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Sewing Machine Feet: Non-Stick Foot

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Inside: Sewing Machine Feet: Non-Stick Foot

I’m here today with another installment of my Sewing Machine Feet Series. Today I am going to talk about the Non-Stick Foot (sometimes called a Teflon or Ultra-Glide foot).

Why a Non-Stick Foot? Well, if you’ve ever tried to sew clear vinyl or laminated cotton then you know why someone created a Non-Stick Foot. And, let’s not forget leather, pleather, oil cloth, and ultra-suede. Without a Non-Stick Foot, these fabrics are not going to cooperate.

Sewing with Vinyl

What is a Non-Stick Foot Do?

Basically, the Non-Stick foot has a plastic coating on the sole. You can see how the bottom of the foot is very smooth. The smooth, non-stick coating is what reduces friction and causes the foot to glide over the vinyl, etc.

Sewing with Vinyl

Most manufacturers will offer a non-stick foot. Bernina has 4 different non-stick feet, including a zipper foot and an open toe foot. I only own one non-stick foot and it is an all purpose zigzag foot. If I were to sew things like leather skirts, I might invest in the zipper foot. I might want an open-toe non-stick foot if I did a lot of applique on leather.


How it Works

Since this is a very specialized foot, I don’t pull it out very often. I decided to show how it works on a business card holder. The card holder is something I made in the hoop with my embroidery unit. The only problem:  It’s too big for my new business cards.

Sewing with Vinyl

If I were to put my cards in this holder they would fall out ~ which is exactly what they did ~ and it was really embarrassing. Since I will be heading to Quilt Market in Houston next month it would be nice to have this fixed.

To correct the problem, I needed to sew a small seam on either side of the original seam.

Sewing with Vinyl

If you’ve ever sewn with a non-stick foot then you know how easy this was. It took me just a few seconds. Pop on the new foot, line up the seam, stitch, and cut the thread.

I got nice, even stitches. If I had tried this with my all purpose foot then friction would have caused the stitches to be short and uneven. Plus, it would not have liked going over the non-vinyl spot.

Sewing with Vinyl

Any project can be made easier when you have the right tool. Having a Non-Stick Foot is a perfect example of this. Without it, I would not have gotten the same result. Instead, I would’ve thrown this card holder away because I had made such a mess.

One place you might find this foot indispensable would be in making Halloween costumes. If you are attaching patches to costumes or using unusual fabrics this foot could save you hours of frustration ~ and seam ripping.

Most sewing machine manufacturers should carry some sort of Non-Stick Foot. Prices will vary depending on the manufacturer.

I have seen examples where sewists put a piece of scotch tape across an All-Purpose foot. This might work for a small job ~ but keep in mind ~ every place the needle punches on vinyl, leather, etc. will leave a hole. No ripping out your mistakes.

For me, that is too high of a risk and I will stick to my Non-Stick Foot.


—> Click this link to learn about other sewing machine feet!


 

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