I FM quilt with my 201-3 all the time. My machine is the same as yours but it is the Canadian version and has the belted motor instead of the potted one. You drop the feed dogs by flipping the head back and loosening a big screw and sliding a bolt and then tightening the screw again. The manual shows how. The machine has a good stitch for quilting and I haven't had any trouble with the bobbin. It holds a lot more thread than my Janome 6500, has a better stitch and does not veer off at seam junctions. The machine is fast and powerful and best of all, I got it as a freebie including the cabinet.