Gathering Foot and other Specialty Feet - Do you like them?

[BinahYeteirah]

I was thinking of buying a gathering (shirring) foot for my sewing machine, and maybe some other feet to try out. I dislike gathering by hand. It's not hard, it just seems like a lot of work: sewing the gathering stitches, pulling them, trying to distribute the gathers evenly, deciding if the gathering is even enough, being a perfectionist and doing it again... I thought a gathering foot might do an even job every time, but how hard is it to set to the proper "gathering power" so that the pieces are still the right length for each other?

Also, I was contemplating getting a rolled hem foot. It seems like using that would be so much easier than folding and ironing tiny little hems on ruffles and other parts of garments. Have you tried one?

Do you have any other specialty feet that you love and recommend? Any that you found worthless?

[LilithParker]

I have a rolled-hem foot that doesn't work very well. I've given up on it and gone back to doing rolled hems by hand. But then I like hand-stitching. I even do eyelets by hand.

[shalena]

I have both of those but havn't used them yet so I'm not much help! I'm going to be trying out my gathering foot tomorrow evening to sew a ruffle on to a dress. Hopefully it will work.

[BinahYeteirah]

bs"d

Let me know how it goes. GL!

[Wendy~]

I have a shirring foot and a rolled hem foot. I cannot figure out how to get the rolled hem foot to work so I"ve given up on it. I have used the shirring foot when doing shirring with elastic in the bobbin, works good. I have also seen, but do not have, an actual "ruffle foot" I guess you can adjust it somehow and it gathers the ruffle for you! I'm pretty interested in one of those!

[rosie29]

I have a walking foot. It's nice to have for quilting. It prevents the layers from slipping and bunching up.

[Ellien C]

I have a "ruffler foot" that I like, but for ruffles - flounces and stuff to sew on the bottom of things. Used it for curtains and aprons. Is that the same as a gathering foot? I still do the gathering by hand to make it come out right. Just grab a glass of wine or beer and it won't matter so much. Your being too perfecitonstic!

Rolled hem foot - magic juju - have tried for years and I just can't get it to work again.

"It seems like using that would be so much easier than folding and ironing tiny little hems on ruffles and other parts of garments."
- it would be, but I can't use it worth a darn!

I like my buttonhole foot - it has useful measurements on it. I've used the cording foot, but infrequently. I really liked the clear satin stitch foot, but college room mate broke it years ago and I never replaced it.

[BinahYeteirah]

Originally Posted by Ellien C

I have a "ruffler foot" that I like, but for ruffles - flounces and stuff to sew on the bottom of things. Used it for curtains and aprons. Is that the same as a gathering foot? I still do the gathering by hand to make it come out right. Just grab a glass of wine or beer and it won't matter so much. Your being too perfecitonstic!

...

I really liked the clear satin stitch foot, but college room mate broke it years ago and I never replaced it.

In my sewing machine parts catalogue, it lists both a "gathering (shirring) foot" and at least one type of ruffler foot. I thought that the ruffler foot make tucks as it sews, rather than an even gathering like you would get by doing gathering stitches. Maybe the shirring/gathering foot is only for using with elastic thread in the bobbin. I thought it was for regular gathering. Hmm... I will have to check that out. I'm pregnant, so I won't be grabbing any wine, lol, but I'm sure you are right that I'm being too perfectionist. I just made my dd a shirt and I want to add a ruffle to the bottom. It would probably only take a few minutes, but just don't feel like gathering it! I keep thinking, "I'll just get that foot and it will be so much easier."

The clear satin stitch foot sounds good. I frequently feel I can't see enough of what I'm doing when I'm doing appliqué.

Too bad no one can get the roller hem foot to work! That one sounded like a dream...

[Wendy~]

Originally Posted by BinahYeteirah

Too bad no one can get the roller hem foot to work! That one sounded like a dream...

If anyone knows the trick to making these things work, I'd LOVE to know!

[mals*nutrition]

i have a gathering foot and it is pretty cool but i can't figure out how to use it so that it ends perfectly. it has 4 adjustments (i think) and i've tried all four on a ruffle for a dress for my dd and none of them came out right. i've always wondered if there's some kind of formula to know how much fabric to use. my foot can do ruffles, pleats and shirring. although, if you ask me the ruffle and the pleats look the same.

[BinahYeteirah]

bs"d

What brand of sewing machine do you have?

I'm thinking that if I get a gathering foot that works like yours, mals*nutrition, that I will just cut a much longer piece than the pattern calls for and just cut it when I get to the end. It would be worth a little extra fabric for me to not have to do the gathering.

[shalena]

Originally Posted by shalena

I have both of those but havn't used them yet so I'm not much help! I'm going to be trying out my gathering foot tomorrow evening to sew a ruffle on to a dress. Hopefully it will work.

Well, it turns out I didn't have a gathering foot. I went to try to buy one at my "dealer" and they were sold out. Of course no one else seems to carry parts for a bernina, so I decided to try a snap on foot for another machine. I got one for a white and it snapped on fine. Same size, seemed like it was going to work. I threaded my machine, sat down with my ruffle, and began to sew...
nothing happened. A straight line, no gathers, nothing. I could have been using my regular foot for all my machine cared. :LOL
I ended up giving up on the ruffle all together. Gathering by hand just doesn't seem to be my thing. :
Next time I'll spend the $70 and get a ruffler foot.

[mals*nutrition]

i have an old refurbished singer 6234. it's probably 10-15 years old. it took me FOREVER to figure the ruffle foot out but i finally did with the help of the internet. i'll try to find the site that explained it for me. before i found it i was doing the same thing as shalena, i could get the foot on but couldn't get it to ruffle for the life of me.

http://www.singer-featherweight.com/...c_ruffler.html

[pinky]

This is a little off-topic, but just wanted to share a great trick for gathering...take a piece of dental floss, and sew a wide zig-zag over the floss...then you can just pull your gathers along the floss. Much quicker and easier to adjust than the traditional method, IME.

[BinahYeteirah]

Originally Posted by shalena

:
Next time I'll spend the $70 and get a ruffler foot.

I'm sorry your foot didn't work. $70! Look on eBay. I don't know how much feet go for for my machine retail (a Pfaff), but on there I think they run $7-$20 depending on the foot.

[Wendy~]

Originally Posted by pinky

This is a little off-topic, but just wanted to share a great trick for gathering...take a piece of dental floss, and sew a wide zig-zag over the floss...then you can just pull your gathers along the floss. Much quicker and easier to adjust than the traditional method, IME.

I use the same method but used crochet thread. I agree that the method is so much easier than the traditional way. I'm going to try the dental floss! I've got tons of it in the bathroom
.

[Fluffhead]

I think it would depend on what machine you have....but I loooooooove my additional feet. I do have the gathering foot, as well as an applique foot (couldnt live without it!!) and a ruffler, and an elastic foot....I love all of them! Probably the gathering foot and applique foot are the ones I couldnt live without though. I have a pfaff machine and I think their standard feet are more difficult with complex projects. HTH!

[AinNJ]

i love my rolled hem foot! it's a PITA to get started, but once you get the hang of it, it's not so bad.

make a small fold in your fabric and feed it into the roller thingie. then attach the foot to your machine. go slow and feet the fabric into the roller thingie slowly, maintaining the same fold size feeding into it.

geez, this makes no sense at all, does it? if ds goes to bed at a decent hour (he's been sick today), i'll see if i can get dh to take some pictures of me using it...

i'm interested in getting a gathering foot. i have one saved in My Ebay, but for some reason, i haven't bought it yet. ok, off to buy it! LOL!!

[BinahYeteirah]

Originally Posted by AinNJ

geez, this makes no sense at all, does it? if ds goes to bed at a decent hour (he's been sick today), i'll see if i can get dh to take some pictures of me using it...

Please share. I just got my rolled hem foot. I haven't gotten it so far. Thanks.

[boingo82]

My only specialty foot is the rolled hem foot, and like nearly everybody here, it's totally beyond me.