I need help with using stencils to quilt. Is this FMQ? Do you just sew following the lines or do you a special foot. Do you drop the feed dogs? Do you use a walking foot (when do you use a walking foot?) Any help you can send my way will be greatly appreciated. I love reading the board each day and get many lessons from you experienced quilters and from new quilters like myself asking their questions.

I use the walking foot only when I'm doing straight lines, like stitch in the ditch patterns. FMQ where I use my special foot, I always drop the feed dogs. It give's you free motion to move the fabric. I would suggest using some kind of grippy gloves. Like maybe dollar store yellow or green ones with the tips cut out if you don't have access to the expensive ones.

When tracing test your pencils, crayons or chalk, which ever you prefer to make sure that it comes out. Yellow is VERY hard to get out.

Great that you got help so quickly, i plan to check back again and see other suggestions.

I use the walking foot on straight seams like SID & with this foot, I use feed dogs up because it's to help move the bottom fabric at the same speed as the top so less puckers. I use my darning foot/FMQ foot with feed dogs down in order to give me the freedom to move the fabric freely where I need to to get my more curved designs outlined on the layers. I hope this helps.

I learned by doing stencils on the border.
FMQ on the border is much easier to do because no craming into the throat area.
This is after I use the walking foot for the interior of the quilt. This required cramming thru the throat area so much easier to do strait lines. I have a 10 in throat and it is much easier to cram the quilt thru but still a hassle.