Holice

It appears from reading posts that quilters think FMQ is always done without using stencil or pattern. Am I correct.

QM

Yes to stencil. The pattern is usually in my head.

PaperPrincess

I would say that FMQ is often done without any premarking of the quilt, but a lot of people also use stencils or mark the quilt in some way.

Grandma Bonnie

I have always thought that free motion quilting meant no lines to follow - just moving the machine freely (or the quilt). I may learn something new here today!

Jingle

I do a large meander or large stipple. All free hand and never use any kind of pattern. I love the look and love doing it. I use my DSM.

ckcowl

i've always been told that free motion means you are manouvering the machine or quilt to stitch- it is not a (computer generated) design...so, if long arm quilting- you take hold of those handle bars & guide the machine you are (free-motion) quilting---you may be following lines but you are still guiding/controlling the machine- same with quilting with a domestic machine- if you dropped the feed dogs, put on a (hopping foot) and are manouvering the fabrics you are free motion quilting---if you are programming a design on a computer/guidance system- and pushing a (start) button and letting them machine stitch out the design you are not free motion quilting.
so you can free motion with marked designs, stencils, panto's, ect. that's how it was explained to me way back when...

Stitchnripper

I have mostly done meandering, but have stencils for marking the quilt to make a pattern. It takes a lot more work for me at my level of competence to do it that way, but is a goal of mine to make it work. I haven't yet done any markings freehand. To me, FMQ means I will be guiding the quilt, whether meandering or with a marked pattern, with FMQ foot and stitch length set at zero. Feed dogs up or down doesn't seem to affect my outcome.

Lisa_wanna_b_quilter

Holice, I use your stencils all the time for FMQ. Or at least I attempt to. Let's just say some of the designs I end up with are not as intended!

Helen S

I prefer to lightly draw my pattern onto the quilt with chalk so I have something to follow using my DSM. It's worth the extra time involved to get good results. It depends on what design I'm doing as to whether or not I use a stencil. I find feathers are easier to just draw to fit the space I'm putting them into.

Holice

Lisa. It's ok to change the lines.....Thunderbolts don't descend on you head if you change something here and there or even miss the lines.