Types of Presser Feet for the Ultrafeed® LS Sewing Machine

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The Ultrafeed® LS Sewing Machine is the portable, straight-stitch only machine in the impressive Sailrite sewing machine lineup. The Ultrafeed can sew many different types of fabric, webbing, cording and more. To really get to know the machine and its capabilities, it helps to learn about the various presser feet available and which materials and projects they are recommended for. In this blog, we'll break down all of the presser feet and feed dogs available for the Ultrafeed LS and explain their uses.

Sawtooth Foot & Feed Dog

Top left: front of presser foot. Bottom left: bottom of presser foot.

This is the foot and feed dog set that comes installed on the Ultrafeed LS Sewing Machine. It's the standard or basic foot and feed dog set that you will likely use for most of your sewing projects. The teeth on the feeding surfaces of both parts help to pull fabric through the machine when sewing. Thanks to their design, these teeth can also easily climb up assemblies that transition between various thicknesses.

Another great feature of the Sawtooth Presser Foot is the built-in cording tunnel. It allows you to sew piping up to 1/4 inch. This means you don’t have to change the foot to sew piping for upholstery projects, an added convenience. When the walking foot mechanism of the Ultrafeed is combined with the teeth of the feeding surfaces, it's the ideal combination for feeding thick or slick applications because you’ll have a strong, consistent grip on what you’re sewing. Below you’ll find some specific materials that we recommend for the Sawtooth Presser Foot and Feed Dog.

You can sew 8mm to the left of the needle and 6.5mm to the right of the needle.

Potential Uses:

  • Upholstery
  • Denim
  • Vinyl
  • Cushion fabric
  • Cover fabric
  • Canvas
  • Awning/canopy fabric
  • Webbing
  • General hobby projects

Shop Sawtooth Presser Foot

Shop Sawtooth Feed Dog

Left Zipper Foot

Top right: front of presser foot. Bottom right: bottom of presser foot.

If you sew cushions, canvas, bags or clothing, chances are you will need to sew zippers. When sewing zippers, it’s crucial that you stitch on the zipper tape, making sure to stitch close to the zipper teeth. This is why you need a Left Zipper Foot. This presser foot features the same design as the Sawtooth Foot, but the right side of the presser foot has been removed, enabling you to sew right next to the teeth when the zipper is to the right of the needle. With the same toothed surface as the Sawtooth foot, the zipper foot feeds thick and slick applications and walks over thickness transitions easily.

With the presser foot on the left side and your needle on the right, it keeps the bulk of your fabric on the outside of the Ultrafeed's arm. You don’t have to wrestle and roll up your fabric assembly to fit under the sewing machine arm. This is a huge benefit if you’re dealing with large or heavy sewing projects. And if you’re a bag maker, the Left Zipper Foot is a great addition to your sewing lineup. The position of the foot allows you to sew very close to bag edges and zippers for the most precise stitching. It’s our most popular and most commonly used zipper foot.

The Left Zipper Foot is also great for sewing boltrope. The position of the foot allows you to sew your stitch right next to the neck of the boltrope, like those often found on the luff or the foot edge of a mainsail. It keeps the bulk of your sail outside the arm of the Ultrafeed so you don’t have to struggle with it. The Left Zipper Foot pairs with the Sawtooth Feed Dog that came with your LS Sewing Machine.

Needle Position: Right

Foot Position: Left

You can sew 8mm to the left of the needle and 2mm to the right of the needle.

Potential Uses:

  • Cushions and pillows
  • Bags and purses
  • Garments
  • Marine projects — biminis, enclosures, genoa sleeves, etc.
  • Boltrope on sail edges
  • Outdoor gear — tents, sleeping bags, etc.

Shop Left Zipper Presser Foot

Right Zipper Foot

Top right: front of presser foot showing 3mm material thickness restriction. Bottom right: bottom of presser foot.

This zipper foot is the opposite of the Left Zipper Foot — the presser foot is on the right and the needle is on the left. Whether you need the Right Zipper Foot or the Left depends entirely on your project. Though the Left Zipper Foot is by far used more often, there are certain situations where using the Right Zipper Foot will keep the bulk of the application outside the sewing machine arm, which can make sewing easier. Sewing pockets on a bag can require this type of positioning.

The Right Zipper Foot has the same toothed surface as the Sawtooth Foot but has the left toe removed, which enables you to sew right next to the zipper teeth when left of the needle. Because the foot attaches to the sewing machine on the left, there is a 3mm height limitation for what can fit under the foot. This is why this foot is not recommended for sewing boltrope or sewing close to bulky applications when on the left side of the foot. Check out the list of applications below for examples of projects that might require the Right Zipper Foot. The Right Zipper Foot pairs with the Sawtooth Feed Dog that came with your LS Sewing Machine.

Needle Position: Left

Foot Position: Right

You can sew 2mm to the left of the needle and 6.5mm to the right of the needle.

Potential Uses:

  • Cushions
  • Bags
  • Garments
  • Biminis, enclosures and marine projects
  • Outdoor gear — tents, sleeping bags, etc.

Shop Right Zipper Presser Foot

Knurled Foot & Feed Dog

Top right: front of presser foot. Bottom right: bottom of presser foot.

If you sew leather or delicate materials whose surfaces can easily show scuff marks or damage, you'll want to switch from the standard Sawtooth Presser Foot and Feed Dog to the Knurled Presser Foot and Feed Dog. Instead of the teeth of the sawtooth set, the knurling on the feeding surface of this foot and feed dog is still textured enough to grab and feed layers of material expertly but not so aggressive to the point of potentially marring the material's surface. This foot is ideal for sewing clear vinyl, and we also highly recommend it for a variety of leathers. You can also use this set to sew light home décor fabrics without the risk of bunching and feeding issues.

You can sew 8mm to the left of the needle and 6.5mm to the right of the needle.

Potential Uses:

  • Leatherwork
  • Delicate home fabrics or garment fabrics
  • Suede
  • Clear vinyl
  • Ripstop
  • Waxed canvas

Shop Knurled Presser Foot

Shop Knurled Feed Dog

Smooth Foot Set

Top left: front of presser foot set. Bottom left: bottom of presser foot set.

For the most delicate leather that mars and scuffs very easily, you'll want the Smooth Foot Set. This is the most gentle presser foot set we offer, and its incredibly smooth surfaces are ideal for sewing soft and delicate leather. This is a three-piece presser foot set consisting of the outside foot, inside foot and feed dog. Due to the fact that the feet and feed dog have no teeth or textured surface, this presser foot set does not climb up and down multiple layers of material as effectively as our other presser feet. We strongly recommend the Smooth Foot Set for flat leather or delicate assemblies with no height transitions.

You can sew 8mm to the left of the needle and 6.5mm to the right of the needle.

Potential Uses:

  • Very delicate leather
  • Oil tanned leather
  • Silk
  • Loose knits
  • Cork fabric

Shop Smooth Foot Set

Smooth Left Foot Set

Top right: front of presser foot set. Bottom right: bottom of presser foot set.

Like the Smooth Foot Set above, the Smooth Left Foot Set is a three-piece set consisting of the outside foot, inside foot and feed dog. It also features the same smooth surfaces and is intended for delicate leathers and materials that mar and scuff easily. The big difference between this Left Foot and the regular Smooth Foot is that the outside presser foot on this set is missing the right toe. What this means is that you can get incredibly close to the needle while sewing. This is crucial when installing zippers in leather bags or when you want your stitch extremely close to the edge.

Because the right side of the feed dog doesn't have a raised edge, you can place the Magnetic Sewing Guide right next to the inside presser foot. This enables you to sew within 1/8 inch of the edge of your assembly. This is a must when sewing wallets, coin purses and clutches — items in which sewing extremely close to an edge is needed.

You can sew 8mm to the left of the needle and 2mm to the right of the needle.

Potential Uses:

  • Very delicate leather
  • Oil tanned leather
  • Bags and purses
  • Loose knits
  • Cork fabric
  • Wallets
  • Coin purses

Shop Smooth Left Foot Set

Double Cording Foot Set

Top right: back of presser foot. Bottom right: bottom of presser foot.

Piping gives upholstery projects a beautiful, finished look. Double cording is used to add a decorative finish to upholstery projects and to hide raw edges where the fabric has been pulled and stapled in place. With the Double Cording Foot Set, it's easy to make your own decorative piping using double welting cord and your upholstery fabric of choice. The two channels of the outside foot feed the double welting cord and the "V" profile of the inside foot pushes the fabric down in the center as the piping is created.

The Double Cording Foot Set sews 5/32-inch welting double cord and pairs with the Sawtooth Feed Dog that came with your LS Sewing Machine. This foot is only compatible with the straight stitch Ultrafeed LS machine, not the Ultrafeed LSZ.

Potential Uses:

  • Upholstery work
  • Decorative accents

Shop Double Cording Presser Foot

With all of these presser feet available, there's almost nothing you can't sew with your Ultrafeed LS Sewing Machine! We hope this blog has helped clear up the confusion over presser feet and which one to use for your project. What other presser feet would you like to see us offer for your LS machine? Let us know in the comments below!


Footnote:

This blog was updated in January 2023 to reflect the latest Ultrafeed changes.