go you’ll feel more comfortable and your expectations will be achievable. Give yourself some space to make mistakes. Still, working on a 10″ fabric sandwich is nothing like working with a whole throw size quilt. After I was done, I turned all those 10″ fabric sandwiches into pot holders. I played around with quilting designs and just got a feel for the movement I needed to make to accomplish a decent meander. When I was first learning to FMQ a meander, I made several fabric sandwiches with 10″ squares. If you prefer to practice first that’s fine too. After all the thinking we have done to get this quilt where it is now, a little less thinking might be just what you need. It doesn’t require too much thought and maybe you’ll even find it relaxing and therapeutic. The pattern I’ll use is the most basic of basics, a simple meander. Today, I’m going to show you one method called ‘free motion quilting / FMQ’. Like all things there is more than one way to accomplish this task. Quilting is the “glue” that holds everything together. The top and bottom would separate after washing. If you didn’t add quilting to your quilt you would end up with a saggy blanket.
#LOOPING MEANDER QUILTING STITCHES FREE#
If you’ve never free motion quilted before…this is me encouraging you to try it! You might just really enjoy it when you get the hang of it.The definition of quilting is the act of stitching three layers together: your top, batting and backing. They cover more than I ever could, so if you still feel unsure, spend some time learning a bit more.
![looping meander quilting stitches looping meander quilting stitches](https://fthmb.tqn.com/wiQE8Pt_qmNRyRJrTRgxMPXgz3U=/425x326/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Meander-Quilting-56a7bae95f9b58b7d0ed4ad2.jpg)
#LOOPING MEANDER QUILTING STITCHES HOW TO#
There are TONS of videos for learning how to free motion quilt on YouTube. Here are some Tips for Quilting a Large Quilt. Quilting a large quilt is a whole different ball game (it’s a shoulder workout to hold and squeeze through the machine!). I should also say that my Juki has never had tension problems, and I rarely mess with the tension…but that can be a big headache when quilting. Mostly it’s just practice, practice, practice. Stitch in place or back and forth a few times to secure it, and keep stitching! You can trim or bury the thread later. If your bobbin thread runs out in the middle of the quilt just cut your thread, refill your bobbin, and re-start stitching in the same spot, just a few stitches from where you ended. They are basic, and good starting designs. I’m pretty unadventurous when it comes to free motion, I usually do stippling (on the left below) or some form of loops (on the right). I took a quick video of me quilting in real time you can view here. My best tip if you are having a hard time keeping your design fluid and you are getting sharp points and turns…SPEED UP and RELAX!!! If you have your shoulders bunched up by your ears take a minute and breathe and relax, and then press your pedal down and speed up! Your designs will be more fluid, and you won’t overthink where to stitch next…when you speed up it will look better. If you are just starting, you can also practice with a pencil and paper first…or you can just wing it like I do and hope it works out for the best. Decide on what design you are doing before you start.If you have a hard time holding the quilt and moving it while quilting, try using gloves! They give a nice grip and are a must for me when quilting, I also wear at least one glove when I’m binding to help me grip and move the quilt better. These are the quilting gloves I’m using in these photos, but I also have these white ones and I like them even better. If you are trying free motion for the first time, make a few smaller basted “quilts” that you can practice on. Start on the edge, on the batting or backing.My machine has a speed control, I make sure it’s at the fastest setting before I start, and I oil my machine if I remember. Turn the stitch length down to zero, and lower the feed dogs.
![looping meander quilting stitches looping meander quilting stitches](https://www.coastandcountrycrafts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/meander-1.jpg)
Wind up some extra bobbins so you can quickly change the bobbin when it runs out in the middle of your quilt. You can find a tutorial for how I spray baste my quilts here. Start with a well basted quilt sandwich, I flip flop between spray basting and pins.
![looping meander quilting stitches looping meander quilting stitches](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bf/31/32/bf3132aa8619cf9f4281e8291b3efedb.jpg)
![looping meander quilting stitches looping meander quilting stitches](https://i1.wp.com/www.koolkatquilting.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Circle-meander-Jenny-T.jpg)