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.