Practice, Practice, Practice!

I have been trying to practice free-motion quilting.  As most things it looks easier than it is in keeping uniform the design.

 As you can see I need a lot more practice.  This is not pretty to look at.  I thought I would try and make something to help me move the quilt along.  I had some extra anti-slip carpet material.  It's like a foamy, plastic mat-type thing.  First I cut and sewed a piece from my jelly roll about 7 inches long. I left a hole to turn and fill with fiberfill or scraps of fabric.  Then I cut anti-slip material and aligned it so the holes were covered and then I sewed it to encase the fabric. After sewing I turned it inside out so seams were on the inside.  One trick when sewing is to hold and pull the beginning threads until you can actually hold on to the material and help pull it along.

 I then put my stuffed fabric piece inside it and tried different ways of holding it to maneuver the quilt.  (Please excuse the fluorescent lights, which are making me look jaundice and dishpan hands).

 I'm not sure if this is ergonomically helpful for the hands or not?

I noticed if I squeeze it like this, it kind of feels like a pen. (a little bit)  I'm still working with it to see if helps.  I know it is definitely better than nothing.  The anti-slip material does grip the quilt and help move it.

Another way to use this material is to just have it slip through three fingers. Experiment and see what feels the best for your sewing experience.

Have a good week!