Mona Lisa 2011

I would love to do FMQ on my treadle. How do you cover the feed dogs and do you need a darning attachment? Mine is a Singer 27 (1910).

laughingquilter

Some say that you don't necessarily have to cover the feed dogs but that you can set your stitch length to zero. Others say that you can just tape a business-type card over the feed dog opening - just make sure you leave a hole for the needle to go through. Have fun!

Mona Lisa 2011

But what foot do you use? Or do you just leave a foot off.

Holice

you really need a darning foot for free motion. I don't see how you can quilt without it especially if your feed dogs don't drop.
But the business card or light weight plastic will cover them and even then set stitch length to 0

thepolyparrot

You don't have to cover the feed dogs - if you set the stitch length to 0, it will keep the machine from fighting you so much.

I have used a darning foot/embroidery foot, but surprisingly enough, I've also used a button sewing foot, which doesn't hop or move.

Unwind the presser on the presser bar until it's almost non-existent and the quilt will move in when the feed dogs lower and stop moving when they come back up again.

I have trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time, so treadling and free-motion will take some getting used to, so the darning foot will remove at least one obstacle from your practice. :)

I have a couple of super-high-shank Kenmores for which no hopping foot is available and I use the monogrammer/button sewing foot for those machines, too. If the area under the arm were as big as with the Singer 15 or 27, those Kenmores would be my favorite quilting machines. :)

sammygirlqt

I FMQ on a treadle. My machine is a model 15 and I don't lower the feed dogs, just zero out the stitch length. I think different models of machines might have different likes so it would be best to experiment with your machine. Some might be very fussy about not covering the feed dogs. I also use a darning foot. I really enjoy mine and I hope you get to enjoy yours.

sammygirlqt

I FMQ on a treadle. My machine is a model 15 and I don't lower the feed dogs, just zero out the stitch length. I think different models of machines might have different likes so it would be best to experiment with your machine. Some might be very fussy about not covering the feed dogs. I also use a darning foot. I really enjoy mine and I hope you get to enjoy yours. Sorry about the double post.