Hello everyone!
This is my first post. Been reading for a couple of months and learning A LOT!! I have the Janome MC9500, embroidery, sewing machine. Is it possible to do true free motion quilting on it? I can drop the feed dogs, but when I try to start sewing, it gives me an error message to put them up. I try to do it with the feed dogs up, but it is VERY HARD and a real struggle against the machine. Am I missing something that should be obvious or can this machine just not do it? Do I have justification for a new machine?? ;-)
Thanks!
Laura

Welcome to the board from Southern California!!!

There may be a setting. Do you have a tools or settings menu? When I do FMQ on my emb/sewing Viking, I have to select a special setting. Hopefully another MC9500 owner will respond.

Hello, and welcome from Idaho! I don't know anything about your machine, but I would call a dealer and discuss it.

Hi and welcome. I don't have that machine, but have you tried to set the stitch length at zero with the feed dogs up?

If you google that Janome model, it says that it does come with a darning foot for free motion quilting, and it also comes with a dvd that shows all of that. Maybe you could watch your dvd, if you got one. When I bought my Janome machine, I got free lessons to learn how to use all of it's features. I surely hope you will get some help from someone. I have the 6600P machine, which I love dearly.

I have searched, but can't find a way to make it let ME have control. I haven't tried the 0 stitch length though. I had lessons when I bought the machine a long time ago, but they were geared toward the embroidery functions, which I love but want a much bigger hoop!

Yes you can, you just drop the feed dogs, and attach your darning foot,
Jessie

Did you try to continue sewing even though it gave you an error message? Try lowering the feed dogs and turning the handwheel a slight bit to disengage them. That might help. Do you have a manual? I searched and have found several sites where people tested and reviewed this machine and according to their reports, had great success doing FMQ, with some problems with certain types of threads.

It should work fine. some people loosen top tension and buy the separate bobbin case that Janome makes for FM but that bobbin case is not necessary. Also most ppl use a top-stitch needle bc it has a larger eye so thread not as likely to get caught. i wonder if you are moving the quilt too slowly. you don't get fluid movement til you pick up speed some when doing FM. i have recently begun to use my start/stop button with speed control set on medium. it means i move quilt more slowly but still not slow.

Welcome from DE. :wink:

welcome from minnesota and happy quilting

Is it actually preventing you from sewing after you see the "error" message? Is it just a picture of the feed dogs that you are seeing? If it is, and it's like my Janomes, it's just reminding you to put the feed dogs down. If you've got them down and your stitch length is at zero then you should be good to go. Make sure to turn the handwheel to check the needle doesn't hit the foot before you speed ahead. This can happen if you were using zig zag or a decorative stitch before FMQing.

That's how I FMQ.

I have a Janome6500 and it also gives me a warning when I put down my feed dogs but after the second or third time it allows me to FMQ. One time it wouldn't let me do it at all and then I saw that I had my machine in the wrong mode and on a decorative stitch.

So be sure you have your settings accurate before you try it. I'm not familiar with the MC9500 but if it sews straight stitches and zig zag, and your feed dogs go down, you should be able to FMQ.

I have the Janome 9000, so the model right before yours and I free motion a lot with it! You need to select the free motion icon and it should drop your feed dogs automatically. You should have a manual that makes it clear.

Hi and welcome to the board from Iowa.

I have a Janome 6500 and when I put the feed dogs down it will give me the message not as an error but shows the feed dogs down. I thought it was messed up the first time it ever did it but then I was told that when you drop the feed dogs it will give you the message again so that you are aware that you are in that mode as a reminder. I then hit the foot pedal lightly once and it clears the message and it is ready to go. Might try that or call your dealer and ask him as this is one of the new machines, but if you can drop your feed dogs you should be able to fm. Hope this made sense as this morning is a in another world day.

Hello-entirely possible to fmq on that machine! I have a mc9700 and also get the message to put feeddogs back down....just hit the arrow that is displayed on the screen, and the message goes away....don't forget to use your quilting foot, and away you go....oh, and also another thing I discovered (perhaps others knew this, but I'm slow!) is to 'unplug' your machine for the foot control so that you have to start quilting by pressing your 'start' button, as if you were going to embroider....for me, this completely removed the issue of having to use my foot pedal to control the speed of the machine, while my hands were moving the fabric around....it's like patting your tummy with one hand and patting your head with the other...if you only have to do one of those things the one you are left doing surely will be better! I hope I have made this plain to unerstand......good luck, and let us know how you make out.....

Look on youtube, there's tons of info there

I have the 9500 and it is a fantastic machine. I do use it for fmq with the needle in the left position like it is for embroidery. I also adjusted my plastic darning foot like Leah Day says, so I could see the stitches better. I get better stitches with feed dogs up, though like you, I dislike doing this. My manual makes no mention of fmq, but there is an auto darning stitch that works very well. Wish I could help more. PM me if I can.

Hi and welcome from Texas! I would also think it would be possible...especially since it says your machine comes with the darning/free motion foot...good luck to you!
Kif

Select the quilting mode and then go to Free motion quilting. I have the 9000 and the 10001 with both these features so I am sure you must have them.

I have a Janome 9500 and do a lot of free motion, when it says
raise the feed dogs, just keeping going the message will disappear. Hope it works for you.

I own a 9500 also and just finshed a baby quilt with FMQ I wrote down setting to use Largest stitch,feed dogs UP and tension at 2 using my darning foot. Let me know if you use the embroidery stitches still looking for the proper card to use my previos library of designs.

HI I recently bought this same machine and am trying to learn fmq and it is working pretty good, I am the problem. They do have a special bobbin if you want one but when working without one it seems to work fine. Do remember to put the lever down. LOL

I want to thank everyone for their input on my question. The solution to the problem turned out to be that I needed to set the stitch length to zero then drop the feed dogs down. Now I just need to practice!! A LOT!!

Laura