walking foot

[tigerlily]

How do you use the decorative stitches when finishing your quilt if you can't use a walking foot? I had to pay $50 for a new one because the bottom dropped off when I was doing the serpentine stich with it. On the Brother site it said you cannot backstitch or do side to side stitches. Is it only for stitch in the ditch?

[Simply Quilting]

For the machine I use, the only stitches that the walking foot allows for is the straight stitch and the zigzag stitches. Decorative stitches require the feed dogs to move side to side which doesn't work with the walking foot because it only goes up and down. Be thankfully it is only a walking foot that you had to buy as it could have torn up your feed dogs and thrown the timing off with your machine. The sewing machine employee that I talked with said that most of the decorative stitches are used with things like table runners and mug rugs where you don't need a walking foot.

[TracyInBoise]

My walking foot has interchangeable soles - one specifically for straight stitching, one for edge or ditch stitching and one that allows decorative stitches. Mine is specifically made for Bernina machines.............but you might check and see if Brother has a similar featured-foot available, aside from their standard walking foot. Or perhaps a universal walking foot is available with a sole that would allow decorative stitching - just be sure it is for your specific shank (high/low)?

[Sylvia H]

My walking foot - for a BabyLock - let's me do the Serpentine and zigzag stitch. I think there may be other stitches as well. I just haven't tried them yet.

[kimsophia]

Could you just put the decorative stitches on the quilt top sort of like a crazy quilt and then quilt the quilt sandwich in non-decorative stitches?

[Iris Girl]

I have a Pfaff , it has built in walking foot at the flip of a finger. Almost all feet work with it and all stitches can be done with it. One of the reasons I love Pfaff.

[lourixe]

I don't understant why you say the feed-dogs move side to side. Mine don't. My machine has lots of decorative stitches, and all the time it is the NEEDLE that moves side to side. I imagine there would be risks of puckers otherwise. That said, my walking foot is a generic noisy thing and I don't use it much. I'd rather FMQ. I've used decorative stitches to decorate purses or sew binding and I used the regular zigzag foot. No problem so far.

[amartin24]

This isn't decorative stitches but it does show a whole lot of quilting you Can do with a walking foot: Petit Design Co: 31 Days of Walking Foot Quilting

[tigerlily]

For the machine I use, the only stitches that the walking foot allows for is the straight stitch and the zigzag stitches. Decorative stitches require the feed dogs to move side to side which doesn't work with the walking foot because it only goes up and down. Be thankfully it is only a walking foot that you had to buy as it could have torn up your feed dogs and thrown the timing off with your machine. The sewing machine employee that I talked with said that most of the decorative stitches are used with things like table runners and mug rugs where you don't need a walking foot.

OMG I didn't know that, I have the Brother Laura Ashley Nx 2000 (Innovis) and it cost a fortune. Thank you so much for telling me this.

[tigerlily]

Could you just put the decorative stitches on the quilt top sort of like a crazy quilt and then quilt the quilt sandwich in non-decorative stitches?

That's a good idea