Free motion / darning on Singer 201?
 

With my 201 came a darning foot I don't really understand. It has a spring action, though it never kicks in when I stitch, it might as well be with out the spring bit. It's foot No. 121094. I recently bought a generic jumping foot to try out, and my new vintage Elna Supermatic came with one that looks rather good. This is my basic equipment at the moment.

I have done my best to clean and adjust my 201. I realy like working on this machine, and I have cleaned, oiled and spent a lot of time fine tuning tension. I think the top tension is right, I can turn it from about 0 to 0, it's slightly off the 0, a notch towards 1. I have sewn double layer curtains, made a shirt and mended all knids of stuff on it. I some times have tendency towards loops under the fabric when using reverse stitching. I haven't quite sorted it out yet, but hope to. I struggle a bit with top stitching thread on occation, but it copes. I know this model can free motion, embroider and darn, I have seen old Singer tutoroal leaflets with the most perfect results I never have managed. I know it's not the obvious choice for free motion, but is there anyone here who lilkes this model for darning and reverse stitching, perhaps even a bit of quilting?

It probably is a stupid question since there aren't any replies. You guys have been onto this so many times and have sorted it out a long time ago. I still feel I have to give it another go, it's my favorite machine and from a few posts on the web it looks like some have managed to make it work.

What have you tried with it?
Tammi has the most wonderful tutorial about 201 tensions. I'm guessing it needs to be tweaked. Did you take out the hook and clean behind it? I have to go on a real computer to send links. Rain Noe's blog has info on cleaning up the hook. I don't know why you wouldn't have great result. Did you put in a new needle - needles aren't a place to skimp.

My only 201 is a hand crank, so I have never tried FMQing on it! My first thought is to continue working on getting your machine to stitch properly before you even attempt to free motion or you will be extremely frustrated, especially if you are already getting loops underneath when you are reverse stitching. Most quilters I know prefer a verticle bobbin for free motion, but it can be done with a horizontal, drop in bobbin.
A couple of things to check- (you probably have already done this) - do you have the arm of the darning foot hooked around the needle clamp? Some darning feet hook on the clamp, others just rest on it. Not sure which you have. Have you reduced the pressure on the foot? The pressure should be loose enough so that the fabric can just slide freely under the foot even with the foot in the down position.
Are your feed dogs in the down position, or are they up with the stitch length set to 0? I use my 15-91 as my FMQing machine and prefer feed dogs up, stitch length set to O. But my 15-91 has a verticle bobbin, so not sure how that would work on a 201.
Hope you can sort it out. Let us know what you discover!
Linda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzFX...AyBQ2l-Mzkw7ew
Tammi's tensioner video
and
Rain Noe's blog
http://vssmb.blogspot.com/2011/07/ho...case.html#more

Horizontal or drop-in bobbin machines are notoriously poor at darning and free motion embroidery. They always have tension problems due to the thread having to turn 90 degrees.

I tried free motion darning on a 201 a couple of years ago and it was a disastrous failure.

Not a stupid question at all; on the contrary, it's a complex one. Have you taken the upper tension mechanism apart? It's good to clean it, polish the tension discs and calibrate the correct tension midway between 4 and 5 (set by pressing against the numbers to disengage the peg).

I've used the 201 for free motion, but it's not my first choice because of the position of the thread - a bobbin case that can be removed from underneath the machine saves some of the trouble of removing and re-positioning the quilt. (I've heard comments that the 201 is not well-adapted to FMQ because the thread makes a 90° turn off the bobbin, risking tangles at high speed; I've never had a problem.) The 201 is a great machine, quiet and smooth as silk.

The arm on the darning foot that rests on the needle screw may have to be bent downward a bit so it engages the spring action. Hope this helps!

ETA: My comments were written before anyone else had responded. I just forgot to send!

i haven't tried daring with my 201 but have also noticed loops under the frabic especially when reversing. I brought it to my sewing machine repair man but in this instance he wasn't helpful. I have noticed when I use thread from the same spool for the upper and lower thread this seems to not happen as much where as my Singer 15 seems to be much move forgiving and I never have this problem. I too have endlessly fiddled around with the tensions but without fixing the problem.

I don't have a 201, but on the horizontal vs. vertical bobbin for FMQ...I do all my FMQ on a modern Janome that has a horizontal/drop-in bobbin and she does a marvelous job. I don't go slow, either!

It might be easier with a vertical bobbin for some reason (I don't know, never tried it), but it's definitely possible to successfully FMQ with horizontal bobbin.

Mickey2, are you sure you're getting your top thread within the spring on the tension? I quilted a whole row this week on my long arm and didn't have my thread into the spring thingy. Oh, brother! what a mess. It looked good on top, but I didn't look on the back until I rolled the quilt. I'm looking now!