Fit Your Free Motion Quilting Foot to Your Sewing Machine
Over the last twelve years, I’ve championed breaking your free motion quilting foot (also called a darning foot) so they work better for free motion quilting.
I started modifying darning feet when quilting with a Juki TL-98QE sewing machine. I had to break the base of that metal darning foot open in order to see where I was quilting. With a solid base and the darning foot hopping up and down on the surface of the quilt, I was picking out more stitches than I put into the quilt.
Since then, I’ve fixed and fitted at least a hundred free motion quilting feet. We’re going to learn step by step how to attach a darning foot and how to fix it to make quilting easier. Jump ahead to the part you most need to see:
- Do I have to Use a Free Motion Quilting Foot?
- How to Find a Darning Foot For Your Sewing Machine
- Closer Look at a Generic Darning Foot
- Improve Your Darning Foot = Improve Your Free Motion Quilting
- How to Get Your Free Motion Quilting Foot to the Perfect Height
- Skipping Stitches? Your Darning Foot is Probably Too High
- How to Make an Open Toe Free Motion Quilting Foot
- More Options for Free Motion Quilting Feet
Do I have to Use a Free Motion Quilting Foot?
I truly think it’s the darning foot that gives quilters more problems than anything else with free motion quilting. Unfortunately this is the foot we must use. Here are a few common questions about these quilting feet that you may be wondering:
- Can you free motion quilt with a regular foot? No, a regular sewing machine presser foot will squish your quilt against the feed dogs. An applique foot might help you make nice satin stitches, but won’t allow you the freedom to stitch a design like Stippling.
- Can you free motion quilt with a walking foot? No, using a walking foot on your sewing machine helps you do another style of quilting – walking foot quilting. This style of quilting and the designs you can stitch with it are fundamentally different from free motion quilting.
- Can you free motion quilt without a foot? Yes, some quilters do this, but I don’t recommend it. A free motion quilting foot helps stabilize the quilt and lets you know where the needle is landing. Without a foot on your sewing machine, it’s very easy to stitch through your fingers.
When I originally wrote this post in 2011, darning feet and free motion quilting were a lot less popular. Now in 2023, this machine quilting style has exploded and many sewing machines come with a darning foot included!
We’ve also seen some significantly improved darning foot designs. Janome offers a (affiliate) beautiful Convertible Darning Foot with different bases you can swap out. This convertible foot can be an open toe free motion foot, closed toe darning foot, and even a ruler foot too.
Ruler feet are another fun option, especially if you want to try ruler quilting or free motion quilting templates. More on these new quilting options in just a bit!
How to Find a Darning Foot For Your Sewing Machine
You might be stuck on the beginning of this whole step – trying to find a darning foot or free motion quilting foot that will fit your sewing machine. I know from experience, finding a darning foot for certain sewing machines can be challenging. Here’s a few tips that may help:
- Run a Google search of your Sewing Machine Brand + Model Name and Number + Feet. Example: Janome Horizon 7700 Feet.
You will likely pull up several sewing machine part websites that carry lots of feet for your specific sewing machine. You do need to be specific with your machine brand and model number to be sure you’re getting compatible feet. - Once you find a listing, and you’re sure it’s for the correct machine, check if the feet include “high shank” or “low shank” in the title. If they do, you’ll quickly know your machine is high or low shank and you can order the generic free motion quilting foot we’re using in this tutorial here.
If you only find “Singer Darning Foot” or “Viking Quilting Foot” or “Bernina Quilting Foot” – this is a sign that your machine requires brand-specific feet. Less expensive, generic feet are not an option for you in this case. You’ll need to order a darning foot either from your sewing machine manufacturer, or from a dealer that carries these presser feet. - It’s also good to be aware if your sewing machine has a previous version. For example, I’ve been looking at putting a vintage Brother 210 in my treadle cabinet, but there are newer Brother 210 machines that will be easier to find in search results. I’ll need to be careful to make sure I’m getting feet for the older version of the Brother 210.
Closer Look at a Generic Darning Foot
Even though we have better darning feet available now, this inexpensive darning foot is still very common. We’re going to break this foot to make it work better for free motion sewing. Everything we do to improve the foot will improve our quilting ability!
The first thing we need to change is the long bar on top of the darning foot. This bar hits the needle bar every time the needle moves up. When stitching fast, the bar will clank against the needle bar, making a really loud noise.
Unfortunately to make pretty stitches with this darning foot design, you’ll have to run your machine pretty fast. Most beginning free motion quilters aren’t comfortable quilting that fast.
The movement of the foot base bouncing up and down constantly can also be distracting. It’s harder to see your needle and harder to concentrate on your free motion quilting design. Let’s fix this part of the darning foot so the foot stops bouncing and becomes a stationary free motion quilting foot.
Improve Your Darning Foot = Improve Your Free Motion Quilting
The fix is very simple: bend or break the top bar off your darning foot.
The bar across the top is designed to go over your needle bar. When the needle is up, the foot is pulled up with it. When the needle drops, the foot drops too – way too low on your quilt and squishes it.
This means the foot will hop up and down on the surface of your quilt, making it quite difficult to see what you’re doing. It also means your quilt is going to be hard to move, except when you’re running the sewing machine really fast.
So the best solution is to get rid of that bar, which I do by bending that top bar back with a pair of needle nosed pliers.
But once the top bar is bent back the foot is going to rest in the low position on your sewing machine. Remember that’s the position that is squishing your quilt badly.
How to Get Your Free Motion Quilting Foot to the Perfect Height
To fix this we now have to insert a rubber band or ponytail holder on the top of the foot. Place the rubber band between the spring and the bent metal bar so the foot is lifted slightly. I find 4 loops of a rubber band in this area does the trick:
Once you get the loops in place around the bar, just twist the excess rubber band around on top so it’s out of your way.
Now here’s the important part – every sewing machine is slightly different. You need to fit this darning foot to your home machine and make sure it is lifted to the right height. Put the foot on the machine, then place a quilt sandwich underneath. Lower the free motion quilting foot and slide the quilt around.
The foot should move smoothly over the surface of the quilt. You should be able to move the quilt freely and without it getting hung up or squished by the foot.
But it should also not be so high that you can see space between the foot and the surface of your quilt. You know the foot is too high if you start quilting and suddenly your thread starts breaking constantly. This means the foot is allowing the quilt too much play and it’s bouncing up and down and breaking your thread.
It’s a happy balance and can be adjusted using that rubber band. If you need the foot to be slightly higher, add another loop to the top. If you need the foot to be lower, take a loop away.
Skipping Stitches? Your Darning Foot is Probably Too High
Getting your darning foot to the right height is a major troubleshooting issue!
- Too high of a foot and you may experience skipped stitches and thread breaks. The quilt has too much space and bounce, which increases the friction on the thread and needle.
- Too low of a foot and you will have a harder time moving – it’s getting the stuffing squished out of it!
This step will require a bit of tweaking on your sewing machine. Put the free motion quilting foot back on your machine and slide a small quilt sandwich underneath. Use a real quilt sandwich with backing, batting, and quilt top to achieve the correct thickness for your project.
With the free motion foot in the down position, slide the quilt sandwich around. It should feel easy to move with two hands, but not so easy the quilt will bounce around under the foot.
For beginners, I suggest keeping the darning foot slightly lower than you think. This way, you’ll have a little more control over your quilt and be less likely to skip stitches or break thread.
Once you’re 100% happy with your darning foot height, wrap any leftover rubber band or ponytail elastic around the top part of the foot like this:
While this isn’t the most elegant fix to your free motion foot, it does WORK and that’s what matters.
How to Make an Open Toe Free Motion Quilting Foot
We’ve significantly improved this cheap darning foot. It will glide over your quilt, keeping it in place without pressing it down on your sewing machine. It will give you just enough space to move the quilt without too much space, which can cause skipped stitches.
But there is one other thing that’s wrong with this foot:
The base is a solid oval shape. Yes, it’s clear plastic, but it’s nearly impossible to see through when free motion quilting.
I want to see my needle clearly. This makes a really big difference when travel stitching. To quilt lines exactly on top of another, I need to be able to see every stitch. With an open toe free motion quilting foot, I can see my needle and stitch more accurately.
To fix this part, use jewelry clippers and clip open the base. To smooth out any rough edges, I use a nail file. A bit of sanding and Viola! We’ve made ourselves an Open Toe Darning Foot, perfectly adjusted for your sewing machine!
Video – How to Attach a Darning Foot and Fit it To Your Machine
It’s one thing to read about making these changes, but another thing to see it in action. Watch this video to see how I attach this darning foot to my sewing machine and then modify it one step at a time:
More Options for Free Motion Quilting Feet
In 2011, we had limited choices for free motion quilting feet, as I mentioned in the start of this tutorial. These days we have a lot more options!
Ruler Feet are a new style of darning foot, usually designed to hover over your quilt. They usually have a high, closed toe base, and yes, this limits your visibility.
But the advantage of using a ruler foot is being able to quilt with rulers or free motion quilting templates. This will give you even more control over your quilting design.
Ruler quilting is a new type of free motion quilting. You can switch between using the ruler and using other free motion quilting designs. So long as you have a ruler foot attached, quilting with both styles will be seamless!
Here are a few free motion embroidery foot options, including my favorite Deluxe Foot Kit available from my quilt shop:
I love how free motion quilting continues to evolve and grow. This is such a wonderful quilting style and so much fun to play with on our home sewing machines. Do you have questions about fitting your free motion foot to your sewing machine? Get more help by sharing your questions in the comments below.
Let’s go quilt,
Leah Day
Leah, I have a question not a comment.
Do you ever use the Presser Foot Pressure Adjustment to fine tune the pressure of the foot on your quilt sandwich? In normal sewing, I'm sure you know, it is adjusted according to how thick the fabric is that is being sewn. I usually put mine to zero or a low number. Since you have so much more experience FMQing I am curious of your experience on this aspect of the equation.
Thanks for your help…in all things FMQ.
I have a Viking Designer I & I use their open toe stippling foot — which is very similar to the broken clear foot you're using — but it gave way too much play & kept breaking the thread. It took me a while to figure out to leave the feed dogs up & lower the pressure number on the foot by 2. I have another Designer I & it needs the same treatment. I guess you have to learn your machine & not be afraid to make adjustments. Thanks for spreading the love on FMQ-ing!!
Virginia – ABSOLUTELY! The key is just not being afraid to make adjustments, to try new things, and see what works best.
Debbie – If your machine has that dial, by all means use it!
Not all machines have a pressure adjustment knob, but it is certainly helpful when they do.
If you feel like the foot is setting up too high, adjust the pressure to bring the foot lower. If the foot is feeling too low, loosen the pressure the machine is putting on the foot to lift it a bit.
I do like it when a machine has that adjustment, but not all do. With this foot and the rubber band adjustment, you can fine tune the foot without having to change anything on your machine.
Let's go quilt,
Leah
Leah,
I have a Janome MP 6600. Great machine, but your darning foot modification does not work at all on it.
I bought the generic high shank foot, but the needle sits so far back, that it hits the back of the foot, and there's no adjustment for that. So I modified my Janome foot as per your video. Problem is, as soon as there is low enough pressure on the foot to be able to glide the fabric as you show, the top thread will not engage the bobbin thread – I end up with an unholy tangle. No adjustments other than increasing foot pressure to the point of too much resistance seem to work. So I clipped the foot more open but returned everything back to the original.
I have found not dropping the feed dogs and decreasing the foot pressure via the dial to work well. Also am experimenting with INCREASING the stitch length rather than setting it to zero – seems to work well.
Bottom line is that this modification might not work on all machines.
Moni
Monica – As with all things with free motion quilting, I teach my method, I teach what works 99% of the time in classes and from students online, but no, it's not going to work for absolutely everyone.
It's good to know that your Janome 6600 is having this issue. I would recommend seeing if you can get the QBH foot that comes with the 7700 as this is one awesome foot that is excellent for free motion quilting.
And of course, anyone with a Bernina already has access to a fantastic foot (the open toe darning foot).
Not all machine manufactures have feet like the Janome or Bernina feet so this tutorial was to show what to do in those situations. I hope that helps!
Cheers,
Leah
Leah — Thanks for sharing. I use a Janome and also use the presser foot pressure control to fine tune. I have also just started using a metal darning foot (very small open toe) that does not hop and has an adjustment knob that does what your rubber bands do. The bottom part is exchangeable. The other two 'bottoms' are a large flat plastic foot that is useful for gliding over bumps (embroidery, etc) and a closed toe small metal loop (not sure what that is good for).
Maybe you can comment on the following: with the presser foot pressure set to near 0, my traditional 'hoppy' quilting foot (open toe), just gently kisses the surface of the quilt on the down stroke and seems helpful in synchronizing my hand movement and the stitching (adds just a bit of resistance when the needle is coming down). I see better with the non-hoppy foot mentioned above, but am having a harder time getting even stitches, and I'm finding that adjustment is touchier — a little too little distance and there is too much drag; a little too much distance and the stitch quality is not good. This is especially challenging when there are places with more seams. I work really hard to control seam bulk (even to the point of clipping, so part of a seam can go one way and part can go the other, or ironing open), but sometimes some extra thickness is inevitable and my fine-tuned non-hoppy foot doesn't clear. Any thoughts?
Hi Shilsenbeck – Maybe try increasing the pressure of the foot, then adjusting the foot itself depending on the height of the quilt you're quilting?
When it comes to seams, that is always tricky. I had a machine once that broke thread every time I stitched over a seam. Talk about annoying!
The best thing to do is just keep working at it, keep adjusting and trying new things with your machine. You never know what might work so keep playing with it until you find the right combination of settings.
Good luck!
Leah
O.M.G. Thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. I hate that frigging foot SO MUCH! I have been attempting to do free motion on and off over the last few years that I've been quilting and hated every single minute of the experience for those exact reasons – couldn't see where I was going and the damn thing jumping maniacally up and down all over my quilt. Up until today I thought it was just a case of PEBMAC (problem exists between machine and chair)!!!! Thank you!!!
So…once the foot is no longer "hopping", and a good chunk of the toe is cut open, what is the foot actually doing? Is there some reason to use this foot rather than something like an open toe embroidery foot?
I'll admit, I haven't tried any FMQ yet, but I just bought a foot and am going to start practicing.
have you ever tried the foot that looks like a coil or spring?
Adnohr – I'm not familiar with a spring foot, but I have tried spring needles. I found them tricky to work with because the spring was mostly in my vision. I also experienced some skipping stitches, but it's worth trying it for yourself.
I hope that helps!
Leah
Leah, let me just say I love your lessons… 🙂 I'm a beginner at FMQ, but I'm lucky enough to have an Open Toe Free Motion Foot for my Pfaff Smarter 1100Pro. I think it works great so far, but my mind might well change when I learn more… However, it's wonderful to have a resource like this to go to since quilting here in Finland is not a "big thing"… At least not yet! So keep up the brilliant work! 🙂
This is a wonderful tip — thanks so much! I just adjusted my fmq foot, and it's so much easier to use now. :):):)
I know this is an old post… but just in case you get automatic comment emails — I wanted to tell you that I'm really excited to see your rubberband trick for the FMQ foot – I was FMQing a few days ago – going so fast just cruising along, and that hook fell out of the FMQ foot! It wiggles loose every few minutes, that rubber band trick will surely fix it! 🙂 Thanks for saving me from having to buy a new FMQ foot!
Just followed your video to alter my FM foot .. wow .. who would have thought it could be that easy – my practice piece just went from frumpy to fine … thank you …
Thank YOU! I bought a machine off eBay which I didn't get to test out first. I had such an old machine before buying this one that I never knew there were machines in which the presser foot could NOT be manually adjusted. Of all things to leave OFF a machine! I live up north, so most of my clothes are on the thick or bulky side. I have thought about ways to drill a hole in the top of my machine to try to adjust the shaft of the presser foot that is way too tight for all but the thinnest fabrics I work with. I also wondered if there was a way to adjust a free motion foot to be less tension. Thank you for this fix!
Thank you! The FMQ teacher at my quilt shop was blaming all the breakage on the quality of my thread, but then it even did it when I tried with Aurifil, and I was completely frustrated because I didn't have any other ideas. I have always wanted my foot closer to the material, anyways… it just seems like it's too easy to move it, so it would dart too much, and that some bit of drag would help me move things more smoothly.
Totally off subject, but Leah, is your mother's name Ginger by any chance??? Have looked for her for years….
Nope! Sorry, you've found the wrong Leah Day!
Oh My Goodness! I saw this video a few months ago and thought, "It can't possibly be that simple to make my darning foot work properly. There must be something seriously wrong here, and I'm going to have to buy an expensive foot if I ever want to learn to free motion quilt."
I finally decided to give this a go today. I held my breath, bent that wire, cut open that toe, and wrapped a rubber band around the top. It is like night and day. I can finally start practicing my free motion skills!!!!!
Thanks, Leah!!
i just bought an ECHO foot for my machine and have no idea how to use it or what the lines mean – could you please explain it to me – Ive looked on the internet but have found nothing-thanks Eileen
Good Morning Leah, I've not read the comments, but wanted to add my 'two cents worth'! I finally got brave enough to take my darning foot/quilting foot and do as your tutorial suggested (my old 14 yr old Janome; can't do that with my 40+ yr old Bernina, it does not have the bar nor the spring visible), along with pinches and a puncture, so need to be very careful when changing your foot!!! But it is worth every pinch and puncture. I could not believe the difference it makes when practicing Free Motion Quilting. I love it!!! I had to 'lay my bar down flat after bending' because my foot would not fit back on the machine. Also the rubber band is a necessary 'tool' in getting your presser foot at the correct height for your material/quilt. Can't express my gratitude for your suggestion/instruction on this issue! So much easier to Free Motion Quilt!
Now a couple of questions, please! 1) I left my feed dogs in the up position, my stitch length at 0, stitch width at 0, started out with tension at 4 (wrong!!!!) went to 6, then 7, then 8 and I'm still having those 'eyelashes' in certain areas, can you help me understand a little better about that? I will go to 9 in the upper tension (that is my highest point); 2) I noticed in your Free Motion Videos that you practice blocks look really stiff. How do you get such…..starching? If so, liquid or spray? Thanks again for all your tutorials! They are great!
OMG – I thought I was just too stupid to FMQ until I saw this! I followed your instructions and it worked like a charm…. Thank you!!!
I have just bought a Pfaff Quilt expression. I was having terrible problems and had to return the machine. It now works perfectly and even the sensormatic foot works. I learned through a blog that reducing the pressure on the foot has an effect. I take mine down to -3 and it works great. Because it doesnt jump about now I can see what I am doing. The only problem I have now is ME!! LOL
Do not remove the plastic in your free motion presser foot. I did and my machine just would not work- skipped stitches and broke thread – I had to purchase another one for $49 plus had a shop servicing fee for $79. I have a BabyLock (same as Brother)
Skipping can happen when your foot is adjusted too high for your machine, but not when the plastic is removed. Are you sure you had the foot set in the down position? It's very easy to forget to drop your foot for free motion quilting and that can cause a lot of issues for your machine.
I tried everything, changing thread, needles, settings for pressure, tension in all directions.Differing battings and sandwiches. After buying the unaltered new foot worked fine. I don't like the obstructed view it gives but evidently my machine needs it. Also the "generic" feet do not fit this brand!
I finally got my husband to snip the bits off and I sandpapered it smooth and wow, the difference! I can see what I am doing! Thank you so much!!!
Hi Leah,
I have a Janome HD 1000 and am using a babylock fmq foot ("Hopping" with plastic clear round toe). When I stop, both the needle AND THE FOOT rise above the fabric, messing up my work. This is frustrating, since this is my first day of fmq. Can I be doing something to help the foot stay on my work?
I will go now and apply the rubber band tension tip, and cut open and sand the toe. And will use my extra pieces to make a fmq sampler.
Until then, can you advise me how keep my FOOT in the down position when I stop work? (I know needle wont.) Thanks ever.
Great question! The HD 1000 doesn't have an automatic needle down setting so you will need to reach over and rotate the hand wheel when you stop. As the needle drops back down into the fabric, the foot will lower as well if it's hopping.
It will take some practice, but you'll just have to get into the habit of turning that hand wheel. I learned how to quilt on an old Bernina Record 830 and had to rotate the needle down every time.
As for the foot staying down, that should be fixed if you break the foot and bend back the top bar. Then the bar won't be hitting the needle bar and won't stay lifted no matter what the needle position is. I hope that makes sense!
Thanks Leah, it was encouraging to know I was on the right track, as I really was taking by surprise at all the obstacles at just beginning. Have cut and sanded the toe, and applied rubber band to foot. Will try again after work today!
Here I am; another jonnie-come-lately to this older post, but I hope you see this Leah because I owe you a debt of gratitude.
I used to think that it was just my senior eyes that made FMQ difficult. Some while back when I was first learning to FMQ I had ALOT of trouble. Then one day (out of desperation), I attached my non-hopping darning foot which was the last of the FMQ/darning type feet that I owned. It's not an open toe but it is quite small and round which allows me to see where I'm going. Suddenly, I could FMQ with ease!!!! I was thrilled but still wished it was an open toe. Now having seen your video, I'm going to modify one of the other hopping FMQ feet that came with my machine. It's metal, but not thick metal. It's delicate with a wide opening so it will be easy to see (or "track" as I like to say) my pattern and direction – perfect. What a relief!
Thank you for your marvelous video, Leah. Others in my quilting group have no trouble with a hopping foot. But I'm the oldest of them and really thought I was the only one bothered so much by the hopping motion.
You are a darling! Thank you again.
What a fantastic idea to cut the plastic foot open. I bought a new Elna machine and the plastic foot for free motion
quilting is closed and I never could see where I was going. I am sure that will make all the difference now.
Thanks again for this super tip.
Heidi South Africa
Wonderful Heidi! I’m sure it will make a big difference!