Originally Posted by
DogHouseMom
FMQ only means that the MACHINE is in free motion. It has nothing to do with whether the quilt was marked in any way. The quilter can choose to use a stencil, chalk, pounce, golden thread paper, pencil - or just "wing it".... whatever. But once she/he takes the feeding mechanism off the machine and starts moving the quilt by her/himself ... that's FMQ.
Yup, this is it for me, too. I've done a meander without a stencil, other fillers (like swirls, hearts and flowers) without stencils, and then I've done other shapes with the help of patterns on golden threads paper or chalked in from a stencil. All of that is FMQ for me. If I have to get out that darning foot, it's FMQ!