First you Crawl…

My goal was to take several classes at the recent Quilt Show because I have a very important quilt I would like to finish and I need some quilting confidence.  Unfortunately I missed the online deadline for the show and the preregistration discounts.  I decided to take just one class and chose one which would help me get another step closer to finishing my first quilt. (It was supposed to be a Christmas present for my nephew - last Christmas.) 

The name of the class was Walk Before You Run:  Walking Foot Machine Quilting.  Well, I must have been crawling at first because all I heard was that I needed to speed it up!  The teacher could not have been any nicer or more patient with me.  She was especially patient with those who came without a walking foot!  Imagine taking a class and not knowing how to put on the foot you are going to be using or not having one at all.  We had the same problem when it came to the free motion quilting segment - no darning feet and feed dogs that they didn’t know how to put down.  And these classes are not cheap even with the early registration discounts!  The thrifty part of me was appalled.  Paying so much for a class and not making the most of your time - and I have to admit wasting my time - made me a little nuts.  I hope I hid it well.

Below are my practice squares.  The teacher advised me to practice more before I start on my real quilt.  I have speed issues that need to be addressed.  Next time you look at a machine quilted project, remember that hours of practice went into making those machine stitches uniform.  Free motion quilting is a skill and is very different from your regular machine stitching.  I know revere and respect machine quilting and see it in a whole new light. If you have beautiful even stitches when you machine quilt, I admire your skill and your ability to run!