Right Foot or Wrong Foot?

I found this post over at Cluck Cluck Sew about the difference between sewing feet (foots?). Is everyone else just using the foot that came with their machine like I am? Or have I been living under a rock when it comes to the right or wrong foot to use? I figure if everyone is using the foot that came with their machine, it wont really matter in the long run, and all finished measurements will be the same.

Cluck Cluck Sew post, "It's all in the Foot"...

"One of those things that nobody tells you when you start quilting is how important the right foot is. When I started, I just figured that the foot that came on my machine was an exact 1/4” foot….when really the foot that came on my machine had a seam allowance from the edge to the needle of 3/8”. It doesn’t sound like a big difference, but believe me…when your making a log cabin block or anything with a lot of piecing…your finished blocks end up way smaller.

The one on the left came on my machine (a Bernina), the one on the right is a 1/4” patchwork foot I bought (with a handy guide on the side so you can pound a bag of Doritos and sew at the same time).

The stitches down below show the difference….the left is the 3/8” seam allowance, and the right seam is the exact 1/4” allowance. Pretty big difference huh?

Anyways…the point is, that most machines come with a foot with an allowance of 3/8” and not 1/4” like many believe. So when your making a pattern that calls for a 1/4” seam allowance, you might end up with some small and un-matching blocks and seams if you’re not using the right foot. I know this from experience(s)(s)(s).

P.S. For a long time I compensated for not having the right foot by bumping my needle position over to the right a couple of spaces. On my machine I could bump it from a O to a 2 and it was an exact 1/4”. But..make sure you measure the needle settings on your machine before you try it."

thx

Thanks Rach for the pic...I actually do not have that one and so it is fun to see it on here with Avery! What fun memories, thanks! And BOY, y'all are surely so fast!!!! Those that did the churn dash block already!!! Wheee!!! I gotta get my machine out and set up, haven't done that yet!

Thanks too Rachel for fixing my intro and making it appear where it is supposed to! I appreciate your help for the old inept one here.

Love you, and happy piecing/sewing to all,
Beki

Beki

Ok Mom B here is your intro!!!  (I didn't have many pics it was between this and the golfing one- this one won!  Avery did her makeup-- she doesn't normally wear it like this!)

NAME: Karin Rebecca Graham go by "Beki" among other names, my favorites being Mom and Granma 

WHERE DO YOU LIVE: Marietta, GA (as an army brat: born in Texas -El Paso---GO TEXAS! Produces HOT women--huh? ;> , then Germany x 2, VA, SC x 3, GA x 2, Hawaii, AZ x 2, OK, CA.)

HOBBIES: doing things for and with my grandkids (I love to send them each mail every month...definitely becoming a big production!); reading-mostly non-fiction but do enjoy some fiction; writing-mainly kids stories, but am working on a few short stories; knitting-mainly Christmas stockings as we add a new ones. But there is nothing more fun that is legal than being a granny!!! :>

SEWING EXPERIENCE: I taught myself at the ripe old age of 22, I inherited my granma's OLD antique machine with the long attachment that you pushed with your thigh, it was way cool and we needed luau outfits for me and Gary especially since we were cooking the pig in our back yard!!!! From there I made a lot of my maternity clothes and oldest four kids clothes even baptismal, and Halloween-which I would use a basic pattern but then make up my own stuff to create what I needed as there were no patterns at the time, now, oh sheesh, y'all young mom's have so many resources and choices at your fingertips that I only dreamed of! once those four were done it was hand me downs to the other six. The last thing I sewed was making a prom dress for Kimi in hmmm around 1990? And other than quilting on quilts already pieced together, I have not done any quilting!

WHAT IS YOUR BEST FEATURE: ahhhh, hold on, need to call my husband, I see y'all asked yours,but before I do, I am told by everyone-my legs, so that is the best I guess-though I been told my eyes and lips, but now I am anxious to see what the hubs says ;) .....

WHAT CRAZY THING DO YOU WANT TO TRY: well, I always push myself, and I have already done a few crazy things in my life: had 10 kids (my goal was 12), went to school and graduated with RN almost 2 years ago, now on my radar is learn to play the fiddle, learn Irish Dancing and maybe Tahitian Dancing, try various jobs out, since I have cut my boys hair for over 30 years it would make sense I should get my hair cutting license, go on church missions....who knows what else -- the world is the limit! OH I KNOW....Join a quilting blog, as I begin a new job! (hmm sort of rhymes!)

WHAT MAKES YOU PANIC: Gosh, being a mom,granma and RN gives me lots to panic over, but I have learned to turn much of it over to the Lord, it is NOT good for my health! True moments of stop my heart panic come from moments when I get strong impressions something is wrong with my family somewhere and when I thought I had made a mistake in nursing.