Oh how I love spring! But oh my, how busy I have been! I have managed to get my garden planted and my flower beds somewhat under control. Quilting has taken a backseat to my outdoor activities, at least for a while. I will be teaching a quilting class in July, so I have been preparing for that event. I have been making up a lesson plan and I realized that many people need a little guidance on how to get started free motion quilting. One of the best things to do is make a little quilt sandwich out of two pieces of scrap material and a piece of batting. Sandwich the batting between the two pieces and sew a seam around the outside edge to hold the layers together. Now comes the fun part. Lower your feed dogs on your machine. Most machines have a function to do this, but if yours does not, just place some tape over the feed dogs. Or try leaving them up. Many quilters do, but I prefer not to. Change your presser foot to a darning foot. Most machines come with this foot. You can also purchase free motion feet for most machines. Use a cotton or polyester thread in both the top thread and the bobbin, lower the presser foot, and start sewing. It will feel so wrong at first. You will have to tell yourself to move the fabric because there will be nothing to grab the fabric to move it under the needle. Go slow and get the feel of your machine. And practice, practice, practice. You can do it!
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