As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I had to do a LOT of FMQ practice before I felt comfortable quilting on the actual quilt!!
Now, my problem with FMQ practice is that I fight against the idea that I am wasting fabric and money!!! By the time I make the quilt sandwich using two pieces of fabric and one piece of batting, it ends up costing quite a bit. AND, because I have spent so much money on it, I am loathed to throw it away. Consequently, I have TONS of practice pieces lying around and taking up precious storage room in my studio!!
Somewhere, sometime in my life, I heard someone mention that they used paper towels to practice on and I took it one step further and bought a box of Shop Towels to use…..

I bought the brand name rather than the generic ones expecting that they would be a bit higher quality.
I pulled out three towels….

…being careful not to tear them.
I ironed them…..

……made the “sandwich” and headed to the machine. It worked GREAT!!!!

When I wanted to work on a wider piece, I pulled out several sheets and just folded them together rather than separating them. At the end of the practice time, I felt very comfortable with the pattern…..

And the best part was that when I was finished, I tossed them in the trash!!! Nothing else to store!!!
Plus the entire practice session cost about 40 cents!!!
Now….a couple more comments…..
I checked that the towels were lint free so I didn’t worry about lint accumulation.
I changed the needle after I was finished with the practice time and have now dedicated that needle entirely to the towels.
I am excited about the possibilities!!!
6 thoughts on “Thoughts on FMQ practice”
Is your tension off? Or was it just because of the towels?
Hi Donna. It was because of the towels. I don’t worry about tension too much when I am practicing. The practice is more about learning to move my hands!!!
Wonderful idea!
Thanks Andrea. I wish that I could claim the idea but am so glad that it works!!!
That is a great idea.