I have also heard (or read) that you can't or shouldn't stitch backward with the walking foot. Is that the same situation? I've never found a need to go more than a few stitches backward with any foot, so I don't know what the fuss is. Some of the decorative stitches do involve going backward and forward a bit.

The purpose of the waking foot is to make your machine an even feed so the top and bottom fabric go through at the same interval. Without it, the bottom fabric advances slightly more than the top. That is why, if we have a bit too much fullness, we put it through the machine with that part on the bottom. If the walking foot has a wide area there is no reason not to use if for decorative stitches. Craftsy has a couple of classes to highlight its use in embellishing quilts.

I just "just show me in my owner's manul where it says that! or, show me where there's a law that says I can't. That usually shuts them up.

maybe it was just "they can't go in reverse"....

Conjunction junction, what's your function?

Now I have an earworm.... :D

New to me too...I use my walking foot all the time to sew binding on but have not used decorative stitches...yet. I will have to ask my Janome dealer.

I like all of your answers! lol We all know people like that don't we? I just stay clear of them if possible. If I can't I think I need to take Onebyone with me! lol Good Answer!

With the new type of walking feet, some come with changeable feet so you can do pretty much whatever you want, including decorative stitching. I never used my old walking feet but since I got my new machine, EPIC, it came with a couple feet and I've purchased most all the rest I thought I'd use. Still waiting for my decorative foot with the center flange.

I would imagine that it would be ok with any stitch that only went forward. Since the purpose of a walking foot is to 'increase' the top fabric's forward movement, any decorative stitch that required a backward stitch might create a problem. But, I think it would be fine for a zigzag or a serpentine. Just a guess, but it makes sense to me.

I have reversed with my Janomes' walking feet and never had a problem. Never even looked in the manual to check if I was 'allowed' to or not. My machines are post 2006. If you go very slowly in reverse, you can see the walking foot action in reverse. Having said all that, I have never reversed more than half an inch.

But my Pfaff has a built in stitch regulator and has certain feet that do not allow using the regulator.