quilting Kiss the Frog

It is time to start quilting the "Kiss the Frog" quilt. I really love the colors on this quilt!

So the question I faced was how to quilt it......again that moment of fear that I might ruin the top that I love so much.  I thought that maybe straight line quilting would look better??

This may sound backwards....but I have never tried straight line quilting, just my beginner efforts at free motion! So I went to my local quilt shop..Periwinkle ...and had a browse around (snooping at the quilting) of some of the display quilts.  Of course...I didn't walk out empty handed, but more on that another day : )

What I did find, though, is that I  liked the softer look of the free motion quilting better that straight line stitching. I know there is no "right" answer, and it is mostly personal preference, but that was my preference. So looking at they pattern in the darker grey fabric I used for the sashing and border I saw loopy swirl designs.....

So I tried to echo that in my quilting pattern. I used the same pattern on the last quilt - the Jelly Roll quilt- and really liked how it turned out, so have started to work. I had originally planned to try to centre the loops over each block.....but that only lasted about one block! So then I just wandered around!!

It is actually going faster this time, guess I am getting a bit more confident.
Just a few tips for anybody else who is just starting FMQ........

• fill up several bobbin with thread before you start.
• I DID NOT drop my feed dogs! I have read about this and tried it, and it works! Set the stitch length to zero, and sew. 
• set the speed on the machine to half speed ( if you can). I have gradually increased the speed as I have gotten more comfortable, but you don't have to go fast.
• Gloves are a MUST!! I didn't like using gloves when I first started, but now think that they are essential and make it SOOOOOO much easier. I have tried several kinds ( although never tried actual quilting gloves LOL), and my favorite are the non-sterile surgical gloves. They come in a box, are cheap, and I can still feel the fabric under my fingertips.
• Stop and check the back now and again as you go. I did have to adjust my upper tension a bit higher, but just keep an eye on how it is looking.
• I use pins to baste, and thought that they would get in the way, but I find that I am stopping so frequently to readjust the position of the quilt and my hands, that it really isn't a problem just to take them out as you get close to them.
• Have fun! I am actually loving doing the FMQ part!