Presser Foot Sewing Machine And Their Uses | Different Presser Foot | Sew Machine Feet

Different machines have separate presser foots for different sewing processes such as hemming, gathering, etc., but they operate differently on various makes of machines. The details of foots are mostly given in the manual provided with the machine. Students may discuss with the teacher and according to the availability of the sewing machine and attachments, they can practise on it. Some common sewing presser foots are given here: 

Blind hem foot

It is an additional attachment basically used for edge finishing of various apparels like trousers and skirts, and home furnishing items like curtains, etc. 

Button fixing foot

It can attach two holed buttons and four-holed buttons to the material or garment. In this machine, the foot holds the button in place and then attaches the button to the fabric using zigzag stitch

Buttonhole presser foot

It is used for preparing precise buttonholes or binding the raw edges. These attachments are complicated to use on straight stitch machines. In such cases, it is advisable to handsew the buttonholes. On a sewing machine, the buttonhole attachment produces a simple buttonhole stitch by swinging the needle from side to side. Insert the attachment by removing the presser foot and putting the buttonhole attachment in its place

Braiding foot

It allows lot of flexibility while attaching elastic cord, braid or cord

Circular sewing attachment-foot

It allows the operator to stitch in a circular pattern using straight stitch, zigzag stitch and

any decorative stitches. Circles mostly up to 25 cm in diameter are stitched perfectly using this popular attachment, which is very essential for craft and decorative work. This is suitable for most top loading machines

Cording presser foot

To attach decorative cords and threads, a cording foot is attached to the machine. This foot is designed for stitching closed to a raised edge. It is used for applying cord to the seam 

Hemmer foot

It works on the sleek and small edges of fabrics as it automatically curls using either a straight stitch or decorative stitch at the hemlines. It works for hems which are too small to do by hand. It is best suitable for light weight fabrics. Hemmers make hems from three sixteenths of an inch to seven eighths of an inch wide, right on the machine. This attachment means hours saved from hand turning and basting. The hem is turned by the hemmer, and at the same time the line of stitching is guided close to the edge of the hem

Decorative tape foot

This attachment is used to fix trimmings and ribbons on the fabric

Gathering presser foot

It is attached to create gathers on a fabric with high speed and precision to create perfect ruffles. This attachment gathers the fabric as it is stitched with fullness locked in every stitch

Zigzag foot

It is attached to create designs in fabric using zigzag stitches of different widths

Overcasting foot 

It delivers an accurate and consistent overcasting stitch where the thread is locked around the edge of the fabric and aligned with it to prevent the fabric from ravelling

Zipper foot

It is the footer used for attaching mainly zips and snap tape. Zipper foot has a  narrow toe foot which gives more precision and visibility. The foot needs to be adjusted to right or left to stitch both sides of the zip. This foot also attaches decorative cording and piping. There are two kinds of zip foot attachment: one with an adjustable foot, the other with a non adjustable foot

Ruffling presser foot 

It easily makes and attaches ruffles on different types of fabric and finish the fabric edges. This attachment is capable of taking gathered or pleated frills, and will take and apply frills to another section at the same time. It is useful in making children’s clothes and curtains. It is one of the most important attachments of sewing machine, and reflects a great deal of credit upon the inventors of these remarkable time and money saving bits of steel. The method of using this attachment varies with different machines

Elastic foot

It helps in attaching elastic to the fabric and provides even tension every time to avoid pulling and tugging on the needle

Embroidery foot

It is suitable for shirring fabric. Its design allows the elastic thread to pass easily under the presser foot. On sewing machines, the elastic is couched onto the fabric. The thread is fed through the presser foot hole and pulled gently. The more it is pulled, the more the fabric gathers. On a straight stitch machine, the elastic is wound around the bobbin

Overlock foot

It is useful for producing a durable finish on seams which fray easily or are bulky. It is suitable for use on a sewing machine and is most effective when the fabric is positioned under the presser foot so that the stitches form slightly over the fabric edge. A metal bar holds the edge in place to make sure that the stitches are set correctly. Test that you have the correct positioning and stitch width before you start to sew.