My creative space – putting my best foot forward
I am a little shocked to confess that I haven’t sewed anything for a week! I’ve still been hooking, but no garments, bags, or quilts have been attempted. Hoping that my machine would soon become a creative space again, I sorted out my sewing machine feet.
Do you have that number of machine feet? Maybe you have more! Notice that they are displayed on the beautiful new insert I had made for my Horn sewing machine cabinet. It’s to compensate for the lack of a fancy pants modern new sewing machine, and in conjunction with some new quilting feet I think it will all work fine for free motion quilting (at much smaller outlay).
This one is a walking foot. Love it! The Brother foot seems to work quite nicely on my Pinnock, and makes quilting and sewing thick layers that little bit easier. Apparently it is also good for sewing slippery fabrics, so I must file that information away for future reference.
These are both darning feet, used for free motion embroidery and quilting. I bought the one on the left after doing Kellie’s workshop at Sewjourn – it’s just that little bit easier to see what you are doing with the larger metal opening and avoids the distortion I was getting with the clear foot. Neither of these came with my machine – I think the clear foot is for Brother machines and the metal open-toe foot is a generic one I found on eBay.
And these ones? The one on the machine is the standard foot that came with it. Then from left to right we have:
- 4-step buttonhole foot – I’m pretty good at using this now but would adore a new machine that did a few fancy buttonholes in one step
- blind hemming foot – well, I think it is! I hardly ever use this one, but it came with the machine. I should practice.
- clear presser foot – this one came with the machine too, and I don’t think I’ve ever used it.
- zipper foot – the original one that came with my machine vanished some time last year (I suspect that Stella had something to do with it) so I replaced it with this. I use zipper feet a lot.
- invisible zipper foot – a recent purchase that has made invisible zipper insertion just perfect! Well worth it.
- teflon foot – fantastic for sewing clear vinyl and any other fabric that could be a bit “sticky”
- quarter-inch foot – up until now I have done all my patchwork piecing without a quarter inch foot. I know my machine very well and pretty much just know where a quarter of an inch is on the plate when using the standard foot. I haven’t used this one yet and will be interested to see if I find it makes much of a difference.
- gathering foot – a generous blogger gave me this when it didn’t fit her machine. I need to play with it myself and see just how much it can do!
So, do you have many sewing machine feet in your creative space? Are there others that you consider to be “must haves”?
Pop over and visit Kirsty for some more creative spaces!
Wow Lara,
I have an old horn cabinet from my mother, and would love to get an insert made for it. Where did you get it done? Was it expensive? Very keen to hear all about it!
I couldn’t live without my 1/4 foot.
MUST get myself one of those whizz bang horn cabinets!!
Wah! So many feet! I just always use my zipper foot, and that’s it!
I have lots of feet for my machine too, but am really wanting to get that one that you have for free motion quilting. Then maybe I can give free motion quilting a go! 🙂
I was very excited to see your array … wondering whether there would be anything new I just had to have! I think after I went check, check, check, …. check and check, I realised that I have all of these (included a similarly gifted ruffler foot).
I also have a pintuck foot, rolled hem foot; a ditch stitching foot and an overedging foot. I’ve never tried the pintucking or rolled hem ones; am a little disappointed with the ditch stitcher; but love the overedger for times when I can’t be bothered getting the overlocker out.
I often cruise by the Janome dealer, just to see if there’s any new feet. Its a sickness, I know!
I’m also keen to see if the 1/4 inch foot makes a big difference to you.
I love this “tools of the trade” post & I LOVE that you’ve had a crack at the making do for the time being.
I think I have all of these except the gathering foot, which sounds fun! I think I have a couple of others which came with my machine, plus I recently picked up a narrow rolled hem foot (and I’m surprised you haven’t heard the cursing from there, as I ‘familiarise’ myself with the darn thing!)
Ok- I have a question for you. My machine does not quilt. If I bought a darning foot would I be able to then free motion quilt on my non quilting sewing machine? Thats really the type of quilting I am drawn to and I think it would satisfy my quilting itch. And since my ever so wonderful hubby reaearched his butt off and bought me a serger for Christmas it will be a while before I can get a walking foot or better yet a new machine!
use the 1/4 inch foot. It has made a huge difference for me.
I also have a plaiter or ruffler foot, it is an interesting looking contraption. It came with Singer Featherweight machines. I posted about it here
http://colourdujour.wordpress.com/2008/11/01/sneak-preview-or-time-to-de-lurk/
I’m amazed. I have one sewing foot – the one my sewing machine came with – and up ’til now, I didn’t know there were so many different kinds. Wow.
You are certainly putting your best ‘foot’ forward in this post … (sorry about that — it has been a long day!)
I pretty much just use the standard foot – I think I need to adventure further ….
I had the same clear plastic view-distorting free-motion foot. A very nice man-with-a-shed attacked the bit in the centre of the foot with a dremel tool, removing the bit between the red lines, and smoothing it all off for me. Hooray! Saved me $30 for a new one without the centre part.
Did you get the insert made by Horn, or somewhere else? I need the same sort of thing, but my machine is not a standard one – I’d need a very special shape. That man-with-a-shed has been looking into the possibilities for me, but no luck so far.
Let me know how you get on with the gathering foot, because I haven’t had much success and could do with some tips!!! Thanks
Oh yeah, always fascinated by checking out what feet can do – a little impressed with myself when i change feet like a professional. Love the Brother Innovis 600 does the BEST button holes EVER, faultless, every time, love it!! Love Posie
What a LOT of feet, or should I say foots! I love my darning foot for free motion and my walking foot. They changed my quilting life.
You made me look. And I found stuff I hadn’t seen in awhile! Thank you.
But the feet: 1-scant quarter inch foot; 2-straight stitch foot; 3-cording foot; 4-overcast foot; 5-blind hem foot; 6-another overedge foot; 7-one of those super straight stitch foots with no open toe; 8-teflon roller foot; 9-zipper foot that I hate; 10-zipper foot that I like; 11-rolled edge foot; 12-open toe free motion; 13-closed toe free motion; 14-buttonhole foot; 15-satin stitch foot; 16=another tiny straight stitch foot; 17-binding feet in 5 sizes which I tried once but messed up and scared me and never tried since; 18-something calling itself in edge-stitcher stuck in the box with the binding feet; 19-another zipper foot; 20-some huge monstrous looking foot that I suppose is a gatherer or walking foot from a much older machine.
That makes 20 feet. ( I think I was once told that is how long of a jump a cheetah can make from a dead stop. )
But I probably regularly use, general purpose, satin, buttonhole, zipper, quilting scant 1/4 feet and free motion. But after finding all of my other ones I am inspired to give them a go.
Loved your feet. My favorite FMQ foot for my machine has a very small metal part and doesn’t have the annoying spring. It rides like a longarm machine would.
I have a candle wicking foot but I think my machine does that stitch already.
I also have an adjustable bias binder thinking I could use it for quilting. It slides up to 5mm.
I have quite a few feet for my SMs too. I buy as many extra as I can for them because it helps me to sew better! So you are in good company…and don’t worry my sewing machine has been quiet a lot longer than a week!
Hey… nice to see you on Thursday.
Love the Horn cabinet, wow!!! I’m also eyeing off your Brother walking foot with jealousy. Where did you get it? The machine I use is an ancient Brother gifted by a friend-of-a-friend, and I’m hoping a walking foot will fit… but I guess I should call someone up to talk it through.
My machine only came to me with a quarter-inch foot, which I love. ANd that’s all I’ve used!
Ooh I just bought a walking foot not long ago for my little Janome and love it, it quilted like a charm!