I can' t get the feeder feet to come up and move the material. any suggestions

Check that the stitch length is set high enough that the feed dogs will actually advance the fabric. Setting the stitch length too low will cause the machine to basically sew in place.

Also, check that the feed dogs have not been "dropped" to allow darning or free motion quilting. Dropping the feed dogs lowers them so they will not rise above the needleplate and will not grip nor move the fabric.

If your machine is mechanical (not computerized), it may need a good cleaning and oiling. If the old oil has solidified, it could be preventing the feed dogs from moving like they should.

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check the feed direction for the bottom section
check that the top foot is actually coming down onto the bottom foot
adjust if not or is the foot the correct one

knotted up thread under the material indicates that the needle thread tension is incorrect ( needs tightening)
once you have that correct the material, will feed normally
use scrap when adjusting and the correct tension is when the top and bottom threads meet at the join ( middle -center )of the materials being sewn

Are the Feed Dogs dropped? Check your manual for the location of the switch. .... otherwise your mechanism has been compromised. Take it in for repair.

here is a link for a free manual see if it has the information in it
about the feed dogs, some machine have a lever to adjust the
feeddogs and some don't

http://www.singerco.com/uploads/download/864_white-970,972,979-x-.pdf

Make sure feed dogs (teeth in needle plate beneath needle) are showing. Flip switch to UP position to "feed" fabric. Sometimes control fir this located on back of machine lower left side and " hidden" by your extension table, so remove that table and you'll find the switch! Jimmy

the feed dogs in the needle plate area are what moves the fabric while the presser foot hold the fabric
if the feed dogs are not up, check to see what position are in,,they should be in the bobbin area
if you can't move them they should be checked at a repair shop

There is a latch under the the feeder lpate next to the bobbin lift it up to lift the feeder feet. [email protected]

I'm sorry to say that it sounds like you have a broken gear that is preventing the feed dogs from moving properly. Depending on the machine, this could be a very expensive repair.