FMQ! I'm doing it!!!!!!!

I'm actually doing it!! I was beginning to think it was impossible!
Ya know all those blogs that say you need this and you need that? I'm one that things nahhh.. certainly I can give it a go without all those fancy (expensive) tools! I have a Janome DC2010. It's got a nice fat/flat bottom which is super nice.. but I was missing one MAJOR component: A darning foot. So I visit my local sewing machine retailer (Mr Sewing Machine in Dunbar, WV) and indeed they have the just the tool I need. As soon as I put that sucker on it was smooth sailing (relatively speaking of course.) You would not imagine the difference!!! So since the foot worked I thought about trying the gloves but it's late and I improvised with rubber cleaning gloves (the kind I use for dyeing.) They work like a dream!! I can only imagine what the actual gloves designed for FMQ are like! So here's a photo of my very 1st attempt with the free motion quilting foot on a sample piece.


The Christmas row-by-row block is quilted with Aurifil in the bobbin and Connecting thread on the top. The bottom sample is quilted with Connecting threads in both.
Oh and another thing - When I first tried this with the new foot, I dropped the feed dogs on my machine and all my thread jammed up under the feed dogs and my machine made a horrible noise, the lights blinked, it shook like crazy and then shut off. I thought I had broke it. I had to take the bobbin cover and plate off to get all the thread out from underneath. *blush* I haven't cleaned underneath there.. since I got the machine last Christmas. I know, you don't have to say it I probably cleaned 1/4 cup of lint from underneath there. I'm surprised it was still sewing. I guess I have a pretty amazing sewing machine!!!!! = DDDD So after cleaning out under there I tried again and it did it again, so I tried it with the feed dogs left UP. I have to FMQ with the feed dogs UP. No possible way I can do it down
I'm pretty happy with this for a 1st attempt, I think it looks DANG good. That was the BEST $20 I have ever spent (for the FMQ foot for my Janome.) And I'm a durned satisfied customer of Janome. I mean how much was that machine? $300-$400??? All of the stitch options and I can even FMQ - I think the ONLY thing I could want more is MAYBE a larger throat plate. But for the money this machine is OUT STANDING!!! I honestly thought I needed a long-arm to do this. OR a Bernina Stitch-regulater.
I want to thank Leah from Day Style Designs for offering her time to show all of us beginners how to quilt beautifully. Looking at her patterns can keep anyone motivated enough to keep truckin' on!
Any questions feel free to ask and I'll post more pics after my FMQ adventures tomorrow.

*******Update - March7, 2011*****
I am still free-motion quilting beautifully on the same sewing machine, but I did discover one additional thing in regards to the feed dogs. I noticed when I started quilting whole/large tops that my thread would often break when I would try to quilt to the left or upwards.
Now, when I am quilting a large quilt, and I need to go in all directions and don't want to mess with the constant threading and re-threading of my needle, I tape a piece of cardstock over the feeddogs and this helps.