Tag Archives: Free Motion Quilting

Why Free Motion Quilting Is A Good Place To Start

Free Motion Quilting

Free motion quilting can feel overwhelming if you dive in with a brand-new longarm system, load up a king-size quilt, and expect flawless results right away. The truth is, mastering longarm quilting is a journey—it takes practice, patience, and progression. Just like learning to play the piano, quilting on a longarm machine is a step-by-step process, where each skill builds on the next. Take it one stitch at a time, and you’ll get there!

Why Free Motion Quilting Rather Than Following A Pantograph Pattern?

Following an edge-to-edge pantograph pattern is trickier than it looks. Keeping that little laser dot perfectly on the line takes a lot more control and focus than most people expect. The great thing about free motion quilting is that it helps you develop muscle memory much faster than simply following pantographs.

Every quilt has its own personality, and sometimes an overall design just doesn’t do it justice. Free motion or custom quilting gives you the freedom to be creative and let the quilt “speak” to you. Take a pinwheel quilt, for example—pinwheels spin, they have movement! Your quilting should reflect that motion instead of covering it up with a random edge-to-edge pattern that doesn’t fit the design. The right quilting enhances the quilt, bringing it to life rather than overpowering it.

Don’t get me wrong—there are so many incredible edge-to-edge pantograph patterns out there that can truly enhance a quilt when used in the right situations. They can add texture, movement, and a beautiful finish. But having the skills to do both edge-to-edge and free motion quilting gives you the flexibility to choose what best suits each quilt. When you’re proficient in both methods, you can listen to what the quilt needs and create a masterpiece that truly brings it to life.

How To Get Started Free Motion Quilting

The best way to get started with free motion quilting is to load a practice quilt onto your frame and just start quilting! Don’t be afraid to quilt the heck out of it—this is all about building skill and confidence. Avoid using an old bed sheet as backing since it doesn’t give the best quilting experience. Instead, grab some affordable cotton fabric from Walmart and use a quality batting like Hobbs 80/20 Heirloom. It’s not the cheapest option, but it will help you get a feel for how your more expensive quilts will handle when you’re ready for them. A great exercise to begin with is writing in cursive. If you remember practicing lowercase and uppercase letters over and over in school, this will feel familiar. This technique teaches continuous line quilting, where you move smoothly without stopping, cutting your thread, and restarting. Learning to quilt efficiently within a block and then transitioning to the next without unnecessary stops will save time and make your quilting process much more fluid. With practice, you’ll develop the control and muscle memory needed to create beautiful, flowing designs!

Practice Makes Perfect… Well Pretty Close Anyway!

When we first started quilting on a longarm machine we heard over and over, “Just practice, practice, practice!” It is so true. When Kathy first started quilting she told her friends that she would supply the batting if they gave her quilts to practice on. The only stipulation was that they were donation quilts so her friends had to donate them. That way it didn’t matter how horrible Kathy thought they were because they were out of site out of mind and someone had a nice quilt give to them.

Meandering or Stippling Isn’t The Only Game In Town

Too many quilts rely on simple stippling or loose meandering, and while that may have been the go-to technique for old-school quilt teachers in the ‘70s, quilting has evolved so much since then! There are endless possibilities with feathers, fill patterns, and creative designs that can truly enhance the personality of your quilt. These techniques add depth, texture, and artistry, turning an ordinary quilt into something extraordinary. We’re working on some exciting YouTube videos to showcase a variety of fill patterns you can master and incorporate into your quilting. With a little practice, you’ll be able to transform your quilts into stunning, show-worthy pieces—quilting them yourself! Stay tuned and get ready to take your quilting to the next level!

In Conclusion

Don’t over think the whole machine quilting thing! There are far too many people that have invested a lot of money into their longarm quilting system only to be so intimidated by it that they never start. That is why loading a simple practice quilt on it and just scribble. Just do something. After you start to get a feel for how your machine moves around, then start practicing on feathers or other more advance fill designs. You are on the road to creating your own style. Don’t be satisfied with mediocre quilting quality. Remember that there are no natural born professional longarm quilters. Everyone that ever go to where they can do show quilts started just like you by pinning on a quilt and practice, practice, practice!

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