KenmoreGal2 - what foot do you use on your 1956 Kenmore when quilting? I put a walking foot on my Sixties model 158.85 and couldn't tell the difference between that and a regular foot. If anything I had more side to side movement with the walking foot unless I was very careful. Increasing the presser tension just caused it to drag unevenly.
So I just leave it at a normal setting and control the entire movement under the foot with my hands on top of the quilt (exactly what fmq requires). It seems that the foot doesn't really matter as long as I don't pull too hard in any direction (even reverse) and cause the needle to break. Maybe an actual fmq foot would be better, since I could see the stitching easier?
Have you found the heavy duty Kenmores to need an assist, such as a walking foot, with layers?