Kas

I piece scraps from the quilt I am about to fmq. Then I try out different threads while I get warmed up. That way I know which ones look the best. I save these pieces to help me remember past quilts. Silly, I know.

C.Cal Quilt Girl

Check the book to see if machine will do first, May only be able to straight, stitch in the ditch,(along the seam), or curved arches, sometimes freemotion looks more like scribbles, (that may be a bad description) has more flow to it. Good Luck and Welcome !! :D
can go to topics on header and most of the names of things you hear will have topic postings

nursie76

When you sew normally, as in piecing, you sew in a straight line, and you presserfoot and feed dogs move the fabric through the machine. In FMQ, you lower the feed dogs...so, if you don't move the fabric, it just kinda sits there..making knots in the thread, lol. So, you provide the motion. You place your hands on the fabric and you can make loops, hearts, etc. It takes some practice, but it is really neat. Google free motion quilting videos and you can watch it being done, which will help you understand a little bit better.

trif

When I practiced my FMQ I used material with batting and backing big enough for a lap quilt, when I was done playing I then would cut it into placemats n tape runner sizes put on binding and gave away as gifts. Family loved it

M.I.Late

There's also one out there called the "Big Foot" used for free motion quilting. Walking foot is more for straight line sandwiches though.

M.I.Late

I would describe free motion quilting as puzzle quilting - it sort of looks like puzzle pieces but it's continuous.

M.I.Late

I practice FMQ on cut out pieces of fabric that can be used for pot holders, burp pads for babies or bibs. Try a floral and trace the flowers - good for practicing your control. It could also end up being something you want to splice into a towel or something.

dosnanas

The manual can be downloaded from the Brother website, I downloaded one for the machine I have ordered so I could get a head start. Also parts, but check other sites (Ebay, etc.) when you know which foot you want to order.

Lacelady

When I was practising, I did it on Project Linus quilts. I figured the youngsters wouldn't be critical over some of my stitching if I boo booed. Nothing wasted, and a good cause benefitted.

newestnana

I was using a Brother that I'd purchased at Costco before upgrading (at substantial cost) to my Janome. When I started quilting on my Brother, I ended up ordering several more feet for it online, including a walking foot and a darning foot. As pointed out in other posts, the walking foot helps the three-layered fabric sandwich feed evenly while sewing straight lines (stitch in the ditch, cross hatch, bindings). The darning foot is for free-motion sewing (so the fabric is not moved automatically in a straight line away from you), and you either "drop" the feed dogs (on my Brother there's a switch on the bottom back of the machine that does this) or cover them so the fabric is not gripped by them (you can make a homemade cover...I'm sure there are posts on this board telling you how to do it).

These two feet look totally unlike any other feet. I was kinda frustrated at having gotten my Brother at such a good price but then having to pay so much for these extras...maybe you can find a bargain someplace. I've seen walking feet at Joanns (use a coupon???) but I'm not sure whether they fit the Brother...there may be only a couple of sizes (wouldn't it be nice if they were standardized and interchangeable for all machines?).