Sewing Machine Presser Feet and Attachments
 

I purchased several used "middle-aged" machines.

I have been looking at the attachments - along with the instruction books - and wondering what are these feet for and how would I use them.

It turns out that I use very few of the attachments/different feet -

the "all-purpose" one
the zipper foot
the "darning foot"
and - in a previous life - the buttonhole foot

How many of the various attachments/presser feet do you use?

I have come to the conclusion that the "old-timers" did more fancy sewing than I ever will - pin tucks, ruffles, narrow hems -

When I used to sew clothing, I used the zipper and buttonhole feet regularly. Now that my sewing is quilting, the only sewing machine feet I've used in the last year are a 1/4" foot, a walking foot, and a darning foot. Years ago, the pin tucks and ruffles were probably popular for window treatments and baby/children clothing. People just don't seem to do that much anymore.

I use the all purpose foot, zipper foot, edge joining foot, open toe and 1/4 inch feet. Sometimes the blind hem foot too.

I love having almost all of the available accessory feet.

These are kept in a small plastic box with dividers and labels;
bi-level, bi-level right, braiding, candlewick, double cording, pearl piping, zipper, teflon, bias binding. Plus there is a circle foot that lets me sew circles or half circles which look pretty.

My all time favorite and every day stitching foot is a 1/4 inch w/guide. I bought spares just in case. Love the buttonhole foot too.

I am waiting to use the fringe foot to make the flower centers on a panel.
The serger has another box of dedicated machine feet; belt loop, curves, piping and more.

For the large walking foot, I use the 1/4 inch and SITD feet for attaching binding.

Give the girl an inch and she'll take a foot.

As a quilter, I use my 1/4” foot the most. I do use my open toe foot for foundation paper piecing and to sew the pieces together into a block. I have also used a narrow zipper foot to make appliqué stems for hand applique (I use the metal bias bars and put them into the fold of my cut fabric piece and then use the narrow zipper foot to sew along the edge of the enclosed bias bar to make the tube). I do have tons if feet fir many of my machines but just don’t use most of them. I’m not a garment sewer so rarely use my all-purpose original foot,

I use my all purpose foot, 1/4 inch, zipper, open toe, and buttonhole most often. I rarely use my walking-foot, gathering or rolled hem foot. I think I just get used to the way things work, or feel when I'm using those feet.

I, too, have some old machines that came with interesting attachments. Sometimes I have sat down and tried what to me are more exotic ones. I love the ruffler foot that was common in the early days of sewing, but I only made one old fashioned apron using it for a DIL who loves aprons. When my daughter was little that would have been fun to use. Now at last we have a granddaughter on the way, so maybe I will be having another look at it.

For quilting I use the usual ones that others have mentioned, and for the last few years i've had one called a bi-level foot that I learned about from a Man Sewing video. That thing works like a dream for sewing neatly at the edge of a binding for the final go-round. Love it!

Editing to add that if you go to look for a bi-level foot for this purpose, look for one that has the high side on your right when you're facing the machine. They make both kinds, but the other way wouldn't work for binding because the entire quilt would have to fit to the right of the stitch line.

I have other machines but, just making quilts I use one of two straight stitch only machines. I only use a 1/4" foot, darning foot and walking foot.