Back to the Basics Techniques

Do you know your feet?

by Mary Lou Nall

This is the beginning of a series that will take you “Back to the Basics” of selecting presser feet. The technical details shared will include how the different presser feet available will save you time and produce professional results in any area of home sewing.

The presser feet lessons that will be shared during the upcoming months are as follows:

Lesson 1: Gathering Foot
Lesson 2: Piping Foot
Lesson 3: Flat Fell Seam Foot; small and large
Lesson 4: Quilting/Patchwork Foot
Lesson 5: Special Piping Foot
(Great for stitching Velcro, strapping, belt loops, uneven surfaces)

Lesson 1 begins with the #16 Bernina Gathering Foot. It saves hours of gathering time. Learn how to get more or less fullness and how to sew on and gather a ruffle in one operation. Gather a sleeve cap or skirt hem with correct amount of fullness to ease in. Make something as big as a king size dust ruffle, curtains, costumes or children’s clothes. It’s as easy to use as putting on a presser foot.

Gathering Foot

Machine Settings
Stitch Pattern Straight Stitch
Stitch Width 0
Stitch Length 4
Needle Position Left or as desired

No. 16 Gathering Foot – Wide distance between rows of gathering.
Minimum 5 mm (3/16”), Maximum 10 mm (3/8”).

No. 16 Wide Foot – Minimum 13mm (1/2”), Maximum 22mm (7/8”).

The fabric to be gathered lies UNDER the gathering foot, NOT in the slot. Keep raw edge even with the right side of the presser foot or use seam lines on throatplate of machine for accuracy.

When gathering two layers of fabric at once, as in a pillow ruffle, baste the two edges together. Gather as desired.

To gather and sew on to a flat piece simultaneously:

The fabric to be gathered is placed UNDER the foot. The flat piece is guided into the slot of the foot. Guide the lower or ruffled piece with your left hand.

Hold the upper or flat piece with your right hand and pull gently toward the right hand corner of the presser foot.

In the next issue Mary Lou will show you how to use the #12 Piping Foot. You’ll learn how to put in cording like a professional, turn corners, stitch curves, straight lines and join with an invisible finish!

Mary Lou Nall, a Pensacola, FL, native has been working with Bernina for 35 years. She specializes in Bernina accessories and how the proper use of accessories can save time and give professional results. Mary Lou has worked with Bernina dealers all over the United States, including Hawaii. She is a popular teacher at Bernina University and The Martha Pullen School of Sewing in Huntsville, AL. Her three-hour sit and sew sessions are fun and educational. Her books and DVDs feature even more “back to the basics” information and show step-by-step how to use each foot in this series as well as close up teaching techniques. They can be purchased by e-mailing mltbooks@aol.com or by contacting Bernina of America.