PORTABLE WALKING FOOT SEWING MACHINE
Portable walking foot sewing machine. First, we will go over what a walking leg looks like and how it works. It’s a bulky foot that looks scary compared to other sewing machine feet, but its mechanics are pretty simple. Its distinguishing feature is its set of teeth that rotate in a circular motion above and below the surface of the foot depending on the position of its side bar.
When attaching the walking foot to your machine, you must position this movable bar so that it rests on the needle bar of your machine. As the needle moves up and down as you sew, the teeth of the walking foot will move accordingly in sync with the feeders of your machine under the fabric.
WHEN TO USE A PORTABLE WALKING FOOT SEWING MACHINE
- Transition of bulky seams
Portable walking foot sewing machine .One of the benefits of a walking foot is that its extra set of teeth helps the foot climb over bulky seams, such as where the waist meets the side seams of a skirt or where the lapel opening meets the crotch seams of pants. A normal presser foot can get stuck in these tricky places and create a wild bird thread nest underneath. The foot helps grip the fabric so it moves “uphill” more easily. This is great for quilting heavier fabrics like this home decor canvas:
- Matching seam intersections
If you are sewing a garment with a waist seam or separate cuffs, it is important that these seam intersections match up to create a continuous horizontal or vertical line that is pleasing to the eye. Even if you pin everything correctly, a regular presser foot can slightly push the top layer forward as you sew, creating seams that don’t quite match on the right side of the garment.
- Matching plaids, stripes and other prints
Likewise, the walking foot helps when sewing a garment with a pattern or directional print that needs to be matched across the main seams. It is sewn this way.
- Stitching bindings, hems or placket
Have you ever noticed mysterious hem lines or lesions on a button after you’ve sewn it on? Sometimes a stream of steam will help settle the substance, but sometimes the problem persists. Even with careful pre-pressing, where a layer of fabric is folded over and sewn together, a regular presser foot can suck up that top layer faster than the bottom layer. The risk is higher when you sew further away from the folded edge, such as on a deep hem. The walker helps keep all the layers even so you get nice, flat edges.
- Sewing knitwear
Due to the elasticity of knitwear, they tend to “grow” under the presser foot during sewing. This is especially true when you are sewing in the direction of the stretch, such as on the hem of a T-shirt, or when sewing very stretchy fabrics such as rib knit. The walker helps the knits move evenly so they don’t get pulled out of shape. Below is a ribbed knit, which I hemmed with a regular hem (above) and then a walking hem at the bottom.
FUNCTIONS OF THE PORTABLE WALKING FOOT SEWING MACHINE
A portable walking foot sewing machine is an industrial-type machine that accurately and precisely sews layers of fabric with no slipping or puckering of seams. The two-piece foot feed moves one side at a time, and appears to be “walking” as it feeds the fabric under the needle. These machines are perfect for working with multiple layers of heavy fabric, such as upholstery material, and are often used for machine quilting as well.
As an alternative to these heavy machines with poor portability, many non-commercial machines can be outfitted with an attachment known as a walking foot attachment. Provided that the machine is well-made and can handle heavier fabrics (such as denim), this is a great alternative for use in machine quilting. Though not a true “walking foot,” this type of machine and attachment is probably a better fit for most home-based machine quilters.
With teeth that mesh with the sewing machine’s feed plate for steady, even pressure, the walking foot attachment will serve to keep the fabric from shifting and the seams smooth and straight. An optional quilting bar attachment can be added, which is helpful in keeping the rows evenly spaced. These attachments are available for many popular sewing machine models, such as Bernina, Brother, Elna, Pfaff, Singer and Viking. They are relatively inexpensive, many under $30, and are readily available wherever machines are sold.
TOP THREE MODELS OF PORTABLE WALKING FOOT SEWING MACHINES
Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 Portable Sewing Machine
Portable walking foot sewing machine .You can also make any kind of fabric with this sewing machine. In addition, the quantum sewing machine has large stitches that allow you to work efficiently. It also has the basic features that all presser foot sewing machines give you. This sewing machine also has a built-in threader to make your work easier. The eye of the needle threader is also of the highest quality. And people who have sensitive eyes can work comfortably with this needle threader.
Pros
- Several built-in fonts
- Buttonholes are also built in
- Works on several types of fabrics
- Ideal for heavy duty work
Cons
- It works best only for mostly demanding jobs
Reliable Zigzag Barracuda 200ZW sewing machine
This sewing machine comes with 8 layers of umbrella plus. And the reliable walking sewing machine comes with 10 layers of canvas and you will be able to work efficiently on thicker materials. This sewing machine also has a built-in speed limiter. So with this walking foot sewing machine you can work with 8mm clearance. Best of all, this sewing machine has extra torque so you can work on thicker materials.
Pros
- Portable speed and maximum sewing speed make it more efficient
- It comes with an extended warranty period
- Foot lifter 12mm
- Range 0 to 6 mm
- Heavy machine
Cons
- This is not an industrial sewing machine
Brother CS6000i Sewing Machine
Our top choice is the Brother industrial sewing machine, which has perfect quality and fantastic construction. It also comes with multiple stitches and the Brother industrial sewing machine has 7 styles of buttonholes. Additionally, this sewing machine comes with a needle threader that pushes the needle to work efficiently. This machine comes with a warranty period of 25 years, so you can buy this sewing machine without any doubts.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Needle threading
- Portable sewing machine
- Lightweight sewing machine
- Automatic needle threading
Cons
- This machine is ideal for larger quilts
- A light machine does not work efficiently for heavy projects
TWO MUST HAVE PORTABLE WALKING SEWING MACHINE
- The Roller Foot Sewing Machine:
This type of portable walking foot sewing machine works fantastic on leather, vinyl and also suede. Sewing these materials is not easy. The layers between these materials are prone to shifting, making sewing impossible. A regular sewing machine with a regular presser foot causes a lot of friction and the layers get stuck under the sewing machine. The materials that get the stitches are very soft, so there are many problems with stitching them.
- Walking foot sewing machine:
This machine is ideal for fabrics such as plaids and stripes. It’s also good for patterns. The stitching that is done on the top and bottom layers is done evenly. Check out some of the special features of roller sewing machines and walking foot sewing machines:
- Great portability: these swing machines are easy to carry. You can have them in the cupboards. You can easily carry them from place to place without any problem as such.
- Additional space is available if you need to sew thick fabric: there is a lever that can be raised if you need more space for sewing thick fabrics. You can adjust this level up to 12mm.
- Automatic thread timer: an automatic thread timer is attached to the sewing machines. Threads are cut by simply pressing a button on the foot of the machine. This will speed up the entire sewing process. There is no wastage of threads. The required amount is cut off by the machine.
CONCLUSION
After reading about a portable walking sewing machine, you probably want to buy one. This walking sewing machine is also distinguishable into 2 kinds. Some sewing machines are powered by hand, others are powered by electricity. In addition, electric sewing machines have two types, computerized electric sewing machines that work better than non-computerized sewing machines.