Free Motion-Three Ways
Good Morning, Quilters!
Once you learn how to drop your machine’s feed dogs and take control, there are several ways to use the free motion technique.
FREE MOTION QUILTING
Of course, you can use free motion quilting to create fabulous designs and texture. This is the technique we are most familiar with here at The Inbox Jaunt--stitching through a quilt sandwich to create a quilt.
FREE MOTION EMBROIDERY
Another free motion technique is free motion embroidery. Lower the feed dogs and stitch on a single layer of fabric (usually using a stabilizer). I used this technique to make a few kitchen towels recently–read more HERE.
NOTE- Free motion embroidery is different from machine-guided embroidery done on computerized sewing machines.
FREE MOTION, RAW EDGE APPLIQUE
Still another way to use free motion–is to do appliqué. I used this technique to create a project for OLFA (FREE instructions from OLFA HERE).
In this method, the appliqué is fused to the base fabric and then layered into a quilt sandwich. The free motion stitching simultaneously secures the appliqué, quilts the layers together and adds decorative elements.
I guess you could call it Free Motion AppliQuiltOidery!
FREE MOTION CHALLENGE
As you learn new motifs and enjoy the freedom of machine quilting without the feed dogs, challenge yourself to find new ways to incorporate free motion into your projects!
Could you add the Ladybug to a pocket or cuff? What about a row of Umbrellas on a skirt?
Why not embellish an appliqué quilt with The Basic Leaf? 
What about YOU?
Have you used your free motion freedom beyond the quilt sandwich?
Have you ever tried free motion appliqué?
Do YOU have a favorite motif?
We’d LOVE to hear!
Your Mulit-tasking quilt friend,
Lori
PS…BUY ANY TWO books and the second book ships FREE!! (Etsy)
Signed copies of MORE Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3 are available NOW!
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!
My favorite way to do free-motion is raw-edge applique! Love it!
I love that word “appliquiltoidery” but it is hard to say!
Oddly enough, I do better stitch in the ditch with a free motion foot and feed dogs down than I do with a walking foot.
I enjoyed reading this today, Lori.
You are always so enthusiastic!!
Great post! Thanks!
Free Motion Mending! I recently had to repair a pillow case that got too close to my rotary cutter. I use pillow cases to hold fabric and batting scraps to make pads for dog beds. I was stuffing the pillow case and some scraps needed to be cut just a bit, so out came the rotary cutter & I didn’t move the pillow case enough – won’t make that mistake again. I was sewing up the holes when I realized that it would be so much easier to drop feed dogs and sew up the slices with Free Motion Mending! It worked really great!!
You are always so inspirational!
Lori, I received my copy of your latest book and want to thank you for the three samples of machine quilting! You were so thoughtful to include these in my order. Your book is great and I will enjoy it so much. Thank you for sharing your tremendous talents with us and for making the tutorials available to us. What an inspiration you are! Cam Morgan
I do free motion applique all the time.