Hi...I have just bought a new to me Janome 6600...and everything is wonderful until I decided to have a go at free machine quilting....I think the problem is the way that I am attaching the P foot....it appears to be well over 1/2 an inch off the fabric and doesn't pick up...please help.....it is midnight here in the UK and I have been trying to sort this since 9pm......tired and not going to be till I sort it or machine lands in next doors garden !

FMQ feet do ride up high, unlike the rest of the feet we normally use. This extra space helps to be able to freely move the fabric underneath it :D:D:D
Are you lowering the presser foot?

Not sure if it will help, but perhaps you can adjust the pressure of the presser foot? I suck at FMQ, but have been watching Leah Day (daystyle designs or the free motion quilting project) and how she adapts the free motion foot to work better. Maybe that would help you also?

Good luck. I know all too well what it's like to have a machine that is not performing up to standards (whether my fault or not!) :lol:

M&M

Thanks ladies....I think my problem is attaching the foot.
I free machine fine on my Pfaff, but the idea of the 6600 was to replace it...the foot just doesn't seem to be gripped by the screw...what am I doing wrong someone....any who had a photo of how this foot attaches and I'll swim the ocean and hug them....well maybe not but I really would be happy !

Hi if anyone does have the Janome 6600P please can they tell me what is written on the darning foot...mine has the letter P but the book mentions it being a P2...wondering if I have the right foot....would really appreciate your help

I have the 6600...I will go upstairs and see what I can find out for you!

Hrm it doesn't seem to want to lead my pictures for some reason. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say my connection is being fussy. It does, in this area. That being said, I have pics loading in another tab of my browser but I'll type my response here.

*ahem*

Yes I have the P2 foot. I took a picture of where P2 is engraved on the foot so you could see it and what it looks like. Pesky pictures won't load of course. If yours doesn't say P2 then it probably isn't the right thing at all and would explain your issues!

I hope that was helpful!

Here's a couple pics of mine:

Ooops sorry for the double post!

I noticed the P2 foot looks just like mine on my Brother NX600. At the top of the attachment there is a bar about an inch long that goes to the right. Make sure that it is on top of the part that you are attaching it to. Improper placement (refer to your instruction manual) will prohibit it from working correctly. Cheryl

can you adjust the presser foot height or the pressure

OK - hope these pic's help. All pics were taken with the presser foot in the up position (1st position up - not full up). And yes, my foot says P2 on the back.

Is this the foot you're trying to use? http://www.amazon.com/Janome-Embroid.../dp/B0042ICC7K

If so don't use that in your 6600...that's only for embroidery machines, not the sewing machine! It's the foot that my Janome 350e uses...I just went to look and sure enough there is the P stamped right above the open space in the foot! Not the one you want!

Did you buy your machine used? It's possible someone mixed up the feet. If you bought it new from a dealer it should have the P2 foot in the box with all the other presser feet too.

Edit: DogHouseMom your pictures are MUCH better than mine! My camera is old and my photography-fu is not so strong :mrgreen:

can you adjust the presser foot height or the pressure

I have the 6600 and my FMQ foot is the P-2. I haven't had any problems

Open your operators manual, and find the free motion quilting section, after checking your settings, try it again, you can DO THIS!!!!!!

Maybe the foot is not adaptable to the Janome machine. I also have a Janome - mine does not have a model # but is called,
"Sew Perfect" - I've only had it a couple of years.

I have a Janome 6600P and the P-2 is the foot I use for FMQ. Be sure your feed dogs are DOWN. Feed dog control is at the front of the machine at the bottom on the right side. If your machine is in a table, there's a little oval opening at the front where you have to stick your finger to flip the control! Be sure the little "arm" on the P-2 foot is above the needle screw when you attach it. The foot will "float" just above your fabric so YOU control it. It does not sit down on the fabric! Don't give up! This is worth learning!

I have a different machine (Viking). I was told by the rep that the Free Motion Quilting foot should always be touching the fabric, lightly. It should be gently moving up and down with the rythm of the needle going up and down. On my machine, I originally had that same gap. I had the wrong function in the setting. If the fabric is "jumping" even a little, you will get birds nests on the back and other problems. Search "free motion quilting" on You Tube. You will see close ups of machine quilting. Note how the foot is touching the fabric. Since it is new, I would call the dealer, or do a You Tube search with your machine brand. A lot of stores and instructors put stuff up. Good luck.

It sounds to me like you are not lowering the presser foot. FM feet do ride a little higher so they can move freely over the quilt but not 1/2 "!!

My FMQ foot has 'QB-H' on the back of it. I have the Horizon which has - I think - superceded the 6600P, but I thought the quilting foot was the same.

I have the Janome 6600. There are two or three other FM feet available for your machine, also a seperate bobbin case with a blue dot on it instead of a red dot. Also don't forget to turn the round knob at the left top side of your machine to 0. This controls the foot pressure. I love FMQ on mine.

Make sure that once you put the darning foot, which is usually the one for FMQ, you drop the feed dogs so that you can easily move the quilt around. This time you do the moving instead of the pressure foot or quilting foot, it takes some getting used to.

you should relax, did you see Zaras' wedding, now start from the beginning with the instructions check each step and adjustment

I don't know if you have to do it, but on my Bernina I also have to set the stitch length to 0.

Sounds like a lot of good information here. Good luck getting your problem sorted out.

My Janome is a 4800 but I was having the same trouble you are having until I attached the foot so that the metal extension on the right was above the needle screw. After I figured that out, I still wasn't any good at FMQ but I couldn't blame the machine. froggyintexas

Are you lowering your feed dogs?

The 6600 have another lift which makes the feet go higher so it is easier to put the quilt under. Check and see if you have not lifted it too high. I have done it so you can very easily lift the foot higher with out thinking. Also use the same breed of cotton top and bobbin so it works better. I found out also when I had problems. Good Luck.

They do ride high and you also have to lower the feed dogs