Can you quilt with a regular sewing machine?

The short answer to the question is YES you can. You can quilt with a regular sewing machine.

With the machine you already own;

Provided, you have the tools and are eager to learn.

There are two ways you can do so: straight-line quilting with a walking foot or you may also quilt any design you wish with a free motion quilting foot.

Envy those beautiful swirly quilting you see?

Join my FREE E-course on FREE MOTION QUILTING FOR BEGINNERS HERE >>

Yes, you can quilt like this on a regular sewing machine too!

When I started quilting, this was my question too. Can this type of quilting be done on a regular sewing machine? On my small Janome at that time?

Is it possible?

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I quickly learned at that time that quilting using a regular (domestic) sewing machine is certainly possible. And simple line quilting is easy to do using a walking foot.

But I still wonder whether I can do more than just straight-line quilting using my sewing machine.

I love the different textures created by various quilting designs.

My heart sings for those beautiful pebbles, swirls, and waves; not to mention feathers!!!

community sampler quilting textures free motion quilting on a regular sewing machine

And then I tried and tried and learned. A lot. Practiced a lot.

This was my machine and among the early quilts, I made back in 2011. You can find the article and photos of the finished quilt here>>

And I bought a couple of tools to make my quilting even more enjoyable and helpful!

Free Motion Quilting Tools like these are game-changing:

1. I literally changed my mind about threads when I started using THIS very thread. They come in big cones, which means they don’t need to be replaced that often as they last a lot longer. I use an embroidery thread stand for it. You can get cheap thread stands like this one here which has great reviews.

2. Superior Thread Top Stitch Needles. I use this for all of my sewing and FMQ. Literally. In fact, I kind of find it a bit odd when I have to use a needle that is not coloured gold as these needles are. Not only that, they last pretty long and stays sharp even after lots of quilting.

3. My trusty sticky Glove. Any brand works for me, but I personally love the ones made of breathable cotton; like this one.

4. Spray Baste. I am not a fan of taking off safety pins. This product makes it so much quicker and allows me to cruise without fear of getting onto a pin. I personally love this Spray baste.

5. My large throat Janome Horizon machine, of course!

However, you don’t actually need all of these tools to start. I myself started with a very basic sewing machine and just a regular free motion quilting foot. Yet, I still managed to quilt a queen-sized quilt. So just upgrade gradually as you feel more confident and based on your needs and wants accordingly.

If you are looking for a generic free motion quilting foot that suits a regular domestic machine, HERE is one with a great 5-Star review.

Also, the tools are not as expensive as a long arm machine.

free motion quilting with a regular sewing machine

Any quilting design is possible even when you quilt with a regular machine.

And YES, you can do a similar quilting design using a regular sewing machine almost of what the long arm machine does,

I know anything is possible if you put your heart into it. It may be hard at first, but it gets easier with practice and learning the correct steps.

YES, you can quilt beautifully on a regular sewing machine! You just have to start somewhere.

And that somewhere may be ugly at first, but it is a start!

Learn the steps to master different designs. It may not be easy but will certainly be worth it.

Getting to free motion quilt on your own domestic machine is so satisfying, and a lot of fun.

Once you’ve mastered free motion quilting, you’ll discover the potential of free motion quilting to quilt various motifs other than just straight lines. You can incorporate various motifs onto your quilt, making them more customized; injecting a little more of ‘you’ into the quilt.

I certainly have enjoyed free motion quilting and love that the fact now that I have mastered it, I can either quickly get a quilt finished or take time and enjoy custom-quilting it.

Advantages of quilting on a regular machine

If you can free-motion quilt on your own machine, you’ll be able to

Save money as you won’t need to send it to a professional quilter and you don’t need to buy an expensive long arm machine

You can then create charity quilts and gifts at no extra cost than just using what’s already in your stash and getting it all done on your very own machine

explore a new additional creative outlet where you can freely add more of you to your creation
and finish a quilt at your chosen pace and no cueing at the professional long arm. Talk about last-minute gifts.

Join my FREE E-course on FREE MOTION QUILTING FOR BEGINNERS HERE >>

If you are interested to learn how to free-motion quilt with your sewing machine, I would love to invite you to join the free Class I offer for beginners. This course has helped so many beginner quilters!

Simply click the link below and sign up! I would love to see you on the other side.