Originally Posted by thepolyparrot

If you set the stitch length at or near "0," you don't have to cover the feed dogs. Some people prefer to do FMQ with the feed dogs up - they think they have more control than with the feed dogs down.

You might find that covering the feed dogs with a credit card results in more skipped stitches or broken needle threads, so give it a try without covering them, first. You might like it. :)