crocee

I'm going to give the Pledge a try. If it doesn't work I'll scrub it off with a mild cleaner. I figure at this point its not going to hurt anything. I'll spray it on a rag first and wipe it on the machine, also figure there's places it shouldn't go on/in the machine

Dolphyngyrl

There are so many variable do you have an extension table, if machine is not flush can create drag. Are you using gloves, while this may not seem important the ease of moving the fabric goes up tremendously when wearing gloves. Thickness of batting, presser foot height.

crocee

No extension but this is only a small sample quilt. I wasn't using gloves with the sample/practice piece because it was so small. I changed the batting to a flannel sheet so its plenty thin enough. The presser foot has been adjusted so it basically doesn't have any pressure.

crocee

I do believe I got my issue fixed and its a real DUH moment due to operator error. I went back and searched for videos of machines that were using the type of foot I have (closed toe metal) and noticed my foot wasn't doing what their foot was (bouncing). I took the foot off and looked at it thinking maybe it was bent since it set at an odd angle. The foot didn't appear to be misshapen or have anything wrong. While I was looking at it I noticed it had these 2 little prongs on it that hook around the attachment bar. I didn't notice these when I put it on before. It was a bear to get this thing on correctly and fully seated with a sharp needle and a thumb in the way. Next time I'll remove the needle and save the thumb some grief. The little springy bar now does its springy thing like it should. The toe is up off the bed when in the down position just like it's supposed to be. I tried the process again and the fabric moves under the foot like it shows in the videos. I will have to do lots of practice but at least everything works correctly so I can.

Jingle

You also need to lessen the pressure on the presser foot to FMQ.
I'm so glad you got it figured out.

Onetomatoplant

If you don't want to spend the money on gloves specifically designed for FMQ, you can buy thin, inexpensive gardening gloves at Walmart or the like. They have rubberized fingers and make a world of difference!

quiltingbuddy

Yes, this is what I use and they work just fine. "Try it, you'll like it."