Box-O-Feet

Two years ago I downsized my sanctuary (sewing area). My oversized sewing table was becoming a junk and toy collector. I ended up purchasing an old table, built-in sewing machine, and a hatbox of assorted notions for $15. The machine wasn’t worth repairing and I really only wanted the table anyway. So, I removed it and installed a foundation that could hold my machine. The table is wonderful and just what I needed but in the assorted notions hatbox I found an equally wonderful treasure. It is what looks to be a never-been-used box of sewing feet with instructions for using each foot.

Today, in an ongoing effort to make a dress that meets my 6 year old daughter’s particular standards, I cut out a knit top with three-tiers of cotton ruffles. The first two tiers needed to be measured and gathered accurately (twice the circumference of the piece to which it would be attached). So, I gathered them the traditional way. For the third tier I went to my Box-O-Feet and took out The Ruffler. As instructed by the little lady in the box, I found the corresponding instruction card and got to work testing the length/width of my ruffle. Once I found the perfect setting, it was on to the dress.

Use this:


To create this (sans the pants):


The beauty of this attachment is that it will gather and attach the ruffle at the same time. The reason I don’t use it much is that it’s difficult to determine and control how much fabric is used for gathering. There are just too many variables – the depth, the number of stitches per pleat/gather, the stitch length used and the steadiness speed at which you sew. However, when you have a project (usually home dec) that requires lots of gathering and an abundance of fabric, it's a definite time saver.

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