How to stitch your first free-motion lines

Practise speed and smooth hand movement with simple shapes.
Step by step
- Draw simple shapes or loops on your practice piece.
- Run the machine at a steady medium speed.
- Move the fabric smoothly; don't jerk it.
- If stitches are long and jagged, speed the machine up slightly and slow your hands.
- Stitch over lines twice for a sketchy, drawn look.
Watch
3 Stitches Every Free Motion Embroidery Beginner Must Learn (8:32)
By Wardrobe School with Vania · Open on YouTube
Chosen from its title and channel: an 8-minute video from Wardrobe School with Vania on the same topic as this guide. Embedded from YouTube with credit; we don't host it. It only loads when you press play.
All guides ›Free-motion embroidery
Sources
All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.