The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

4dogs — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:42:02 GMT

I would NEVER even think of doing a quilt /large or small/ without my walking foot...it is the MOST necessary foot I own..........I have a Bernina Artista, so that walking foot was NOT a cheap item, but it is worth every penny to me. I do a LOT of quilting for Project Linus and could never do it without that WALKING FOOT.

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

icstars — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 19:02:50 GMT

I use a quality 80/20 batting for most of my quilts. While I do a lot of free motion and sometimes stitch in the ditch with free motion, I find that a regular foot and quilting gloves allow good enough control for stitching in the ditch and attaching binding. On a throw or larger project, it helps that I use some temporary spray basting mixed with pins.

I simply don't bother to put the walking foot on, but to each their own....there are no absolutes in sewing.

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

Diana Taber — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 18:28:01 GMT

Definitely the quarter inch foot because I have trifocals!

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

Mary T Grady — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 15:16:34 GMT

I wish authors, bloggers, whoever would stress the importance of a walking foot more. Often instructions appear to be written for the average quilter, but the writer has no way of knowing how many beginner or "almost novice" quilters might be attempting this quilt. Certain assumptions are made because after all, we ALL have walking feet, don't we? The answer is no, not really. I spent more than a year trying to machine quilt, trying to sew bindings on, trying to do a lot of projects that I would later find to be easier if I'd had a walking foot. Even though I'd sewn for more than 40 years at the time, I'd never heard of a walking foot (nor did I know that a darning foot was great for freemotion quilting). If you read many of the Facebook pages and interactive blogs, you know that there are a lot of quilters out there that either have no local quilting connections or are not aware that such exist. They are making "passable" quilts because they aren't aware that something so small as a walking foot could change the appearance of their work. (Frankly, I'm stunned at how many novices seem to unaware of the importance of quilting the top, batting and backing together and are under the misconception that these rows of stitching are simply decorative stitching that can be left out.) While it's certainly not the fault of the quilt designers that this information isn't being received, maybe it should be considered when writing the instructions for a quilt. Maybe more attention needs to be given to that tiny step in the instructions where we say "Now, quilt these three pieces together. Then cut your binding strips....."

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

Living4Him_inWI — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 00:36:54 GMT

I loved this! I have been very frustrated with knits so I will be purchasing a walking foot soon.

My necessary foot is the rolled hem foot. I do a lot of alterations for weddings. The rolled hem foot is tricky to get started with but once you feel comfortable with it, it is fantastic for hemming those beautiful dresses. A small investment that saves a lot of time and the results are wonderful on all kinds of fabrics.

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

Alessia6 — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:06:02 GMT

I bought my Pfaff 7510 SPECIFICALLY because it had the built in walking foot.(I could have afforded a Bernina at the time.) I NEVER sew without it being engaged, and my sewing became a absolute pleasure the moment I started using my Pfaff. Even with an add-on walking foot on my old Janome, I could never sew light weight fabrics without some seam puckering. I would NEVER buy a new machine without one! And, no, I do not work for Pfaff. :-))

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

Martru — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:48:15 GMT

I bought my very first Pfaff sewing machine in 1962 and it did not have a buit-in walking foot. My next 1980 model 1222E has it and after 32 years I cannot imagine doing without it. On the 7th October (last weekend) I did a Sashiko course and my latest model 2056 developed a glitch so I had to use a Bernina with a screw-on walking foot. It is heavy, too big and makes the moving around of the fabric very difficult. Three cheers for Pfaff and their built-in dual feed! Martru, South Africa

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

Martha Myers — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:11:00 GMT

I see the walking-foot and the straight-stitch foot as being tools along a continuum. If I want the layers to feed evenly, and if they are on the same grain, then the walking foot works best. If one of the layers is off-grain, as in sewing a princess seam, then it helps me to use a straight stitch foot with the off-grain or bias portion next to the feed dogs. Lots of things fall in between these two.

My straight-stitch foot is my personal favorite. You can use the fact that it advances the top-layer more rapidly to your advantage.

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

mommagammy — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:55:14 GMT

I sew a lot with minky fabric, and I could not make minky elephant blankets without my walking foot. Is most useful when placing the binding on a quilt, and so many other uses also......I guess that it is my most favorite foot.

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

mommagammy — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:55:05 GMT

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

mommagammy — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:52:22 GMT

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

Suzanne Skene — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:43:35 GMT

The first foot I purchased years ago after buying my first Bernina sewing machine was a walking foot. I use it for quiting and general sewing projects all the time. I also purchased a generic walking foot that fit my old Singer portable and my antique Singer Featherweight. It was especially helpful when teaching a teenager to machine piece, machine quilt, and machine bind a small quilt for her Gobal Studies project as a graduating senior. I wouldn't be without a walking foot for any type of sewing! Suz

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

FuzzyWhiskers — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:28:35 GMT

My favorite foot is a 1/4" piecing foot with a guide. I bought it to sew with children that had no sewing experience, and found it so helpful, I seldom piece quilt blocks without it. I too have used a walking foot, and have actually worn out three I used them so much. My present machines have them built in, so I have to remember to put them "down" to get the job done. A walking foot certainly takes the pain out of the project when it is needed.

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

textilejunkie29 — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 21:53:40 GMT

The walking foot is essential for keeping the wonkies away that like to creep up in quilting. However, I also have a old Japanese-made machine from the 50s that feeds beautifully without the walking foot that my Bernina requires.

Those oldies have some great attachments like the ruffler and bias binder that aren't readily available on modern machines.

re: The Walking Foot--Optional or Necessary?

MM Rose — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 21:43:57 GMT

I couldn't do without my topstitching foot. I can make the most even stitching.