• H: universal, all-purpose, general sewing
• HS: stretch fabrics
• HSUY: heavy stretch fabrics, elastics
• HJ: denim
• HM: delicates, silks, microfibers
• N: topstitching, novelty threads
• HE: embroidery, novelty threads
• HQ: quilting — also piecing
• RH: basting, long stitches
• HLL: leather

Braid Foot
Use the braid foot to add decorative cording to fabric with any kind of braid, cord or serger threads. Both the narrow and wide braid feet have a hook on the front of the foot slip, and a narrow, tunneled groove underneath. The cord is laced through the hook and under the foot slip into the tunneled groove. A braid-guide attachment, a loopy wire that attaches near the presser foot shank, keeps the braid untangled and taut while stitching.

Buttonhole Foot
The buttonhole foot is recognizable as a rectangular-shaped foot with thin extensions at either end, a raised square on top of the foot and small grooves on the bottom of the foot. This foot eases the creation of buttonholes and also works well when sewing in invisible zippers.

Eyelet Foot
This is a very specialized foot, but if this is the task you want to complete then this foot sure saves time and energy. The H-shaped flat foot has a small cylinder shape attached to the top surface and is used to create eyelets.

Gathering Foot
The gathering foot is a small L-shaped foot with a slot on the bottom side. The bottom of the foot is higher at the front than in the back, causing the foot to rock when attached to the machine. The rocking motion creates instant gathers. Set the stitch length on a higher setting to get more gathers and on a normal setting to get fewer gathers. Lay the fabric underneath the foot to gather a single layer of fabric, or use the side slot to stitch one piece of fabric to another.

Narrow Bias Binder Foot
This foot is used to apply purchased bias binding or hand-cut bias strips. The narrow bias binding foot is distinguishable by a cone-shaped, slotted cylinder situated on the topside of the foot. In just one step, it folds and applies bias binding.

Open-Toe Embroidery Foot
This foot provides an excellent view of your work, allowing clear visibility of decorative and satin stitches between the widely spaced toes. The underside of the foot is grooved so stitches can easily pass under the foot.

Pintuck Foot
The pintuck foot is a flat foot with grooves cut in the bottom. The pintuck foot, along with a double needle, pinches and stitches lines of fabric into narrow, raised patterns in the fabric. The number of pattern lines, and the spacing between the lines, depends on the number of grooves in the foot. Use a threegroove pintuck foot to accommodate heavier fabrics or to create wider designs. Four- and five-groove pintuck feet are better when used on lightweight fabrics or for creating more narrow patterns.

Rolled Hemming Foot
This foot is used to make small double-folded hems on medium to lightweight fabrics. The width of the groove on the bottom of the foot is the width of the finished hem. The hems can be sewn with a straight, zigzag or decorative stitch. Great for scarves, tablecloths, napkins, skirts, lingerie, ruffles and curtains.

Roller Foot
The roller foot is also called an even-feed foot because the metal roller evenly feeds in fabrics. Great for thick, heavy fabrics and fabric with a nap. Helps keep fabric from bunching or stretching.

Ruffler Foot
This large foot has many components and is used to make evenly spaced ruffles and pleats. It works very well for large items that you want to ruffle like table cloths, skirts or curtains.

Teflon Foot
Coated in Teflon, this foot allows for smooth feeding of difficult or textured fabric like leather or suede. The fabric glides under rather than being fed by a roller or tooth. It is available as both a zigzag foot or straight-stitch foot.

Walking Foot
Another even-feed foot, but it uses teeth rather than a roller to feed fabric evenly to the needle.

Welding Foot
A straight-stitch foot that, rather than having a small hole in the middle of the foot, has two narrow claw-like prongs. Allows you to see your straight stitch work close to the edge of the hem or seam.

Zipper Foot
Used to sew in a zipper, each side resembles a straight-stitch foot cut in half. Makes the difficult task of sewing a zipper much easier!

Dust is an enemy of any mechanical machine, including your sewing machine. If your machine is not encased in a cabinet or table, then make sure you cover the entire machine with an effective dust cover.

Early schoolteachers used thimbles to enforce strict discipline. The teacher would knock the disobedient student on the top of the head with a thimbled finger. The term “thimble knocking” was used by ladies of the evening around the same time period. They used a thimble on their finger to knock on the window glass to attract the attention of males walking by. During the 1800s, a thimble was used as a spirit measure or alcohol shot glass, helping coin the phrase, “Only a thimbleful.” During World War I, thimbles became a type of currency. In England approximately 400,000 sterling thimbles were donated and melted down in order to buy much needed hospital equipment. After World War I, thimbles became a popular advertising medium for companies in all areas of manufacturing and services.

One of the most astounding uses of a thimble may have taken place in 1856 when Latimer Clark was testing the first transatlantic cable. After several failed attempts, he borrowed a thimble and added a small amount of acid and zinc creating a miniature electric cell. This thimble generated enough current to send a signal across 3,700 miles in a second. Quite a colorful history for such a tiny sewing tool!