Free Motion Quilting Loops and Echoes

Published: Wed, 07/06/22

Hi ,

This week I'm testing my frame weight and seeing how this makes a difference quilting on my frame and home sewing machine. Learn how to quilt Loopy L's from the Free Motion Quilting Practice Panel too!

Quilting with a Frame Weight - Beginner FMQ Loops - Start Quilting #6

Click Here to learn how to sew a Frame Weight. I found this tool very helpful, though this particular design isn't the best test for using it.

Loopy L's are really best quilted freehand with no marks to guide you. The reason is simple - you need to quilt the loops with speed to achieve a smooth, flowing line.

Trying to quilt on a marked line will slow you down and because you can't get a speedy flow, you're likely to quilt a few wobbles into your line.

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Back to Loopy Lines with the Frame Weight

Practice Hitting Exact Points, Pivoting, and Echoing

These are very, very important skills to build and the frame weight definitely helped me have more control with all three. More weight means more control and stability of the machine.

When the machine is too easy to roll around, I tend to get a death-grip on the handles and really tense through my shoulders and back. None of this tension helps me control the machine on my frame better.

By adding the weight to the quilt surface, which then presses down on the machine bed, the machine will require a bit more effort to move. This additional effort will help you hit points, pivot, and echo with more control because you won't be wobbling off in the wrong direction by accident.

Keep in mind - quilting on a frame has the opposite problems as stationary quilting.

When your home machine is in a table, you'll do anything to lighten the weight, reduce the bulk, and make it easier to move.

When your machine is on a frame though, the ease of moving it on wheels means a bit more weight might be required.

So enjoy testing your frame weight and quilt through rows #7-10 on your FMQ Practice Panel by following the marked line, then filling in the space with rows of echoes.

Until next week!

Let's go quilt,

Leah Day

Check out more videos from this Start Quilting Series using the Free Motion Quilting Starter Kit:

#1 - Unboxing the Free Motion Quilting Starter Kit

#2 - Loading a Hoop Frame

#3 - FMQ Warm Up and Beginner Design

#4 - Beginner Skill Building Design Loops and Shells

#5 - How to Sew a Frame Weight