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Zede and Mallory discuss two of their favorite sewing machine presser feet.
Edge Joining Presser Foot
This foot may also be referred to as the stitch in the ditch foot or joining foot. This foot has a blade down the center of it, however it is not the blind hem foot. It can look similar but it will not work the same. The blade on the edge joining foot does not extend into the stitch area of the foot. In contrast the blind hem foot blade does extend into the stitch area which is what we want for that foot.
The fact the blade doesn’t extend into the stitch area on the edge joining foot means you can do whatever stitch you’d like in that area – straight, zigzag, straight to the left, straight a little to the left, hemstitch, decorative stitching, anything you like.
Traditionally this foot is used for joining two seperate pieces of fabric, lace, or lace to the edge of fabric. A zigzag or edge joining stitch (looks like a ladder stitch that bites each side) is most commonly used to going these pieces. Butt the edges of the fabric together (they should not overlap), the guide (blade) on the foot is there to help with butting the fabrics together in a centered position.
This foot works great for joining stabilizers like Annie’s Soft and Stable, batting and felt.
Other Ways Mal and Zede Use the Edge Joining Foot
They love using the edge going foot to stitch in the ditch when topstitching. You can even use a double needle for a decorative finish. The foot guide (blade) gives you a good landmark for stitching. The key to straight seams is not watching the needle or anything else that moves, pick a stationary landmark like the guide on the foot.
Mal and Zede will put the edge guide on a seam or on the edge of the seam and move the needle over to the desired position for topstitching. Moving the needle can easily give you two parallel lines of stitching. Use the edge of the foot or edge guide on your seam and move the needle all the way to the left, then do another row of stitching with the needle in the center position or wherever you want.
This foot doesn’t usually come with machines when you buy them but it is definitely a good add on purchase, don’t leave the store without it!
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Open Toe Foot
In the old days ~25 years ago this foot was an add on and didn’t come with your machine. This foot came in to play when decorative stitches such as zigzag and appliqué became popular/more available on machines.
This foot is all about being able to visualize what you are sewing while you are sewing. Zede says the open toe foot needs to be in the toolbox. This foot is designed with the intention of using it for decorative stitching or appliqué so the bottom of the foot has a large groove to allow those built up stitches to pass through. Sometimes this foot is referred to as an open toe appliqué foot.
These feet can be plastic or metal and sometimes they will have little red hash marks (guides) at 1/4″ or at the halfway mark. Mal says the more marks on her feet the better!
Some walking feet will have an open toe attachment. The closed toe does offer more stability but both feet have their purpose and place. Zede says there is no reason not to have an open toe foot because you’ll use it!
The open toe foot is not only used to see where on the fabric the stitch is going but at what part of the stitch or letter you are at in the stitch sequence. Zede likes to use this foot for couching which is a way to apply cording, sequins, or something in a strand/string onto fabric. There are couching feet (Zede has many and loves them too) but sometimes she will have a trim or cord and the open toe allows better visibility of where its going.
Do you like learning about sewing machine feet? keep listening, we’ll try to cover them all!
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Evy says
January 22, 2016 at 7:03 PMWoohoo! This is so cool! Thanks zedes for excellent information, heh, and the grins I got from listening too ?