What does a quilting walking foot look like?

Answer 1

A walking foot, also known as a dual-feed or even-feed foot, is a necessity for quilting and sewing on some fabrics. If you've ever sewn on plaids or horizontal stripes, you know you can pin the seams together and match the patterns on the fabric perfectly, but when you get to the end of the seam the patterns don't match up. That's because the bottom layer of the fabric is taken under the needle by the feet teeth and the top layer is just along for the ride. The top layer also has the presser foot pushing down on it, holding it back even more. When you put the walking foot on, it has feed teeth on it that take the top layer of fabric under the needle at the same pace as the bottom layer.

So to answer your question: a walking foot is about 4 inches long. It attaches to the presser foot ankle with a screw and has a prong that goes on the needle screw to make the feed teeth that are built into the foot work in conjunction with the needle movement. As the needle comes up out of the fabric, the feed teeth in the foot grab onto the top layer of fabric and push it toward the back of your machine.

Hope this helps.