What is a Walking Foot Sewing Machine?

What is a Walking Foot Sewing Machine?

Are you a sewing freak struggling with bulky and sturdy materials? Do you feel tired and bored of managing multiple layers of fabric using a standard presser foot? Well, in such cases, you have been doing it all wrong. It is indeed burdensome to sew thick and multiple folds of sturdy materials. If you don’t want to mess up your complex sewing projects. It’s essential to upgrade your sewing machine with a more efficient one. A walking foot, also known as a pressor foot is one of the most crucial parts of a sewing machine that handles the entire sewing work. So, choosing the correct one for your sewing work is essential to avoid any hassle.

When is a walking foot sewing machine handy?

Simple sewing machines usually have a standard presser foot with low foot lifts that is incapable of sewing thick fabrics. For this purpose, a walking foot sewing machine is a savior that would help you to sew the most rigid and sturdy materials with ease.

Ordinary simple sewing machines with a standard presser foot are incapable of handling complex and heavy materials. As these machines can sew light fabrics only, these sewing machines cannot handle bulky materials well. You can only make simple crafts and apparel with a standard presser foot sewing machine .

If you want to dive deep into the pool of arts and crafts and want to sew heavy and robust materials, then a walking foot sewing machine is just what you need.

But first, you need to know everything about a walking foot and its operation.

So, let’s get started:

How Does a Walking Foot look?

difference in walking foot and universal foot

A walking foot is a presser foot specifically designed to sew thick and bulky fabrics. Most of the sewing machines come with a standard presser foot. It is either included in the accessory pack or needs to be purchased separately.

Are you wondering about how a pressor foot looks? What makes it so distinctive as compared to other presser feet?

A walking foot consists of two feet dog that makes it different and essential for sewing complex projects rather than other sewing feet.

If you are sewing multiple layers of leather or quilts, these feed dogs hold the top and bottom layer of the material firmly as the needle moves up and down. These significantly help to sew the layers of fabrics evenly and efficiently.

Walking feet are not only capable of sewing thick fabrics, but they work exceptionally well on slippery fabrics.

Some materials are acutely light and slippery. It is strenuous to sew such fabrics with a basic stitch presser foot. A standard presser foot badly fails to hold the fabric at its place resulting in an uneven stitch.

How does a walking foot sewing machine handle slippery fabric?

Due to the feed dogs that hold the material efficiently, a pressor foot is far better in handling soft and slippery fabrics, making it a must-have for its versatility and efficiency. Apart from the feed dogs, a pressor foot has a lever that makes it easier for the feed dogs to operate effortlessly. The best thing is that it is relatively simple to attach the walking foot to a standard sewing machine, no need to have any professional assistance as you can do it yourself.

Simple sewing machines consist of only one standard presser foot that hugely restricts the sewer to fewer simple projects. A basic sewing foot can only sew a single layer of light to medium fabrics. So, for all those sewers who want to craft their masterpiece from thick fabrics and bulky materials, you have to find a reliable alternative to expand your work forms.

If you want to excel in the world of arts and crafts and want to work on variable textiles to polish your skills, a walking foot sewing machine is just what you need at the earliest. A pressor foot has a characteristic shape with teethed foot dogs and a foot lever that proves to be the best for sewing thick, bulky, and slippery fabrics efficiently and perfectly.

Attaching a Pressor Foot to your Sewing Machine

Walking foot is easy to hook up if done the right way.

For this purpose, unscrew the standard presser foot and lift the needle. You can then attach the pressor foot to the sewing machine by fixing it with the screw.

Walking foot comes with a lever that needs to be adjusted carefully. You should keep the lever up on the needle screw as it aligns the needle and foot correctly.

Walking feet either come with soles and notches marked on them or with separate soles that can be used according to the type of sewing work.

Walking feet are the best for sewing plaids and checks. You can pin the plaids evenly and sew them perfectly through the walking foot. It gives an even and flawless seam as well.

When and why use a Walking Foot Sewing Machine?

What makes a walking foot sewing machine exclusive from other sewing machines? This question might boggle up your mind for sure.

Well, the answer is simple and amusing.

Before buying a sewing machine, you should be clear and focused about the purpose for which you’re buying a working piece in the first place.

If you’re a sewer who only handles light fabrics, then a simple sewing machine is suitable for you. But, if you have loads of complex sewing projects where you have to sew layers of fabric, then a pressor foot sewing machine is a thing that would be your ultimate savior.

So, how do we choose an efficient and portable walking foot sewing machine ?

Ideally, you should pick a walking foot sewing machine according to the intensity of the sewing work and the material.

If you’re a professional who has loads of thick and bulky materials to sew, then you need a reliable and cost-efficient industrial pressor foot sewing machine .

On the contrary, if you’re a household sewer or a small business owner who loves to sew leather articles, then a walking foot leather sewing machine is your thing.

The same goes for an upholstery sewing machine walking foot , another brilliant working piece that helps to craft out a significant variety of products from upholstery and canvas.

To sum it up, a pressor foot sewing machine is the most durable, work-efficient, and versatile machine that is a must-have if you want to make your work easier and productive.

Walking Foot VS Regular Sewing Machine

Regular sewing feet and walking feet are quite different in their shape and workflow. A standard presser foot is ideally meant to sew a single layer of light fabric compared to a walking foot that can stitch multiple layers in one go.

A standard presser foot is simple in structure used for sewing light fabrics only. It does not have additional support to hold the material firm, which results in uneven feed and rough stitches.

Do you struggle to align the plaids and stripes evenly? A pressor foot sewing machine does this job for you effortlessly. Just pin down the plaids sew the plaids without any hassle. The same procedure goes for checks and stripes that are burdensome work if you sew it with a regular sewing machine.

A regular presser foot cannot hold slippery and rigid fabrics while sewing. So, it either slips or during sewing or is strenuous to stitch due to its roughness.  Sewing thick seams and bulky materials with a regular presser foot is an immense challenge. Since the presser foot badly fails to slide the material evenly.

On the contrary, a pressor foot sewing machine crafts out multiple layers of thick materials and slippery fabrics. It sews bulky seam, leather, upholstery, and other thick fabrics evenly and feeds the material well for an effective and perfect sewing execution.

The walking foot quilting machine is another incredible working piece. It exceptionally sews multiple layers and patches, giving it a distinctive pattern. Quilting cannot be executed with a regular sewing machine as it cannot handle heavy work and complex fabric arrangements. Quilting primarily should be done with a walking foot. Because it holds the fabrics evenly and stitches the top and bottom layers of the materials in one go.

To sum it up, when we compare a regular sewing machine with a standard presser foot and a pressor foot sewing machine , the walking foot sewing machine marks its place at the top.

The pressor foot sewing machine is for sure the best working piece as it can craft multiple textiles swiftly and effectively.

How does a Walking Foot Machine Work?

Our Verdict

A pressor foot sewing machine is a savior for people having a hard time sewing thick and rigid materials. It provides an opportunity to craft out the best work using different materials.

A walking foot sewing machine enables you to explore your versatility as a sewer. It opens the doors of innovation and imagination.

In short, a walking foot sewing machine is a must-have for any sewer, whether they are amateurs or professionals working on intricate tasks.
So, stop thinking and grab yourself a presser foot sewing machine, not just for sewing but also for crafts.


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Nicole Brown
By Nicole Brown

Hello, I’m Nicole Brown; a housewife, a passionate entrepreneur, and a mother of a toddler. As a fashion designer, I get a chance to work on all sorts of sewing machines and design clothes with all fabric types. Through this website, I am trying my best to share every bit of the knowledge I have gained around sewing and sewing machines!



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