Tips and Tools: Walking Foot

🔹 Do you have trouble keeping the top and bottom fabrics from shifting?

🔹When you’re done with a seam, does the top fabric end up being longer than the bottom, even though you KNOW you cut it correctly?

🔹 Is your sewing machine tension off but you don’t really want to spend money for servicing, because your machine cost less than a service?

🔹 Are you planning to  make those velvety dresses or slinky blouses for the upcoming holiday parties, but are afraid of these shifty fabrics?

Then let me introduce you to – the walking foot! It’s a sewing machine foot and if you don’t already have it, you should add it your sewing arsenal

Before I explain what this sewing foot does, let’s talk briefly about how the machine pulls fabric.

The metal plate, where the needle goes up and down is called a throat plate. Under this, you will find the bobbin and the feed dogs. 

The feed dogs are little metal teeth. They go up and down as you sew – gripping the fabric and moving it along. This is a great thing, you can relax your arms and not have to feed your fabric through!

why does fabric shift?

The problem arises when the sewing machine timing is off or the tension between the top and bottom aren’t quite right. OR the fabric is just plain SLIPPERY. Even with many newer machines that have auto tension – certain fabrics (velvet, velour, satin, double brushed polyester to name a few) shift no matter how many pins.

what is a walking foot?

This is where the walking foot comes in. It is a sewing machine foot that ALSO has teeth, that help move the top fabric right along with the bottom. 

The foot is much bigger than your average foot. It has gears in the white box behind it. A lever to help it sync with your machine. And metal or plastic teeth to grip your fabric to move the top fabric along with the bottom.

where to buy a walking foot?

You can find walking foots at online sewing stores like Sewing Parts Online or Sewing Machines Plus. Your local dealer may have them available or they can order it for you.

Are all Walking feet the same?

As you may notice there are lots of generic walking feet out there. I would recommend getting one that is made by your sewing machine brand. I’d caveat that with get the best one you can afford.

Early on, I had a generic one and it worked fine, but I did notice a difference in stitches with the one that came with my machine.

how to install a walking foot?

Installing the foot is simple, even if it takes a couple extra steps. Be sure to check the instructions on your walking foot, but here are the general steps.

1. Start with the needle up and presser foot up; remove your current foot.
2. Loosen the screw and remove the presser foot holder.
3. Place the walking foot into the presser foot bar and be sure the lever is on top of the needle screw or if the level has a fork, the needle screw is in between the fork.
4. Tighten up the presser foot screw and use like a normal foot.

other tips to prevent shifting

If you don’t have one or don’t want a walking foot, there is one other technique I learned that can help keep fabric from shifting. This method lets you use less pins, saving time.

1. As you sit down to sew a seam, after doing some back stitches and going forward a couple stitches – stay in the needle down position.
2. Starting at the end of the seam, start rolling/folding the seam in your left hand. You want to end up holding the entire seam in your hand.
3. As you sew, left some of the fabric, you are holding, go.
4. Repeat until you reach then end and be amazed that your fabric didn’t shift.

Did you know about the walking foot? If you have one, do you use it? What questions do you have? Let me know in the comments.

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