Presser Feet Every Sewing Room Should Own

Presser feet are the simplest way to make a machine do more, and most people use three when the box holds a dozen jobs. Each foot is shaped for one task: a channel to ride a cord, a guide to hold a fold, an opening to see your needle. Once you match the foot to the technique, work that felt fiddly with the standard foot suddenly goes quickly and evenly.

The one thing to check before buying is shank type. Machines are low shank, high shank, or slant, and many newer models use a snap-on system, so a foot has to fit your setup. Note what your machine takes, and after that it is just picking the shapes for the jobs you actually do.

Felling Foot (ESG-FF) Fits Low Shank Baby Lock, Brother & Singer

This is a felling foot worth a look. This foot saves time and is great for garment construction, especially enclosed side seams on denim. Picture feeding a tricky edge or trim through the machine; the right foot cradles or guides it so you can just steer.

Lower the presser foot lever fully before you start, an easy thing to forget with an unfamiliar foot that then feeds badly. It is aimed at the sewer who values a repeatable result over making do, which is most of us once a project matters.

View on Sewing Machines Plus's Site →

Hemmer Foot (ESG-HF) (SA126)

Here is a hemmer foot for the list. This foot is designed to curl under a 3mm double hem while stitching with either a straight stitch or a decorative Parisian hemstitch. Match it to the job at hand rather than forcing one tool to cover everything, which is where results start to slip.

If this is a job you do often, it pays for itself in saved frustration; if it is a rare one, borrow or improvise first. The usual mistake is buying on looks or brand rather than checking it suits the fabric and the projects you actually sew.

View on Sewing Machines Plus's Site →

Universal Snap On Blind Hem Presser Foot 200130006

From Janome, this is a blind-hem foot. As you sew, guide the folded edge along the sliding guide.For a professional looking hem fold the fabric, reducing the lip to a scant .3cm (â…›"). It is for the sewer who keeps hitting one specific task and is tired of forcing the standard foot through it; if the job is rare, the basic foot will limp along.

Pushing or pulling the fabric instead of letting the foot feed it is what causes the uneven results people blame on the foot. Pair it with the matching stitch and a needle suited to the fabric, since the foot is only one third of the setup.

View on Sewing Machines Plus's Site →

Singer Serger Elastic Foot, 550621

The Singer entry here is a presser foot. Use for swimwear and lingerie.Fits Singer models 14SH 654 and 14CG 754. The common mistake is buying a foot that looks right but does not match the machine's shank or attachment system.

It slots into a larger setup, and the payoff is bigger when the rest of your kit is matched to it. You give up a bit of versatility for a result that a jack-of-all-trades tool cannot quite match.

View on Sewing Machines Plus's Site →

Singer Serger Beading Foot, A1A283000

From Singer, this is a beading foot. This special foot is used to attach pearls, sequins, beads and thick cord.Fits Singer models 14T 948, 14T 957, and Quantumlock. It works best as part of a set rather than alone, so think about what it sits alongside on your table.

A specialty foot is narrow in purpose by design, so it sits idle between the projects that need it. Snap it on for the technique it is built for and a job that felt awkward with the standard foot suddenly runs straight and even.

View on Sewing Machines Plus's Site →

Singer Serger Beading Foot, 550624

Singer offers this as a beading foot. This special foot is used to attach pearls, sequins, beads and thick cord.Fits Singer models 14SH 654 and CG 754. It is not the leanest way to get by, but it is the way that stops the recurring annoyance for good.

Think of the last time you improvised with the wrong tool and the result showed it; this is what you wish had been on the table instead. Check your shank type, low, high, or slant, or your snap-on system before ordering, since a foot that does not fit is the top reason these go back.

View on Sewing Machines Plus's Site →

Choosing what fits your sewing

Buy feet for the techniques you keep hitting rather than collecting the whole set. Confirm the shank or snap-on fit first, and each foot you add quietly removes a bit of struggle from a specific task.

The lineup at a glance

Details above come from the current product listings. We do not show pricing here because feed prices go stale fast, so check the retailer for what is current.