Grace creates

I don't mind fmq feathers, spirals or anything curvy to much. Not saying I'm great at it, but I enjoy it. My problem is quilting in the ditch or anything with straight line grids. Was thinking of getting the special foot and one ruler for doing things that require straight lines. The foot for my bernina is close to $100. dollars. I'm thinking if I don't buy the foot and the needle hits the ruler, it can throw off the timing of my machine (expensive fix) Wondering how you all do your ruler work on a domestic machine.

dunster

The dangers of hitting the ruler with the needle are even worse than throwing off the timing. I don't have experience with ruler quilting on a DSM, but I do it all the time on the longarm. If the ruler slips under the foot, it will break the needle, so pieces can fly everywhere. Think about everywhere including into your face. It's a sudden and scary event, which may cause a hole in the quilt or worse. I would invest in the correct foot, read or watch instructions for how to use the foot properly, and even then be extra careful.

sewingpup

umm....the foot and ruler cost you under $200...a trip to the shop to repair your machine if you hit the ruler with the needle and throw off the timing...plus the cost of the needle...and perhaps the ruler....and time without your machine and the trip to urgent care for your injury if hit by the needle or a shattered piece of it....ummmm...well...I don't think the price of the ruler foot looks so bad after-all....with that being said....I do my quilting on a longarm...and I do use my thicker ruler foot when I use rulers...and yeah...you have enough to concentrate on besides making sure the foot does not ride up on the ruler even with the proper equipement....

feline fanatic

The only alternative I can think of is to use your walking foot and do straight line quilting with that, following a marked line or masking tape applied to the quilt surface (and stitch next to the masking tape). Same for the ditch work. This means turning the quilt so you are always in the correct orientation and possibly having to wrestle a lot of quilt into the neck of your machine.

If you want to free motion your straight line work (aka ruler work) save yourself a lot of frustration, possible damage to your machine and yourself and buy the ruler foot.

tohkatz68

Allbrands.com has a ruler foot and the 12inch arc ruler with the side opposite the arc is a straight ruler for about $50. You need to know whether your machine is a low of high shank machine but woodlands will help you based on make/model of your machine. I purchased my ruler foot and a starter kit with other rulers for half the cost of other sellers. Fast shipping and good customer service.

feline fanatic

Bernina's feet aren't just the foot but part of the shank as well. Bernina is very proprietary and no generic foot will fit a bernina unless they also make a special adaptor for it like the curve master does. If your machine is still under warrantee and you break something using a generic foot with an adapter the warrantee will not cover the repair and may be voided in full.

Krisb

Do you have a blind hem (5) or an edgestitch (10) foot? Both can be used to stitch in the ditch. I also have used my Janome ditch foot to quilt a marked cross hatch. Warning: on my machine, the foot requires feed dogs down, so I need to loosen the presser foot pressure, go slowly and be careful. Other than that, Feline Fanatic is right: to FMQ straight lines, you either need to be very good at moving the quilt in a straight line or add the ruler foot.

Tartan

I bit the bullet when my LQS first had the ruler set and rulers for $300. It was expensive at the time but just the foot has gone up a lot. Ask for $ for Christmas to go towards the Bernina foot. One of the best investments I have made in my sewing adventure.

quiltedsunshine

I Love my rulers! I started doing ruler work on my Bernina before they made a Bernina ruler foot, so I have a Westalee foot on a #77 adapter. It works fine. The Bernina ruler foot is much nicer and has an adjustable height. The Westalee foot and adapter are almost the same price as the Bernina foot, but you get a Westalee ruler with theirs. If I could afford it, I'd get the Bernina foot.

Some of my best quilting has been straight lines with my walking foot. I don't know how I sewed without a walking foot! I Love it! The new Bernina walking foot has 3 soles and one is a stitch-in-the-ditch sole.

Onebyone

I have the old style Bernina and the feet I have gotten over the years total cost is more then the machine is worth now. It is like buy the printer and pay out outrageous price for the ink it needs. You already are invested with the machine so may as well go with the flow..... of cash.