Free Motion Foot (Darning Foot)
A presser foot used with dropped feed dogs to allow the quilter to move fabric freely in any direction while machine quilting.
The free motion foot (also called a darning foot, hopper foot, or embroidery foot) has a spring-loaded design that allows it to hop up and down as stitches are formed. It is used with the machine's feed dogs dropped or covered, removing the machine's control over fabric movement. The quilter moves the quilt sandwich freely — forward, backward, sideways, in curves — to create meandering, stippling, feather plumes, and custom quilting designs. Free motion quilting requires practice to achieve consistent stitch length.
Related Terms
Practice makes perfect.
NiftyFifty connects quilters from all 50 states through block swaps, bees, and quilt-alongs. Great place to put new techniques to work.