In 2012 my biggest quilting fear was free motion quilting. I was afraid that I would stick my fingers under the needle and hurt myself, that I would do major damage to my sewing machine, or that I would "ruin" my quilt and not be able to remove the teeny tiny stitches. I took two free motion classes at Craftsy.com. The two Craftsy classes were Beyond Basic Machine Quilting and Free Motion Quilting A Sampler. The interaction with the teachers was very helpful, but I was still afraid to try. So I joined the QCA Group Fear No More FMQ. They really seemed to understand my fear, and with their help, support, and encouragement I practiced 3 hours a week, every week. Sometimes I thought I was just practicing how to do things wrong, but as I look back over my progress I can see see how much I have improved.

My biggest fear is hand turned applique, I had a great teacher in Gini ,but I just can't seam to get the hang of it. I'm going to keep praticing but I really makes me nervous. LOL  

My biggest fear is designing my own quilt.  I don't mean just deciding on what block to make, but to really go outside my comfort box and try an art quilt.  I can do the math for block design, it's throwing the math and the block to design away and trying something that is truly artsy and beautiful to not only myself but to others.  I've tried several art quilt classes and find that the teachers that I've had want to steer the 'ship' so to speak.  I don't know if it is there attempt to keep me from making a mistake or that they just can't 'let' go of the outcome as it is the picture of what they see vs. the picture of what I want.  It's all very frustrating & scary to me!!!!

My greatest fear is chosing the "best" quilting pattern and doing a good job of the quilting.  I try to surmount this fear by leaving the top to look at for several days before deciding, but it is still difficult to start the quilting.  I am working on controlling this fear by reminding myself that there is no "right" quilting pattern and also that no matter how well or poorly I do, it is MY work and MY creativity.  My granddaughter Kristen reminds me that it is the little imperfections that make it personal and handmade rather than factory finished.

My biggest fear is that my squares will not match exactly like I want them to match.  I do not want them off in any way.  I takes me a long time and sometimes redoing a square if it does not fit my expectations of my skills.

I worry that I won't improve any more. I also struggle with my points matching no matter how careful I am. I then get angry with myself for being hopeless.

I am really slow but I just enjoy each step as it comes and I try not to get frustrated with myself although that does not always work.

Making a fabric cutting mistake or ripping a whole in the fabric when almost finished with my quilt and not being able to buy more of the same fabric.  

My BIGGEST fear is actually doing the quilting.  I fear ruining the quilt.  I must say I have realized that practice make very good.  No one's perfect right?  I know in my heart the last one I did was good and I can do it.  I just need to get back into it.  The other part to the fear is what design do I choose?  I've kept it very simple for now but I would like to be adventurous and try to figure out what type of design would really compliment the quilt rather than doing just some basic stitch in the ditch/meandor etc. Marguerite

I worry that it will fall apart.  

Ever since it actually happened to me I've been afraid of colors bleeding when the quilt is washed.  I use the color setting liquid now and wash with a dye catcher, but I still quake when I open the newly washed quilt.  You can't write off bleeding as an artistic choice!

I'm afraid to try curved pieces.  I have a hard enough time getting the straight ones to line up!

My biggest fear is paper piecing. I am a visual person and have read many books on it, but I just don't get it.

My quilt "promiser" goes off way too easily, and my biggest fear is that I will never get caught up with all of the quilts I have offered to make.  

My biggest fear is machine quilting. I just can't get it. For one thing I feel it's sewing and not quilting. It just doesn't have the same feel. Since I feel it's more of an "art" thing from all the quilts on line and in magazines, I just don't try it. Second, I don't feel I'm able to do all those curves and make them look like they should. So I just hand quilt and still I'm trying to perfect that.

I haven't conquered my fear of lining up all of the seams yet. I find I have to stand back a few feet and it don't look so bad.

I am afraid to machine a quilt myself.  I am afraid I will not have nice even stitches and will ruin a great pieced quilt top.  I also fear stitching a Mariner's Star as I am afraid I will not get a nicely pieced center with all the seams.

My biggest fear is trying machine quilting without a stitch regulator. I watch Leah Day and other experts online a lot, but I haven't jumped in to try it yet.  I keep going back to the "safe" way I know how to do even though they prove that it can be done. And when I start, I know I need to slow down.

My fear is that I won't get to all the projects that I want to do.  I have now gathered some fabric baskets and have put the fabrics and the patterns together in the baskets.  I choose a basket and start in on the project.  I have had much success because I made some decisions about fabrics for patterns which leaves me time to cut and sew -- one basket at a time.

I find my biggest fear is getting all the seams to line up. It doesn't seem to matter if I back up a few feet.

My biggest fear is being laughed at when I show a new quilt to friends or to a guild.

My biggest fear is that I won't have consistent 1/4" seams so all my blocks will be off.

My biggest quilting fear is reaching a point when I can no longer quilt.  For example:  have arthritis and such bad vision that I am no longer able to quilt.

Getting a block turned wrong and not noticing it until the project is quilted and bound.  I actually did this once.  I didn't notice for 3 days.  To prove I could do it I made another table runner and got it right that time.

Free motion quilting on my home machine - on a "real" quilt!!! So afraid it will look like my dog completed it!  To overcome the fear, I'm practicing, practicing, practicing every chance I get as well as joining the Fear No More group here, online FM Quilting classes, and talking to everyone I meet that quilts - asking for tips and strategies.  Hoping to get the courage to "give it a go" with one of my next quilts.

My biggest fear is that I will never quilt the quilt tops that I have made so far.  For this year I have set a goal of not starting a new quilt until I have finished two of the quilts.  I am working on the first one but it is very hard not to start something new when I see new fabric sitting in my sewing room.

I worry about free motion quilting.  Just can't seem to get the hang of it.  So I usually hand quilt or machine quilt in simple patterns---in the ditch, straight lines, simple curves.

A word to kbaumwart:  I made a bed-sized quilt and didn't realize until the quilt was finished and bound that I had a block turned 180 degrees wrong.  I didn't  notice it until I saw a photo that I had taken for my records!  It is really hard to spot the mistake and I sometimes challenge friends or family to try to find it.  It is now a fun thing, and after all, nobody's perfect.

I think my biggest fear is not being able to quilt.  Where my health issues reach a point where I can't continue to do this habit I enjoy.  

Still most afraid of free motion quilting.  I have enrolled in the sampler class on Craftsy and just waiting for a space of time to practice and work uninterrupted. Have some wonderful ideas for tops, and I would really like to be able to quilt them all myself.  

I'm still afraid of my own color choices. Will the fabrics I choose REALLY work together?  I want to get past using other people's ideas, but never really like my own choices.... any advice?

I'm still afraid of making my own color choices.  I want to use my own fabrics, but haven't ever really liked any my own color choices.  Ideas?  I still have trouble with 1/4" seams also.  Advice?

I worry about accidentally ripping a hole in my quilt as I am taking out stitches (which I often have to do!). I have done it once already and was thankfully able to repair it!

My biggest fear was that my quilts were never good enough to enter into a show or fair. I have overcome this fear by being brave enough to enter my quilts into the Silverton Quilt show in Colorado.  I have sold several quilts there. It is a great confidence builder. I will be entering a quilt I finished this year in our county fair. I am no longer afraid to do this.

Ah, those 1/4" seams are my biggest "fear".  I can't seem to get them to stay in the direction I ironed them in when I go to sew them.  One day I am going to conquer this fear for sure.  

My biggest fear was/still is to some degree, free motion quilting.  At first I would procrastinate and not do the quilting part because I dreaded trying it.  I finally dove in and now I'm dealing with the anxiety a little better.  I decide what quilting design that I want to do.  If it is just meandering, I just practice for a minute on a practice top before I start on the real quilt.  If it is a design that is more detailed I usually draw it on my quilt and then practice on my practice top before I try it on the real quilt.  Someday, I may be comfortable enough to quilt without drawing, but that doesn't really concern me.  Afterall, when you hand-quilt, you usually draw your pattern on the quilt before you start and it's a lot easier when you hand-quilt to rip out if you need to and you're not going as fast either.

Hi.  My biggest fear is the binding - keeping it straight, making the corners square - yikes!  But i've found quilting videos on youtube and quilting forums and blogs - with y'all's help i just know i can do it!

My greatest quilt fear is machine quilting. The small projects I have managed to quilt leave a lot to be desired. I would like to try a bed size quilt but! Guess what I need to do to overcome this fear is stop reading instructions and watching how to videos is just jump in and do it.

I am not sure of my biggest fear.  It would either be Y seams or free motion quilting.  I think I am more interested in trying to learn free motion quilting.  I have the bought the foot for my machine but......

i thought my biggest fear was not being able to conquer fmq or perfectly good paper peicing, but when i read this question, my biggest fear loomed up ... not being able to able to keep up my quilting; my post polio episodes are more frequent, last longer and leave me weaker now that i'm aging.  nothing i can do about it but rest more frequently for longer periods.   cutting, kitting and stashing for hand sewing later

Most afraid of free motion quilting. I know my machine will do it with my help of course! Not sure why I don't just jump in and try it. For now, I'll stick to stitch in the ditch and grids. Otherwise I have lots of fun.

I have two big fears in quilting.  (I'm pretty new, so there's more than just 2, but these are the worst ones for me!)

First, I'm afraid of applique.  I've tried it and put it on a few things, but I feel like it doesn't look good and I don't want to ruin the cute things I could try to do with it.  I've seen so many neat patterns that I just love, but they involve applique and I just don't feel like I can do it justice! (Still trying to get someone to teach me how to do it correctly)

Second, I'm afraid to start cutting out the 8 1/2" squares I need to make a "music" quilt for my son.  I've been collecting neat fabrics for 2 years now and have yet to cut a square.  (He plays the trumpet) I think I am most afraid of using my own "pattern" and screwing it all up somehow.  I know it'll be a lot of work and I've never made anything bigger than a throw (want this to fit his bed). I always seem to find other things to do when I could be cutting material for his quilt.  The poor kid will have his own kids before I start it!  That's another big fear!!!

I've experienced the fears that all other quilters have over the years, but I finally figured out that,for me, quilting is a refuge from all other fears we face in life. So I've put aside my quilting fears and  enjoy the process with less pressure and more fun. When I'm faced with a task that I may not be able to perform well, I practice on scraps until I feel comforable using the technique in my "masterpiece".

My biggest quilting fear is that I won't have time to use even half of my stash...especially since I just keep adding to that stash.  lol

My biggest fear is that I won't be able to teach the grandkids all the qullting things I know before they become teenagers and get involved in more school activities.  They love to do free-motion quilting by machine now.  

my biggest fear is that I will never conquer free motion quilting, and that I'll ruin a perfectly beautiful quilt top trying it. I practice, practice, practice and still think sometimes I'll never get the hang of it. I tell myself that it's not supposed to be perfect - after all this is handmade, right?

Free Motion Quilting intimidates me.  I try to practice but give up to frustration way too easily.  I've watched the videos and read some literature but it's like there's a switch that needs to be flipped to make it work and I can't find the switch!

My biggest fear is machine quilting.  I am a hand quilter but have more quilts to do than I have time to hand stitch.  So I have taken a class at my local quilt shop and practice on table runners and small projects.  Machine quilting still makes me very nervous, but I am working on it.

COLORS-- I spend the most time trying to pick colors and second guessing the colors I pick.  After I finally pick what fabrics go into the quilt I love the rest of the process.

Machine quilting any quilt with something other than stitch-in-the-ditch!

My biggest quilting fear is not making all the quilts I have planned (mark off one, add two).  As I approach 70 this fear is starting to become very real for me.  I have slowed down quite a bit in getting things done so I can quilt.  Thinking of hiring twins next door to clean house for me so I can quilt more.  

My fear is being able to machine quilting a large quilt.  I've done small lap-sized quilts but haven't tackled anything bigger.  So to get over my fear, I've signed up for a machine quilting course in April at my local quilt store.

What if I get so caught up in a quilt that I forget to laugh at my mistakes? That would be awful!

That my beautiful fabric choices will end up not as I imagined them when put together in my quilt instead of in my mind.

That my beautiful fabric choices will end up not as I imagined them when put together in my quilt instead of in my mind.

I am a stickler for matching points and squares, so I guess my biggest fear is that I will get too involved in the tiny points and forget to enjoy the thrill of the finished product!!  Why quilt if we forget to enjoy the process?

I worry that I won't live to be over 200 which is what I need to use up all the stash I've purchased.  On the off chance my stash does outlive me, I worry my adult children will not see the value in it and dispose of it.  I've attempted to have "the talk" with my kids but since I am only 62 they won't hear of dying wishes yet. Now if only that fear would immobilize me into not buying any more pretty fabric!

My greatest fear is taking a class and falling behind others. I am a "slow sewer". When my peers are quicker I tend to feel intimidated,try to sew faster, then end up with wonky,wavy blocks. Lots of practice at home will help,I hope.

My biggest fear was actually designing my own. I have taken many patterns and changed to meet my preference, but actually sitting down and drawing out my own creation...well I still have that fear. What will it look like, will the colors be right, what is my quilting style, can I conquer a large quilt..etc.  I had the fear of free motion and I have conquered that...so it is time step up to my next fear.  

hi, my bigest fear is to finish a quilt and I go to quilt it and it comes out awlful. So that the whole quilt is no longer any good? I also have alot of trouble with my hands and arms so my bigest fear is that I would never be able to do my bucket quilting list?

I sometimes worry that the colors or embellishments I choose for my quilt won't end up looking the way I visualize it, but I keep reminding myself that if the quilt is made with love and keeps somebody warm, it's perfect.

Fear Schmear! lol

Actually I dreamt of my stash over coming me - because I never use it. I rearrange it frequently and find that I need more greens and yellows. Perhaps some tone on tone blacks and greys also. But I become anxious when I begin a new project - that I do not have the correct fabric in my stash and need to purchase more. I really enjoy fabric, each season new designs and colours, oh and the Batiks! Be still my heart. My saving grace are Fat Quarters. Invented for quilters (fabric hoarders) like me. Will I ever use up my stash? I hope not. lol

Mine is paper piecing I find it very confusing and I love a lot of patterns that require paper piecing but I'm so nervous I'm going to mess it up that I won't try the pattern.I'm more of a visual learner versus reading a pattern or book, I prefer to see how it works before I will try it.

My biggest fear is miscalculating the fabric I need.  I have done this before and ended up changing several blocks so the shortage looked like part of the design, but I felt sick before I thought of changing the blocks,  after going to every quilt and fabric shop within 50 miles hoping to find just a 1/4 of the fabric.  Of course none of them had it anymore.

No fear...well I have set a challenge to overcome my fear that my work isn't up to snuff. Entered a block challenge & just sent off my first quilt challenge with Keepsake Quilting. I need to start working on a quilt to enter in a couple of local shows. Just as soon as I get Miss Alyssa's new born (she will be 3 months old next week) quilt, quilted. I started free motion today! Babies don't care if tention isn't perfect. :-)

My biggest fear is never having enough time to finish all the beautiful projects I want to make!  Because there is nothing I will not try in terms of creating something - anything!  I love a challenge so bring it on!

My biggest fear is making a quilt that I really like and giving it to someone who doesn't appreciate it or they don't like it.  My quilts are made with love and lots of hard work.  I want everyone to enjoy them and use them.  I am learning new techniques all the time.  Not afraid to try anything once or maybe twice.

I have many phobias where quilting is concerned, but I think one of my biggest fears is not having the funds available to keep up with this very expensive hobby.

My biggest fear is that everyone would laugh when I showed my quilt to a group of ladies in a Quilt Guild.

My greatest fear is SABLE - mania -

Stash

Acquisition

Beyond

Life

Expectancy

My other greatest fear - I'll have to live to 185 to get all my quilts made in case nobody wants to inherit my stash!

My biggest fear...giving someone a quilt I have put my heart and soul into making for them and having the recipient not liking it, criticizing the construction or having them use it as a dog bed.

As a beginner quilter perfecting joining the blocks together with all seams lining up was my biggest fear.  I have now mastered most but I simply cannot get the flying geese blocks to match.  I am currently scanning every mazagine or article written so I can master them.  Once I have done this I will be turning out fabulous quilts.

After reading about everyone's quilting fears, I don't feel so abnormal about free motion quilting, seams and points not matching, and, choosing colors.  What can I say, lots of practice and being brave enough to dive right in and learn something new are all key factors in quilting. Thrift stores are a great cheaper source for fabric.  

I fear that my fabrics will overflow their space.

Free motion quilting is my biggest fear.  I have signed up for a couple of Craftsy.com FMQ classes and hoping the classes will help me.  I have several project that I am working on before I take the classes.  Wish me luck!!!

My biggest fear has occured it was of spilling something on a quilt when I wasworking on it.   This occurred last year when hand quilting a queen size white on white, I was about 3/4's done when I spilled a bowl of soup on the corner that had not been quilted.  I just sat stunned,   my husband didn't say anything for about 5 minutes and then said maybe it can be washed out - I knew this would wash out all the markings.   Finally I got up and took the corner with the soup on it and rinsed it quickly under cold water.  Low and behold the soup came out and the markings were almost completely gone but there was a faded mark left so I could remark it.   While I still have the fear of doing it again - I know there willl be a work around if it happens.  Mind you I'm extra careful now!!

I am worried that I have achieved SABLE!  I really like the material I have purchased and would be very sad if my daughters just gave it away or threw it away.  I need to get piecing and quilting faster!!!

My biggest fear is machine quilting.  I took a course a few years ago, but it was to quick and I don't feel like I learned enough to start and then ruin my quilt. I would really love to learn this with a course that is more than one day.

Quilting feathers by machine is very scary for me. I like to have it look almost perfect, and know that I need to practice for this to happen, but am afraid to try, because I don't want to mess up. You see, I am caught in a vicious cycle.

My biggest fear is that I will leave someone out. . When I retired, I made myself a promise that I would make a quilt for each of my children. After accomplishing that, I started making them for the grandkids. I'm still working on that goal, but now the great-grandkids are beginning to arrive. I fear that when I'm gone, I will have left someone out !

My biggest quilting fear in quilting is not being able to home machine quilt without getting finished and finding a pucker on the back. I just about hold my breath until I can peek under to check .

My biggest fear is showing my work in quilt shows.  I'm afraid of the criticism from the judges and spectators.  I know I have to learn how to not take negative feedback personally.  That's easier said than done.

I'm afraid that I will give someone a quilt and the seams will come apart, so when sewing if i come across a place where I think it needs more reinforcement I will sew it again.  I've also been pinning to ensure I'm leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.  Sometimes the fabric moves (without pins) and some of the fabric is not 1/4" and I don't remove the stitches and do it over again (oops, cat is out of the bag!) so I guess I have a legitimate reason to worry LOL   Pinning has helped alot!

My biggest fear is quilting through my finger.... again! I get infections easily so it makes me pay much more attention to the quilt.  Not a bad thing though

Paper piecing!  I must be using paper for the foundation that is too heavy.  When I take it off, the stitches pull up and if it's on an edge, it pulls out and I have to restitch it.

My biggest fear is that the colors I choose won't look right when I get the quilt top finished.  I guess I need to take a color class or get acquainted with Jinny Beyer.

My biggest quilting fear is the idea that I will mis-cut the individual pieces and then run out of fabric.  As I have MANY kits from ages past, this is a real concern about replacing the fabrics.  And then I tell myself to make lemonade of the lemons and come up with something really new.

Getting the quilt done and then not liking it at all.

My biggest fear is spending a lot of time and money on a quilt, getting it back from my long arm quilter and finding two blocks in the middle of the quilt are reversed.  This just happened with my Easy Street. I can't believe I did not find this error. I reversed a green square with a tone on ton four patch block. I am hoping to correct it by appliqueing the correct pieces over for error and hand quilting the corrected blocks. It is only a small block, but it's the wrong color and to me it is shouting out "fix me".

My biggest fear is losing my quilting partner. We have been together for a long time and are complete opposites in personality. My partner is a 'people person' who likes bright fabrics, the challenge of sewing the quilt patterns designed for paper piecing, and the same radio station playing the same classical pop music. I am usually quiet person who likes a variety of fabrics with some quilts completed to a given pattern, but other quilts designed by myself. We are critics for each other's work; easily taking suggestions and accepting help from each other. Joining a quilting circle is out of the question as we are getting older, do little driving at night, and the only close quilting circle has a long waiting list to join. Although we have been quilting together less than ten years, we have shared life for 51 years for my partner is my spouse. Both of us share that private lingering fear of what will happen in the future when our partnership in quilting is no longer there to enjoy.

I am afraid of my quilts shrinking to the point of being too small for the bed size they were intended.  Most of the quilts I've made aren't that old and most haven't been washed.  And some have been given as gifts.  

My greatest fear is long arm quilting. I've tried it and was so completely intimidated by it I didn't finish the last lesson. To overcome this fear I'm starting on the smaller side- free motion quilting on my home machine. I'm finding it's just as intimidating but I WILL learn!

My greatest fear is long arm quilting. I was so intimidated I didn't finish the last lesson. So I'm starting smaller and learning free motion quilting. Still intimidated but WILL learn.

My biggest fear about quilting would have to be that there will not possibly be enough time to use every bit of my stash before I die...not that I am sick but it keeps getting bigger and bigger, and bigger. There is no way I could possibly use it all! I sometimes wonder what my family will think when they are left to deal with my sewing room after I am gone..oh my...won't they be mad at me!!            

Since being diagnosed with cancer I fear not being able to finish all of my UFOs and the unfinished quilts that my mother left.  I struggle to avoid starting new projects that I know I don't have time to finish.  My prognosis is for as long as I can tolerate chemotherapy and the cancer does not develop resistance.  2 years so far however lately I have had more bad days than good.  I don't get much accomplished.

My two biggest fears are: 1) that my health might some day prevent me from quilting, and 2) that my other quilting fears might prevent me from trying something new! Heaven forbid!

And to L Kohl, please think positive and do the quilting that you love. Let it bring you comfort and healing! Prayers to you on this new journey!

my biggest fear is hearing someone critique my quilt negatively.  quilts are a work of art and i believe a quilt can never be "bad" or "ugly" etc.

My biggest fear is.... I have a quilt top I received when we cleaned out my grandmother's house over 2 years ago.  I believe it was originially made by her mother.  I would like to hand quilt it, but I have never done it before.  So I look at it keep looking at it trying to build the courage to tackle the unknown.

My greatest fear is making quilts for my friends and screwing them up. I am meticulous and careful when I sew but have nightmares of making a big mess with irreplaceable fabric (or T-shirts) they gave me.

After recently being diagnosed with terminal stage 4 lung cancer that has spread to my bones of spine and chest/trunk, I'm dealing with the issue that I cannot complete the quilts I've already begun. So, I'm going through (as I can) and writing up these projects so my mother or aunt can complete what I've begun. Only Yahweh knows how much time remains for me. The Doctor said 5 months. Winning this certificate would let me add fabric for finishing up these projects by a loved one.

This is my first time stating my condition. Whew!

My biggest quilting fear........ANOTHER perfectly great shirt RIPPED by pins on my longarm frame roller as I am passing by quilting away.....I have RIPPED four shirts in the past 3 months.....so now I am covering the pins with blue painters tape trying to remember to check the tape to make sure it is still there, but my forgetter is working overtime.