Sewing tips

Stitching Perfect Quilt Lines

Quilting really is a lost art. If you can quilt, kudos! I love handmade anything, especially quilts but it can be so difficult to ensure that all of those lines stay straight when you’re working with so many smaller squares of fabric. There’s a hack for that, too. Use masking tape to mark off your edges. The tape keeps those little squares from moving so that you have perfect lines in every stitch. Source and more info: makery

Quick Hack To Mark Seam Allowance

Many patterns don’t include the seam allowance, so you’ll have to add it yourself. There’s an easy way to do this which ensures that the seam is uniform throughout. Use a rubber band to hold three pencils together. This gives you the right amount of space between each line and lets you draw the line pattern and the seam allowance line at the same time. Source and more info: sewmccool

Preventing Thread Tangles When Hand Sewing

Even if you use a machine for most of your sewing, there are going to be times when you’ll need to turn to the traditional way of hand sewing. When that happens, it almost never fails that thread becomes tangled. One great way to keep that from happening is to coat your thread with beeswax. It won’t change the thread at all and it will make it much easier, not to mention faster, to get that sewing done. This little trick also strengthens thread so it won’t break easily when you’re sewing. Source and more info: sew4home

How To Organize Sewing Pins

Keeping your pins organized is essential in efficient sewing. You don’t want to have them falling all over the floor – that can be very painful when you’re barefoot. A great trick to keeping pins together is to hot glue magnets onto the bottom of a shallow bowl or saucer. The magnets will keep your pins neatly in the dish and you can get on with your sewing. Source and more info: sarahjanescraftblog

Finishing The Top Of Zippers

Putting in a zipper is one thing but finishing off the top of your zip is something else entirely. It’s so difficult to get that perfect “professionally done” look when you’re working with zippers. There’s a great sewing technique that you can use that will ensure you get the perfect looking zipper top every time, and it’s not at all difficult even for beginners. If you’re making clothing, this is definitely a technique that you’ll want to learn. Source and more info: burdastyle

Finish Seams Without A Serger

I’ve always wanted a serger but unfortunately, these are not cheap machines. I love the seams that are done on sergers. They’re so neat and strong. If you don’t have a serger, you can still get those amazing seams with just a little trick that I’ve picked up. Learning these great seam finishing techniques will help you to sew those seams like a pro, without the expensive pro equipment. Source and more info: seasonedhomemaker

Pick Up Spare Pins And Needles

While you may have a pin cushion nearby, dropping those pesky pins can be frustrating at best. When you’re sewing, it’s important to be sure that you’ve picked up and put away all your pins – believe me when I say those things really hurt when you step on them. Keep a magnet handy when sewing and use it to ensure that you’ve gotten all your pins and needles when you’re finished.

Learn Stay Stitching

Stay stitching is a sewing must, especially when working with certain fabrics. This is a hack in itself, where you sew a row of stitches onto fabric to help it maintain its shape. It’s a great technique for curved edges or anytime you have an edge that may stretch out while you’re sewing. You can also use it on folds of fabric, like tucks, to keep them in place when you’re attaching other pieces. This is definitely a technique that you’ll want to learn. Source and more info: tillyandthebuttons

Pinning A Button Hole

If you’ve ever sewn a button hole, you know the frustrations of getting to the end of your project and seeing that you’ve sewn that hole right up. A great way to avoid this is to pin the button hole. Just slide a pin across the end of the hole so that you’ll see it when you get close. This way, you can get on with sewing as fast as you want without worries of having to cut the hole open when you’re finished. Source and more info: simplesimonandco

Easily Gather Fabric

Gathering fabric to make those wonderfully full skirts can be difficult. If you’ve ever done it, you know how frustrating it can be to keep the fabric in line and get a great ruffle at the same time. You can use crochet thread to help get the perfect gather every time. If you’re using a machine, the zig zag stitch is great for gathers, and it makes it so much easier to ensure a uniform gather throughout. Source and more info: raegunramblings