A variety of presser feet for sewing machines are available, but they might be extremely confusing. Make sewing simpler, more accurate, and quicker by using our guide for sewing machine presser feet. You can find a lot of presser feet available online, but even though all of them have distinct functions, you actually require only a few of them on a daily basis.
Presser feet can be of great help in making your sewing problems go away. They also let you really customize your sewing by adding features you haven’t seen before that are new and innovative. Even if you’ve been sewing for a long time, it can be very eye-opening to learn what the presser foot can do.
What is a Presser Foot?
In this busy day, sewing machine feet or presser feet may not be top of your list of sewing priorities, but these little metal pieces can be used to bedazzle fabric. Instead of just simple stitches, add fancy stitches, buttons, designs, and more. Although your sewing machine probably came with a few conventional presser feet, buying more is a wise decision. Altering the presser foot on your sewing machine will become desired, if not required, as your sewing abilities and desire to attempt new stitching styles improve.
A presser foot is an important accessory for sewing machines. It basically keeps the fabric in a flat position while it is fed through the sewing machine and sewn. Sewing machines have parts called “feed dogs” that are sewn into the bed of the machine so that the fabric can grab on and move easily through the machine. It is necessary to keep the cloth flat so that it won’t pucker while being sewn and fall and rise with the needle. Along with the presser foot, the sewer can add additional support for the cloth by guiding it with the help of one hand. If you are fond of sewing thick workpieces, say, quilts, a unique attachment known as a walking foot can be used instead of a presser foot.
A new presser foot will give your sewing machine more versatility. Presser feet for sewing machines can be used for a variety of tasks, including gathering and rolling hems, buttonholes, zippers, cording, blind hems and open toes, and more.
Best Presser Feet – Top Picks
Best Presser Feet set (Detailed reviews here)
- Best collection of Low shank Presser Feet (48 pieces)
- Best collection of High shank Presser feet (73 pieces)
Individual presser feet by function (Detailed reviews here)
- Universal presser foot (jump to details)
- Appliqué foot (jump to details)
- Blind hem foot (jump to details)
- Button foot (jump to details)
- Buttonhole foot (jump to details)
- Cording foot (jump to details)
- Circular foot (jump to details)
- Darning foot (jump to details)
- Elastic foot (jump to details)
- Embroidery foot (jump to details)
- Gathering/Ruffling foot (jump to details)
- Overcasting foot (jump to details)
- Overlock foot (jump to details)
- Pintuck foot (jump to details)
- Piping foot (jump to details)
- Quilting foot (jump to details)
- Rolled hem foot (jump to details)
- Straight stitch foot (jump to details)
- Walking foot (jump to details)
- Zigzag stitch foot (jump to details)
- Zipper foot (jump to details)
Sewing Machine presser feet cheat sheet
Early sewing machine models had a single presser foot that was permanently mounted at the base of the needle bar. With the advent of zigzag and decorative stitches on home sewing machines, however, it became necessary for the presser foot to evolve.
Before long, presser feet were developed for specific tasks. Today, however, it seems as though we have a different presser foot for each and every sewing task we perform on a sewing machine or serger.
The following presser feet guide describes the most frequently used feet types and their functions. NOTE: All of the models shown in this table are in my personal collection unless otherwise noted.
| Foot | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Universal presser foot | To sew gorgeous crafts and clothes, you do not need any kind of sophisticated equipment. All you need is a sewing machine with a universal presser foot. All sewing machines come with universal feet that can be used to sew straight lines, basic zigzags, and decorative stitches on a variety of fabrics. Almost ninety percent of sewing tasks can be successfully completed with just this one foot and the sewing machine. | |
| Straight stitch foot | Use for sewing straight stitches only. This presser foot is designed in such a way that attempting to use it for anything other than a simple straight stitch will result in broken needles. This presser foot is especially useful when working with heavy fabrics. |  |
| Zigzag stitch foot | The zigzag presser foot is wider than the straight stitch presser foot. It has a wider opening, designed to accommodate zigzag stitches of varying widths. Some people use the zigzag foot for multiple tasks – including straight stitching. |  |
| Zipper foot | A zipper foot assists you in stitching right up against a zipper’s coil. Your designer jeans and bags will appear really polished and fasten effortlessly.. The zipper foot has a screw that can be adjusted to allow the foot to slide to either side of the zipper for ideal placement and easier stitching. NOTE: The standard zipper foot is not compatible with invisible zippers.If you want to insert an invisible zipper, a special foot is required. Refer to the instructions on your zipper package and consult a sales representative at your local fabric store before attempting to insert an invisible zipper. |  |
| Buttonhole foot | There is a broad category of buttonhole feet available. But they all let you make neat buttonholes. Choose one with an in-built memory capability so that you can easily repeat your most preferred sizes time and time again. The buttonhole foot helps the sewer make rectangle buttonholes with ease and precision. Every buttonhole foot is clearly marked to help the user determine the proper buttonhole size before stitching.The addition of buttonhole templates, however, helps assure uniformity when making several identical buttonholes in a single garment – like a blouse, shirt, jacket or coat. NOTE: Very few sewing machines include buttonhole templates as standard accessories. |   |
| Button foot | The button-fixing foot can attach both two-hole and four-hole buttons to fabric or clothing. The sewing machine uses a zigzag stitch to sew the button to the cloth, while the button-fixing foot holds the button in place. This rubber coated open toed foot makes it easy to attach any flat button. Simply drop your feed dogs, set the stitch length to ‘0’ and adjust your stitch width to correspond with the holes in the button and your work is done. |  |
| Embroidery foot | The embroidery foot is appropriate for shirring cloth. The fabric is couched with elastic thread on sewing machines. The elastic thread can easily fit underneath the embroidery presser foot because of its amazing design. The thread is tugged gently while being fed through the hole of the presser foot. The fabric gathers as it is pulled further. The elastic can be wound around the bobbin by performing a straight stitch on the machine. | |
| Appliqué foot | The appliqué foot looks very much like the zigzag foot, but the clear plastic covering helps protect delicate appliqués as they are being attached. It also makes it possible for the user to see very clearly where each stitch is positioned. |  |
| Piping foot | The slightly elevated area on the underside of this presser foot guarantees proper placement of your piping and allows you to stitch as close to the piping as possible. Piping feet come in several different sizes to accommodate various sizes.Piping used on accessories, upholstery or home décor items, for example is often larger than that used on an item of clothing. NOTE: Try the zipper foot if you want to insert piping but do not have access to a piping foot. It works just as well. |  |
| Rolled hem foot | When sewing very delicate fabrics like tricot and voile a rolled hem is essential. The rolled hem foot makes it possible for you to get the perfect narrow rolled hem with little or no headaches. NOTE: I sometimes find it easier to put a tiny over cast stitch along the raw edge of my garment to prevent fraying before putting in a rolled hem. |  |
| Cording foot | A cording foot is put on the sewing machine so that decorative threads and cords can be sewn on. It is applied to the machine’s seam to attach the cords. This foot is intended for closed sewing on a raised edge. This foot is ideal when you decide to add cording to a garment or accessory without revealing as single stitch. This foot is especially useful when making furniture slip covers and other home décor items. |  |
| Blind hem foot | This foot is useful when hemming slacks, skirts or dresses on a sewing machine in lieu of hemming by hand. The blind hem foot is a supplementary attachment that is mostly used for edge finishing. It can be used on a variety of home decorative items, such as cushion covers, curtains, as well as clothing items, such as pants and skirts, etc. NOTE: a universal zigzag presser foot can be used to perform this function. |  |
| Walking foot | This interesting looking presser foot makes working with very thick layers of fabric easier while maintaining total control of the upper and lower fabrics layers. |  |
| Quilting foot | The quilting foot is ideal for freehand and pattern quilting as well. It is specifically designed to help the user sew with multiple layers of fabric while simultaneously keeping the quilt batting in place. The strange looking bar attached to the quilting foot is a guide to help the user maintain the desired distance between rows of stitches. |  |
| Elastic foot | The elastic foot makes it easier to sew elastic to fabric, and the presser foot keeps the tension even so the needle doesn’t have to work too hard or pull too hard. | |
| Pintuck foot | Yes… it is possible to put in pintucks without this one, but why go through the drudgery when this presser foot can take all the guesswork out of the task? All you need to get perfect pintucks is to use this presser foot and a twin needle. |  |
| Overcasting foot | The thread is locked around the edge of the fabric and aligned with the overcasting foot to create a consistent and precise overcast stitch and also keep the fabric from moving around. | |
| Darning foot | This interesting presser foot with a built in spring is ideal for repairing small holes in just about anything. Lower the feed dogs, adjust the stitch length and width to your desired setting and when you’re done, no one would ever guess that a hole was ever there. |  |
| Overlock foot | When using a sewing machine, the fabric should be placed under the overlock foot so that the stitches are sewn just a little bit over the edge of the cloth. The overlock foot creates a strong finish on fraying or thick seams. To ensure that the edge is held in place, you can make use of a metal bar. | |
| Circular foot | The circular foot is used on the majority of top-loading sewing machines. The seamstress can choose between straight, zigzag, or decorative stitching in a circular pattern. With this popular circular foot attachment, you can stitch perfect circles with a diameter of almost 25 cm. This makes it a must-have for decorative and craft work. | |
| Gathering/Ruffling foot | The gathering foot is used to make ruffles and certain skirts collars and cuffs as well as other things. A ruffling foot makes it simple to create, connect, and finally finish the edges of many types of different fabric. The usage of the ruffling presser foot may vary with various sewing machines. It is mostly used to make children’s clothing and curtains. This attachment can take pleated or gathered frills and put them on another piece at the same time. It is one of the most important sewing machine attachments, and the manufacturers of this amazing money- and time-saving steel invention deserve a lot of credit. |  |
Buying Guide – Presser Feet
Presser feet: Is it required?
You might already know that in order to stitch the fabric perfectly with a sewing machine, a presser foot is highly essential. Presser feet facilitate a variety of quilting and sewing chores. The fabric is held on to the feed teeth by the presser foot as soon as it is placed on them, assisting in further advancing the fabric under the needle. Pressure feet perform several essential sewing tasks, a sewist cannot think of stitching without one.
How To Choose The Best Presser Foot?
Run a test with your handwheel
You shouldn’t simply start using the presser foot immediately after you purchase it, even if you believe it to be actually compatible with your sewing machine. You might be able to find out quickly if you bought the right presser foot by slowly testing it by hand and using it. Instead of pressing down on the foot pedal as soon as you put the presser foot in the machine, try turning the handwheel slowly. When you lower the hand wheel and the needle comes dangerously close to the edge of the presser foot, that is a clear-cut indication that you are using the wrong presser foot.
Compatibility of presser feet with sewing machines
The compatibility of presser feet varies from machine to machine. The appropriate presser feet for a particular sewing machine are usually described in the manual that came with it. A generic specialty presser foot can be used with most sewing machines. During the sewing process, they feed both the bottom and top layers of fabric at the same time. They are best for sewing or quilting velvet. Most sewing machines come with a patchwork presser foot that has a seam allowance of one-fourth of an inch and a zipper presser foot that makes it easier to put in zippers.
Determine your sewing machine’s widest stitching capability.
Sewing machines and presser feet both have a maximum stitch width. A sewing machine has a maximum stitch width of either 5 millimeters, 7 millimeters, or 9 millimeters. The package also tells you how to attach the foot to your sewing machine. The one required for your presser foot should match. This is one of the reasons you should not throw away your presser foot packaging after opening it. your machine’s in order for it to function properly. This figure is normally printed on the box that came with the presser foot. This is one of the reasons you should not throw away your presser foot packaging after opening it.
Tip to determine the maximum level of stitch width for your sewing machine: Remove the zigzag needle plate and then measure the horizontal hole’s width on the stitch plate.
View the Website of the Manufacturer of Your Sewing Machine
In today’s digital world, most brands of sewing machines maintain a website to showcase their machines and each accessory that comes with the machine. There is a list of all the different types of sewing machines and how they work with the right presser foot. There are also pictures or videos that show how to use the presser foot.
Determine between high shank and low shank
Presser feet are made specifically to fit sewing machines with high or low shanks. For this reason, high-shank screws on presser feet cannot be used on low-shank machines, and the opposite is also true. Determining high and low shanks is very important if you intend to install screws on the presser feet. Most sewing machines for household usage come with low shanks, it should be noted. If you know what kind of sewing machine you have, you can immediately get rid of presser feet that won’t work.
You can find more about this information in your sewing machine’s handbook. As an alternative, you also have the option of gauging the shank height on your own.
A low-shank sewing machine is one where the distance between the thumb screw’s center and the machine bed is less than 1/2 inch. Whereas in a high-shank sewing machine, this distance is longer than or equivalent to 1 inch.
Types of Presser Feet – High, Low and Slant shank
Presser feet come in three basic types… long or high shank, short or low shank, and the slanted shank. In short, the type of presser foot your sewing machine needs is dictated entirely by the needle bar.
Depending upon the way a sewing machine is built, the needle bar can be either long, short or slightly slanted. Then there are the machines that are built to use snap on presser feet. A presser foot that is built for a machine with a long shank will not fit a machine with a slanted or short shank.
If your sewing machine was designed to work with snap on presser feet, it will not work with feet designed for use on sewing machines with long, short or slanted shanks.
Before buying more presser feet, you should know what kind of presser foot your machine can handle.
If after inspecting your sewing machine, you are not clear about the style or type of presser foot your machine uses, this information is readily available in the accessories section of your owner’s manual.
If you are like many home sewers, you have at least one sewing machine and a serger. Many people have more than one sewing machine, a serger and sometimes even another type of specialty machine.
Having such an arsenal of machines often means that you have a different type of presser foot for each machine. That is the situation in my sewing room.
I have two sewing machines and one serger. The serger uses snap on presser feet. Thankfully, both my sewing machines are built with long shanks.
Therefore, I need only two sets of presser feet. I simplify things by using the serger only for certain tasks. My sewing machines, however, get a good workout on a regular basis.
Recommended Presser Feet Set by shank
- Aiskaer 48pcs Presser Feet Set for low-shank Sewing Machines
- Value for money
- Low shank
- Good quality and durability
- Manual and translation can be incomplete
- No labels on the feet
- Professional 52 pcs Presser Feet Set for Low Shank Sewing Machines
- Value for money
- Great quality and durability
- Good manual (in english)
- Good for most low shank sewing machines
- Packaging is not great sometimes and can have the presser feet mixed up in the box
- Presser Foot set for High Shank Sewing Machine
- Great for industrial sewing machine
- Good quality and durability
- Sturdy products
- Large selection
- Some deliveries have manuals missing
This multi-functional presser feet kit contains 48 different feet for almost all your sewing needles that can meet your basic sewing needs.
These presser feet could apply for leather, Embroidery, Zipper, Buttons, Beads and other special craft. It creates many professional sewing craft and saves time.
The presser feet set is fit for sewing machines with low shanks and work with brands such as Singer, Brother, Baby Lock, Euro-pro, Janome, Kenmore, White, Juki, New Home, Necchi, Elna, Husqvarna Viking, and other domestic sewing machines.
Not suitable for industrial and mini sewing machines.
The manual makes it suitable for both beginners and advanced sewers, although some beginners have complained that the instructions are difficult to follow.
This multi-functional professional presser feet kit contains 52 different feet for almost all your sewing needles that can meet your basic sewing needs.
These presser feet could apply for leather, Embroidery, Zipper, Buttons, Beads and other special craft. It creates many professional sewing craft and saves time.
Use them as a fashion accent on blouses and dresses, as border for sheer curtains, or as a flounce for bedspreads, skirts, etc.
The presser feet set is fit for sewing machines with low shanks and work with brands such as Singer, Brother, Baby Lock, Euro-pro, Janome, Kenmore, White, Juki, New Home, Necchi, Elna, Husqvarna Viking, and other domestic sewing machines.
Not suitable for industrial and mini sewing machines.
The manual makes it suitable for both novice and advanced sewers.
The 52 PCS presser foot set includes all the common presser feet you will need!
73 Piece Practical Presser Foot Set includes 68 pcs of presser feet set, 4 pcs of fixed mounting screws and a set of seam guide gauge.
This works for all high-shank, single needle industrial sewing machines including Artisan, Brother, Columbia, COnsew, Cutline, Cutsew, Feiyu, Gemsy, Juki, Mitsubishi, Necchi, Reliable, Rex, Riccar, Singer, Sunsew, Sunstar, Tcsew, Taiko, Typical, Unicorn, Yamata, Zoje.
This High-Quality Presser Feet Set will also be compatible with many Home Sewing Machines that use High-Shank Presser Feet. Please review the listing photograph to determine if your Feet look similar.
These High-Shank Presser Feet have a total height of approximately 1-1/4" (32mm).
Note that Low-Shank Presser Feet have a total height of approximately 7/8” (22mm). These Feet WILL NOT Compatible with Low-Shank Home Sewing Machines.
Specialty Presser Feet
The presser feet described in the above table represent a small number of all of the available options. They are, however, the most frequently used in the average home sewing room. While most of the presser feet described are made of metal, nearly every presser foot is also available with a Teflon coating. I generally use my Teflon presser feet when working with vinyl, leather, suede, and fur. The Teflon coating helps the fabric move more easily than traditional metal feet. Differential feed is an option on a lot of new sewing machines and sergers that helps feed thick fabrics or layers of fabric. Depending on the manufacturer, the differential feed option is available as a built in or an optional feature. In most cases, differential feed is a built in serger feature or an add-on for sewing machines. For instance, the Pfaff IDT [Integrated Dual Transportation] system and the Bernina Stitch Regulator and Dual feed.
![Pfaff IDT [Integrated Dual Transportation]](http://sewinginsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pfaff-idt-system.jpg)
These optional features are additional accessories that are attached to the needle bar to work with the presser foot to make machine quilting easier by eliminating slippage while working with thick layers of fabric.
Other presser feet are available as well. Some of the other specialty presser feet in this category include:
- Bias tape binding foot – used for attaching bias tape with ease.
- Braiding foot – simplifies attaching brading, cords, ribbon
- Stitch in the ditch/edge joining foot – designed to help make edge joining and stitching in the ditch as easy as possible.
Detailed Reviews of Best Presser Feet
- SINGER | All Purpose low-shank Presser Foot for all machines
- Straight Stitch Foot Snap On Foot Presser Foot
- YEQIN Universal Zig Zag for low-shank sewing machine
- SINGER Button Sewing Presser Foot
- DREAMSTITCH Snap On Appliqué Presser Foot
- TISEKER Zipper Foot and Invisible Zipper Foot for All Low Shank machines
- SINGER | Ruffler Attachment Presser Foot (Gathering presser)
- Narrow Rolled Hem Sewing Machine Presser Foot Set
- SINGER | Darning & Freehand Embroidery Presser Foot
- Quilting Patchwork Presser Foot for all low-shank machines
- YEQIN 7mm Double Piping Presser Foot for All Low Shank machines
- Roller Sewing Machine Presser Foot for All Low Shank machines
- Overcast Presser Footfor low-shank machines
- Dreamstitch Snap On Buttonhole Presser Foot
- Vanice Elastic Presser Foot for domestic Sewing Machines
- SINGER | Circular or Flower Stitch Presser Foot Attachment
- SINGER | Pintuck Presser Foot, Embellish Clothes & Linen
- SINGER | Snap-On Cording Presser Foot for Low Shank Sewing Machines
- Hemming Foot Kit for low shank sewing machines
- SINGER | Even Feed Walking Presser Foot
Most varieties of fabrics can be sewn beautifully using the Singer All-Purpose Foot. This is a presser foot for machines that use needles with a low shank.
The broad needle slot present on the foot enables stitching up to a width of 7 mm. This presser foot can also be used to put elastic into a seam and make simple repairs.
The sewing machines that can support the Singer presser foot are those made by Bernina, Babylock, Janome, Elna, Kenmore, Husqvarna Viking, White, Juki, Brother, Necchi, Euro-Pro, New Home, Simplicity, and Pfaff.
This presser foot will provide perfect stitch formation on fine fabrics. For use with low-shank sewing machines, including brands Babylock, Bernina, Brother, Elna, Euro-Pro, Husqvarna Viking, Janome, Juki, Kenmore, Necchi, New Home, Pfaff, Simplicity, White
The Yeqin Presser foot is often a favorite among the sewers. With the help of the Yeqin ZigZag Snap On presser foot, you can sew any type of garment you want. The material is made of a sturdy metal that is durable enough and provides longevity to the presser foot.
Become the Button Master you always knew you could become by udin gthis Singer button presser foot. Save Time Sewing on Buttons as the Foot Securely holds the Button while Sewing.
Whether mastering a technique such as Madeira appliqué or satin stitch appliqué, the open toe foot is the accessory for the job. Similar in appearance to the satin stitch foot, the open center area provides for a clear view of stitching at all times and is ideal for decorative techniques such as embroidery, appliqué, monogramming and cut work.
Concealed Invisible Zipper Sewing Machine Presser Foot allows you to create beautiful and professional concealed zippers with ease and precision. Provides them with ease of use for tasks they could be extremely tedious if done by hand. This snap-on presser feet will fit all low shank sewing machines
The Ruffler is used to create perfectly spaced pleats and gathers. The Ruffler makes uniform pleats at set intervals Ruffler works best with light to medium weight fabrics. This presser foot is ideal for all low-shank sewing machines from different brands.
The Narrow Rolled Presser Foot might be a very useful addition to your sewing accessories collection if you do not enjoy hand sewing. To stitch an extremely narrow hem, make use of the narrow rolled hem presser foot. The fabric's edge is folded under by this foot before it is passed through the needle. The rolled hem presser foot gives a polished appearance to any sewing form, whether it's for home decor, a garment, or any other project.
The Darning & Embroidery Foot can be used for free-motion quilting, stippling, thread painting, monograms, and even for repairing torn areas. This foot is one of the most versatile sewing accessories in your sewing room that can be used for low shank sewing machines.
The quilting presser foot is compatible with low-shank Baby Lock and Brother sewing machines. It is a perfect fit for quilting purposes. It is primarily used when sewing a center straight stitch.
At the tip of each toe, there is a first mark of 1/4". To stitch angled sections or turn corners, these marks can be of great assistance.
When performing regular sewing, topstitching, or piecing, you can use these marks to pivot, begin, or end your project.
The Yeqin Presser foot is often a favorite among the sewers. With the help of the Yeqin double piping presser foot, you can sew any type of garment you want. The material is made of a sturdy metal that is durable enough and provides longevity to the presser foot.
The Yeqin Presser foot is often a favorite among the sewers. With the help of the Yeqin roller Snap On presser foot, you can sew any type of garment you want. The material is made of a sturdy metal that is durable enough and provides longevity to the presser foot.
With the help of the Yeqin Overcast Snap On presser foot, you can sew any type of garment you want. The material is made of a sturdy metal that is durable enough and provides longevity to the presser foot.
This foot ensures all your button holes and drawstring holes are perfectly stitched and even. Works for most EverSewn, Juki and Singer machines.
This elastic foot makes sewing elastic to fabric easier. Suitable for all domestic low shank sewing machines.
The Circular or Flower Stitch Attachment is used to create unique flower-inspired circular designs. Use your sewing machine s decorative stitches to create flowers or the perfect circle!
Add embellishments to garments, button covers, craft projects and more! Suitable for all low shank sewing machines.
The Pintuck Snap-On Presser Foot is used for embellishing garments, table linens and bed linens, typically in conjunction with a twin needle not included. Working with a twin needle (SINGER Style 2025), the Pintuck Snap-On Presser Foot creates evenly-spaced raised tucks in the fabric.
For use with low-shank sewing machines, including brands Babylock, Bernina, Brother, Elna, Euro-Pro, Husqvarna Viking, Janome, Juki, Kenmore, Necchi, New Home, Pfaff, Simplicity, White.
The Cording Snap-On Presser Foot is used to add surface embellishment to fabrics with cords, thin braids, embroidery floss or yarn. Experiment with decorative stitches and cord types for ultimate creativity. The Cording Foot may also be used to gather fabrics! For use with low-shank sewing machines, including brands Babylock, Bernina, Brother, Elna, Euro-Pro, Husqvarna Viking, Janome, Juki, Kenmore, Necchi, New Home, Pfaff, Simplicity, White.
The Bling Hemmer foot for domestic hemming has 5 pieces of hemming foot. It comes with three wide rolled hem presser feet (4/8, 6/8, and 8/8 inch) and three narrow sewing foot hemmers (3, 4 and 6 mm). Suitable for different low shank machines.
The even feed foot is also great for matching plaids or stripes and sewing fabrics with nap or pile, to keep them from shifting. The even feed foot, sometimes called a walking foot, is used for sewing several layers of fabric, and is a must-have when quilting
The Even Feed Foot has its own set of feed dogs that work in conjunction with the sewing machine’s feeding system, for perfect fabric feeding. The Thick Fabric Sewing is used with low-shank sewing machines, including brands Babylock, Bernina, Brother, Elna, Euro-Pro, Husqvarna Viking, Janome, Juki, Kenmore, Necchi, New Home, Pfaff, Simplicity, White
Presser Foot History
Back when home sewing machines produced only straight stitches, it was impossible to make a buttonhole without a buttonhole maker. The buttonhole maker was a gadget that was purchased separately. It came with a set of templates that allowed the user to make an infinite number of uniform buttonholes. Once it was attached to the sewing machine, all you had to do was place the fabric in the proper position and press the foot pedal.
Although both of my sewing machines are capable of making buttonholes with the buttonhole foot, I use a buttonhole maker because the process is not only easier, but also more precise.
With my buttonhole foot, I get beautiful rectangle-shaped buttonholes of all sizes, but that’s all I can do. With the buttonhole maker, however, I can make keyhole buttonholes for jackets and coats, eyelets, as well as oval shaped buttonholes for blouses and shirts when I don’t want a row of rectangle shaped buttonholes.
These buttonhole options are available on many new sewing machine models. However, for all of those who own and continue to use the many older machines out there, the buttonhole maker is an ideal accessory. The downside is that buttonhole makers are no longer being manufactured. You can, however, find them online and at local dealers who specialize in refurbished and used sewing machines.
Caring for a buttonhole maker is as simple as wiping away dust and lint and lubricating it from time to time.
Conclusion
For my money, you cannot have too many presser feet… not because they break but because they are so useful in making your time at the sewing machine or serger so much easier.
The truth of the matter is presser feet are quite durable and almost impossible to break. In all honesty, presser feet, when properly cared for, will outlast most sewing machines and sergers.
In most cases, the presser feet that were included in the accessories case when you purchased your sewing machine or serger should be enough for you to perform practically every basic sewing and serging task you could imagine.
As your sewing repertoire expands, however, you may find a need to purchase some of the specialty models.
If you misplace or lose a presser foot or if you acquired your sewing machine as a gift handed down from a friend or inherited it from relative, you may find that you need to replace a lost button hole or zipper foot.
Once you ascertain the type of presser foot you need – high, low or slant shank or snap on – you will be able to easily find what you need at your local fabric store or sewing machine dealer or online at sites like.
Unlike some sewing machine accessories, presser feet are interchangeable between various brands. The only thing you need to be concerned with is the type of shank you are working with.
If you are in the market for a new machine, and have already invested in several additional units, such as a gathering foot or an invisible zipper foot for example, you should consider the type of shank available on the machines you are thinking of buying.
Otherwise, you will find yourself shopping for additional presser feet to fit your new sewing machine or serger. This may limit your choices, but with so many great machines on the market, you are certain to find the perfect machine in little or no time.
Sewing Insight’s final Verdict
At first, it might seem hard to find the right presser foot for your sewing machine. However, if you follow these simple tips, it will be easier for you to find the right presser foot. In the end, you’ll be required to do a lot of online research and also go through a little bit of trial and error to locate the ideal presser foot that works best for you.
Best Presser Feet set (Detailed reviews here)
- Best collection of Low shank Presser Feet (48 pieces)
- Best collection of High shank Presser feet (73 pieces)
Individual presser feet by function (Detailed reviews here)
- Universal presser foot (jump to details)
- Appliqué foot (jump to details)
- Blind hem foot (jump to details)
- Button foot (jump to details)
- Buttonhole foot (jump to details)
- Cording foot (jump to details)
- Circular foot (jump to details)
- Darning foot (jump to details)
- Elastic foot (jump to details)
- Embroidery foot (jump to details)
- Gathering/Ruffling foot (jump to details)
- Overcasting foot (jump to details)
- Overlock foot (jump to details)
- Pintuck foot (jump to details)
- Piping foot (jump to details)
- Quilting foot (jump to details)
- Rolled hem foot (jump to details)
- Straight stitch foot (jump to details)
- Walking foot (jump to details)
- Zigzag stitch foot (jump to details)
- Zipper foot (jump to details)
Quick tip: Buy your presser feet in a multi-pack to save a ton of money. These multi-packs can significantly improve the sewing productivity and quality, and can also fit with the majority of sewing machines.
If you are an advanced sewist, have a look at our best sewing books and best sewing magazines posts and if you are looking to get a basic, heavy duty or industrial sewing machine, have a look at some of our great articles. If you are a beginner sewist, review our best sewing books for beginners and best sewing machines under $200 to get started
Happy Stitching.
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