Are you wondering how to start free motion quilting in Albuquerque, NM? This type of quilting is beautiful, but it can be overwhelming for newcomers. Where do you start, and how? What are the best practices to ensure a beautiful end result?
When you’re getting ready to begin a free motion quilt, we always recommend stopping by The Quilt Works Inc. to talk to one of our staff members, take a class or get advice on the best tools and tricks to use. In the meantime, here are some of our best free motion quilting tips:
- It’s all about the basting: You already know the importance of basting traditional quilts, and it’s the same thing with free motion quilting. Get far more safety pins than you think you’ll use. This helps stop the layers from shifting while you’re doing the quilting portion. Try to find a large table for the basting portion, and if you’re using spray adhesive, make sure to spray the back of the quilt top rather than the batting itself. This will help avoid puckering and other issues.
- Try a forgiving stitching pattern: The best part about free motion quilting is that there are plenty of curved lines, which hide any mistakes you might make. Choose a pattern that you can stitch without marking it first, and remember, smaller is better. We suggest starting on the edges and working your way toward the center of the quilt, but you should do whatever makes the most sense for your stitching design.
- Anchor the big pieces first: When you start stitching, try anchoring the large pieces and portions of your design first. Use a walking foot to stitch these portions, then fill in the remaining spaces with free motion quilting techniques.
- Try quilting just one color before moving on to the next: If you’re using multiple thread colors, be sure to quilt all of one color first before moving on to the next part of the pattern. This saves time and effort from constantly having to switch out your thread and bobbin.
- If it looks uneven or messy, add more quilting: This is perhaps our best tip: if you’re working on a free motion quilt but the quilting itself looks uneven or messy, simply add more quilting. The busier the quilting pattern, the harder it is to spot mistakes. Think about it: if you have a quilt with a wide quilting pattern, it’s much easier to see where (or if) things went awry. Hundreds of quilting lines make it a lot harder to detect errors. This tends to be a godsend for new free motion quilters.
Are you ready to get started on your own free motion quilt? Whether you need to stock up on supplies or would just benefit from some advice or classes, be sure to stop by The Quilt Works Inc. Our staff loves helping quilters find just what they need, and sharing advice that has made our own processes easier. Give us a call or drop in today.