Presser Feet
Presser Feet are the attachments on your sewing machine that apply pressure to hold the fabric flat against the feed dogs while you sew. They are called PRESSER feet, not PRESSURE feet. Most sewing machines have several presser feet for specialized functions, such as a zipper foot to aid in zipper installation and patchwork foot with a 1/4 seam allowance. Your sewing machine manual will include information about presser feet available for your sewing machine. Specialty Presser Feet can also be found that are generic, such as a Teflon Presser Foot for sewing plastic coated fabric, a Ruffler or a Walking Foot which moves the top and bottom fabric through stitching at the same time, perfect for stitching velvet or quilting. When getting ready to purchase a generic Presser Foot, check the shank on your sewing maching; is it a long or short shank the Presser Foot attaches to?
Your sewing machine is set up for general stitching and the space between the bottom of the Presser Foot and the feed dogs will allow the fabric to be easily moved forward with each stitch. If you need to stitch through multiple layers of wool or other thick materials, check your Sewing Machine manual to see if you can make adjustments to better accomodate thicker materials. Many sewing machines will make the adjustments automatically.
Benefits of Presser Feet
- Specialty Presser Feet help make different sewing and quilting tasks easier
- Some manufactures integrate the Presser Feet with the Sewing Machine, so you don't do a zig zag stitch with a Patchwork Presser Foot or enable functions in the sewing machine to be automated, like for a buttonhole.
Tools and Supplies for Presser Feet
- Refer to your sewing machine manual for any special tools required for Presser Feet.
- A small screw driver is often needed for attachments to the Presser Feet.
What I Wish I Knew When I Started using different Presser Feet
If your sewing machine doesn't have specialty PRESSER FEET available from the manufacturer, there are often generic sewing machine feet available.
