Pictures
 

Here is one with presser foot down and one with it up. Feed dogs down. Knob for pressure on presser foot loosened then tightened. 50 wt cotton thread in bobbin and top. New needle. I also removed and cleaned the hand wheel and things much quieter and smoother.

That's probably my least favorite FMQing foot. I'm not a fan of it. I prefer the other one that Sew Classic has. Are you still getting skipped stitches with it and did you check the timing?

This is my second foot. I sent the purple one back because it didn't work, clattered, and I felt like it would break. I don't get skipped stitches when the foot is flat on the fabric, but, there is very little moving around room, some of which for me is necessary on FMQ. This is an improvement on the purple foot which didn't work at all, I think because it was too far off the fabric sandwich. As soon as I wedge even anything under the bar to raise the presser foot, even a tiny smidge, then I get skipped stitches. I have ordered a metal open toe slant shank darning foot from sewing machine 221. When you talk about the Sew Classic one, do you mean the little plastic one that would require removing the last thread guide? I'll give that try if the metal one doesn't work.

With your Presser Bar down, and your Needle Bar up (as shown in your photo), there should be a gap between your foot and your fabric. Your foot needs to be down only while the needle is in the fabric and on its way up to exit the fabric. Once your needle is free of the fabric, your foot should lift off of the fabric.

Since your foot is still down when your needle is up, maybe you can adjust your Lift Arm on your foot by bending the arm down a little where it attaches to the rod on the foot.

CD in Oklahoma

thanks CD. That was my intention, but, as soon as the bottom of the foot doesn't have such good contact on the fabric, is when it starts skipping stitches big time. I am still very "green" at diagnosing and fixing, so the timing issue scares me a bit especially since I can't really see where the needle is in relation to the hook. I do have a good light and have watched a lot of videos. Hoping not to have to go that route. Do you think it is the timing since it will sew a nice straight stitch and will make stitches if the FMQ foot is down tightish?

I don't remove the thread guide as I've not found that necessary, but yes the plastic one that has a square opening.

Can you put on your regular foot and take a picture of it in the raised position? I wonder if your foot height has been messed with. You can release the foot pressure to see if that helps.

You can bend the arm a bit on that FMQing foot, but if you want to return it etc. you couldn't do that after tweaking it. I did tweak mine a bit but still prefer the plastic, square one.

Like I mentioned previously, I've had to reset the timing on many of my 301's for this very reason. Great with a straight stitch, but FMQing makes skips. But that's only after making sure it was out a smidge. I don't recommend you do it if you've not tried every other alternative or can't visually determine if the timing is out.

Regular foot
 

Here is the regular foot with the presser foot raised. I think if I bent the bar on the FMQ foot that would help me move the fabric but then I would get more skipped stitches.

I can't really see the height of the foot from the photo.

My wife uses her Singer 301A for FMQ, but it’s set up right now for piecing and she’s not home yet from the shop. I believe that the foot that she uses is very similar to yours (I peeked in the drawer, and it’s the only one that I found in there), but her lift arm (or actuator arm) is lower than yours. I don’t recall if we “tweaked” it from its original position or not.

And about the lowest thread guide that some folks remove for some hopping feet..... My wife’s foot was clattering for a while, until she broke that thread guide smooth off. She told me when it happened, and I answered “ummm, ok?”. She kept on sewing and it’s been running really nice and quiet ever since! Sometimes these things just work themselves out......

CD in Oklahoma

But a “hopping foot” needs to hop. That’s what it’s for. The only time that a hopping foot is supposed to be down is when the needle is entering, stuck in, and exiting the fabric. The rest of the time it should be off of the fabric going up with the needle, or coming back down with the needle. That is when the fabric can be moved for the next stitch.

Skipped stitches only have to do with the hook missing the loop when both the needle and the foot are down. And in the olden days, they didn’t even use a foot on the machine to darn, which is basically what FMQ is about. They only had a hoop to hold the fabric taught, or used their hands to do the same. Your machine will sew without a foot on it pressed tightly against the fabric. The fabric just needs to be held down while the needle and hook are doing their thing under the fabric.

CD in Oklahoma