Someone suggusted a way to relax is to have a glass of wine.  Make sure that you drink half of it before your start to stich.  Then, go with the flow.  Not sure if it will work, don't have enough courage to try that one just yet.

I do some planning and playing before I stitch the full project.  I don't mark my quilt but I like knowing what design I plan on using and then I draw it on paper and then practice it on some scraps.

I've heard so many quilters say to have a glass of wine before (and during, and after) you start to stitch ...... problem (for me) is, I do not drink!  Have tried fizzy, non-fizzy and just tea and coffee but it obviously does not do what wine apparently does for everybody else.  Woe is me! LOL

I've tried the glass of wine technique- it leads me to thoughts like, "wow, I'm doing great work- and so fast!"  when really I'm just ruinging a quilt, quickly.  (Of course I tried the technique more than once, just to be sure.)  Perhaps a smaller glass next time?

I've tried the glass of wine technique- it leads me to thoughts like, "wow, I'm doing great work- and so fast!"  when really I'm just ruining a quilt, quickly.  (Of course I tried the technique more than once, just to be sure.)  Perhaps a smaller glass next time?

I can certainly relate!  I keep some practice quilt sandwiches handy and fill them up with possible designs until I like what I see and then go to town on the real thing.  I then trim the edges, zigzag and donate the practice pieces to the local animal shelter for cage mats--I make sizes they're interested in (12x18, 18x24, and larger).  Recently I was going to quilt a Christmas wallhanging but had gotten a heart-wrenching phone call from my daughter.  After three practice pieces, I could see that my mind just wasn't there so I've been doing other things until things settle down.  Sometimes just leaving the room to clean house or do dishes will do the trick--after all, what would you rather do: clean house or quilt!!!

Hmmm, can't see where you went wrong from the pic. I like the wavy line design, but I like the quilting design to be different than the pieced design. Wavy lines with squares, feathers with big blocks, straight lines with curved piecing.

Hmmm, can't see where you went wrong from the pic. I like the wavy line design, but I like the quilting design to be different than the pieced design. Wavy lines with squares, feathers with big blocks, straight lines with curved piecing.

Why can't I read the articles? Just a word or two in a vertical line? What good is it to post some thing to read and then have it put up like that?

I have a sit-down quilting machine which is one of the best things I ever purchased for myself.  I've gotten more tops quilted in the past 2 years than I had in the past 20 years.   I follow all of Vicki's tricks above, most important, be patient.  Because I work full-time I have to divide my time up, the first evening I work on THREAD: picking a color, winding bobbins, and getting the tension correct which can be frustrating sometimes when I'm switching type of thread.   Then I leave the machine set up with the quilt on it and ready to go the next evening, I only sew for a short while, sometimes only 15 minutes, you cannot believe how quick a quilt top can become a quilt.   Another big plus for me is that I've bargained with a friend, I quilt one quilt top for her a month and she hand binds one quilt top a month for me.    I only do meandering at this point, I don't have time to mark the tops, and we are keeping our bargaining at table runners, lap quilts, or twin size quilts.   The bargain my friend and I have made has made me push myself to get things done!

I have never had good luck with machine quilting.  I do all of my quilts by hand (queen size).  I find that much more relaxing. Maybe if I bought a new machine I would change my mind.

It really helped me watching Leah Day's youtube video's. She is such a great teacher. She gives great and simple steps to help with quilting.

My samples are ruined....even though they look so simple on T. V.  so I just pay the price and pay to have my quilts quilted on a quilting machine.  

I'm still a serious novice so I have a few practice sandwiches.  I get an idea of what design I'd like to have and I practice for a while until I get the "physical memory" of the stitch pattern.  This is not to say my fingers don't forget regularly or get confused... they do.  I do find that if I do this practice first that I can usually get the practiced rhythm back.