Walking foot?
 

I don't have one yet. Its on my list to buy next. I'm kind of a newbie to quilting. I was told to get one for when I sew the binding or edges. Do I need it when I am sewing layers in general? I am making pin wheels right now and I am experiencing the fabric shifting as I sew. Thanks for your responses.

Definitely use a walking foot when you are putting your sandwich together. You may have to pin more to keep pin wheels from shifting. Pointy ends are hard. Do get the walking foot. You will learn how thick you can sew w/o it, and when you DO need it. I use mine a lot!

I use mine a lot too, I even got a 1/4 inch one for my Janome and now pretty much use it for all my piecing, it especially help going over bulky seams as it doesn't veer off.
They are big and clucky and noisier than a regular foot but I got used to that. :)

I stalled for years in getting a walking foot...now I wouldn't be without one! In addition to using for quilting and binding, they can be used to help ease in when one piece is longer than another (longer piece on bottom), they are great when sewing thick things, like padded purse straps, heavy tote bags, etc.

I , also, am thinking about a walking foot. I want something that I can use for sewing the layers together and also for free motion sewing. Does a walking foot do both? If not, what kind of foot should I get? My machine is a Viking 6030 (ancient like me) but sews like a dream. When I look for this model, I am unable to find the machine number--even on the Viking website. Suggestions would be most helpful.

I didn't get the 1/4" walking foot, but I do use it almost all the time for piecing and binding. I never use it for free motion though.

The Walking Foot is not for FMQ.....as the feed dogs must be engaged to make it work.
I also recommend that when you buy one that you get the brand specific for your machine. I know many have used the generic feet successfully, but it has been my experience and reading posts that the generic feet don't always work successfully. The extra money you will pay for the brand specific foot is worth it in possivle less frustration

I couldn't find the # of your machine either and Vikings search button isn't working. Do you have a store around you that you could call. Most machines go by a 1 diget # when you are looking at parts. Like I have two machines and one is a 1 and the other is in group 7. On the outside of the package it'll show a numbers each one in a circle and if your # is there it fits. You might have to get one special ordered but the only way to find out is to either email Viking, at the bottom of Vikings website there are email links for hardware and software. I do recommend not getting a generic for any machine; most find out they end up replacing them constantly and end up spending more but a walking foot is great. No it's not for free motion quilting in general. Unless you can use the new interchangeable walking foot that Viking came out with most walking feet are made to go straight and not in different directions. If you want to see what the different feet look like go to Vikings website and click on accessories and then you can look at their book and it shows all of the accessories and you'll see the difference of a walking foot and a FMQ foot. The walking foot does make a difference when quilting or even sewing any seams especially long ones like hemming, etc.

I highly recommend getting a walking foot. They are good for sewing several layers together, sewing thick seams, and for fabrics that are slippery and hard to feed through your machine. I wouldn't be without mine.

A bit of Walking Foot Trivia........The Walking Foot was not invented for quilting. The technique has been around for a long time. It was originally developed to be able to sew plaids, stripes, velvet and other difficult fabrics in garment making. The system enables both layers of fabric to move at an equal way under the pressure foot of the machine since the feed dogs tend to pull the bottom lay away from you and the regular pressure foot to push the fabric toward you thus getting the layers uneven. That is why it is so useful to quiltmakers as multiple layers of the quilt being sewed (quilted).