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Yes you can, You need to make some adjustments to your machine and sometimes it is hard depending what size quilt you are making but it you take your time and not rush it it is a rewarding experence and less expensive than sending it out or quilting by hand.

Even if the feed dogs won't drop...you can improvise a cover for them. a small piece of cardboard (a playing card, or back of a tablet) taped over the feed dogs will work, so will a piece of plastic from a lid. It will make noise, but will let you quilt. You may or may not have a darning foot...you should have one, but can do without, but must remember to put the foot lever down even without a foot. Without a foot you really have to watch the needle...don't want to sew your fingers...that hurts & yes, I have done that!

Most Kenmores came with a darning foot...you can buy them...just buy for the shank you need (high, low, slanted).

Patsy Thompson has some good videos on this. Some are on youtube.

Quote:

Originally Posted by janb

Quote:

Originally Posted by ktbb

the key is finding out if your feed dogs will drop...some of the old ones have that feature. Check your manual on this. Even if they don't drop, you can try setting your stitch length to zero, and putting masking tape over the feed dogs...this allow you to have control over the movement of the fabric. These options address the bottom of the quilting sandwich.

In either case, you will also need to have a machine quilting foot that puts less/no tension on the fabric from the top. These feet are called either quilting feet or darning feet...Sears should have them, and there are some generic feet out there that will work as well....one brand is called "Big Foot", but don't know names of others.

When you say "set your stitch length to zero," do you mean the smallest possible? I have a 6 and then my dial goes into zigzag. My machine is a Brother.

I have an older Kenmore. Zero is straight stitch. You adjust the length of that with another knob. Anywhere above zero starts the zig-zag, with the 6 being the widest.

yep...some older machines are like that...that's where the cardboard or plastic over the feed dogs comes in.

I free motion quilt with my Kenmore. Tape a thin sheet of plastic, like template plastic over the feed dogs if they don't drop, then loosen the pressure on the presser foot--the knob at the top turns to tighten or loosen pressure. Lower the presser foot and it should allow the fabric to move without tugging hard, but still provide a little tension. Run the machine a bit on the fast side as you move the quilt around. (Try this with a sample piece of sandwiched fabric and batting to practice. You may have to adjust the tension a little bit.)