Kathy A. wrote:

Okay, get out your sketch pad and pencil. (Another free professional tip for
you!) Start doodling without lifting your pencil from the paper. If you can
draw it on the paper, you can quilt it.

That sounds like a lot of fun. Now, where's my sketch pad?

Once you get control of your machine and can make the quilting go where you
want, paper and pencil is a fabulous way to practice new designs. What
you're teaching your brain is where to go next and when to zig and when to
zag. I have several sketch books (one for work, one for home, and one needs
to go back in my purse) so I can jot down ideas whenever the inspiration
strikes. Plus, if you're doodling, and someone asks what you're doing, and
you say "I'm practicing my quilting", they pretty much leave you alone, with
only the occasional odd glance. (Muttering to yourself will put the icing on
the cake.) *grin*

I bet the practice really helps. Right now, I'm having trouble making
larger free motion designs... it's like I see what I want to do in my
head, but it's hard to translate to my hands. I'm still too herky-jerky
or I stop too soon, and end up making the designs closer together than
I intend to cover up the starts and stops. And I love the idea of
muttering to myself... "There goes that crazy doodle lady," they'll
say. Ha!


Cina