There is no such thing as a 'dumb question'! Free motion quilting is when you lower the feed dogs & control the fabric with your hands & the speed of the machine. It is tricky & takes practice. :evil: You do not have to have a quilting machine but you must have the ability to lower the feed dogs & have the quilting/darning foot. It is grnerally used to stitch designs on a quilt or anything that you have made such as place mats, wall hangings, etc. Go to "about.com" then go to quiltingit is a great site for all levels of quilters. Good luck if you decide it's something you want to do! :D