Is this possible? I would just want to do straight lines to start (I have a jelly roll strip quilt top to do.)

Would I need a different foot? Which one? Would I lower the feed dogs?

Thanks in advance for any tips. I had another machine but it broke so it's either the FW or the SH (slow hands, hehe.)

Check out this site. They have the foot that you will need at the plate cover you need too.

http://www.221parts.com/#

They are still closed today but will be reopened soon.

I have done FMQ on my featherweight. The feed dogs don't lower but I have a part (that came with the FW) to cover the feed dogs. I increased the stitch length and loved the result. It was a small project....a quilted postcard.

Someone on hear mentioned not to FMQ for long periods of time, their machine was overheating? Something about a smaller motor, maybe?

I've heard the same thing. That they weren't built for the continuous motor speed needed for FMQ? I don't know if this is fact or rumor.

Good to know! Thanks. I'd hate to be the one to break it. :)

Havent heard this, but looking at some of vintage sewing books out there, I wouldn't think it would be a problem. The motors on those machines age well, a lot depends on how tight the belt is as to whether there would be strain on the motor to cause overheating. I have sewn both slow and fast on mine and never had a problem, but maybe I just sew for smaller increments of time. :D

Well, the FW is so TINY that there sure isn't much room in the harp area to bundle up a quilt and shove it around....

And it's LIGHT WEIGHT so you'll have to contend with it possibly wanting to walk across the table from you as you push on the fabric....

A 301, or 15, or 66 or 201 would all be much better...

For what it's worth, I wouldn't do it. YMMV

If at all possible and if it were me, I'd be scouring the ads and craigslist etc for any one of the others I mentioned.

Try this link. I just got it in my email and site is up and running
http://www.221parts.com/

you mentioned free motion and then said you are doing straight lines. To me straight lines is walking foot quilting. Which are you going to do.

I bought a very cheap walking foot from ebay that fits my FW, and works well ($25). I have a 222 FW, and the feed dogs go down on that, so I got an embroidery/hopping foot, and it worked well on small wall hangings and mug rugs, but I wouldn't want to do anything of any size, I was just using it at a workshop at the time. At home, I would use one of my other machines.

I agree with you and those machines as well as the 401 would all make the job easier, however the FW's are great for piecing and if that is all you can feel comfortable owning, then they are competent machines, just not the best use and not the easiest to manage. :)

Expect me to do things like that often, because I have no idea what I'm talking about yet, lol. (I guess I thought FMQ meant FULLY machine quilted. Oops.)

I do mean just straight lines. And I think I have a walking foot, but I don't know if it would fit the FW since it wasn't bought specifically for it. One way to find out...

If it is low shank it will fit a featherweight most likely, if it is high shank or slant shank, no it won't. Best way to tell is measure the height of the screw hole and compare it to the presser foot on your fw. :-D