Who is willing to learn some helpful sewing hints and techniques? You’ll discover our insider tips so you can sew like an expert. These are our top sewing tips, from thread and fabric advice to organizational tricks. You’re likely to discover a helpful tip in this list, regardless of how experienced you are at sewing. Let’s get going.
Contents
Once cut, twice measured
It’s an idiom, but a wise one! No matter how experienced you are with sewing, it is always wise to take two measurements before beginning to cut your cloth. Double-checking measurements in advance could mean the difference between your project’s successes and failures. And when you’re figuring out your dimensions, don’t forget to include the seam allowance.
Getting better through practice
We advise practicing with the thread, fabric, needle, and sewing machine you intend to use for your DIY before starting the project. Because of this, it’s wise to purchase more fabric than you require or make use of any leftover fabric after cutting and patterning your pieces.
Check your string tension and the functionality of your sewing machine by practicing sewing. You may have any problems fixed so that your sewing project gets off to the appropriate start. On scraps of fabric, you should experiment new sewing techniques. By doing so, you can practice a new method before applying it to your project and potentially running into problems.
Put a Lock on It
Although it might seem intuitive, all beginning sewers should develop the practice of securing their stitches. This implies that you should use reverse sewing at the start and end of every seam to secure your stitches and keep them from coming undone when the threads are cut. Just about an inch of reverse sewing is required.
Another piece of advice is to catch your threads before you begin sewing to prevent a bird’s nest from forming. Hold the loosened bobbin and needle threads just on sewing machine’s bed down with your left hand. You can take your hand out of the machine after a few inches.
First, read the instructions
Before starting your project, read the full pattern and play the full how-to video if you’re going to follow step by step guide or a video tutorial. You won’t be sorry you took the extra time. We hear from consumers who have to buy multiple fabric or supplies midway through a project all too frequently. They skipped reading the directions and made an error early in the design that required more time and money to fix. Always make sure to have your sewing supplies ready as well.
Never yank fabric through a machine
This is a typical error made by new sewers. The fabric does not need to be pushed or forced into the sewing machine. All you have to do is direct the cloth and maintain it square as it is fed underneath the needle; the machine will take care of the rest. As you sew, you should also take care not to move or slide your hands around the fabric assembly. This could cause the fabric to move, ruining your perfectly straight stitches.