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Stitch in the DitchOne of the most basic quilting techniques, "stitch in the ditch" means machine quilting into the seams made by piecing the quilt top. This will sometimes start a machine-quilted pattern, but it doesn't always. If you've basted with safety pins, make sure you don't stitch over them since they could break your needle. -
Diagonal gridsIt's just what it sounds like--quilting in straight lines. The most common types of straight-line quilting are outlining squares or other polygons and creating diagonal grids over the quilt.
Generally, it's best to have the feed dogs up and use a walking foot for straight-line quilting. The feed dogs are the teeth under the needle which, in the up position, "feed" the bottom fabric through the machine. A walking foot helps feed the top of the quilt through at the same rate as the bottom so there won't be puckers in your quilt. -
Free-motionThis technique is like drawing with the machine needle--instead of letting the machine guide the fabric, you control the motion of the quilt sandwich, moving it in any direction with your hands as you sew. You can use adhesive paper stencils on the quilt top and follow the lines to create patterns, or, when you're more experienced, you may want to stitch designs freehand.
With this method the feed dogs are down, not touching the fabric. An open-toe darning foot is the best choice since a mechanism in that type of foot releases pressure on the quilt whenever the needle is up, allowing you to move the quilt freely. Also, the openness of this foot gives you a clear view of where you're sewing. Go slowly and keep the quilt sandwich taut. -
StipplingStippling is a specific type of free-motion quilting. It involves a continuous, meandering seam that travels very close to itself in many places but never crosses itself. (Other free-motion quilting seams can cross over themselves.) Stippling uses fluid, open loops that usually come within about 1/4 inch of each other or other seams.
As with general free-motion quilting, the feed dogs should be down and an open-toe darning foot works well. A seam path pre-marked with chalk, especially for beginners, helps ensure even stippling stitches and uniform coverage. -
Quilt as You GoThis technique essentially constructs a quilt block-by-block rather than completing the top and putting the quilt layers together. Instead, you piece each block, machine quilt each block separately, and then assemble the blocks into a complete quilt. This method works well with flannel quilts since the edges need no finishing and seam allowances can be exposed.
