Knee lift bar question
 

I'm asking for a friend of a friend who lost her right leg. She want's to know if there is a way to use the bar with your left leg. She needs to use her right side for balance. Any tip would be helpful.

Gee lori, I sure don't know how you would do this. The hole is on the right of the front of the machine for the knee lift to fit into. I suppose you could contact bernina to see if there is a solution they have worked out.

By the way welcome to the Quilting board from Nevada.

You would likely have to have something custom made at a machine shop. Take the existing bar and have them machine it to go left immediately out of the machine, over the distance she needs for her left leg and then down. She would still need to push right with her leg, but it would be doable.

Don't have an answer to your specific question but my babylock machine has a setting that automatically raises the presser foot when you take your foot off the pedal and puts it back down when you "step on the gas." I love this feature. Maybe her machine has a similar setting that she could use instead of the knee lift.
I think most babylock machine shave it.

I love my knee lift... but I use my right leg. I would think someone could be able to fix up some type of extender to have it reach her left leg. I am thinking of my brother in law not of myself :)

I saw a modified knee lift somewhere online. If it's for work, she could contact the Job Accomodation Network. They have been a huge help to me. The standard bar, as others have said, simply would not work without use of the upper right leg. I have even seen pressed foot lifts that are operated with a bite bar so it's just a question of finding a good OT/PT and a machinist, welder or such to make an adaptive bar/extension for her. The standard bar would probably be a good start, but I don't know for sure.

I seem to remember there are some machines with a setting where the pressed foot automatically raises when you stop sewing. I can't remember the brand/model. It was way out of my price range. Perhaps a member has one. I would think that would be her best option.

All my Vikings have the function that when you choose needle down, the presser foot lifts when you stop sewing. LOVE IT. Mine are older models (one from the 90s) so you would have to check with a dealer to see which current ones have it. My sister kept going on and on about her knee lift and when I saw it, I was like "you mean you have to do something to make the presser foot go up"???!! guess I was spoiled.

Thanks for the welcome:)And for the answers. One of the questions was what machine to buy. So I think she has to look for machine that has the needle feature. I'm going to pass that on. Thanks!

What a sweet friend you are. Hope that suggestion helps & please invite your quilting friend to join QB, too. We're always thrilled to have more members who share our passion for quilting; plus, there are plenty of us here who have figured out creative solutions to all sorts of roadblocks our bodies try to throw at us ... we quilters are a clever bunch & let nothing keep us from our craft. :sew:

And if you quilt too, welcome to the board & we hope you keep posting (and share your latest projects with us!).

I have a Husqvarna Ruby Royale and there is a button on the front for movement of the pressed foot. I have the knee lift on my Juki but I don't use it as I don't like it.