sewing without a foot
 

I saw a lady on Youtube that was showing how she embroiders and sews applique without a foot on her machine. I don't mean for this to be a thread to bash her, just want to know others thoughts on this technique.

dangerous, is the first word that comes to mind. that's not bashing, just an observation.

Ditto on the Dangerous comment!


Another thought ... what is she accomplishing by not using a foot?
Aren't our machines designed to function with a foot?

It was a technique used back in the days before we had the fancy feet. There is even a needle with a spring surrounding it that was used. the technique is the forerunner of thread painting. You used an embroidery hoop.

And you are correct about it being dangerous.

I thought this was going to be an inspirational post.:D Just didn't know why lacking a foot would be a big problem. (BTW I did embroidery without a presser foot or a free motion foot for a while--keep your fingers outside the hoop folks.)

Not something I'd even consider since I've gotten my finger 'needled' with a foot on. I'd be even more of a clutz without a foot!

I've done it and amazingly didn't sew my finger. In some ways it is easier because you can really see where you are going.

My Singer 328K we bought in 1962/1963 shows doing this for monagrams, in the manual. Just keeping your hands away from the needle will make it quite a bit safer. It is not that you need a ffot on the machine. You just must have the presser foot lever in the down position.

I gave it a try years ago to do some machine embroidery, I had my best luck when I used a stabilizer under it. Using and old fashioned hoop was also a big help. I traced on to the fabric with a light pencil mark the areas of design. I did get a free motion foot when they became available..

I have never tried it, looks pretty scary!

I've done it on small pieces for thread painting, no accidents but not for the faint of heart. I LOVED it cause nothing obstructed my vision and there was no foot to catch my basting threads.

I know I've seen video's of industrial sewing without feet ... an environment where speed was a factor. Some were current and foreign (no OSHA to worry about) other video's or photo's that were taken here in the states were much older (pre OSHA or H&S in Britain). All of them were specialized where the same motion was repeated piece after piece.

My mama used to do monogramming for us using this technique....she is a brave lady....LOL, but she did nice work!!!!!

I have the Singer book that has all that tapestry and lace. First electric driven machines.

If you used a spring needle for thread painting, you were supposed to use a hoop. There were instructions on how to cut a notch in the wooden hoop, and how to wrap so fabric didn't slip. Like FMQ, the hoop could be large enough to fit the throat of the machine. I still have some old books with this technique along with cutwork.

She did use her own octagonal hoops that she has developed. She is using a modern machine. My first thought was dangerous as well, but she does beautiful work and her hands are well away from the needle. I would worry about breaking a needle and it flying at me! Thanks for all the thoughts. I was just curious what others would think.

You can also see the needle going into your finger..lol

I have the foot that is a spiral made out of wire. I have used it to embroider and it works fine. With any sewing, just be careful.

We all have our areas of expertise - I bet this one takes a lot of practice.

I saw this done on paper using the needle to perforate a pile of paper for templates. Hope this makes sense.

If you girls all want a laugh, I saw this and wondered why this woman was sewing without a foot. I am thinking she must be using the knee option to make the machine run. I wondered what happened to her foot. Then I wondered why all of you thought that running the machine with a foot was dangerous. After reading about 4 posts, I finally understood that she was running the machine without a presser foot. I guess I watched to much about the Boston Bombings. I am an idiot!

I took a class years ago on free motion embroidery. As others have said, you keep your hands on the hoop and they are nowhere near the needle. In many ways it's like FMQ as you move the fabric in the hoop around and you are not guiding the fabric near the needle. It is really a neat way to embroider.

Some of our most beautiful embroidery we buy in stores is made in the Youctan by women using the old treadle sewing machines without a presser foot. I just stood and marveled at what they were doing. They lived in a little hut with no electricity. Their machines set by the door so they could get light. Then on Sat they were allowed to take them to the town square and sell for almost nothing. Then we complain because our machines won't do all the work for us. Sorry for sounding off but I was blown away just watching them.

So thankful you talked about this as I have some Mexican clothing and I really wondered how they could do all that because I realized it was not done by hand. Think I saw the "footless" method years ago but now it seems like a dream. I have a treadle sitting here that needs to be used but also an electric embroidery machine.

Idiot here, too? LOL

When I started to embroider with my machine, I didn't use a foot. I used a regular embroidery hoop (like for hand embroidery ) so it did keep my fingers out of the way, but we didn't have "embroidery " feet then and it worked just fine.

Frequently, I've sewn sans presser foot over my close to 60 years of sewing. It's no more dangerous than chopping vegetables with a chef's knife. You just do it. Love to do free motion with that way. Also much easier to hem jeans, you can sew right up to the seam, tack it, up on the lever, over the seam, down with the lever, tack it and on you go.

I've only sewn myself to the machine (literally) once. that was trying to push jeans as far as I could to the seam. Oh, but forgot to tell you, I was using the presser foot. Since the machine was a 1928 Singer (that had been motorized), I had to rock the wheel back and forth reaching across with my left hand as the right index finger was attached, under the needle. I did it without passing out and from then on, no presser foot while doing jeans.

I usually applique with just a needle, so much easier and faster. I'm not too chicken at trying anything with sewing except for the rotary cutter, WE have never bonded!

I did textiles at school (12 years ago) and for part of a wallhanging, I did what I guess would be called thread painting, using a machine with no foot and a hoop. A zig zag stitch. It worked well.

I recently tried to do it on my computerised machine but it wasn't playing ball for some reason.

Someone mentioned octagonal hoops, i've watched vids if her, they look great. I've looked into it but those octohoops are very expensive, especially to get them in the UK! :(

I thought exactly the same thing. In my minds eye, it was clear as day. LOL

Sounds like risky business to me.

Could someone post a linkto this video? i would love to watch it.

I tried FMQ this morning without a presser foot. It didn't work. I kept skipping stitches, sometimes ten in a row. Maybe it would work with a hoop, but the fabric needs to be held down so the machine can make the stitch. That's why the darning food has that little spring on it.

I used that with my 401A and it works so beautiful but have never tried it on my computerized Brother.

Yes, I remember doing this way back when, using that little coiled spring thingy around the needle, but no foot on the machine. I prefer our more "modern" embroidery feet. :)

When I got a new sewing machine in 1977 doing embroidery using no foot and the feed dogs down was part of the learning how to use your machine class. We did use stabilizer and a hoop as part of this method. You do have to be careful as the foot for the most part guards your finger from getting under the needle. If you use a hoop however you are holding on the to hoop to move the fabric around under the needle and the hoop will protect your fingers. With newer machines and feet available this method is gone by the wayside for the most part.

More power to her, but I know what my fingers would look like if I tried that!

What makes you think you are the only one with this thought? Thanks for the laugh!

If this is the same lady, the reason she's doing embroidery without a foot is because she isn't using an embroidery machine.She uses a reqular machine to do it. As far as being dangerous, I've seen on here many times where people ran the needle into their finger, they had a foot on the machine and it didn't stop them from hurting themselves. This is where you just have to be careful. The video that I saw, was really pretty. She does nice work.