Casual Cam – Walking Foot Quilting!
Last week I was shooting the video for Quilt Shop Gal’s FMQ Challenge and happened to have a walking foot on my machine. It got me thinking…
I’ll admit – I haven’t touched walking foot style quilting since 2006. As soon as I learned free motion quilting, I dropped my walking foot like the ugly guy at the prom and became slightly…snobby…about this style of quilting.
In my defense, it just didn’t seem like you could do much with a walking foot! It’s rather clunky and you have to always be stitching in one direction so straight lines and subtle curves are pretty much all you can do. Why mess with a walking foot when you can go in all directions with free motion?
But what if this foot can do more than just straight or slightly curvy lines? What if we can push the boundaries and fill with a walking foot the same way I fill with my darning foot? I wonder if it’s not the actual foot, but the level of experimentation done with it that is limiting design ideas.
So I left the foot on my machine and grabbed a 10 inch quilt sandwich and stitched out the first four designs that popped into my head: curvy lines, zippling, zigzag path, and square spiral:
Yes, straight lines are still the dominate line for a walking foot to make, but there’s a lot more you can do than just stitch grids. You can echo and change directions and make lots of interesting textures for your quilts!
This experiment got my creative juices flowing and I decided to shoot a quick video to show you how to quilt Zigzag Path with a walking foot:
What do you think? Would you like to see more creative designs with a walking foot? Do you find walking foot style machine quilting easier than free motion quilting?
Let me know in the comments below and we might start a new walking foot design series!
Let’s go quilt,
Leah Day
Yes, please!
I'd love to see more experiments with the walking foot. I find there are times I prefer the look and the process of quilting with the walking foot, and other times I prefer free motion designs.
You never cease to amaze ME!! I wonder what the stitches would look like if you lengthen the stitches to give a different effect?????? Great tut!
Love the Walking Foot quilting. More please!
I recently started to machine quilt so i am most definitely interested in seeing the possibilities with the walking foot.
Hi, I'm Marina, a quilter from St.Petersburg. I love free motion quilting on a domestic machine (I have a Pfaff at home), on a long-arm machine (APQS – Millenium) and now I explore walking foot quilting. Specially for quilts in modern style. I like it, I enjoy it so much!
It would be greate if You could share some designs of walking foot quilting! Thank You for the idea!
Leah, I was so thrilled to see your walking foot video! Please, please share more! It is so much more doable for me than free motion quilting is at this point in my quilting journey. You are the best!
Yes, please. I love my walking foot.
Yes, I love my walking foot!
Love all your videos! I would love to see more walking foot videos, I used a new walking foot for some of the Building Blocks Quilt blocks and would love to see what else I can do with it!
I enjoy using my walking foot when I want straight lines or slight curves. Thanks for the video, Leah!
Yes I would like to see more videos on walking foot quilting. Thanks!
I'd love to see more walking foot options. Thanks for the video.
Definitely would love to see more walking foot quilting.
Would love to see more using the walking foot!
Yes please!!! I'd love to see some "quilting by walking foot" ideas. Some really struggle with free motion quilting, so always looking for walking foot ideas.
Would love a walking foot series!
Yes! I'd love to see more machine quilting with the walking foot! I'm just getting started with FMQ and having a 'safe' starting place with a good chance of successfully quilting is a wonderful option! I guess I haven't put om my 'big girl panties' yet 🙂
Would love to see more designs using the walking foot. Thank you for this opportunity.
More walking foot instruction would be wonderful!
Yes, definitely. I love the stitch quality with the walking foot. While I do switch between free motion both with & without a stitch regulator the walking foot is always close at hand.
I would love to see what YOU can do with a walking foot!
It is so reassuring to see the walking foot quilting because I am a dunce when it comes to free quilting! Would love to see more.
Thanks Leah. I'd love to have a series on the WF. I'm not happy with FMQ at present and don't have the time to practice, but I have more confidence with the WF.
Yes, Please!
What I appreciate is your creative experimentation and willingness to share it with the world.
A special THANKS to Josh for being so supportive. I feel like the two of you are friends I just haven't met, yet.
Yes, I'm interested in seeing more about quilting with a walking foot.
I love my walking foot and learning new designs would be fun.
I would like more videos with the walking foot. Thanks.
I use my walking foot when I can but remember you have to turn the bulk of a quilt which is much harder than a little sample square. And it is more time consuming because you go have to turn the quilt with each change of direction.
Hey Leah, I would like to see more walking foot quilting. Thanks.
Since I'm a beginner and intimidated by free motion, I would love to see more walking foot videos. It seems like a great way to get started quilting.
I use my walking foot on small quilts that I finish myself. I've even use it doing curves and circles. Would love to see more uses of the walking foot. Great video.
Yes Leah .That would be great to see more walking foot videos.Thanks
hehehehe!!!
yes please Leah, am terrible at free motion quilting, try and try again and again and get no better! But walking foot quilting is what I like to do! Look forward to it, many thanks!!
Would Love to see a walking foot class be done. You are such a creative person. Thanks!
Another method of stitching is always welcoming. Using the walking foot does require a lot of movement, but if you do directional stitching all in one direction you can eliminate a lot of extra turns. Of course any method that you can video will be helpful for me. Thanks
Oh, yes, please! More walking foot designs!
Hey Leah, Excellent idea! FMQ becomes stressful for me, & I don't have much time for quilting as it is. I'm right on board with the WF series!! Thanks
Yes, more walking foot videos, please! I love watching you play!! The advantage of a walking foot (for me) is Straight Lines!! I can't do that with a darning foot!! Good Job, Leah!!
Yes, please. Thank you for all your wonderful tutorials!
Yes, please!
I would love to learn more about walking foot quilting. I am seldom able to get even stitches when I free motion and learning is just fun.
Enjoyed the walking foot video and would love to see more walking foot quilting designs!
Yes please. More videos with the walking foot. I teach free motion quilting but am asked constantly about how to use the walking foot for quilting. Not everyone can master free motion quilting. I have taught circular quilting, straight quilting all with free motion but would love more ideas.
Yes, I would love to see what you are capable of getting a walking foot to do!
YEs I would like to see more quilting with the walking foot. Thanks.
I enjoy free motion quilting and use it on bigger quilts. I've used a walking foot on quilt as you go projects so I'll add my vote to seeing more walking foot quilting videos.
Yes I would love more videos on the walking foot Thanks so much!
Walking foot tuition would be great! I have a Pfaff with IDT (inbuilt walking foot) and I've recently bought an open toe applique foot and quilt guide with a view to quilting spirals…. A tutorial from you would be wonderful! Thanks Leah.
Bless You & Yours!! The most successful & happy folks I know share their talents with others and you certainly do that! You are my first inspiration and the best. This technique will be great for those quilt as you go T shirt quilts , MODERN designs, etc. I'm going to try it. I just did my first free motion quilt with straight lines and a triangle shaped paisley and even I like it.
Yes please
Yes please !! 🙂
Love to learn more about machine quilting with a walking foot!
Yes please!
Would love more walking foot videos. I've been using it on curves and circles also, including Coin Chain. Just find I need to mark a circle first to keep it nice and round.
Yes, please, more videos using the walking foot.
I would love a walking foot series…..I love the walking foot with the heavier threads….
Oh yes, please, more creativity with walking foot!
Leah, you are such an inspiration! Yes, more walking foot videos, please! Thank you!
I would love to see more walking foot quilting ideas. Use your Juki!
Yes! I am much more confident quilting with my walking foot. Please provide more videos. It really helps to learn the process. Keep it up, Leah!
I would love to see more videos with the walking foot. I haven't mastered free motion and I do about 90% walking foot quilting so this would be great for me!
Absolutely. At my Guild there are still many members who will not pursue FMQ and I have been encouraging them with show and tell etc. to explore the power of their walking foot.
Thanks for this video.
I like using my walking foot but, as Beth said, turning the quilt is the hang up when quilting a bigger piece. I just thought-why not quilt first w/ the walking foot, some long continuous lines and then use those lines to delineate smaller areas for FMQ? Sort of what I do w/ painter's tape. I think I'll play with that idea and of course, check back to see what you do w/ the walking foot. Thanks for yet more inspiration!
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Yes, please! Have not used the walking foot yet and would love to learn more.
Leah, you are the Best! I would love you do do more Walking Foot tutorials
Thank you
This is a great idea for small projects such as placemats, table runners, mug rugs & wallhangings. Definitely need to add this to my list of things to try in the coming months. Thanks for the inspiration.
Yes,yes,yes. I love the linear designs. I am all in.
Yes please! I still have not gained the confidence to free motion quilt.
Yes please – although it seems to suit Modern quilts. Is it possible to use walking foot quilting with more traditional quilt designs? I like fusible applique quilts and wall hangings and just wonder how it would work. I'm thinking that using the walking foot would also work well on larger quilts if they are constructed using the " quilt as you go" method.
Yes, please continue to do videos with quilting using a walking foot. I have a number of smaller projects that I'd like to do geometric, more modern designs and think that these will work quite well until I'm more comfortable with free motion quilting. I did take your class last year but life interfered so I have quite a ways to go to finish the project.
Yes, I would like to see more videos using the walking foot for quilting! Excellent video! Thank you!
Yes please! More walking foot quilting!
Yes please…intimidated to try free motion. Would like to see how it works on a larger project too. Thanks!
I love the free motion technique, as I feel confident about stitching a small design in the middle of the free motion….so many posibilities; BUT I like the walking foot & would love to see more tutorials/videos using this foot; thank you for sharing what you do so well!
Please, more! I love my walking foot!
Please more walking foot for Quilting! Great video. Have a hard time with free motion on my machine. I have done your free motion I get don't get Thanks
Yes, please!