AliKat

If you can afford it, by all means hire it out to be quilted.

If you want the sense of total accomplishment ... then do a whole lot of practice pieces. Practice and patience.

Did you walk on your first try? I doubt it. I bet you kept falling down. But ... you got up and kept on trying and you could walk and talk at the same time after more walking practice.

Your choice. Neither is right or wrong. It is just a choice.

ali

Raggiemom

If you can afford it, by all means send it out to be quilted. That part certainly isn't my favorite either but some people really love it. Check with some longarmers in your area; maybe someone on here is in your area and could do it.

PaperPrincess

A walking foot REALLY helps SID, so if you have one, use it!
Quilting on your machine is an acquired skill. If this is your first quilt, I wouldn't be too hard on yourself. Even SID takes practice. Small projects or sample sandwiches are good choices.

winterpromise31

I'm glad to know this! I just finished SIDing my first quilt and struggled with it big time. I haven't been able to buy a walking foot yet but I want to. I'm glad to know there is hope! ;)

dolores

I can't afford to send it out to be quilted.SID is hard to do to keep it in the ditch. Just take your time practice, practice, it gets easier as you go along. I like knowing I did it myself, my first ones was not the best but I have gotten better, Just keep going you will get better too.

dolores

I can't afford to send it out to be quilted.SID is hard to do to keep it in the ditch. Just take your time practice, practice, it gets easier as you go along. I like knowing I did it myself, my first ones was not the best but I have gotten better, Just keep going you will get better too.

Dolphyngyrl

I would send the big ones out, and practice on some small ones till you become comfortable. It is not easy first off which might be why you are frustrated

cuppi duke

I think if you try free motion or some designs you will like it better.I hate quilting in the ditch. I have a hard time staying in the lines and like you, it;s kind of a ne brainer. But if you continue hating it, don't do it. It will turn your fun pasttime into a chore.

shnnn

I loathe SID! As soon as I started playing with FMQ I began to enjoy the quilting part much more. I took a couple of baby panels I had and sandwiched them up to practice on, and found out it was so much less intimidating that I had thought, and much more forgiving than SID.
I still have trouble with eyelashing or wonky tension here and there - but I am learning, and get braver with each project.
My mother used to SID all her quilts, but the last top she made was a king so she had it long armed... she will never quilt her own top again.

mizlee123

Thanks for the narrow zig zag tip for sid, I would probably like that better as some of my stitches wander a bit from the ditch!