Knee lift - anyone use it?

[amartin24]

I have a knee presser foot lift with each of my machines but I've never tried using them - not sure why, just haven't. Do you use them? Like them?

[SuzyQue]

Yes!! I love mine on my Janome. It took a little time to get use to it, but I miss it dearly, if I have to use my machine not in the cabinet. My hubby had to fit my cabinet to work, but it was so worth it! It seems less awkward then to reach behind to lift.

[DeniseSm]

I only use the knee lift when I am doing machine applique. It comes in pretty handy then

[cv quilter]

My answer is yes, I use, as Denise does. When I do machine applique it is invaluable.

[jjkaiser]

My vintage Singer has a knee lift no foot pedal. I like it but have to be conscious of getting my leg out of the way in between sewing rows or pieces together bc more than once my machine started sewing by itself, well not really but I had inadvertently had my leg against the knee lift and it doesn't take much pressure to make your machine start galloping away when you least suspect it. I showed my 7 yo gd how to sew a simple straight seam. she can easily use the knee lift but her legs aren't long enough to reach a foot pedal on the floor.

[GuitarGramma]

My vintage Singer has a knee lift no foot pedal. I like it but have to be conscious of getting my leg out of the way in between sewing rows or pieces together bc more than once my machine started sewing by itself, well not really but I had inadvertently had my leg against the knee lift and it doesn't take much pressure to make your machine start galloping away when you least suspect it. I showed my 7 yo gd how to sew a simple straight seam. she can easily use the knee lift but her legs aren't long enough to reach a foot pedal on the floor.

That's how I learned to sew! Adjusting to a foot pedal had a learning curve! I'm hesitant to use my knee lift because I think I'd revert to expecting the knee lever to make the machine start sewing.

[Claire Hallman]

I had a knee lift on my industrial machines and loved it. My domestic machines unfortunately don't have it.
I have never used a machine with a knee style foot pedal but it might be nice to have.

[KarenC]

I use it all the time. Wish I had one on my travel machine.

[MSN]

Ah, I remember those vintage machines! I learned to sew on a machine in a cabinet where you used your knee instead of a foot pedal. But that's different than a knee lift. The presser foot on my Bernina 790 can be programmed to hover, which is wonderful for piecing patchwork. I recently purchased a Bernina 435. It does not have the hover feature, so I am training myself to use the knee lift. It's still a bit awkward, as I feel as though the knee pedal is too far to the right of where I want it to be. I can see where it would be very helpful when doing machine appliqué.

I was once given an Elna that drove me crazy. The lever to raise the presser foot was in the harp, rather than on the back of the machine. I am left handed, and had to go through a bunch of contortions to reach the lever.

[briezee]

I was once given an Elna that drove me crazy. The lever to raise the presser foot was in the harp, rather than on the back of the machine. I am left handed, and had to go through a bunch of contortions to reach the lever.

My Babylock Tempo has the pressure foot lever at the back of the harp (not quite in it) with the lever facing the right. With my previous JCPenney machine, it was at the back of the machine with the lever going back. It was an adjustment to go from holding my fabric with the right hand and lowering the foot with my left hand, to vice versa. I still try to use my left hand on the lever, and I've had the Tempo for five years.

I'm getting a Brother PQ1500SL for larger quilts and it comes with a knee lifter. I'm not sure if I'll use it or not.