Nancy Zieman has a book and video out on landscape quilting which you may want to check out. (http://www.NancysNotion.com)

BethMI

Definitely hoop Laura and if you're free zigzagging, don't forget to try going side to side instead of up and down for a different effect.

Thanks bunches for the link. I've got it bookmarked and plan to check it out when I have more time. Been wanting to learn this technique.

As I am not at home but holidaying in California, I will definitely try some of these tips once I get back this coming week. It's one of those projects I really want to do but am a little scared of 'going for it'. I guess there are those projects that you just practise on and then finally you get it.

Laura, You might need a hoop as well as a stabilizer. For some hints you might want look at Libby Lehman's Threadplay and Nancy Prince's website (which has some free videos and hints) http://www.nancyprince.com/

I'm not an expert either but I have dabbled in this and found I had to have both stabilizers and a hoop. It's loads of fun.

YOu need a stabilizer. Are you thread painting as part of the quilting, or before layering the quilt? I'm not an expert at thread painting, but have done a little. I like to use Ricky's Stable Stuff as a stabilizer because it softens with washing and just adds a little more "batting" to that area. If you're doing it as part of the quilting, the batt and back should act as stabilizer.
I prefer to thread paint before quilting, because quilting mashes the fabric down where it is quilted, and I want my thread painting to pop out, not be mashed down.
Hope this helps.

I am just starting to dabble in art quilting and am trying to teach myself. I have my landscape done and now I need to start thread painting. I am doing a mountain scene and I want to do the trees which I thought was done with a zigzag free motion technique but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to do it. The area I am trying to do is on the mountain tops in the distance. When I try doing a freemotion zigzag, I am finding that the thread is pulling the fabric into ridges, I have loosened my upper tension to a very low number, but I just can't seem to get it. Any tips? or what am I doing wrong??