I bought a Kenmore Model 17651 last weekend for $15... hoping to use it just for quilting or FMQ (when I learn how..)...

It is super clean, barely used at all, has all of its parts and manual.. We tried it out today and it sews beautifully, but I don't know how to adjust it for quilting... There is a plate that covers the feed dogs and that is not a problem at all. I loosened the presser foot pressure and tried FMQing, but it's kind of hard to move the quilt around still.

Can someone please tell me what other adjustments that I might have to make?

I can't help you, but this is a beautiful machine. I would love to find one like that. Good Buy!!

Do you have a darning foot? That might be the problem.

What you're looking for is a switch or button or dial that will lower the feed dogs. Those are the toothy things that pull the fabric through. If they don't lower then you have to make other modifications. Someone else will have to help you with that. I hope you find the dial you need. :-)

Lori

OMgosh..I bought one just like this two years ago for an elderly neighbor..the reverse does not work, but I only paid $15.00 for it...she FMQ's on it all the time...

The NEW Kenmore quilting feet set works great on this machine! as do the prewound bobbins from Signature threads!

You should have a plastic plate to cover the feed dogs with!

I never thought of FMQ on Mom's 1950 Kenmore. I'm going to try. It's a workhorse.

I use my '70s Kenmore to FMQ most of the time. It is heavy enough that it dosen't slide around while I quilt, much easier than chasing my Brother all over the table.

I have a old Kenmore, too. There is no button or lever to lower the feed dogs. They have a plate that you snap on to cover them but when I would FMQ with that plate, it would keep popping off. What a quilting instructor told me to do which helped tremendously was to turn the presser foot to "0" or darn, turn the stitch length to "0" (mine actually is four lines past 24) and use a darning or hopping foot. I could actually FMQ fine with these settings. Good luck!

I have a old Kenmore, too. There is no button or lever to lower the feed dogs. They have a plate that you snap on to cover them but when I would FMQ with that plate, it would keep popping off. What a quilting instructor told me to do which helped tremendously was to turn the presser foot to "0" or darn, turn the stitch length to "0" (mine actually is four lines past 24) and use a darning or hopping foot. I could actually FMQ fine with these settings. Good luck!

I added this to the VSMS forum so it will get more views and also I think you have a beautiful machine!!

Billy