Putting my best foot forward

As many of you know Rikka hosts regular challenges that are aimed at getting us all to move out of our comfort zones and tackle something new. I missed the first few of her challenges but managed to get my act together to join in with the last two. So I have tackled

Celtic Knotwork Applique for the Ring your Neck Scarf Challenge

and Orange Peel Blocks for the Curved Seams Challenge.

This month's challenge was to use one of the fancy feet that sit still pristine in the storage compartment of my sewing machine. Which foot to use, decisions, decisions?

In the end I used 3 different feet to meet the Challenge, one I had used a few times before, one I have used once without any great success and one that has been lurking in the compartment for several years without ever being considered.

They were

A Zipper Foot

A Piping Foot

And a Teflon Foot, which really sounds like it should be in the kitchen!

The Teflon Foot is for sewing oilcloth and laminated fabric, amongst other things, and that is what I used it for in this challenge.

The local market in France has a stall selling a great selection of "Toile Ciree" which is mostly sold for tablecloths. Naturally I have been unable to resist buying a couple of metres of fabric and the appropriate foot for the sewing machine. Both have languished in cupboards until now, when the Fancy Feet Challenge presented the perfect opportunity to unearth and finally use them to make myself this.

Oilcloth, piping and a zipper!

Although the translation of the French is oilcloth, I think in actual fact this fabric is more like a laminated cotton. It was a dream to cut, but those curved edges were a challenge as there is no give in the fabric.

The Teflon foot worked like a charm and glided over the oilcloth without any drag or hitch, so I will definitely be giving it another outing soon. I used a jeans needle in my machine as, where the handles are joined in the seams, there were 6 layers of oilcloth plus piping to sew through!

I am delighted to have finally liberated this foot from its' dusty compartment and will certainly be taking an ever keener interest in the market stall on our next visit to France!

Linking up this finish with Finish it up Friday