quiltwhisperer

calling all quilters:
could u tell me pleez which foot u like best--- the walking or ditch foot--
could u also say y its ur favorite and do u use it 4 the whole quilt or just some of the quilting---i have both, but don't know the best way or when 2 use them---and i guess i don't feel like switching back n forth either (lazy)----nor do i know if i hafta do that----- :?:

Jim's Gem

I have a walking foot. It works great. With my machine I don't believe that I can use both at the same time. The walking foot will help evenly feed your fabrics, the ditch foot is nice for keeping you along the ditch but won't evenly feed from top and bottom.
Unless, of course, you have one of those machines that have a walking foot that can also have a ditch foot at the same time. Don't know what that one is but someone on here mentioned it sometime or other.

sewjoyce

I have both a walking foot and a SID foot. I love my walking foot for sewing on the binding and for quilting in grids, etc. The SID foot is invaluable for stitching in the ditch -- much easier than using the walking foot. Do I use both in the same quilt? Sometimes :D But once I get that darn walking foot on, it stays on until I'm sure I'm DONE! :lol: :lol:

katier825

I use my walking foot a lot, for straight line quilting, binding! I don't have a stitch in the ditch foot. Viking is now making a walking foot that has attachments to it, including a stitch in the ditch foot. It's pricey, so I have not bought it yet. But I can see that it would probably be worth it!

Deb watkins

Have both and love them! I even use the walking foot when I am doing decorative stitches to a quilt. Helps keep the fabric from scootching when the design is being stitched.

Prism99

Well, the only use I have found for the ditch foot is quilting in the ditch. The little metal piece "rides" in the ditch.

My walking foot is useful for attaching long border strips and binding. I also use it for quilting wavy lines (long, slow curves from one end of the quilt to the other).

I usually don't do quilt-in-the-ditch because I find it so hard to stay exactly where I want to be. That's why I seldom use the "ditch" foot.

For piecing, I use a regular foot. For me, the walking foot is to big, bulky and wide. With a regular foot I can use a layer of moleskin next to the feed dogs to keep my seam allowance at a scant 1/4-inch.

Rose Marie

The ditch foot I use to sew the back binding on. The walking foot is a must for quilting straight lines through the three layers of a quilt.
It feeds the quilt layers evenly.
The ditch foot wont even feed so its not so good for quilting. But it sure does keep your stitchs in the ditch for sewing the binding to the back of the quilt by sewing in the ditch on the front.

kluedesigns

i very rarely use either of these feet.

i never use my stitch in the ditch foot, i prefer an open toe foot for doing stitch in the ditch or i do it by free motion.

the only time i use my walking foot is for placemats or tablerunners.

i prefer to do free motion quilting whenever possible.

JoanneS

Pfaffs have built-in walking foot, called IDF - Integrated Dual Feed - so you don't have to fiddle with an attachment. I can use my Stitch-in-ditch foot with it. Great combo. I would be hard-pressed to say WHICH is my favorite. I bought my first Pfaff specifically because of the IDF. You can do all the fancy stitches you want, as wide as you want, with absolutely NO uneven creeping of the fabric.

I use the SID foot for more than just SID - move the needle to do top-stitching; use the zigzag to sew batting pieces together; sew rows of decorative stitches or quilting - you can move the needle to make thhem different distances apart; edge-stitch OFF the edgeof an already hemmed edge (eg a sleeve or neckline or lingerie) with the hemming stitch to make a scalloped edge.

GailG

Yep, it 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. I go straighter with the ditch foot (actually it's my bllind hem foot); but the walking foot does a better job of stitching. I usually use the WF and try to use thread that "blends in." I also use the "wobbly stitch" (narrowest, longest zig-sag stitch) most fo the time.