Definition: A metal plate beneath a sewing machine's needle and presser foot. The throat plate has an opening for the needle to pass through as it stitches and an opening for the feed dogs to emerge from below and help move the fabric forward during sewing.
The throat plate is usally marked with closely spaced, grooved lines to the right of the presser foot that serve as guidelines for seam allowances of varying width.
Throat plates can be removed in order to clean beneath them. Some throat plates must be removed in order to access the machine's bobbin.
