Do you like to sew? I am just getting started sewing again and have been compiling tips. So, here is a list of various tips and tricks for sewing. The first one still amazes me!
(1) Store bobbins on a toe separator.
(2) Before you sew on buttons, tape each one where it belongs with a strip of transparent tape. Remove the tape after the first stitches are made.
(3) You can use a bar of soap as a pin cushion.
(4) Before tossing out or donating discarding pants, cut off the belt loops and sew those on the inside coats and jackets to make a coat loop. Keeps things tidy!
(5) Use a golf tee to hold a spool of thread with its matching bobbin. Place the bobbin on top of the spool of thread and insert the golf tee.
(6) A clean (new or washed) mascara brush can be used to clean the crevices of your sewing machine. You can also use a can of compressed air.
(7) For threading needles without a needle threader, push the needle through a sheet of white paper, the eye will be easier to see. You can also spray the tip of your thread with hairspray to help with threading.
(8) To keep button staying in place. use a drop of clear nail polish to secure threads together and keep buttons on longer.
(9) Use Zigzag! Prevent fraying by reinforcing clothing seams with a row of zigzag stitching. This can be coordinating or contrasting in color.
(10) When letting down a garment hem you can diminish the crease by applying white vinegar to the wrong side of the fabric and steam pressing it.
(11) never throw away your fabric’s scraps. Instead, keep them for practicing and calibrating your stitches
(12) Sew a button on the ends of the drawstring for sweat pants and pajamas. This will keep the string from disappearing. This works for drawstring hoodies too.
(13) Use paperclips to hold leather together for sewing since you can’t pin leather (the pin holes remain) .
(14) Place a thin sheet of foam rubber under your sewing machine’s foot pedal to prevent it from slipping when you use it on hard surfaces.
(15) To quickly cut fabric, snip a line into the fabric and then rip the fabric apart by pulling apart both sides. This also helps you to find the grain of the fabric.
(16) Get some magnets! Keep a magnet in your sewing baskets and drawers to catch loose pins. Also attach one to your sewing machine to hold extra needles. Glue a magnet to the end of a wooden dowel or yardstick and you can pick up fallen pins without bending over.
(17) To avoid pinholes when hemming delicate garments, mark the hemline with tailor’s chalk and use clips to hold the fold in place.
(18) Use a crochet hook to turn straps or fussy corners. It also is useful for grabbing lost drawstrings.
(19) Keep a spool of clear nylon thread on hand for when you don’t have coordinating thread or you run out. Because it is transparent it will pick up the color of the fabric. This will also work when a bobbin runs out and the spool is almost empty. You can just put the clear thread on your bobbin instead.
(20) Use a large safety pin to thread drawstrings. Attach the pin to the thread and then you can grab it through the fabric more easily.
(21) Put a quilted mattress cover over your table top and trim it to fit. This creates a heat-absorbent table pad to protect the finish of your table.
(22) Use a piece of washi tape to mark the seam allowance on your sewing machine. You will be better able to see it than the standard guide on the machine. You can also use rubber bands.
(23) Organize loose buttons by stringing them together on twist ties Twist the ends together for an easy way to keep the secure and to store them.
(24) To add a seam allowance to a patter, put two pencils together with a rubber band and trace.
(25) When shopping for accessories, staple a small fabric swatch or sample to a card and carry it with you to the stores. You can write your shopping list n the card as well.
(26) Prevent future errors in sewing items by adding a memo to individual patterns to explain any size alterations or changes for the pattern.
(27) Kitchen islands make for good cutting tables.
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