Citrus Jazz

Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention—quilting with your feed dogs up. Yes, I know, it’s often referred to as Walking Foot quilting, and it tends to sit quietly in the background while free motion quilting (FMQ) gets all the glamour. But honestly, quilting with the feed dogs up is like the Cinderella of quilting—overlooked, underappreciated, but full of magic once you discover it.

A lot of quilters seem to think you have to choose: either to “quilt in the ditch” or to go all in with FMQ. But have you ever tried going beyond the ditch?

I absolutely love quilting with the feed dogs up. It opens the door to so many creative possibilities. I’m not saying it’s better than FMQ—or worse for that matter—just different. And it’s fun, effective, and definitely worth exploring.

So, what should you know?

• You’re not limited to ditch quilting! In fact, quilting in the ditch is actually really tricky for beginners. (So why is it always the first thing we’re told to try?) Keeping a perfectly straight line isn’t easy. A little tip: try looking ahead of the needle rather than at it—like riding a bike, it helps you stay on track.

• A walking foot is your best friend. It helps all those layers move smoothly through your machine. You can quilt without one, but you’ll need to make sure your quilt sandwich is super flat and well basted—otherwise, you might end up with ripples.

• An open toe walking foot is even better. Why? Because it lets you see what you’re doing much more clearly. Visibility = confidence!

• Some machines have built-in help. Certain higher-end machines come with something called Integrated Dual Feed (IDT)—Pfaff was the original, but other brands are catching on. It works like a built-in walking foot and gives you more flexibility with the feet you use.

• Masking tape is magic. Use it for marking lines without worrying about removing marks later. Easy and stress-free.

• Other marking options: chalk, pencils, or stitching through paper patterns all work well. Just please, please don’t use a Frixion pen—those marks have a sneaky habit of coming back!

What is a Walking Foot?

Walking Foot with different soles

Think of it as a little helper that adds a second set of feed dogs to move your fabric evenly from top and bottom. It’s brilliant for quilting, but also great in dressmaking—especially with tricky fabrics like velvet or when matching patterns.

If your machine has IDT, it uses a little lever to engage a “grippy” piece that works with the presser foot. Just make sure you have the right walking foot for your machine—using the wrong one can cause issues (like broken needles… ask me how I know!).

Once it’s installed, double-check that it’s on tight. A loose foot can make quite a mess.

What Can You Do with Feed Dogs Up?

So many things! You’re definitely not limited to boring straight lines:

• Grids – square or diagonal, in the ditch or just beside it. Don’t worry about being exact; just aim for a design that complements your patchwork.

  

  Friendship Star Quilt with lots of “beside” the ditch quilting

  

  Pieced back – Friendship Star quilt. Grid quilting is clearly visible

• Radiating lines – starting from a corner or a focal point.

  

  Radiating lines quilted onto improv circles. hand dyed fabrics in greens and yellows

• Spirals – around motifs, triangles, pentagons… let your creativity lead!

  

  Spiral Quilting

• Concentric shapes – echo around a shape for extra drama.

  

  Concentric shapes – echoing around a shape

• Serpentine stitch – if your machine has it, try it out. It adds lovely movement.

• Decorative stitches – great fun, but steer clear of really dense ones. They can distort your quilt top and are awful to unpick. (Not that we ever make mistakes…)

• Wavy, organic lines – gently guide your quilt from side to side and see what happens.

  

  Drunkard’s Path blocks bordered on two sides. Walking foot quilted with organic wiggly lines

• Starbursts – create a wow factor with lines radiating from a single point, straight or wiggly.

  

  Starburst quilting

A Few Words to Quilt By:

• Perfectly Imperfect – it’s about doing your best today. That’s enough.

• It’s a Walking Foot, not a Running Foot! Take your time and enjoy the process.

• Start small – practice on something manageable before tackling your showstopper.

• Practice, practice, practice – and yep, then practice a bit more.

So go ahead—dust off that walking foot and give it a try. You might just fall in love with this “Cinderella” style of quilting.✨

Learn how to quilt – attend a local class in the Herfordshire area or take an online class.