walking foot question
 

hello there,
looking for opinons.
I have never used a walking foot before but got one for xmas. works great on longer runs or bigger pieces but on 1.5" or 2" pieces I'm thinking its overkill and is not needed. Experiencing some fabrics getting eaten. i tried a leader but still wondering if its not a good use for little pieces. what do you think?
still a real novice and working up my nerve to try some smaller piecing that really requies some precision.

are you trying to quilt (sandwiched with backing & batting) 1 1/2" & 2" pieces of fabric????
the walking foot is generally used for straight line quilting on sandwiched pieces- it walks along on the thicker layers- where a regular foot may cause puckering/pulling. some people use their walking foot for the bindings too-again multiple layers.

hmmm. interesting. i thought it was for 1/4 inch seams. that edge that is on it must be a regulator instead of some sort. thanks for explaining!

i usually don't use mine to piece. just to quilt. i use my 1/4 foot to piece. and binding i may use the 1/4 foot or another or even the walking foot.

Just out of curiosity, what machine do you have? It would be good to see the foot you are using.

I don't use my walking foot to piece, but I do use it to sew on borders, bindings and to quilt straight lines. If I have rows of blocks to piece together, I'll use it for that too.

A walking foot is mainly for thicker pieces where the bottom layer would creep away from the top layer. As others have said, it is great for binding, straight line quilting or quilt as you go projects.

I don't use my walking foot to piece either. But I wouldn't be without it when attaching binding.

I use my walking foot for everything. I have a older Pfaff with the IDT that is attached and you engaged it when needed and disengage when not. I like that type better than the big walking foot like my Brother has that you have to take on and off. I use the walking foot engaged with my 1/4 inch foot.

I use the walking foot for piecing, bindings, straight-line quilting....yup, just about everything.....the walking foot helps to eliminate one layer pulling faster than the other, regardless of thickness

I do not have one but wish I did. Guess one of these days!!!!

I just finished using my walking foot to sew on a binding. I use it to join the binding and I do not like it for that at all. That leads me to think that I could not use it for piecing. It is fabulous for stitching in the ditch and I'd hate to sew on a binding without it. For piecing, I love my 1/4" foot.

I wonder if that guide you see on it could be for stitch in the ditch? I have one that has that....it keeps the line straight in the ditch.

I've found that my walking foot works great for most things but did not do very well on tiny strips that I was using for a special log cabin mini project I was doing with decorator fabrics.

I wonder if the people that use their walking foot for everything have a built in one. I love my walking foot but it is to big and clunky unless what I am sewing is very thick.

I have used to do a quck piece job if I am too lazy to change feet and that does not work very well. As already mentioned it is for SID and other straight line quilting.

The walking foot is designed to act like the feed dogs on your machine - i.e., feed the fabric through with a gentle pushing motion. You know how some times when you sew two long pieces together that are the same length, one ends up being a little longer than the other when you are done? It helps keep both pieces even as you sew. It's not for free motion quilting - only for straight line quilting, like stitch in the ditch.
If your walking food it's working correctly then check the presser foot pressure to be sure it's adjusted correctly so the walking foot can push the fabric.

i have a janome and use it for just abour everythi g. even those small pieces.

hi. the machine is a Janome.

Malinda

I too use my walking foot for all piecing (except of course paper piecing), even the smaller pieces. Yes its a little more difficult to feed, but I still do it. Here are some tips

1) Use a leader
2) Work with your needle in the down position. When its time to start a new piece, lift your presser foot just enough to slide the new piece under the foot. Now slide your piece under the foot all the way forward until it is up against the needle and against the 1/4" guide.
3) Slow your speed down
4) A stiletto helps as well
5) Sometimes with really small pieces (I've done 9 patches with 1" strips) I'll use long pins. I insert the pin so the point is a little more than 1/4" from the edge and will not get under the needle, then I use the long shaft of the pin as a "handle" to help guide/move the fabric (especially when at the end of the piece to make sure it doesn't 'drive' to the left)
6) Make sure the feed dogs on your machine and on the walking foot are kept clean and free of fabric/thread dust.

Hope this helps

I have the Janome 6600 with built in walking foot and use it for just about everything as well. The add on ones are a bit more clunky, but are still great for straight line quilting the sandwich to help avoid puckers.

I quit using my walking foot becauseit was eating fabric. I used it for stitch-in-the-ditch quilting, and adding binding. But it worked so well for those things that I left it on. Big mistake! I also stitched in reverse with it, which I have since found out, is a big NO-NO. Not sure why, as it worked perfectly in reverse. It got very frustrating when the fabric wouldn't move through, and time after time I got big wads of fabric and big knots. So I took it off and put it in the drawer. The next time I need it for binding I will attempt to use it again.

I have a janome 11000 and I only use my walking foot for binding and quilting straight lines. I have attended a paper piecing class and someone was using her walking foot, she said she uses it for everything. I guess whatever a person is comfortable with.

I use my walking foot on large quilting projects. Have never used it on small pieces. Interesting to read the responses.

Thanks Buckeye Rose. It's good to know I'm not the only one who uses it for everything. Even on my original 5042 Janome, I left the walking foot on and it was one that had to be attached.

I have a Janome 7700 and a 1/4" walking foot. I do use it for piecing sometimes but where it shines, to me, is sewing on the binding. It feeds the fabric without shifting and keeps me on the 'straight and narrow' for my seams. That black guide takes a little getting used to for regular piecing but I hate changing feet so I usually just suffer through. The regular walking foot (accufeed as they are called on the 7700) is wonderful for straight line quilting and I would never use the 1/4" accufeed for that.

I don't usually use the walking foot to piece, but I do with flannel.

Mkotch: That's a really good idea because flannel is forever shifting. Next time I am going to try it.

I generally use my walking foot for the actual quilting, and use the 1/4" foot when sewing pieces together, especially the smaller 1.5" or 2" pieces. Hope this helps.

Seldom use my walking foot anymore
 

Just finished another quilt that required a walking foot. Didn't want to go through the hassle of installing the walking foot for this particular project so attached my darning foot instead. Worked beautifully!! Am doubting that I'll ever use the walking foot again!!

I don't understand why several people said they use their walking foot only for straight line quilting. I have a Janome 6600 and I use it for curves all the time.

thank you so much for the help. I love this board. Always so helpful, encouraging, and friendly. I have a much better sense of what to try. The great thing about quilting is that you can pretty much do whatever pleases you. thanks again!

I also do curves on my quilt with the walking foot. i just move the quilt side to side as i go along. but piecing is done with regular feet.

I usually only use my walking foot when I'm sewing on the binding.

Hi Malindaann, The walking foot is for quilting.When you have top,wadding and backing together it will feed all the layers together, it isn't really made for piecing. I bought a quater inch foot for piecing which is a great help in getting an acurate seam allowance when I started off. You are a novice now but you will soon learn, this forum will be a great help as will you tube which has many sites teaching how to do various designs. Good luck, hope you get to enjoy this wonderful world of patchwork and quilting more and more, you will always find help from the very generous bunch of quilters, just ask. Love Letty.

Walking foot is also ideal for joining long strips of fabric as well as for top stitching ( tote straps etc)

I found if I used my walking foot for piecing my 1/4" seams were not very accurate, so I use y 1/4" foot for piecing and my walking foot when I am dealing with multiple layers.

Maybe it would be helpful for someone to put a picture up of a walking foot. Seems like several are talking about different things--some built in, some attached. Maybe showing the attachment on a piece of fabric. Thanks.

I don't use a walking for on the lengths you have described. the point of walking foot is from an accumulated length of run where the top and the bottom will not quite move along as the sandwiched fabrics teeth walk the length.

vote no on the size of run you are describing.. I do use a walking for for binding. for long stitching up and down quilt tops 42 inch, sometimes 36 inch..

yes? no? on lenghts.. you will decide for yourself.. this is a tool I have LOVED for many years. but do not always use.

Best of luck,
Ell

I never remove my walking foot.