Just trying machine quilting - when you drop the feed dogs to do freehand do you need to leave the foot up??? :oops: I have been trying some stars, hearts and circles and SID all of which I do with the feed dogs in place.

Any help would be wonderful. Last advise given about changing th stitch size ...wonderful...saves time and looks great.

Well sometimes i forget and leave them up.No if you can put them down.Connie in CO

Free motion quilting: feed dogs down, darning or emb foot on and foot down. (it mostly hovers over the fabric) Stitch in the ditch: feed dogs up, walking foot on and foot down. Hope this helps:)

You LOWER the presser foot before you being sewing, otherwise the top thread has no tension and will mess up the back of your quilt. You drop the feeddogs. Hope this is what you were asking -

To do FMQ you need to use a FMQ foot or a darning foot. They usually have a spring on them - you put the foot down & it still allows your fabric to move under it. My Pfaff has a "middle" position for the FMQ foot so it accomplishes the same thing. I don't think a machine will sew right with the foot up- mine won't anyhow.

When I do FMQ I drop the feed dogs, and put the presser foot down. That seems to work best for me.

Ditto!

Yup. You may want to see if you own the quilting "foot" which is just a plastic "O" on a stick.

Thank you so much!!! I was trying this last night and was getting so frustrated. I don't own a quilting foot but becasue I am enjoying machine quilting I think I might need to purchase one. :thumbup:

If I forgot to put the presser foot down on one of my machines I had nasty bird's nests. After a couple of times of forgetting I was really frustrated.