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Sewing Machine Accessories

Using the right feet and accessories with your sewing machine can turn even the trickiest of techniques into straightforward, simple sewing tasks whilst also achieving a neat, professional finish. At Sew Essential we carry an extensive range of feet and accessories for all the big brands including Brother, Husqvarna, Janome and Pfaff and have included helpful compatibility charts on our site so you can easily select the right ones for your machine. Plus our expert team is also always on hand for any questions you might have and can share useful video tutorials so you can buy with full confidence.

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 A world of sewing machine feet and accessories!

It is wonderful to have so many options for sewing machine feet and accessories, but it can be overwhelming too. Thankfully the Sew Essential team is here to help with our expert knowledge to help you find what you need so you can enjoy mastering those tricky techniques and expanding your sewing skills with the right tools.

Sewing machine feet and accessoriesSewing machine feet and accessories
Sewing with an invisible zipper footSewing with an invisible zipper foot

The right sewing machine feet and accessories for the job

There are so many sewing techniques that can prove tricky with a standard presser foot, but are made infinitely easier with a specialist one. The right foot will be designed to work with and control the fabric in a specialist way or help you to place your stitches perfectly. Working with multiple layers or tricky fabrics? A walking foot will ensure the layers of fabric feed through the machine evenly instead of running away from each other. Trying to sew an invisible zip? An invisible zip foot will sit neatly over the zipper teeth to keep it under control while you stitch.

Stretch your sewing skills with the right presser feet

The right presser foot will give you better control and make it easier to achieve professional results so you can focus on stretching your sewing skills and trying new methods rather than spending lots of time trying to master one task. You can quickly and confidently sew common finishes such as blind hems, piping and rolled hems with ease or try new and exciting techniques such as a Spanish hemstitch or pintucks. There are so many opportunities to get creative and put your own personal spin on your projects making your sewing sessions even more enjoyable.

One step buttonhole sewing machine footOne step buttonhole sewing machine foot

Sewing Machine Feet and Accessories FAQ

â–º Can I use any sewing machine feet on my sewing machine?

For best results and to avoid any potential damage to your machine we always recommend you use the right feet and accessories for your brand and model of sewing machine. We stock the full range of feet and accessories for Baby Lock, Brother, Janome, Husqvarna and Pfaff and we have also listed the models of machine or groups of machine each foot is compatible with.

If you are unsure and need any help just drop us an email or give us a call and we will be very happy to help you to choose the right foot or accessory for your project

â–º How do I know which presser foot to use?

There are a few key presser feet, which come with most sewing machines and you will find yourself using them time and time again. For example, the zig zag or standard presser foot, the standard zipper foot, the overcasting foot, the blind hem stitch foot and the buttonhole foot. You will usually find information on all the feet included with your machine and how to use them in the manual. You can also refer to our helpful YouTube tutorials to see videos of them in action.

Once you’ve perfected the more standard sewing techniques you might want to branch out and choose additional feet to sew more advanced techniques or to make certain tasks easier. For example an invisible zipper foot, a rolled hem foot, a pintuck, a piping or bias binding foot. Again our YouTube channel has video tutorials demonstrating most of these feet and you can also read our 'The Ultimate Guide to Sewing Machine Presser Feet' article to find out more. If ever you are uncertain and need a little help you can contact us via email or phone and our expert team will be happy to help.

â–º What is a walking foot used for?

A walking foot is an incredibly useful foot to have in your sewing toolkit. With standard sewing machine feet there is only one set of feed dogs feeding the fabric through the machine as you sew – the ones actually on the machine. The machine feed dogs feed the bottom layer of fabric through and the top tends to move through with it. However, on multiple layers of fabric or on tricky fabrics like velvet, crepe de chine, satin, jersey, leather etc the top layer of fabric can ‘run away’ from the bottom layer of fabric and you end up stitching things together in not quite the right place.

A walking foot has a set of feed dogs on the bottom of the foot and these work in conjunction with those on the machine to feed even the tricky fabrics through evenly. Usually walking feet are purchased separately to your sewing machine, but they are included with some makes and models and Pfaff even have a ‘built in’ walking foot on their machines, which is engaged by simply pulling down a lever. You can also sew a range of techniques with the built in Pfaff system too and this is also an option on some Janome and Husqvarna models.

â–º Do I need specialist sewing machine feet for quilting?

It is possible to sew a quilt without specialist sewing machine feet, however, there are some feet which are incredibly useful for quilters. For example a walking foot is a great investment due to the multiple layers of fabric you will be working with (see explanation above).

Lots of quilters also like to have a quarter inch foot so they can sew accurate quarter inch seams easily to make sure their patchwork and quilting matches up perfectly. A stitch in the ditch foot can be a useful tool for securing fabric by sewing in the seamline because it has a guide which will help you to place your stitches accurately rather than doing it by eye. Many quilters also like to have a range of free motion embroidery feet for when they are stippling or sewing applique and other decorative techniques.

â–º Which are the most useful sewing machine feet for dressmaking?

One of the most useful feet for dressmaking is a zipper foot and you will usually receive one of these in the box when you purchase your sewing machine. However, an invisible zipper foot is also a very worthwhile investment. It helps to make sewing invisible zips much easier by keeping the zipper teeth secured in a groove under the foot so you can focus on the sewing and keep your stitching on the zip tapes nice and straight. A buttonhole foot is also very useful and most machines will come with one included. A seam guide foot can be very helpful to sew nice, even seams if you struggle to follow the markings on the needle plate. Many dressmakers like to have a blind hem foot for hemming and an overcasting foot for neatening the raw edges of fabric, especially if they don’t have an overlocker. A walking foot is also very useful for working with tricky fabrics.

There are a number of other feet you might like to buy for techniques like rolled hems, bias binding, piping or pin tucking, but these can be purchased at a later date once you are looking to stretch those sewing skills.

â–º What is the little black button for on the right hand side of the standard foot?

This is one of the little known things about sewing machine feet, but that little button is actually incredibly useful! It is there to make sewing thicker fabrics easier. As you lower the foot, push the screw in and it will keep the sewing machine foot level as you start to sew so it doesn’t struggle to get going. After a few stitches the screw pops back out again. Without doing this the back of the foot has no contact with any fabric and may struggle to start sewing.

You can also use a small, inexpensive plastic tool called a bulky seam aid or humper jumper if you are struggling to get over bulky seams, which you slip under the back of the foot to give it something to work against. This is a great alternative if you don’t have the black button on your standard foot or you are using a different foot to sew a specialist technique.

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