One of the most beautiful quilting techniques to amp up any project is free motion stitching. When you complete the basics of a quilt, free motion stitching adds an additional layer of decoration that makes the quilt stand out.
As beautiful as free motion stitching is, it always looked super difficult to me. I’ve never been much of an artist, and free motion stitching is basically stitching with a needle and thread, so it must be hard for someone like me, right?
Wrong. I had never seen the YouTube channel Man Sewing, but host Rob Appell makes it so easy with this 20 minute video! With a little practice, I think I’m gonna be an expert in no time!
The trick to making free motion stitching work is control. Control of your machine, of how hard you move the quilt, of your thread and needle, and so on. Carefully planning your quilt design beforehand and working in sections is also a great idea to avoid ruining your project.
Rob recommends learning how to do circles and swirls first, and using a tiny quilt you don’t care about too much to practice on. Once you master your circles and curves, you’ve pretty much learned what it takes to control your free motioning as a whole.
For straight line stitching, he suggests no more than two stitch points before each change of direction, but they’re much easier to maneuver.
If you want to learn how to be a free motion stitching expert, too, watch Rob’s video. Leave us a comment letting us know what designs you plan on doing, and be sure to share this with your friends!