Your complete guide to free motion quilting

Welcome to the flowing and detailed world of free motion quilting! We absolutely love free motion quilting here at Gathered and adore the way it elevates our quilt projects from basic to brilliant.

In this guide, we’re going to show you exactly why we love free motion quilting. We’re going to cover everything from what it is, how to do it, and the best free motion quilting equipment on the market.

Get ready, it’s time to start stitching!

You can also head to our complete guide of the best sewing machines for the best of the best!

Your complete guide to free motion quilting

What is free motion quilting?

Free motion quilting is the process of combining the layers of a quilt together freehand, using a continuous line of stitches. Imagine your needle is the pen and your quilt is the paper.

When you sew your quilt sandwich together, your needle will be able to move freely in all directions, instead of just in straight lines. Think of it as doodling with your sewing machine.

This allows you to create a variety of patterns and shapes as you sew, adding interest to your finished quilt.

What do you need to start free motion quilting?

You only need a few very basic supplies in order to start free motion quilting. The good news is you probably already have these in your kit!

You will need:

• A sewing machine that is suitable for free motion quilting
• A base fabric on which to stitch your free motion designs
• Thread for your sewing machine

You can create wonderful designs with just these three supplies. There are some other useful tools and pieces of equipment when it comes to free motion quilting but we will look into these later.

First, let’s dive into these three key supplies.

What’s the best sewing machine for free motion quilting?

There’s a range of brilliant sewing machines on the market but not all are suited to free motion quilting.

One of our favourites is the Brother FS100WT as it’s both budget and beginner-friendly. It has all the essential functions needed for free motion quilting including drop feeds, free motion quilting foot and a wide table, allowing you to tackle big quilt projects. It also comes with a host of accessories that make quilting with it a dream.

Discover the best free motion quilting machines

To help you make a more informed decision we’ve rounded-up 2023’s best free motion quilting machines. These six machines are all perfect for free motion quilting and would make a great addition to your tool kit.

Start free motion quilting with these fabrics

All free motion quilters need a stash of fabric ready for them to start sewing with. If you don’t know where to find beautiful fabrics, don’t worry! Our collection of the best online fabric shops has several recommendations.

We’ve also collected the best spring fabrics as well as the best Christmas fabrics. These fabrics will give you a stunning base on which to stitch your free motion quilting patterns!

Find the best thread for free motion quilting with our guide

Free motion quilting machine and fabric checked off the list – now it’s on to thread! You can use most threads for free motion quilting but we suggest using a cotton 2 ply thread in either 50wt, 40wt or 28wt.

You can also opt for a cotton 40wt or a nylon 100Td. Just check if the quilting thread you buy works with your sewing machine.

To learn more about thread types and differences, head over to our complete guide to the best quilting thread. It includes a handy diagram that shows you which threads are suitable, recommended and definitely not to use when it comes to free motion quilting.

The best seam rippers on the market

Seam rippers are not essential but they're a very handy tool to have in your kit. They allow you to unpick any mistakes quickly and easily. Head over to our collection of the best seam rippers to find the perfect one for you.

How to do free motion quilting

Now you have all the essential pieces of equipment, it's time to learn how to do free motion quilting. We have created a step by step tutorial on how to do free motion quilting for beginners here on Gathered.

This tutorial covers the following:

• How to prepare your quilt sandwich for free motion quilting
• How to adjust your sewing machine for free motion quilting
• How to do free motion quilting
• How to use stencils and patterns in free motion quilting

It really is a one stop shop for free motion quilting! Head over to learn all the basics then come back to this guide to finish off your project.

How to use a quilting foot

One of the trickiest parts of free motion quilting is using, adjusting and changing the quilting foot. Since it can be a problem area for many quilters, we’ve created a specific how to use a quilting foot tutorial. It covers all the basics and we’d recommend reading it before you start free motion quilting.

Finishing off your free motion quilting project

If you’ve followed all the steps in our how to do free motion quilting tutorial then you’ll now have a beautiful piece that is ready to be finished off!

How to bind a quilt

To give your finished quilt a professional look you need to bind it. Our step by step YouTube video and how to bind a quilt tutorial show you how.

The best irons for quilting

Free motion designs often get crumpled and wrinkled while stitching. Once you’ve finished sewing and binding your quilt it’s best to give it a quick iron.

Discover the best irons for quilting and sewing with our round-up. We’ve included some affordable options as well as more high-end irons, all of which give that finishing touch to your pieces.

Start free motion quilting with these patterns

Once you’ve mastered the free motion quilting technique you’ll be ready to explore and experiment with different patterns.

There’s a host of gorgeous free motion quilting patterns out there, some of which you need to pay for and some are free.

To help you find a design you love, we’ve collected some of our favourite free motion quilting patterns. Not only are all these designs beautiful but they also cost nothing!

Experiment with free motion quilting templates

If you want to take your free motion quilting patterns one step further, we’d recommend picking up a quilting ruler or stencil.

Free motion quilting rulers

Free motion quilting rulers are brilliant for beginners as they give you a template to work around. They’re also great for experts as they provide inspiration and come in a range of incredible shapes and styles.

Head over to our collection of the best free motion quilting rulers and pick yourself up a new design. We especially love the flower design!

Free motion quilting stencils

Quilting stencils are another way of adding patterns to your fabrics easily. They tend to be very affordable and reusable, allowing you to use them across different types of projects.

Our round-up of the best quilting stencils can be used when free motion quilting. Not only does our round-up include some stencils to buy but it also shows you how to use them and why they’re useful.

Take your quilting further with these tips

Still searching for more free motion quilting advice? We asked our quilting experts for their 30 top tips for machine quilting to help you master free motion quilting.

These tips cover everything from matching your needle and thread to cleaning your machine!

Boost your knowledge with these free motion quilting books

Sometimes having a book to refer back to while you quilt is the best option. Here’s three of the best free motion quilting books to teach, inspire and excite you!

1. Natalia Whiting Bonner’s Beginners Guide to Free Motion Quilting

This handy guide is one of the best free motion quilting books on the market. Written by the award-winning blogger and quilter Natalia Whiting Bonner, it will make a brilliant addition to your craft bookshelf.

It packs in over 50 quilting designs alongside step by step tutorials. All the instructions come with clear photography and are written in simple language, making it perfect for beginners.

2. Amanda Murphy’s Rulerwork Free Motion Quilting Idea Book

Quilt and fabric designer Amanda Murphy has created a range of free motion quilting books. There’s three in her series but the Rulerwork Free Motion Quilting Idea Book is her first and (in our opinion) best.

Amanda takes you from beginner tips and tricks all the way through to more advanced patterns to try. She shows you how to use machine quilting rulers, lay a foundation for your quilting and so much more. There’s 59 free motion designs in the book so there’s plenty to practice with!

3. Angela Walter's Free Motion Meandering Book

Best-selling author and crafter Angela Walters, has created a fantastic free motion quilting book. It has glowing reviews and is ideal for quilters wanting to experiment with free motion quilting patterns.

It includes eight stitches as well as a range of creative variations, quilted samples and easy-to-follow visuals. There’s also some great pointers on preventing gaps and answers to some free motion quilting FAQs.

Start your free motion quilting journey

Free motion quilting is an incredibly diverse and rewarding form of quilting. It allows you to add detailed stitching to your fabrics and elevates your projects to a professional level.

We hope our guide has given you all the information, tools and techniques you need to start free motion quilting. All that’s left is to find yourself a project to try your newfound skills with!

Discover more quilting projects with Gathered

If you’ve enjoyed our free motion quilting guide then wait till you see all the amazing projects we have here on Gathered.

Browse our collection of free quilting patterns and be inspired.