Frequently Asked Questions

First, let us clarify the difference between quilting and piecing. Stitching together the fabrics cut into various shapes or strips for the quilt top is piecing. Stitching the quilt top, batting, and a back fabric together is quilting. The choice of foot depends on which technique you are executing.
 
Piecing:
There are two feet specifically designed for piecing, Patchwork Foot #37 and Patchwork Foot with Guide #57. Both feet were designed for 1/4" seams used for piecing. If the cut edges of your seam are lined up exactly with the outer right edge of the foot and your needle is in center position you get a true 1/4" seam. These feet have 1/4" notches forward and behind where the needle enters the fabric to make it easy to start or stop exactly 1/4" from the beginning or end of the seam. They also help when turning a corner. Patchwork Foot with Guide #57 has a built-in seam guide on the foot. When stitching, feed the cut edges of the fabric against the guide to get an accurate even seam.
You can use both Patchwork Foot #37 and Patchwork Foot with Guide #57 to sew accurate 1/8" seams used in miniature piecing. Line up the cut edge of the seam with the inside of the foot's toe.
 
Quilting:
There are 7 feet designed for "freemotion" quilting with the feed dog dropped. Darning Foot #9 is probably the oldest of these feet and may have been packaged with your BERNINA®. Freemotion Quilting Foot #29 and 29C is an excellent foot when using thick, fluffy batting. It is clear for good visibility and has a large base for good fabric control. Presser feet that are used when embroidering can also be used for free motion quilting. These include Embroidery Foot #15 and Teardrop Embroidery Foot #26 (formally called Teardrop Darning Foot #26). The Freemotion Embroidery Foot #24 is opened on the front for better visibility. 

The newest freemotion foot is the BERNINA® Stitch Regulator. Available for the aurora 430 / 440 and the artista 630 / 640/ upgraded 200 and 730, the BERNINA® Stitch Regulator provides consistent even stitches to the freemotion stitcher. With its 3 interchangeable soles, the BERNINA® Stitch Regulator is revolutionizing the quilting world. Even a novice can successfully freemotion quilt.

For straight line quilting with the feed dog up use Walking Foot #50. It is designed to feed the top and bottom layers of fabric evenly. Use this foot with both the straight and decorative stitches found on your machine. The handy attachable stitching guides help to keep the rows of stitching straight.

To experience the feel of freemotion quilting with the feed dog in the raised position, quilt with Leather Roller foot #55. This foot is often referred to as "training wheels for free motion quilting". The wheel on the foot lets you roll around in any direction while the feed dog maintains a consistent stitch length.

When purchasing new feet for your BERNINA®, be sure to tell the BERNINA® Dealer which model they are for. Feet for the older models are slightly different from those used on current machine models.

Instructions come with most of the feet, but there are more detailed instructions in our Feet-ures publication, a comprehensive full-color reference guide to all BERNINA® presser feet, attachments and accessories. There are three (3) Feet-ures volumes available at your local BERNINA® store.  Detailed instructions for all of the feet mentioned in the article can be found in Feet-ures Volume 1 and 2.

Other books available on quilting basics are available at some BERNINA® stores, a book store in your area or on the internet, and at your local library. Three books that might help are Machine Quilting Made Easy by Maurine Noble, The New Quilting with BERNINA® and The Complete Book of Machine Quilting by Robbie and Tony Fanning.