In this blog post, I will explain the 15 different types of presser feet and their basic uses in sewing.
Presser Feet: A Detailed Guide For The 15 Different Types
Standard foot
As the name suggests, it is the most common and widely used sewing machine presser foot for normal sewing works.
Uses: A dressmaker can utilise it to work straight and zigzag stitches and flatten fabrics for sewing. This presser foot has sufficient needle space for lightweight to thick materials.
Straight stitch foot
When you can’t sew appropriately with a standard presser foot, switch to a straight-stitch foot. Due to its reduced needle gap in the foot, it applies more stress to fabrics, thus allowing the feed dog to stabilise fabrics for more accurate stitching.
A round needle hole on this foot gives more flexibility over materials and reduces the likelihood of skipped stitches.
Uses
you can use this presser foot on delicate and resilient fabrics to make precise straight stitches.
Walking foot
There is a difference between a walking foot and a standard foot; the foot has its feed dog that ensures that the clothes are adequately nourished.
Uses
It is mainly used for textile crafts and quilting that require multiple layers of fabrics simultaneously.
Seam Guide foot
This is another type of presser foot with an extension on one side used to guide stitches perfectly during sewing to make clear and even stitches without any mistakes especially when you want to make stitches on the corner.
Embroidery foot
They are specialized feet made primarily for embroidery purposes. Embroidery feet are often called Free Motion Quilting Foot, as they let you make stitches in 360 dimensions for different stitch patterns.
Uses
Embroidery Foot is used for drawing on fabrics within embroidery blanks. A narrow hole on it allows the needle to go down and up, which causes the presser foot to raise and lower, making for unique sewing projects. A spring expands and lowers it.
Zipper foot
This type of presser foot is pretty narrow and can make stitches near the zippers.
The zipper foot is used to sew zippers on fabrics. For stitching, you can adjust it on both sides (left and right sides) of the needles where there are curves through which the needle can pass.
This means adjusting it for the left side if you are sewing the left side and switching to the right side if you are sewing the right side.
Got it?
Blind hem foot
Every sewist should have this presser foot for making almost invisible hems on garments. In terms of its body structure, the right side is wider than the left side, and the left side is raised to guide the folds of the fabric.
Button Stitch foot
This presser foot makes zigzag stitches so you can sew buttons easily without breaking.
Uses
Every sewer needs this foot in their sewing room. They are used to sew buttons on fabrics, whether they have two or four holes. To make button tights ultimately, they sew zigzag stitches.
Adjustable buttonhole foot
Adjustable buttonhole feet are bigger than standard feet as they have markings to ensure you can make perfect-sized buttonholes so that buttons can pass through them quickly without coming out from their place frequently.
Uses
Sewists use this type of presser foot mainly to make even buttonholes on fabrics for buttons. They have a large opening so you can see buttonholes to make holes precise and accurate.
One-step buttonhole foot
It is a presser that makes a precise buttonhole in one step. They are common in different domestic sewing machines.
Picot foot
A picot foot creates a shell-like edge on lightweight fabrics similar to a narrow hemmer foot. A groove on the sole has been developed for perfect stitch formation to match the width of picot stitches. During stitch creation and sewing, stitches feed evenly through the track on the sole.
Sew-Easy foot
The left side of the foot has a ruler with markings to guide you in making straight and even stitches.
Uses
The guide will tell you where to sew so you can sew beautifully on any fabric. I recommend this for beginners and intermediates. The ruler can also be adjusted according to the gap between the edge and the needle.
Pintuck foot
The pintuck foot features ridges around the bottom, making it possible for consecutive sewing lines of stitches that are close together.
Uses
It is used with twin needles to create a lovely pattern on fabrics often used to make clothing and decorative items.
Roller foot
A roller foot has wheels on the front and the back of the foot, which give you the stability to work with lopsided fabrics.
Uses
You can easily feed fabrics with varying levels, leathers, velvets, and materials with nap or loops through your machine.
Nonstick foot
A nonstick or Teflon foot is also ideal for pushing challenging and clingy fabrics through your machine efficiently due to its nonstick plastic surface.
Uses
Using a simple regular foot can be tricky when sewing vinyl, leather, plastic, suede, and laminate. Manufacturers developed this presser foot for sewing machines to make stitches on vinyl, leather, plastic, foil, suede, and laminate. With a Nonstick foot, you don’t have to worry about sticking since it has a plastic coating for accessible material feeding.
Conclusion
With the growing rise in different sewing designs, you don’t need a single Standard Foot, but a few extra ones. To know which one is for you, I recommend you to read the 15 different types of presser feet and their uses to decide.
THE END
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need all presser feet for sewing?
As there are dozens of Presser Foot, you may need clarification about which one to use. But ensure you don’t need all of them except for a few ones like
The Standard foot (which comes with sewing machines).
The Buttonhole foot.
The Zipper foot.
The Embroidery foot.
The Quilting foot.
What type of presser feet should I buy as extras?
A Standard foot (included with your sewing machine), a buttonhole foot, a zipper foot, an embroidery foot, and a quilting foot are the feet you will need to buy.
Can I use presser feet in another sewing machine?
Using the presser foot of one sewing machine on another is impossible because their mechanisms are different. For better results, I recommend using a sewing machine-specific foot.