Bought a walking foot but the fabric does not feed. This is the number one complaint I hear from sewists who just unpacked their first walking foot. The walking foot has its own feed mechanism that must engage correctly with your machine, and when it does not, the fabric either sits still while the needle punches holes in it, or it feeds unevenly and shifts layers around.
The walking foot is designed to work alongside the machine’s feed dogs. It rocks back and forth in sync with the feed dogs, pulling the top layer of fabric through at the same rate as the bottom layer. When set up correctly, it eliminates the shifting and puckering that happens when the feed dogs only grab the bottom layer. But if the foot is not engaging properly, you get zero feed movement and a lot of frustration.
First thing to check: the foot height adjustment screw. Most walking feet have a small screw on top that controls how much the foot can float up and down. If this screw is too tight, the foot will clamp down on the fabric and prevent the feed dogs from advancing it. Back the screw off a quarter turn at a time until you see the foot moving up and down slightly as the machine runs. If the screw is too loose, the foot will rattle and jump, also causing feed problems.
Second: the foot is not attached correctly. A walking foot attaches differently than a standard presser foot. It has a top arm that wraps around the needle bar clamp. That arm has to be positioned correctly so the walking foot’s fork engages with the needle bar screw or the needle bar itself. On most machines, you slide the fork over the screw, lower the presser foot lever to lock the foot in place, and then tighten the thumbscrew on the back. If the fork is not sitting on the screw, the foot will not move up and down with the needle bar, and the fabric will not feed. Look at the foot from the side while you turn the handwheel. The foot should rock forward and back with each stitch. If it is not moving, the fork is not engaged.
Third and most overlooked: compatibility with your shank type. Walking feet come in low shank, high shank, slant shank, and snap-on versions. A low shank walking foot on a high shank machine will sit too high—the fork will not reach the needle bar screw, and the foot will not engage. A high shank foot on a low shank machine will press the foot too hard against the throat plate and prevent feed. Measure your shank height from the mounting screw to the throat plate. Low shank: about 20 mm. High shank: about 30 mm. Slant shank and snap-on: measure carefully and buy the correct variant.
If you have checked all three of these and the fabric still does not feed, the walking foot itself may be defective. I have seen cheap walking feet where the internal linkage was machined wrong from the factory. Return it and buy a name brand—you will save yourself hours of troubleshooting.
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