A couple of years ago my husband and I bought a Singer 9W. We finally go it going yesterday and I can see how it will piece beautifully once you get the hang of the treadle.

I have recently become interested in FMQ quilting and would like to try it out on the 9W. After looking at other posts it looks like I would have to somehow cover the feed dogs and then set the stitch length to zero. Do you also release the pressure on the presser foot?

Also, this machine doesn't include a darning/quilting foot. Does anyone know if one was made for the 9W (or other back clamping Singers)?

Any help is appreciated.

You don't really have to cover the feed dogs - just set the stitch length to neutral or "0" to keep them from moving forward or backward.

Yes, reduce or eliminate the pressure on the presser bar.

There is a vintage quilting foot made for the back-clamping machines - it's not like a modern hopping foot. It's just a very short-toed foot that has a removable & adjustable guide you can attach to it. If you can find one of these quilting feet, that will probably be your best bet.

In the meantime, you can use whatever foot you have on hand to play around with the idea. Make 14-16" squares of muslin with batting in between and start stitching. Your visibility isn't going to be great, but practice looking ahead of the foot - keep an imaginary line going where you want it to be.

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried the lowest stitch length it offers but it still advances the material. Even with the presser foot pressure very, very low there's a lot of drag when trying to move the fabric smoothly :( I suppose I could just remove the feed dogs but I've got a feeling that I'll appreciate this machine more for piecing than FMQ anyway so I probably won't go there.

I was working with sandwiches but your visualization exercise sounds like it will help me with any FMQ - it just feels right. Thanks! Most likely we'll go with a workhorse straight stitch machine (current thought is a Juki 2010q) for quilting and for her piecing. I think I'll enjoy the relaxation aspect of using the treadle machine more than she will so I'll probably use the Singer for pretty much anything I play with - it reminds me of some of my other hobbies (antique woodworking tools and bicycles) in its simplicity and pace.