Definition
A walking foot is a presser foot with its own feed teeth that move the top layer of fabric in step with the feed dogs, so layers do not shift.
On a standard machine, the feed dogs move the bottom layer while the presser foot only presses on the top one. With slippery, thick, stretchy or sticky fabrics, the top layer lags behind, and you end up with mismatched ends, puckers or rippled seams. A walking foot fixes this by gripping the top layer and walking it forward at the same pace.
It is a bulky foot with an arm that rests on the needle clamp, so the needle's up-and-down motion drives its feed. Some machines have built-in dual feed instead, a toothed bar that drops down behind the foot.
When it helps:
- Knits, to avoid wavy seams and stretched hems.
- Quilting, sewing straight lines through fabric and batting.
- Stripes and plaids, so the pattern does not drift (see pattern matching).
- Velvet, corduroy and other pile fabrics that creep.
- Leather, vinyl and laminated cotton, which stick under a normal foot.
- Many layers, as in bag straps and handles.
A walking foot is less suited to tight curves, decorative stitches and, on many models, reverse sewing. Buy the one designed for your machine, since fit varies between brands and models. Other useful feet are covered under presser foot.