Sewing machine feet

Overview of the sewing machine feet

Any sewing machine has a standard set of presser feet for specific tasks, such as straight and zigzag stitches, inserting zippers, making buttonholes and others. However, there are many other specialized feet that you can use in your sewing projects and get great results.

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Basic presser feet

Sewing machine brands produce a large number feet. Some presser feet have universal fasten and can be used for different sewing machines.

Standard foot

Standard foot is used for straight and zigzag stitches. The length and width of the stitches are set on the sewing machine. The foot is used for sewing and decorating clothes.

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Parallel Stitch Device for standard foot

You can attach the parallel stitching device to the standard foot for sewing and quilting. This device allows you to sew parallel stitches and perfect for hem dresses, skirts and trousers.

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Stitch guide foot

The Stitch guide foot can easily sew the precise equidistant parallel lines you want while topstitching. For projects that require the utmost accuracy, such as garments, topstitching, or piecing while quilting. Use this piece to simply nail those parallel stitches. Stitch precise seam allowances up to 3/4″ wide
It works on all home-sewing machines. The precision scale goes up per 2 mm – it doesn’t get any better than that!

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Zipper attaching foot

This foot is used for sewing on a standard zipper. The foot can stitch close to the zip teeth.

Also zipper feet are very versatile and can be used for sewing piping too.

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Concealed zipper foot

If you sew dresses or skirts with a zip fasten, you will need a concealed zipper foot. Invisible zipper cannot be inserted with a standard foot as it does not get close enough to the teeth. The Concealed zipper foot has two oblong grooves on the bottom, that fix the teeth of the zipper and allow you to sew right and left sides of the zipper as close to the teeth as possible.

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Other useful feet

There are a lot of useful presser feet for sewing machines, which can help you in order to take your sewing to the next level. Let’s look at the most useful of them.

Edge guide compensation foot

The area left of the guide edge is raised to accommodate the difference in thickness when topstitching seam allowance down like a welt or flat felled seam. This foot is the absolute best for topstitching jeans and denim jackets.

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Free-motion foot

The free motion foot on your sewing machine (sometimes referred to as a darning foot) looks different for each model but will look something like the images above. Free motion embroidery is that you are sewing through more layers, normally 2 layers of fabric and one layer of batting/wadding. Unlike when quilting with your walking foot the free motion foot allows you to stitch in any direction and use wavy lines not just straight ones.

There are a few different ways of quilting with the free motion foot. Copy a design all over the fabric, and quilt it. Another way to quilt: you can quilt the print of the fabric, makes the feature parts of the print stand out giving a 3d effect.

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Walking foot

A walking foot is a presser foot for the sewing machine, has feed dogs on the bottom of the foot. These work in conjunction with the feed dogs on the metal bed of the sewing machine to pull fabric through the machine. The walking foot features a lever on the side. If you raise and lower the lever you will see the feed dogs moving.

When attaching the walking foot to the sewing machine you will need to position the lever on the side of the walking foot on the top of the sewing machine’s needle bar.

A walking foot is used for sewing several layers of fabric, leather, silk, jersey and is a must-have when quilting.

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Blind hem stitches

Use this foot for secure the bottoms of coats, skirts and pants with a blind hem. Turn the coat or skirt wrong side out. Position the fabric with the edge of the folded hem against the guide of presser foot, and lover the presser foot level. Make the seam. The seam is not visible from the right side of fabric.

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Buttonhole foot

Use buttonhole foot for making buttonholes. Use the chalk to mark on the fabric the position and length of the buttonhole. Attach buttonhole foot on your sewing machine. Select a stitch and sew the button hole.

Insert a pin along the inside of one bar tack at the end of the buttonhole stitching to prevent the stitching from being cut. Use the seam ripper to cut towards the pin and open the buttonhole.

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Button fitting foot

Buttons can be sewn on with the machine. Buttons with two or with four holes can be attached. Measure the distance between the holes in the button to be attached. Raise the presser foot level and feed dog position switch, located at the rear of the machine on the base to the left as seen from the rear of the machine. Attach button fitting foot. Select stitch, sew on a button.

Adjust the stitch width so that it is the same as the distance between the holes in the button. Place the button in the position where it will be sewn, and lower the presser foot level. After sewing is finished, cut the upper thread with plenty of excess, wind it around the thread between the button and the fabric. Tie it to upper thread at the beginning of the stitching. Cut off excess thread.

You might be interested in:

• Women’s Measurements Charts
• Basic straight skirt
• Ease allowance of garments
• Longsleeve – simple sewing pattern