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Quote:

Originally Posted by Momma_K

Ok, I'm not all that new to quilting but...what is the difference between a regular foot and a walking foot? I know the darning foot and button hole but not so much a Walking foot? Can anyone help??

With a walking foot, both layers of fabric are fed through the machine independantly so there are no puckers/pleats, etc. A normal foot only feeds through from one side so that the top layer gets 'pushed', resulting in problems - puckers/pleats!

The walking foot works great on flannel, keeping everything lined up. Janome has several different 'feet' available for the 6600P including a 1/4" foot and a 'stitch in the ditch foot' that work with their acufeed system. I wouldn't stitch multiple layers of fabric without one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by misseva

i paid $25 for my walking foot over 12 years ago and i LOVE it. i had tried quilting a small quilt without a walking foot and it was miserable. i even use walking foot when sewing just two blocks together if it's already on the machine. love it!!!

Me, too! (Love it, I mean!) Use my walking for for pretty much everything except free motion!

I have a Pfaff with IDT (built in walking foot) that I always use when piecing and adding binding. It is great and I can also then use my 1/4" foot with it. Great invention. I am a Viking lover, but do resort to the Pfaff for some things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfowles

Can someone provide a website as to where to get, prices and how to use a walking foot. I just use my regular foot for stitch in the ditch and it seems to do fine, however if there is something better out there I would like to try it. From what I have seen they look big and complicated. I have a Bernina Activa 135 sewing machine that I love, it seems to me that their walking feet are over $100.00 and I am just not willing to invest that much without knowing if it will help.

I would check with Nancy's Notions or Clotilde. You can use any low shank foot with a bernina if you get an adaptor. You can find adaptors at a dealer or on some web sites. The good news is you only need one adaptor because it can be easily changed over to another foot. It is just there with a screw. As for the walking foot, I do have a bernina, and a bernina walking foot. I use mine all the time and find it invaluable for long straight seams, clothing construction and stitch in the ditch. The only thing I do not use it for is free motion quilting, zippers and such. I have lots of specialty feet, and though they are spendy, I only get one a year on my birthday, I use them a lot and find they make my sewing more pleasurable. You might ask Santa for a walking foot for Christmas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfowles

I have a Bernina 155 and my walking foot came bundled with my machine. I love mine and use it all the time for binding. I have also used it for straight line quilting (Bow Tuck Bag, for example). I know it is expensive for the Bernina, but it does make a difference. I've read here on the board that some ladies use the walking foot for all their sewing and never take it off the machine.

A walking foot pushes the fabric through under the needle just like the feed dogs. I use mine all the time when I am using more than one layer of fabric. Would be lost without it.

I love the walking foot for quilting. Another use for it is hemming jeans. My sister needed some jeans hemmed and I was lazy and didn't remove the walking foot. It worked great and went over the thickness like butter.

I love my walking foot I could not do without it.

A good book to have to learn to machine quilt with your walking foot is Foolproof Machine Quilting by Mary Mashuta. I just finished doing a baby blanket using her instructions. Lot of fun.