Top 5 Tips for Free Motion Quilting & the Fall Free Motion Quilt Along with Quilted Joy!

Angela Huffman of Quilt Joy has five top tips for free motion quilting on a sit-down domestic sewing machine to share with you! But that's not all - she's set you up for success with a fabulous Fall Free Motion Quilt Along where you can put these great tips into practice right away. More info, including the signup, is included with the bonus tip right after these five great tips. Don't miss it!

Tip 1: Start on Paper

If you can't draw it, you won't be able to stitch it. Don't worry, you don't need to draw it well. Drawing the design trains your brain; the best way is with tracing paper. Print out your worksheet for the Fall Free Motion Quilt Along from your inbox (the sign-up link is here), print out the motif, and lay some tracing paper on top. Trace the design over and over until you are ready to move to a clean sheet of paper to try it on your own. It is the easiest way to train your brain.

Tip 2: Draw the First Few Designs on the Fabric

The designs in the Fall Free Motion Quilt Along Worksheets are repeated designs. Grab your favorite marking device and draw the first three on the fabric. This gives you a chance to get yourself a bit more comfortable before stitching on your own. Think of it as training wheels. We could all use a pair of those initially when free-motion quilting!

Tip 3: Use a Sandbox

Make sure you have fabric sandwiches to play and practice on before stitching the designs on your quilt. Angela calls it a sandbox! You'll use this sandwich to play with the color and thickness of the thread and practice how you hold the sandwich and maneuver it under the needle.

Using a skinny thread when doing free-motion stitching is far more forgiving. Try a 60-weight polyester thread, and you'll see how the stitches melt into the fabric and can mask any mistakes.

Tip 4: Learn What You Like

There are so many great notions on the market to help you grab the quilt sandwich so you can control the weight and direction you'll be moving. Angela loves using the purple quilting gloves because they don't make her hands hot and offer great control. Other quilters like paddles or even hoops. If you have any arthritis issues, you may find that there are things that help you more than others. 

Tip 5: Practice Positivity

If you have a perfection monster that lives in your head, remind yourself that your doing this for fun. While you may admire all the eye-popping quilts at AQS Quilt Shows, that isn't the level of quilting you need to aim for right off. Just want to have fun, and that means it won't look like a robot has stitched it. While you're learning, it might be a bit wonky. But that's perfectly okay.

Bonus Tip

Here’s a bonus tip, start with a fabric panel. Panels aren't expensive and offer the perfect place to play with different designs. You can relax and enjoy the learning process without having to fret or feel like you have to pick out any oopsies. 

It's a Fall Free Motion Quilt Along with Quilted Joy! by Angela Huffman

Next, let's have some free-motion fun with spooky motifs! Join the Fall Free Motion Quilt Along with Quilted Joy! by Angela Huffman.

Visit the Quilted Joy website and sign up here to receive a worksheet with step-out instructions in your inbox every day for seven days. Boo-tiful, right? There are witch hats, ghouls, pumpkins, and more for you!

Ready to get some downloadable worksheets with great fall free-motion designs? Let's do it! You can sign up at this link and every day for the next seven days you'll get a new Fall Free Motion Design worksheet in your inbox so you can print them out and play! 

These worksheets have step-by-step instructions on how to quilt these playful designs.

So, sign up and watch for your email with the first downloadable worksheet! And remember to share your work! You can join the Quilted Joy Clubhouse on Facebook or tag @QuiltedJoy on Instagram. #fallfreemotionquilting