I recently bought a used White dsm, model # 1955, series 00490. I bought it as backup to my Brother and also in hopes of fmq. It works fine, actually great, but no manual and I can't seem to find any info online for this particular model. Is anyone familiar w this machine or can you direct me to a website? I can find info on varied models but nothing on this one. I can't seem to find a way to lower the feeddogs but read something about putting a piece of plastic or cardboard covering over them. (?). Any info you have is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help.

Take a good look in the bobbin area. There may be a lever in there with little feed dog teeth imprinted on it. If so, that is the lever for lowering and raising the feed dogs.

On any machine you can use an old credit card to cover the feed dogs. Just punch a hole for the needle and tape the card down so it doesn't move. A notecard works fine too, if you don't have an old credit card handy.

Nope, no lever in there. Thanks for advisement on plastic over the feeddogs, guess thats my best bet.

White was purchased by Singer a while ago. Your manual is located on the Singer website.

http://www.singerco.com/accessories/...manuals/search

Just type in 1955 and the info about the manual pops up. It's a free download.

I just found a photo of that model on eBay. Looks like it has all pre-set stitches -- no ability to adjust stitch length or stitch width. I would guess then that it also does not have the ability to drop the feed dogs. I think covering the feed dogs is your best bet.

My ipad is dying so gotta hurry here. Thanks for all of your help and info. Do you think this machine would be ok for fmq? Ur right, the stitch length and width is not adjustable.

Try it out on a sample quilt sandwich. It might be okay.

It is the feed dogs that control stitch length, so with the feed dogs covered it should be fine. Your biggest problems will probably be that (1) it is not a strong, heavy-duty machine and (2) the "harp" size (area under the arm) will be fairly small.

Well. Darnit (!) but before I do anything I need to find the foot to fmq.Then I can give it a spin. Just finished sid on my dsm Brother, 5 1\2" harp, queen size. It was a challenge but worked out. Perserverance and refusal to back down. :) Meant to say at least on the white the harp is 7 or 7 1/2". A LITTLE improvement.

I have a white. I do fmq on it and I don't drop the feed dogs or cover them.

I know so little about fmq, actually nothing but want to try. In my head it seems the feeddogs would prevent freedom of motion - swirlys, if you will. You can go all directions with the feeddogs intact and not covered? This is getting better!