Sometimes sewing can feel like a lot of work. However, there are smart sewing hacks that after learning them you’ll wish you learned them earlier. Make your sewing experience quick and efficient by using the best sewing tips and tricks.
Whether you are an expert sewist or a beginner, learning these sewing tricks is crucial in your sewing journey.
Threading Needle Hacks
You know how daunting it is when you try to thread the needle but it won’t go through the eye. Don’t worry because there are tricks to make it easier.
- Use hair spray. Spray the tip on the thread. This helps stiffen it so it won’t keep bending every time you try to thread.
- Cut a clean cut at the tip. This eliminates the fibers sticking out of the thread tip, giving you a clear, sharp point for easy threading.
Must Read: How to Thread a Sewing Machine Needle
Sewing Hacks For Preventing The Thread From Tangling
Does your thread keep tangling when you are hand sewing? It’s very frustrating especially when you need a long thread for your project but it tangles every time. Here are some sewing hacks to help you sew without worrying about untangling the thread.
- Use beeswax. Pass the thread through the wax 2 or 3 times to coat it and prevent tangling.
- Use thread protectant/ conditioner. It eliminates static electricity which causes thread tangles.
Tips For Keeping Your Sewing Materials Organized
It can be messy when you find that everything is scattered on your working table. Sometimes even hard to find something because nothing is in place. Some hacks can help you make your sewing experience presentable.
- Arrange bobbin using a toe separator. This will keep them organized and also from unwinding.
- Keep the thread spool and the matching bobbin threads by placing them together using a spool pin.
- It’s not safe to find your needles and pins lying all over the place. To prevent them from scattering around, place them in a bowl, then add a magnet underneath.
- It’s also good if you have several pincushions. They will help keep your workstation tidy.
Sewing Hacks For Patterns
Pattern layout is the core of your sewing activities. From pattern layout to cutting fabric, it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Here are a few sewing hacks to use in this process.
- Try and use fewer strokes when cutting fabric. This will reduce sloppiness in your fabric, and give you a clean, accurate, and precise end product.
- Instead of pining the patterns to the fabric, use wax paper to make your patterns. All you will need is to lay them in the fabric and iron them. Wax paper will stick nicely, and make it easy to cut the pattern on the fabric without distorting it.
- To hold the patterns in place, use heavy objects like screw bolts by placing them sparsely on the fabric.
- Not fun of using pins, or maybe you are dealing with thick fabric or leather which are hard to pin in place. You can use small binder clips or hairpins to hold your fabric together.
Maintaining Your Precious Scissors
Now I know you have quite many scissors in your sewing collection. They are extremely important especially for cutting the fabric. You don’t want to blunt them by cutting other objects.
Here are sewing hacks to help you identify each pair of scissors for its function.
- Use a colored ribbon to tie scissors on the handle. Each ribbon should have a written key to represent what that specific scissors can be used for. That way even someone else can be able to use them without messing up your precious scissors.
- If you keep losing your frequently used scissors, then tie both handles with a long thread or ribbon. You can always wear it on your neck when sewing for easy access.
Must Read:
10 Different Types of Scissors for Sewing
How to Sharpen Sewing Scissors at Home
Sewing Hacks For Making Stitches
It can be tricky to create those perfect straight stitches, especially for beginners when trying to control the fabric being fed on the feed dog. To ensure you make professional stitches, use these few tricks.
- Create perfect allowance by marking them all at once. Take two drawing markers/pencils and tape them together. Then draw your seam allowance. These will help you create these seams easily and evenly on the whole project.
- Iron the fabric hem before sewing. This will help hold the work in place as you sew.
- Use a rubber band or cell tape to mark your seam allowance. Generally, sewing machines do not always have a clear seam allowance point. To ensure you stitch in a straight line, mark the spot with tape where the fabric will reach then guide the fabric.
- How about sewing rough fabrics? You can always use polythene or plastic bag over the fabric. Sewing becomes an easy pizzy.
Tips To Make Perfect Raffles or Gathers
Unable to make perfect raffles or gathers? Use these genius hacks
- Use crocheting thread. Normally when making gathers, you sew, then pull the bobbin thread. However, this can be tricky as you risk breaking the threads in the process. A safe way to make neat gathers is by using yarn. When making a piece with gathers, sew along with the yarn. Then pull the yarn out.
- For even pleats, use a kitchen fork. Place your fabric between the fork space then twist it to fold the fabric. Continue sewing and repeat the process until all the folds are made.
- To make stretchy gathers. Place a rubber band over the fabric as you sew, then pull the bobbin threads.
Zipper Hacks
Does your zipper keep sticking out of place when sewing? Some easy sewing hacks to help sew zipper quick include.
- Use a glue stick to hold the zipper on the fabric
- Also, place the zip facing down and sew normally. Then use a seam ripper to tear the zipper opening.
- Easily make fly front zipper line by tracing the pattern on a cell tape. Align the tape on the fabric, sew then rip it off.
Easy Hack On Threading A Serger
There’s nothing hectic than threading a serger, especially one that has several thread cones. You don’t have to rethread your serger every time you want to change threads. Here’s an easy way to do it.
- Cut the thread close to the thread cones and replace it with the cones you want to use. Then tie the new cone threads with the tail of already threaded pieces. Serge until the threads will pass through the thread guides.
Must Read:
How to Use a Serger Sewing Machine – Simple Beginners Guide
Serger Vs Sewing Machine – An Ultimate Comparison
Easy Hacks To Keep Your Pins And Needles Sharp
Using sharp pins can be frustrating when trying to hold pieces in place. They can also mess with your fabric. When you find that they are getting blunt, use these simple sewing hacks.
- Stick the needles and pins on solid bar soap.
- You probably have an emery board stashed somewhere in the house, or for keeping your fingernails neat. Well, get it out because it’s the solution for your dull needles and pins.
- Use aluminum foil. Fold it over and over to a thickness of about 1 inch. Then pierce the foil using the dull pins severally. Test the sharpness and continue till you get the desired result.
- You can also use a steel wool stuffed pincushion. These helps keep your pins and needles sharp every time you stick them in.
Improvise Bodkins
Did you know you can improvise bodkins?
- Use chopsticks and a safety pin. Attach a safety pin at one end of the stick, by screwing it. Then make it sturdy by adding glue. To use it, secure one end of the fabric with the pin, then insert the pin through the fabric.
- Stitch a thread at one side of the fabric, place the thread between the fabrics. Ensure that the thread is not sewn along. To turn the fabric, just pull the thread from the other end.
Interfacing
- Maybe you want to add an interface on a small portion of a garment. But, it’s just inconvenient to buy a roll of interfacing only to use a very small piece. You can always use hemming tape. Place the tape between the fabric, and iron.
Quilting
- When quilting, it can be difficult to sew even stitches. After making the two main stitches diagonally, attach a bent straw on the feed dog and align it to the made stitches as a guide, then sew.
Create A Semi-Permanent Measuring Table
- Do away with the frustration of inaccurate measurements when cutting fabric. Make an automatic measuring table by using double masking tape to attach your measuring tape on the edge of your table.
Stretchy Fabrics
How about stretchy fabrics?
- Cutting stretchy fabric can be hectic as there is little to no adhesion. To curb this, use muslin. Place a layer of muslin under the fabric and cut with ease.
Finally,
You can make sewing enjoyable and fun by using simple sewing hacks. It only takes a few tips and tricks to make your sewing experience easy and efficient. Use the above best sewing tips and sew like a real seamstress.
