I know the title is terrible. I know how to install and use my walking foot just fine, however, it came with a guide- thing-a-ma jig. I think it is a guide so you can quilt a grid type pattern on a sandwich. It is about 3 inches long with a bend.
Problem is I dont know how to put it on my walking foot to use it. Pictures would be MOST awesome!
I have searched the board, but cant seem to find the same question.

sorry about the adjetives. I really have no idea what its called. i am a free motion kind of gal and need to try something different.

you should see me when i have something wrong with my truck! LOL

My walking foot just has a hole in the back part of it. I just shove the guide in the hole. You can push it in from either side however far you want to get the distance you want.

Mine has a slot that you push the bar down in on the back of the walking foot.

What kind of machine do you have? I have a Janome and the guide snaps onto the walking foot on the back. I can post pictures tonight when I get home from work.

Many machines have a hole in the back of the feet and when you slide it is it tightens with a scrw that should already be there. Other machines (Kenmore does)came with a plastic thingy that attaches to the back of the walking foot with double sided tape and the guide snaps into it. The plastic is about half inch long and it should be in the accesories box.

Mine just slides through a hole in the back of the foot.
No matter which foot you have, it is better to put the guide in before attaching the foot...other wise you can put to much pressure on the metal post that holds your pressure foot. :wink:

Isn't it great that we all know what the 'thingy' thing you are referring to!

I've got one of those thingies too but I think I'm doing something wrong because when I try to use it, it doesn't stay fixed but slides up and down. So thanks for asking the question, maybe I'll get an answer here too! I just finished quilting parallel lines round a border and it would have been great for that but I ended up drawing them on. :hunf:

Hi,

We all learn from each other, no question is a dumb question. Have a great day quilting!

I have used the guide thingy (that's exactly what I call it too) for chenille and I have a hard time sewing a straight line with it. My machine has a built-in walking foot and the thingy just slips in a hole in the back.

Your machine user guide should have a photo of how to attach the quilting bar. It goes in a small hole behind the needle and you tighten the screw down to hold it however far away from the needle you want. Good luck. If all else fails... ask you local quilt shop to help you.

Thanks, I'll go look for a tightening screw. I think it didn't come with the machine so no instructions.

I think this is what mine is. It is a slot. I did try it in the slot but it would never stay. I can get it in there. Seems like it will stay, then undone it comes. :) Thought I was doing something wrong. Oh well guess I'll go back to the "eyeball it" trick. I am pretty good at that.


Any ideas to get it to stay (short of epoxy glue) would be GrrrreAt.


My husband just asked me what I wanted to do this weekend. I told him we should go buy me something! Too bad its slow time of year, I'd head right to the Janome dealer and get me a machine with a built in thingy holder fabric pusher ma jig! I am saving for April trip though. *squeal*

THANKS TO EVERYONE!!! I really appreciate it

Have never used a walking foot.

I just bought a walking foot or darning foot and it has a spring and then in the bottom of the pkg was a little bar with grooves in the middle of it. What do I do with that???

So now that I know how to attach the bar thing, what do I actually use it for? How would it be used as a guide?? Thanks :)

A walking foot and a darning foot are 2 different animals. The walking foot is usually a very large gizmo (since we are using technical terms in this thread) that replaces your regular foot. It has little feed dogs (or grippers) on top of the foot so when your needle goes up and down, the fabric is pulled along from the top by the foot and the bottom from the feed dogs in your machine. This is why it's also called, a dual feed foot. A darning foot is much more variable. I have a viking and there are probably 4 different darning feet that viking offers, plus more from after marketers. Since you mention a spring I'm guessing it's a darning foot, but I would follow the advise of a previous poster and put a picture up to get more specific help, also tell us what type of machine you have.

I never could get mine to attach either! Just couldn't figure it out!

The little bar goes over the top of where the screw for changing your needle is. If it is a darning /FMQ foot. Sounds like it is to me.

You use it to measure distance between quilting lines. You sew one row of quilting, then attach the bar thing. Run the bar thing over the first line of quilting and your new line of quilting will be exactly the distance you want from the first line. Then run the bar over the second line while sewing the third, etc. It will just keep your quilting lines equal distance apart. Hope that makes sense.

I just found this picture of a walking foot guide that you put through the shank. http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/122288.../Guide_Bar.jpg