Types of Presser Feet for the Ultrafeed® LSZ Sewing Machine

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So you’re interested in the Ultrafeed® LSZ Sewing Machine or perhaps you already own one, but you’re not sure what presser feet you need. For many sewers, presser feet can seem complex and difficult to understand. With so many to choose from, you might be asking yourself, “What do they even do, and what’s the difference between the types of presser feet?” Well, you’re not alone. That’s why we’ve created this helpful blog explaining what each of our presser feet can do on the Ultrafeed LSZ and when to use each for a particular project or sewing application.

Sawtooth Foot & Feed Dog

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

This is the standard foot and feed dog that comes installed on the Ultrafeed LSZ. You’ll notice when you look at either, they have teeth on the feeding surface to help them pull upholstery fabric, denim, canvas and more through the machine when sewing. Thanks to their design, these teeth can also easily climb up assemblies that transition between various thicknesses. These are for multipurpose use and are recommended for most sewing projects.

The Sawtooth Foot features a built-in cording tunnel that handles up to 5/32-inch piping, which is commonly used on upholstery projects. This means you don’t have to change the foot to sew your own piping — how convenient! When the walking foot mechanism of the Ultrafeed is combined with the teeth of the feeding surface, it makes them ideal 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 projects we recommend you use this foot and feed dog for.

Using the needle positioning lever (left, center, right), you can sew 6.8mm, 4.5mm or 2.2mm from the right outside edge of the outside foot.

Potential Uses:

  • Upholstery
  • Denim
  • Vinyl
  • Cushions
  • General hobby projects
  • Canvas
  • Sailcloth
  • Webbing

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’re sewing zippers, it’s important that you stitch on the zipper tape, making sure to stitch close enough to the zipper teeth. Utilizing the same design as the Sawtooth Foot, the Left Zipper Foot has the right side removed. This enables you to sew right next to the zipper teeth when to the right of the needle. You’ll find that the feeding surface of this foot resembles the Sawtooth Foot to help it feed thick and slick applications or walk over thickness transitions.

With this product, your presser foot is on the left side and your needle is on the right. When you’re sewing zippers, a great feature of this foot is that it keeps the bulk of the material outside of the sewing machine’s arm, which means you don’t have to wrestle with it. This is a lifesaver if you’re dealing with large or cumbersome 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.

You can even expertly sew boltrope using the Left Zipper Foot! The orientation 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 of 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 LSZ Sewing Machine.

Needle Position: Right

Foot Position: Left

Using the needle positioning lever (left, center, right), you can sew 6.8mm, 4.5mm or 2.2mm from the right outside edge of the center foot.

Potential Uses:

  • Cushions
  • Bags
  • Garments
  • Biminis, enclosures and marine projects
  • Boltrope on sail edges

Shop Left Zipper Presser Foot

Right Zipper Foot

Top right: front of presser foot showing 5mm material thickness restriction. Bottom right: bottom of presser foot.

With this product, the foot is on the right and your needle is on the left. Whether you need the Right Zipper Foot or the Left Zipper Foot simply depends on your sewing project. There are certain situations where using the Right Zipper Foot will keep the bulk of the sewn application outside the sewing machine arm, which can make sewing easier. For example, sewing pockets on a bag would require this type of positioning.

The Right Zipper Foot utilizes the same design as the Sawtooth Foot but has the left toe removed, which enables you to sew right next to the zipper teeth when you’re to the left of the needle. Because the foot attaches to the sewing machine on the left, there is a 5mm 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. You can see the recommended uses for the Right Zipper Foot below. The Right Zipper Foot pairs with the Sawtooth Feed Dog that came with your LSZ Sewing Machine.

Needle Position: Left

Foot Position: Right

Using the needle positioning lever (left, center, right), you can sew 6.8mm, 4.5mm or 2.2mm from the right outside edge of the zipper foot.

Potential Uses:

  • Cushions
  • Bags
  • Garments
  • Biminis, enclosures and marine projects

Shop Right Zipper Presser Foot

Knurled Foot & Feed Dog

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

If you’re sewing leather or delicate materials, you need a presser foot and feed dog designed especially for these fabrics. If you use a foot that is not made for these materials, it might be too aggressive, leaving unsightly marks on your leather or damaging your material. We’ve designed our knurled foot and feed dog specifically for delicate materials where the foot must walk over bumps, such as varying layers of material. The knurling on the feeding surface is textured enough to grab and feed your fabric but not so aggressively textured that it will damage or mar your application.

Potential Uses:

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

Shop Knurled Presser Foot

Shop Knurled Feed Dog

Smooth Foot Set

Full three-piece presser foot set with smooth top and bottom surfaces (left).

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. The incredibly smooth surfaces are ideal for sewing soft and delicate leather. This three-piece set consists of the outside foot, inside foot and feed dog. Because 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.

Using the needle positioning lever (left, center, right), you can sew 11.59mm, 9.1mm or 6.8mm from the right outside edge of the outside foot.

Potential Uses:

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

Shop Smooth Foot Set

Cording Foot Set

Top left: bottom of presser foot. Bottom left: back of presser foot. Main image: view from back of machine.

With Sailrite® supplies, you can make your own welting for cushions, pillows, furniture and valances to add a finishing touch to your project or to cover seams. In case you didn’t know, cording is turned into welting/piping by sewing fabric around it. If you’re making large welting or very spongy welting, chances are that the cording tunnel in the Sawtooth Foot will not be large enough. In that case, you’ll need this cording foot set that can seamlessly craft welting up to 3/16 inch in diameter. This foot will not work when the machine is set to zigzag, but it can be used in a straight stitch with the needle positioned left, right or center. The Cording Foot Set pairs with the Sawtooth Feed Dog that came with your LSZ machine.

Potential Uses:

  • Upholstery work
  • Decorative accents
  • Cushions
  • Pillows

Shop Cording Foot Set

Hopefully by now you’ve gotten a better idea of what our presser feet do and you know which one to choose for your next project. If you still have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! Our customer support staff is available via email, phone or through the chat function on our website. We’re always here to help you with all of your sewing questions. Are there any presser feet you'd like to see us offer for the Ultrafeed LSZ Sewing Machine? Let us known in the comments section below!


Footnote:

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