On the 401A to free motion, you can not lower the feed dogs, instead you use the lever on the front right bed of the machine to RAISE the throat plate above the dogs. It will say "Throat Plate Position" use the UP position. If I am doing a meander stitch, I used the #3 red lever setting, put on a darning foot and go. I keep like a scrap sandwich close by and start each session by doing a run or so on it. Just to get the hands and a good flow going. I think puzzle pieces, dog bones, waves, comma strokes, waves with circles in them like a scroll, just anything, the quilt police does not know where I live...
so I do what I want.
Many of my practice pieces wind up as potholders in my kitchen... another thing if you want a more designed look, use a pencil and paper and draw what you want it to look like, then practice on that paper with just your needle and no thread in machine..
Now I can never duplicate what I draw so I make a copy and if I like it have been known to make several and use them on my small projects, then tear off.. what ever works for you... don't be afraid to experiment...