Quilting works look amazing, right? But you will agree how difficult it is for sewers to make the designs look perfect, how each stitch is taken care of.
Apart from the skill of the sewers or the quilters, one thing helps the quilt sandwich stick together, i.e. quilting foot.
But it is imperative to know about quilting feet and how to use them.
What is a Quilting Foot?
A quilting foot is also referred to as a walking foot. It is a piece of equipment that helps the machine move fabric around. It is used by sewing machines and other sewing or embroidery machines to cover a large work surface with multiple layers of material. This gives the quilter more control over exactly where the needle will go and how much pressure is applied.
The quilting foot essentially helps you control your stitches to produce complex designs like a patchwork top.
Quilting feet come in many different shapes and sizes, depending on what type of project you are working on. There are three main types of feet: straight presser feet, roller feet, and free-motion feet.
How Quilting Foot Can Be Used On Your Sewing Machine
If you are a quilter, you would be aware of the usage of the quilting foot. The foot helps sew the layers together or sew other parts that need to be stitched.
Some feet can also be used as a guide to help with your design and make it look perfect.
It is advised to use the same foot for all your designs. It is done to ensure that they are sewn using the same pressure by providing that the stitches are even.
Types of Quilting Feet
There are different types of quilting feet available, which can be used on other sewing machines. The most commonly used quilting foot is the sliding walking foot, and it is used by more than 70 per cent of quilters.
This type of foot has four pressure pads that can be adjusted. The other types include the straight metal foot, the rotary cutting foot and the convertible sewing machine needle threader.
It is essential to know about the pros and cons of each of these types so that you can get a better idea of what will work best for you and your machine. Quilting foot is a device that helps you to stitch on the quilt sandwich. There are different types of quilting feet available in the market, and they come with additional features.
The most common types of quilting feet are Straight Stitch Foot, Zig-Zag Foot, Universal Foot.
- Straight stitch foot is used for long straight stitches.
- Zig-Zag foot is used for zig-zag sewing stitches.
- The universal foot can be used on both straight stitch or Zig-Zag stitch.
i. Straight Stitch Foot
This type of quilting foot has an attached looped bar that guides your fabric to the needle at a consistent pace. It also has a curved needle guide to help you keep your material from slipping away from the needle when you’re working with it.
This type of foot does not offer any decorative design options. Instead helps the user to sew even stitches without changing where their hands are located on the work surface.
ii. Zig-Zag Foot
The Zig Zag foot is one of the most essential and versatile presser feet in your machine toolbox. The zig-zag foot is used to create beautiful decorative stitches. The zig-zag design may look complex and challenging to develop. But it is the magic of the zig-zag foot to create these designs with ease.
iii. Universal Foot
As the name suggests, the universal foot is versatile. It is used to create both zig-zag and straight stitches.
iv. Walking Foot
The first type of quilting foot is a walking foot. This foot type comes with a separate drive mechanism that moves the fabric under the needle while sewing. The needle moves automatically, ensuring that the stitches are uniform and straight.
You will find this type of foot on most machines. It is effortless to use and can be used with most designs.
v. Darning Foot
The darning foot is a specialised sewing foot that helps stitch multiple layers of fabric together. It is also known as a sandwich foot, as it can be used on both flat woven fabrics and quilted fabrics.
The darning foot has two rows of straight pins below the other. The upper row holds the thread of the top layer of fabric in place. At the same time, the lower row contains the threads, which will eventually become stitches in succeeding layers. To begin with, you need to sew through two layers of fabric with your regular machine needle. Then attach the darning foot to your machine.
You should now switch over to your pattern stitch type and use this stitch on all subsequent layers until you reach layer 5 or 6. You should now remove the darning foot from your machine and continue to work with it without it on.
It will help you align the pins with parallelling with each other for consistent stitching across all layers.
vi. Free Motion Quilting Foot
A quilting foot with a long piece of nylon webbing attached to it. This is used to hold the fabric in place while you are quilting without the need for pins.
vii. Hoping Foot
A type of quilting foot that holds fabric with a metal or spring-loaded clamp. These feet are not as easy to use. But can prevent the material from slipping and make it easier to create designs on your quilt sandwich.
viii. Roller Foot
The Roller Foot is generally used to sew thicker fabrics. It is also used to sew heavy knits and other heavier weight fabrics that are tough to sew.
The foot has two sets of rollers, a large one of the front roller. And at the back of the foot, it has two small rollers. This feature allows the fabric to pass under the foot smoothly.
This roller can also be used as a general-purpose foot. It has the added benefit of allowing thicker fabrics.
Final words
A quilting foot is an attachment that supports your work while you are embroidering or sewing.
These attachments can be classified based on the number of needles they have: single, double, and triple needle quilting foot. The modern quilting feet vary in shape and size to easily fit your machine’s plate.
The right quilting foot will help make your quilt sandwich stay together and give you a better finish. So be cautious while choosing your quilt foot and create beautiful designs.
