I agree, the 301 is a very good fmq machine. Strangely, I tried doing some FMQ on a 431G last night (think 401A with chainstitch capability, no elevator plate and an open arm) and I did just fine with it. As a rule, they're considered poor for this, but you may do OK. It's worth trying, but don't be discouraged if it doesn't work. One thing I did was set the stitch length to "zero" and stitched like that (it has a plate with a raised portion to "hide" the feed dogs, but I didn't bother with it. At first, it skipped stitches, then I changed the tension a little, went UP a needle size (from 80 to 90), and sped up a little, and it seemed fine.