Hi! I am hoping someone can help me with a machine quilting question I have. I've never machine quilted before. I want to do a free-hand quilt swirly pattern on about 70% of my quilt. Do I need to both stitch in the ditch and free-hand machine quilt, or only do the free-hand quilting? Thanks in advance!

Just the free-hand quilting is fine. I rarely stitch in the ditch. Just make sure you've pinned or spray basted your sandwich securely.

Thanks, katybob! :)

If this is your first time, definitely make sure you practice on scraps to get used to free motion. Speed makes a difference - if you are moving the fabric faster than the machine is sewing the needle breaks. Practice, and have fun!

make a number of small practice pieces with top, batting and backing to practice, it takes time and practice to do anything that looks ok. even straight s.i.d. takes practice.

When I use meandering I usually don't SID. I love the look of it and it is relaxing to do. I put on some music and off I go. Have fun quilting.

If you make sure your quilt is secure and will not warp or twist as you sew, it is unnecessary to stitch in the ditch. A few basting stitches done down and across the quilt in a large stitch can help if you don't spray glue your quilt. I use the thread that dissolves in the top and ordinary thread in the bottom for this purpose as you only have to wash the quilt to get rid of it. Change your thread to start quilting and quilt all around the outside edge and gradually work into the middle. For machine quilting, you will have less problem with puckers.
Always practise for about 10-15 minutes on a small quilt sandwich to make sure there are no tension problems and that you get into the rhythm first.

I do and I don't SITD. It depends on the pattern of the quilt. If it is in large blocks with sashing in between, I'll often SITD around the blocks and freemotion inside the block. Then do a different pattern on the sashing.
Some other quilts, I just freemotion as my heart desires.
There are no quilt police, so follow your heart.

Katybob, you helped me a couple of weeks ago with my first machine quilt (whether to SID or not). I have about 1/4 of the quilt done & wanted to show you. Thank you! kthompson

Wow, you are doing a great job, it's beautiful. Hard to believe this is your first one!