lovelyl

Sme FMQers leave the feed dog engaged and set the stitch length to 0. They do not cover the feed dogs. This works quite well for me. One popular FMQing teacher says it is best to leave the feed dogs engaged because it helps with the tension. Don't know if that is true or not but it works on my 15-91. I never bother to drop the feed dogs on it anymore.

Mickey2

I'm not advanced at free motion, but when using a buttonholer or a monogram attachment (for zigzag) the cover plate is an improvement. My 99 and 66 can't lower the feed dogs and the cover plate results in neater stitching. When I free motion on my 201 I have struggled quite a bit with tension, but I can't notice any difference feed dogs up or down? I read this advice too, but when I tried it out it didn't seem to matter. What made a difference was working with bobbin tension and top tensioner, lots of disassebly, reassebly and cleaning; and additional practise. Maybe quilting cotton doesn't catch much when it runs over the feed dogs?

steihy

I have a 401G and a 431G.

The 401 comes with the described throatplate elevator. There are three positions, to the lever and the plate. Down, for normal operation, half way up - still fixed and stable - for darning and such, and up, from where the plate can be slid out for removal. There is a plastic ring like Miriam describes, the manual refers to it as a guide for the darning frame, it does taper down the edges of the plate.

The 431 comes with an extra throatplate with an elevated midsection, kind of a throatplate/feedcover combo.

crafty pat

My 401A has a lever that raises the plate above the feed dogs.It is the lever on the right on the bottom. I free motion on mine just fine with the plate raised.

Sewnoma

I don't drop my feed dogs when I FMQ, even though my machine does have that ability. It seems to give me more control to leave them up. I don't notice any difference in tension, though.

(This is on a modern machine, though, not sure if that makes a difference.)

Mickey2

I like the info on this thread, gives me more options for sorting out free motion and darning settings. Certainly worth testing them on different machines :- )

nwm50

The 221 feed dog won't lower but you can get the plate that cover this area

libber

the 201 ( I've had one since 7th grade, now a sr. citizen. You have to go underneath the head to drop the feed dogs.
221 does not have drop feed dogs, however my 222 has a lever you pull down and they drop?

iadhikari

You can buy a darning foot and feed dog cover for the 221, and then do what the others suggested -- set the stitch length to zero and loosen the presser-foot pressure.
Not that I have tried it, just passing along what I've been told!
ila

tessagin

I'm not good at fmq-ing yet. I am more linear.