Ok. So I did a little comparison test to see what the difference in results would be when sewing problematic fabrics using a walking foot compared to my standard ‘A’ Janome foot. See the results in the video below or read on…
Or watch it on YouTube here
The Walking Foot Comparison Test
For the comparison test I used minky fabric, laminated cotton and a quilting sample made up of two layers of fabric with wadding/batting in between. I sewed all of the sample fabric pieces in the same way and the only thing I changed was the foot that I used.
The Results…
Can you tell which was sewn with the walking foot and which was sewn with the standard foot?
Let’s start with the minky (green fabric) samples. The strip of the left if the one sewn with the walking foot. You can see that the strip is sitting flatter than the other tube, which was sewn with the standard foot. The sample that I sewed using the standard foot was very twisted and the bottom layer of fabric went through much quicker than the top layer of fabric. I would say it is definitely worth buying a walking foot if you plan on doing some sewing with minky fabric.
the main focus with the laminated cotton was testing how well the different feet performed when top stitching. The walking foot sample is on the left and the standard foot sample is on the right. I found there wasn’t too much difference when it came to sewing with the laminated cotton. There was a little bit of twisting in the sample that I sewed using the standard foot, but very similar to the walking foot sample. A walking foot is not completely necessary, but you could get a slightly better result by using one when sewing laminated cotton.
The last sample I did was the two pieces of fabric with the wadding in between to show you the difference in results when quilting with or without the use of a walking foot. You can clearly see in the photo above that the quilted sample at the top is the one sewn with the standard foot, as it had twisted and puckered. The walking foot sample is flat and just a lot neater overall. This is the reason why quilters use a walking foot.
My Recommendation
I definitely recommend investing in a walking foot if you intend to work with fabrics that are slippery or have a nap (like the minky). if you want to do some quilting type projects as well, it would be worth getting a walking foot.
You can get a walking foot to suit your type of sewing machine from your local sewing machine specialist or you can buy one online from Amazon. Remember to make sure that the brand and model of your sewing machine appears in the product description to make sure you get the right type of walking foot for your machine.
I think investing in a walking foot would make sewing easier if you are a beginning sewer, as you get better results and less issues occur when using a walking foot (such as the slipping, shifting and twisting of the fabric).
Feel free to share this post or comment below if you have any questions or tips of your own for sewing with a walking foot.
Happy sewing!
This is very helpful information. Thank you for it. I’ve just started sewing again. I’ve been making some projects with some “ultra cuddle” fleece fabric and I think I’d do well using the walking foot for these projects. The fabric is bulky and I think the walking foot would be a good idea. Thanks again for the information!
I love the video comparison with the walking foot. I had no idea it was such a dramatic difference when sewing with layers. Thank you.