Common free-motion mistakes and fixes
Jagged stitches, puckering, tension trouble and thread breaks.
- Jagged or tiny stitches: match machine speed to hand speed.
- Puckering: add stabiliser, and use firm high thread count fabric.
- Tension problems: first check the needle (fit a new one if dull or bent), clean lint from the bobbin area and rethread before changing tension.
- Fabric bouncing with the needle: fit the free-motion foot.
- Clean and oil the machine as its manual says.
Watch
Why is My Thread Skipping / Breaking when Free Motion Quilting? (4:00)
By Leah Day Quilting · Open on YouTube
Chosen from its title and channel: a 4-minute video from Leah Day Quilting 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.