Will This Presser Foot Fit My Sewing Machine?

Most likely, yes. Madam Sew presser feet are universal feet, made to fit most home sewing machines, and the few machines they don't fit straight away usually just need a small adapter. You can find out which group your machine is in with three quick questions:

1. Is your machine low shank or high shank? Most home machines are low shank. A ruler tells you in 30 seconds (Step 1).
2. Does your presser foot snap on, or screw on? Look at how you change the foot now (Step 2).
3. Is it a Bernina? Bernina has its own system and needs a Bernina adapter.

Once you know those three answers, the table below tells you exactly what fits and which adapter (Step 3), if any, you need. The rest of this post explains each step in detail, with a brand overview Add link, what fits from our presser foot sets, and how to attach each adapter Add link.

And if a foot or set doesn't fit your machine after all, you're covered by our 60-day money-back guarantee: send it back and we'll refund the full purchase price (shipping costs aren't refunded).

This is the question we get most, from new sewists and from quilters with 20 years at the machine. So here's everything in one place.

Find your machine type in the left column. The letters match the detailed explanations in Step 3.

Own an older Singer with a slant needle bar? That's a slant shank machine, and it needs feet made for slant shank. Our universal feet won't fit it, and there's no adapter for it (see the slant shank list in the brand overview below).

The shank is the part of your machine that holds the presser foot, on the presser bar just above it. Its height decides which feet fit. Most home sewing machines are low shank; high shank is mostly found on larger quilting machines, some high-end models and industrial machines.

Not sure which part is which on your sewing machine? Our blog post on how a sewing machine works has a chapter on the parts of a sewing machine that walks you through them.

1. Lower the presser foot so it rests on the needle plate (no fabric underneath).
2. Hold a ruler upright next to the foot. I just use a piece of cardboard because fitting a ruler in that space is not always easy.
3. Measure from the needle plate to the center of the screw that holds the foot or foot holder.

In the images below you can see that my two sewing machines are low-shank.

Still between two sizes? Check your manual or the machine's model page: it usually lists the shank type. You can also look up your brand in the overview further down.

Look at how you change the foot on your machine today. There are three systems.

Most brands share the same universal snap-on bar, and that's the one Madam Sew uses. Pfaff and Husqvarna Viking machines use a bar of a different width or thickness, so they need an adapter. High shank machines need one too: our snap-on feet are made for the height of a low shank, and the High Shank Snap-On Adapter bridges the extra distance to the needle plate.

A screw-on foot attaches straight to the shank with a screw, so you need a small screwdriver to change it. Most walking feet and darning feet (also called free motion feet) are screw-on.

Universal screw-on feet are made for low shank machines. They don't fit high shank machines, and there's no adapter that changes this.

On these machines, 28 of the 32 feet in the Ultimate Presser Foot Set work with the High Shank Snap-On Adapter. The four screw-on feet (#14, #18, #20, #23), the walking foot and the flower stitch foot don't fit, and no adapter changes that.

These machines need feet made for slant shank. None of our universal feet fit them, and there's no adapter: 301A, 401, 401A, 403, 404, 500, 500A, 503, 600, 600E, 603, 604, 620, 625, 626, 628, 629, 630, 635, 636, 638, 640, 645, 646, 648, 649, 750, 756, 758, 770, 774, 775, 776, 1036, 1100, 1200, 1411, 1425, 2000, 2001, 2010, 4552, 4562, 4572, 4610, 4622, 5910, 6233, 6234, 6235, 6267, 6268, 6740, 6800, 6900, 7028, 7033, 8019, the 9005–9444 range, 30920, Athena 2000, and the Touch & Sew, Slant-O-Matic and Stylist series.

Singer owner? See our Singer low shank machine list and presser feet for Singer machines.

The set includes the Low Shank Snap-On Adapter, so it works on most low shank machines out of the box. 28 of the feet are snap-on. The other four are screw-on: #14, #18, #20 and #23 (#14 and #23 darning feet, #18 gathering foot, #20 adjustable zipper foot). Those four screw straight onto a low shank machine, without the adapter.

Some favorites from the set and how they attach:

These five specialty feet fit most low shank machines, and the set includes the Low Shank Snap-On Adapter. The three snap-on feet also fit high shank machines with the High Shank Snap-On Adapter. The flower stitch foot and the open toe walking foot are screw-on, so they fit low shank machines only, and the walking foot doesn't fit the Bernina adapter.

Want to know more about the walking foot? Read Why and when to use a walking foot in sewing or Using a walking foot for quilting or Using a walking foot for garment sewing.

1. Unscrew your foot holder, or your screw-on foot and screw the low shank snap-on adapter (bonus) adapter (B) to your machine’s shank (A) with the holding screw (C).
2. Place the presser foot under the bonus adapter, lower the presser foot lever so the presser foot bar (F) snaps into the opening in the bonus adapter (E)
3. Push the red button (D) at the back of the bonus adapter to release the presser foot from the adapter.

It works the same way as the low shank adapter, only taller. Remove your presser foot or foot holder, screw the adapter onto the presser bar, and snap on your universal feet. Use it on its own: it replaces the low shank adapter rather than combining with it.

There are two Bernina adapters: old style and new style. Bernina has reused model numbers over the years (the 530 Record from 1954 and today's B 530 are very different machines), so the quickest way to choose is to look at one of the feet that came with your Bernina:

• Old style: the top of the foot's shank is rounded at the back, with no notch. The foot number is black.
• New style: the top of the shank is squared off, with a small notch cut out at the back. The foot number is red, with red lines on the label.

Screw-on feet go directly on the Bernina adapter. For snap-on feet, add the Low Shank Snap-On Adapter to it.

In this GIF you can see how I attach a snap-on foot onto a Bernina with the Bernina adapter- old style and the low-shank adapter.

Every time you change a foot or adapter, check before you sew:

1. Set your machine to a straight stitch, needle in the center position.
2. Turn the hand wheel toward you slowly, so the needle goes all the way down and back up.
3. Check that the needle passes cleanly through the opening in the foot and doesn't touch any metal.

Even on two machines of the same model, a foot can sit slightly differently. If the needle touches the foot, try again with the snap-on adapter, or contact us.

• How do I know if my sewing machine is low shank or high shank? Lower the presser foot and measure from the needle plate to the center of the screw that holds the foot. About ½ inch means low shank; about 1 inch or more means high shank.
• Are most sewing machines low shank? Yes. Most home sewing machines from Brother, Singer, Janome, Baby Lock and Kenmore are low shank. High shank is mostly found on larger quilting machines and industrial machines.
• Can I use snap-on presser feet on a high shank machine? Yes, with the High Shank Snap-On Adapter. It screws onto your shank just like the low shank adapter, but it's taller, to bridge the extra height to the needle plate. Screw-on feet won't fit a high shank machine.
• Can I use a low shank walking foot on a high shank machine? No. Universal screw-on feet, including the walking foot, only fit low shank machines, and no adapter changes that.
• Do I need an adapter for my Pfaff? For snap-on feet, yes: Pfaff uses its own snap-on size. Use the Low Shank Snap-On Adapter on most Pfaff machines, or the High Shank Snap-On Adapter on the high shank 12xx series, such as the 1222. Screw-on feet like the walking foot screw on directly, no adapter needed.
• Do universal presser feet fit a Bernina? Yes, with a Bernina adapter for your machine's age. Snap-on feet also need the Low Shank Snap-On Adapter. The open toe walking foot doesn't fit the Bernina adapter.
• What is a slant shank? A slant shank is found on some older Singer machines, such as the 301, 401, 403, 500 and the Touch & Sew, Slant-O-Matic and Stylist series, where the needle bar sits at an angle. It needs feet made for slant shank; universal feet don't fit.
• What if a foot doesn't fit my machine? Our 60-day money-back guarantee covers you. Send it back within 60 days and we'll refund the full purchase price; shipping costs aren't refunded.

• Low shank, snap-on: you're ready to go. Start with the Ultimate Presser Foot Set or pick single feet.
• Low shank screw-on, Pfaff or Husqvarna Viking: the Low Shank Snap-On Adapter, or the Ultimate Set, which includes it.
• High shank: the High Shank Snap-On Adapter, then any snap-on feet. Skip the screw-on feet.
• Bernina: the Bernina Adapter for your model, plus the Low Shank Snap-On Adapter for snap-on feet.

The right specialty foot turns a fiddly job into an easy one, whether that's a perfect ¼" seam, a flat binding or a free motion quilt. Every Madam Sew presser foot has its own online manual and video tutorial, so you'll know exactly how to attach and use it. Find them all in our presser foot guide with videos.

Still not sure what fits? Email us at hello@madamsew.com with your machine's brand and model, and we'll tell you.

Happy sewing,

An