Well, I certainly have a nice collection of those specialty feet! Can't say they get used much, though. I'm always telling myself I need to learn to use them.

I use my 1/4" foot the most, then my open toe foot. I also use the walking foot, but that's about it.

Donna

Oh my yes, I use them. Since I've been a sewer long before I got into quilting, they were used much more in the past than presently. However, when I decided to machine finish the crazy quilt I made my DGD last Christmas (thanks to Vicky's much appreciated hints), instead of just fudging it with the feet I had handy, I actually did get into my attachment stash and used four or five of them.

My son, who is head of a maintenance department, tends to say "The right tool for the right job", and that is so, so true. If you actually use them, you'll find it's worth the effort to learn how, or if you know how, to dig them out and attach them.

I routinely use the button attachment, the clear foot, the zipper foot. And, when sewing I use the buttonholer (on my antique machine where it's not built in) and the ruffling attachment.

What I have found is that the older machines (like the kind I used of my mother's and the old treadles) always came equipped with a very generous assortment of high quality feet. My treadle machine (late 1800s) has every kind of attachment you can imagine, including a walking foot and a bias cone. (and a bunch more I don't even know their purpose). Now, the new machines come with a minimum of feet and if it's not a built-in function, they expect you to purchase the rest.

That's my problem - I am a long, long time sewer and want all the cool feet! Even though my newer machine is a Pfaff, none of the feet fit from the Pfaff 1222, which is almost 40 years old. I am forcing myself not to use the old Pfaff. Purchasing the newer machine is what made me decide the time was right (now) to learn to quilt. So I cannot resist the cool specialty feet. My business is really slow in this economy, so I am trying to stay sane by quilting - spending money rather than making money..........makes sense. I like your son's philosophy - and he is so right.

I have quite a few and use them on occasion. I like the pin tuck feet, I have different sizes. Great for heirloom sewing. I have a cording foot, button foot,foot to use for makiny button holes, walking foot, st. in the ditch foot, I think that can be used as a joiningfoot as well, ruffler, bias cone, 1/4" foot, open toe foot, the standard blind hemmer,over cast foot, zipper foot, just to name a few. It is nice to know if you need a special tool that you have it. Jayne

I love my specialty feet. I have several old machines which came with narrow-hemming feet, bias-binding feet, rufflers, darning feet.

My Pfaff 7570 came with the standard multi-stitch foot, a satin-stitch foot, a darning foot, the embroidery foot (which is basically a darning foot), a zipper foot, a button foot, a button-holer foot, an open toe foot, and a pintuck foot.

I asked for and got a 1/4" foot and the ruffler foot for free when I bought the machine - because, dang it, it was a HUGE purchase ($6K with the embroidery unit), and they needed to make me happy, LOL. I didn't need an even-feed foot, because this model had an integrated walking feed that works with many of the feet.

I use all of my feet - if I'm not quilting, I'm doing heirloom sewing, or upholstery, or throw pillows, or curtains, or pajamas........

I use the specialty feet often, and I enjoy them.