Sounds like you're doing fine. Remember to take frequent breaks for your shoulders and arms to rest.

One thing that may help you is to set extra table space and/or your ironing board at table height so you have more space to carry your quilt. This will help to keep it from pulling and take some of the weight off your shoulders.

Good luck with your project! My first machine quilted quilt was a king sized bowtie. It is possible!!

I just finished a tablecloth for Christmas that was at least 75" long and I quilted it with diagonal lines. I had the exact same problem, on my domestic machine, and I did find it difficult (and hard on the arms/shoulders, lol!). I wondered at the time if there was a better way, but didn't really find one.

I would second Jennifer's suggestion to make extra table room so that the quilt is supported around the machine and it doesn't fall, drag or pull. That certainly helps.

Other than that, I'll be following this thread to see if there are any other helpful suggestions, because I did run into that same question :)

I've done a couple queen size and several full and sofa size. It is VERY hard on arms, shoulders and hands. (This is why I want one of the sit down free motion machines.) I don't have any additional advice; just use as many tables as you can to give support and take frequent breaks. I use garden gloves with the grippy dots on the palms to help me move the fabric around, but I cut off the fingers; I try to keep pressure on with my palms otherwise I get cramps in my hands.

Have fun! It really feels great when you are done to know you did it all.

Kate

When I machine quilt anything larger than a daybed size, I do it in sections. Usually three. That means there are two seams I hand finish on the backing of the quilt, but it's invisible on the front. When I join the sections, I leave the backing material about an inch and a half longer on one side, and then fold it over the back of the other section and do an invisible applique stitch by hand up the back. It's a trade off, but it makes the FMQ so much easier and enjoyable. Yes......it's murder on the shoulders and upper arms. You feel like you've been wrangling steers.

In the film "Stitched" there are some great scenes with a quilter working on free motion quilting a large piece. She has clamps suspended from the ceiling on ropes to hold the quilt up off the table so she can easily swing it around. When I saw that I instantly wanted to put some big hooks in my sewing room ceiling!!!

I'm quilting a king 120x120 on my regular machine right now! I always start my quilting in the middle of the quilt, and it's quite frustrating there, but its not so bad once you get out to the sides. My sewing table is very large and it is important to keep all the weight of the quilt on the table! I stop and reposition the quilt frequently.
If you have an office chair you may try raising the chair height a bit. This was recommended to me by my first machine quilting teacher, and I don't normally have shoulder pain. I've taken a long Christmas break from this quilt but need to get back at it this week so its done by warm weather!

I certainly understand. I roll up the parts to be out of the way and start in the middle also. I also ditto the space thing. I have a big table backed up to my sewing table and made risers for the legs so the height is even. I've added the ironing board to the side now and then as well. It's not easy for any of us who don't use the longarm but hang in there. When you get done, you can be so proud because you know what you put into it. And, show us the finished product. We'd love to see it.