This May Be A Stupid Question, But...
 

OK...so if a free-motion sewing machine foot doesn't even touch the fabric, why use a foot at all? Exactly what does the foot do? Do you really HAVE to pay the high bucks to get a darning/quilting foot? Would it harm the machine to just lower the feed dogs and remove the foot? What am I missing here?

Donna

Right off the top of my head the primary reason might be for safety. If I'm free motion quilting, it would be easy to stab my finger if I didn't have that tiny bit of metal or plastic to remind me where my limits were.

My longarm has a big hopping foot and one time a few months ago, the edge of my pinky finger got caught under the needle - ouuuuch!

I think it holds the fabric down close to the plate even though it doesn't press it down like a regular presser foot. Without it the fabric would pop up higher and you'd have a mess. And you might run over your fingers.
But you could try it and let us know what happens :-)

Yep, that's been my experience as well, it keep the sandwich from flopping up and down so much. :)

Older machines often just said to remove the presser foot to embroider....FMQ was not a common form of machine quilting then. I've not tried it without the hopping foot, but have thought about it.
That being said, you can get a darning/quilting foot at Hancock's or Joanne's for about $12...

I did try this once. Besides the fact that it is pretty scary with that bare needle, when the needle raises up it pulls your fabric up. You end up having to hold the fabric down while you are still trying to move it around. It really wasn't pretty.

For FMQ, most quilters use a "hopping" foot that has a spring in it. The foot holds the fabric down while the stitch is being formed, but hops back up in-between stitches so you can move the quilt. There is another type of FMQ foot that doesn't hop, but I've never used that one. As others have said, that one keeps a minimal amount of continual pressure on the sandwich to stop it from popping up when the needle moves up. These feet are usually not expensive at all. Most sewing machines have either a short shank or long shank, and a generic darning foot of the correct shank type is all that is needed.

Oh, and it's not a stupid question at all! The only stupid question is the one that doesn't get asked. :)

I don't know but, I'm sure there is a very good reason for it. I just follow directions.

A big messy thread blob... Not pretty.. :eek:

My two newer machines don't sew well without a foot, my older one does well without. However, sewing without a foot is very intimidating as there isn't anything at all to protect your fingers/hands.
I have done this for some decorative type stitching, but wouldn't for FMQ as you are moving the quilt sandwich around a lot and so much faster for that. :) :) :)

Prism99 has it correct. The foot I have goes down when the needle goes down and up when the needle goes up. It has been worth every penny of the $18.95 I paid for it.

The foot helps stabilize the fabric as the needle passes through at a high speed. These feet are not "big bucks" so I don't know where you're shopping.

Years ago they made just a spring to put on the old machines and it held the fabric down, that is all that is needed is to hold the fabric down so it doesn't come bopping up with the needle.

if memory serves me, i recall that, when sewing with just the needle, one used a hoop to hold the fabric. i think this was for thread painting, though.

I have tried to FMQ without the foot, but it was scary. I have seen (on Youtube) thread-painters who do not use the foot and seem to do okay.

It does keep the material from popping up. Foot moves up and down and pats the top of the fabric...I've tried on one of my vintage machines 301 without and it's didn't work.

I would use one too, if for no other reason than safety. Do some checking, you may not have to pay a high price for a foot either! I use the spring loaded type, found them when I was mainly using my Janomi. Found one, a generic type, at my LQS, she is a Bernina dealer, so carries different stuff like this too. Anyway, it was only $10! I even have two now, one for both Janomis. The second one is for a little travel size machine I have. Okay, then I got a Viking Sapphire & heard they now make a spring loaded foot for it! Costs $40, yikes! Took a look at one, & looks the same at the others I have, so bought one for it too, & it works great! So does some checking & save your money for fabric!...

I would use on too, for safety reasons, if nothing else. You may not have to spend alot for a foot either. I have used a spring loaded foot on my Janomi machines, a generic type one I found at my LQS, for $10! Then, I got a Viking Sapphire 830, & went looking at their spring loaded feet. Theirs run $40, & guess what? Looks the same as my other ones, so bought one for it too, for $10, & it works great! It really pays to check around, good luck!...

Sorry for the double post, was taking forever the first time, so I quit the group, then came back & reposted. Didn't see my previous post, duh!...

Couldn't have said it better myself!! :-)

The one I bought for my Bernina Record was around $40.00 at my LQS, so yes, they can be big bucks.

Cheers. K

This is it exactly. Also it is safer ... and much easier to use the proper foot for FMQ.

ali

I finally took a class in FMQ and this was what worked for me: Presser foot tension to 0, stitch length 0, open toed applique foot (to see where you are going). Feed dogs up. I can now FMQ! The hopping foot drove me crazy but this method works like a dream! The class was taught by a local award winning quilter who quilts all of hers on a domestic machine.

Thanks everyone for your replies! A lady in my quilters guild let me use an older machine of her's so I could practice FMQ on it. I took it by the shop where she has it serviced and the foot I was told I needed was $38.99! I couldn't afford to pay that even if I actually owned the machine! She did show me how to raise the shank so the foot isn't touching the fabric though, so maybe I can practice a bit using the regular foot?

Donna

I think that's definitely worth a try. Why brand and model of machine is it? I bet it can take a generic foot.

Two reasons: The sandwich has a tendency to pull up with the needle as it comes out and you end up with strange tension and stitches. The second reason, so you don't sew/stab your finger, hand or arm.
Some embroiderers don't use a foot - with special care and tension but is is not usually recommended.

Feed dogs UP? I would have to see that technique to understand it. I have a Bernina and the darning foot does not "hop." Leaving the feed dogs up would not allow smooth motion. My roomate has a Brother and hers hops. We don't do well exchanging machines so I guess it's all in what you are comfortable with.

i have a walking foot for my brother but have not tried to FMQ as of yet

If you don't want to use a darning foot...you can buy a needle with a spring on it. Any fabric store will have them on the notions wall. It keeps your fabric from hopping up and you can thread paint with it quite well. A rather cheap alternative to an expensive foot. It does take some practice to get the technique right but if you have some experience with free motion the learning curve is short.

Your question was a good one and I am glad it was asked because I have wondered the same thing. Thanks for the good answers.

301A can do it but the top fabric tends to 'flag' around the needle unless you have project in a hoop. this works for small design, would not free motion quilt this way..IMHO...just to likely to cause injury....which would interferr with fun (aka sewing) time. have never tried it with the BERNINA 1630 because she has every foot made (such a Diva). :)

I have a Bernina 1230 and have only done FMQ with a hopping foot (darning foot) on it. I have used it both with feed dogs down and feed dogs up. Feed dogs up gives better control with some quilt sandwiches. Feed dogs up may not work with a non-spring FMQ type foot. It really depends on your machine. Some machines FMQ easier with feed dogs up.

I have removed the foot upon occasion when I've wanted to sew really close to a bulky item such as a buckle that wouldn't fit under a presser foot.

The foot goes up and down with the movement of the needle. It does touch and hold down the fabric while the needle is in the fabric. It just doesn't in conjunction with the feed dogs, hence you are the feed dogs and you move the fabric. Hope this helps.

I am unsure what type of machine you have but my FMQ foot is adjustable. i can turn a screw on the top of it that will allow the foot part to go closer to the layers of fabric. I have a Janome Horizon and 6600