When sewing, having the correct sewing machine foot for the fabric and application can make all the difference in the finished result! Some different brands of sewing machines have all kinds of feet. I own numerous feet for my machine but these are the ones that I turn to time and time again. In fact they sit in a small woven basket on my sewing table because I use them so much! I have a Bernina and so I will give you the Bernina number for the foot, but your machine should have an equivalent. If you prefer to listen instead of reading, the video is at the bottom of this post.
My First Favorite is my Clear Foot
It is a favorite simply because I can see through it and it allows me to really see the fabric, where I am going as I stitch and still holds the fabric securely in place. The clear foot (#34) is now my all purpose foot. If you have a Bernina and don't have a clear foot, try using the #3 Manual Button hole foot. It has a wider space so again you can see what you are doing, but isn't an open toe foot, so it still securely holds the fabric.
Two Other Favorites are my Pintuck Feet
I have a 5 grove and a 3 grove Pintuck Foot. I don't use them to make pintucks, but instead use them to make mini piping. As a smocker, I make mini piping all the time. (You can find the cording to do this in the PH shop) Piping helps support the smocking. I also love piping as an accent and use it all the time in sewing adult garments. Check out the blog/video posts that I have linked below for some wonderful ways that I use piping. The 5 grove pintuck foot (#31) is perfect for making mini-piping with woven fabrics and the 3 grove (#30) is great for knit fabrics. If you don't have a pintuck foot and do have an invisible zipper foot, give this a try. I found that it does a great job although it doesn' allow you to adjust the needle position like the pintuck feet do.
Another Favorite Sewing Machine Foot is an Invisible Zipper Foot
This foot was standard with my machine and it is game changer when installing an invisible zipper. In fact, an invisible zipper is my favorite zipper to install because of this foot! The foot (#35) pushes the coil of the zipper open and the the needle stitches right up next to it!
Edge Stitch Foot or Blind Hem Foot is one of my Favorite Sewing Machine Feet
The Edge Stitch foot (#10) is probably the foot I use the most (besides the clear foot) of all that I have listed here. There are just so many applications where I want to stitch right close to the edge and the edge stitch foot allows me to accurately do that. The fabric rides along the blade and by shifting the needle position, I can accurately stitch right on the edge of the fabric. I use this so often when sewing knits. The Edge Stitch foot with the needle centered and the blade riding in the ditch, also allows accurate stitching in the ditch. The Edge Stitch foot isn't standard with the machine, but a Blind Hem Foot ususally is. The Blind Hem Foot (#5) also has a blade and a small piece of metal that extends back. The small piece of metal can get in the way for some applications (which is why we have the #10 Edge Stitch foot, but for most applications, the #5 will work just fine.
Last but not Least is the Quarter Inch Foot with Guide
I am not a quilter, but I use the Quarter Inch Foot with Guide (#57) constantly. This is my go to foot for topstitching. There are also numerous applications where I want to stitch close to the edge of the fabric, but farther from the edge than the Edge Stitch Foot allows - that's when the Quarter Inch Foot comes in. I love the guide - it comes in so handy! Do you have a favorite foot that I haven't mentioned? DM me over on instagram or comment on the YouTube video - I would love to hear!