The first quilt I did was a table top one so it was easy to machine quilt. However, I am now moving onto my first quilt that is 64" x 64". I am going to machine quilt it, so do I start in the middle? How do I roll up the side that is not the open side? Also, do you have to use a free motion quilt presser foot? The needle doesnt go in the foot anyway so cant you just quilt without the foot? (Can you tell I am new to quilting? lol)

I generally do start in the middle. I don't roll up, but rather pin really really well and then just smoosh around as needed.

I use a darning foot. I think you can quilt without a foot on some machines, but also know people whose hand has gotten stabbed by the needle because they got too close. So I've never tried it!

The foot does help -- If find my regular foot works well when I want to FMQ in more of a straight line (without putting the feed dogs back up)....

Congrats on making your first quilt. There are many ways of quilting. The middle is a great place to start. It is best to scrunch up the quilt rather than roll, I find, cause as Leah Day says when you roll up a quilt it is like moving a log under your machine. I find it is best to use the free motion foot,safety reasons if nothing else and to lower the feed dogs. Some people don't lower the feed dogs. I think you are great to jump in and free motion, a lot of people are so afraid to try. I would also recommend going to youtube or leahday.com and watch a few video on how to set up and go. Peddle to the medal as they say. Good luck

First question ... yes you start in the middle and work your way out.

Second ... you can roll it or "puddle" it if your comfortable. Take the needle out and put the quilt in your machine as if you were going to begin quilting, move it around and see how comfortable you are with it. Best to have plenty of room on the left side and in back of the machine for the quilt to lay flat and reduce "drag".

Third ... you use a free motion foot if you are going to quilt in a pattern other than straight lines. If you want straight lines then use a walking foot and leave the feed dogs up. If you want any pattern that has a curve to it then lower the feed dogs and use a free motion foot. The free motion foot DOES touch the fabric, just not all the time. It has an "arm" that sits on top of the needle shank screw which causes the foot to move up and down with the motion of the needle. When the needle is down, so is the foot. It needs to be there to hold the quilt in place while the needle is actually sewing - if not and you moved the quilt while the needle was inside your quilt ... you could either rip your quilt or break/bend the needle. This last part I dont' know from experience because I'm not willing to try <g>. Another reason is it would be way too easy to move your finger/hand right into the sewing area and aside from the pain, the blood won't do your quilt any good.

For safety reasons alone, use a free motion foot. Having to rescue a neighbor who had sewn right through her index finger taught me that.Check out Leah Day on DaystylesDesigns.com for tips on how to manouvre a quilt on a domestic sewing machine.

Like so many others have said, check out Leah Day.

http://www.daystyledesigns.com/

She offers lots of tips and trips.

Also check out You Tube for FMQ how to videos. There are many.

thanks for the info. How do you maneuver around all the pins that are in the quilt? Especially if you are not doing free motion and want to do straight lines whether diagonally or up and down or across, or any consistent pattern for that matter?

I will check out the videos you mentioned and thank you so much for the info! Wish me luck, I may chicken out since I dont have a free motion foot.

thanks so much for the explanation of the free motion foot. I had no idea how it functioned.

Yowsa, a needle in the finger? I do NOT want that for sure! Thanks for the advice