I use my walking foot for straight line stitching. I have always used the straight stitch setting on my machine. Someone told me that I can also use the zigzag stitch with this foot. Have any of you done this? I don't want to break the foot but would like to try the zigzag.
I have a small Brother machine and I bought the foot separately so there's no info in the manual.
Thanks.

My walking foot only uses the straight stitch

I don't think that you are suppose to try aiz zagging with a walking foot. Because a walking foot's job is to try and make the upper fabric and lower fabric move forward as one, the sideways action of the zig zag stitch would just throw everything out of kilter and I think you'd probably break a needle or even put your machine out of tyme. If this isn't the case, I'd like to know because I've always wanted to use some of my fancy stitches when quilting and using my walking foot.

read the instruction sheet with the foot to see if you can use anything except the straight stitch, some allow it, but many the hole in the foot is not made for the needle to be moving around and you can hit the foot with the needle and break the needle; or damage the foot. it is always best to follow the recommendations for your equipement.

It sounds like I shouldn't but I do. I use what ever stitch I like with my walking foot. I'm lucky cuz it hasn't broke yet. I also have a Brother. You may check out the manual for your machine. I think it does say in there.

AS long as the hole in the throat plate and the walking foot is big enough for the zig zag you should have no problem. I use my walking foot almost constantly. I usually quilt my Linus quilts with a decorative stitch that would not be possible if the walking foot wouldn't accomadate the sideways motion.

You are right I should have mentioned that too about the plate opening being big enough for the stitch.

I would think that it would depend on how large the opening is in your walking foot whether it would allow your needle to go back n forth, & the throat plate. I have a single hole plate that I put on & forget from time to time that it is on & I break a needle every time!

I don't know about zig zagging with the walking foot, but I have used my machines fancy stitches with it on and had/have no problems.

On my little Brother XL2600 my generic walking foot will do all of my decorative stitches just fine. I used it to do "crazy quilt" stitches on one of my quilts. No problems at all.

I did it, and it worked fine with my faggoting stitch. I did manually do a few stitches to make sure it was clearing the foot, it did come very close to the edge. By the way, the faggoting stitch works real nice for a SID.

I have been experimenting using the pre programmed embroidery stitches on my machine for quilting. I use my walking foot. You need to make sure that the space in the foot has a larger opening like the zigzag foot. I will use the hand wheel very slowly to make sure the stitches fit within the space on the walking foot before I start. The needle will probably break before the foot would if it doesn't fit.

and.....as long as a decorative stitch moves forward it will work. you may need slow down. the walking foot can't go backwards.

Interesting. Now I need to take a look at my machine and it's walking foot to see if I can do decorative stitches with it.

I use it all the time fot decorative stitches!

I do that every so often too! I want to kick myself everytime.
I have a brother machine and there is an open toe walking foot available that will accomadate up to a 5mm wide stitch.
I believe the instructions do say "straight and zigzag"but it was advertised as for decorative stitching. I use it for dec. stitching with no problems.

Excellent advice! I'd be brave after checking out all the parts put on an old needle and thread up. Be sure to go slowly at first.

I use mine for zig zag and any stitches that don't require a backward motion.
I make sure that I use the hand wheel to check that the design in narrow enough to fit within the space of the foot :D:D:D

learn something new every day here!!

i
agree w/ holice......dar

Wow. Great to know this stuff.

I am going to try it for the zigzag stitch. I will take it slow and start off making the stitches manually. I do remember reading on the instruction leaflet that you couldn't use the walking foot for reverse stitching.

Thank you all SO much for the comments and information.

ranger

I've used a plain zig zag with my walking foot. Mine is a brother brand, I think, but I used it on my Janome MC3500.

Very interesting!

I use the button hole stitch with my walkine foot quite often when binding a quilt. I sew the binding on the back and then trim it with the button hole stitch on the front. Never had any problems.

If the hole where the needle goes through is big enough, you can. On a lot of my quilts, I quilt around the blocks, sort of like sitd, using decorative stitches which are all a form of zig zag and I use my walking foot. I also have a Brother machine and it works just fine.

I use it in reverse also.

I have a Viking Rose machine and the walking foot works for most of its stitches, including zig zag and serpentine stitch. The needle moves back and forth, not the foot.

I use my built in walking foot on my older Pfaff with any stitch my machine will do and have never had any problem.

I have a Bernina and have used walking foot with quilt stitches. worked great.

Walk your needle by hand slowly and see if the needle clears.

Well I will have to try this,never even thought of using my walking foot for anything except straight stitches. lol

If you have an open toe walking foot you can zigzag and do other decorative stitches, and the foot will still keeps layers together.

I can use my walking foot for decorative stitches too. I often use it for an elongated zig-zag that ends up looking like a wave.

I use my walking foot all the time with all my decorative stitches... the ones that go forward and backward. The foot on my Bernina 1230 works great. I just can't zoom along at 100 mph, but it gets the job done without a hitch.

Tell me about it - I have broken more needles....

I have a Brother and I have used zig zag and decorative stitches with my walking foot. You can't do any that have reverse stitches though. Be sure you have the plate for zig zag and not straight stitch on the bottom or you will break a needle.

Of course you can!!!! I use it with lots of fancy stitches. Just make sure the needle doesn't it the sides when it swings from side to side.

I have a pfaff and I use my walking foot when I use my fancy stitched on my quilt. Have never broken a needle but this will be something I ask my dealer about when I have my machine cleaned this spring.

I use my walking foot constatly, for everything, not just for quilting. It is great for sewing on borders. I use the decorative stitch and the zig zag all the time, no problem. What do you have to loose by trying??? a broken needle, well it was probably time to change it anyway....go for it, no fear sewing is good sewing....

I sometimes do the Betty Cotton Theory quilting and I always use my walking foot for the decorative stitches. As long as your foot has a wide enough opening for the stitch you select to zig and zag with you can use it. This method needs a walking foot because you are quilting four thicknesses together with a decorative stitch and a regular foot wouldn't keep the fabric feeding at the same pace. I hope this makes sense to you.

Good Luck

Suzy