LEARNING A NEW TECHNIQUE

It’s always a little scary to start something new especially a new free motion technique. I’ve been doing a lot of meandering on quilts and wanted something different. I’ve had a quilt sitting in my pile to be quilted for months…maybe even a year… and decided to load it on my long arm and try something new. With free motion quilting you need to stay relaxed and able to freely move about the machine without feeling it all over your back and shoulders. My fantastic long arm quilting teacher, Valerie, always said having a glass of wine before you quilt helps you relax. It’s not always appropriate to do that especially if you are quilting early in the morning. “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere” runs through my head, but I resort to thinking my needle is a paintbrush and begin to “paint”! The consistent humming of my machine is enough to relax me! I’m pretty happy with my results!