12 Sewing Hacks You Should Know from Guest Blogger, Helen Spencer

12 Sewing Hacks You Should Know by Guest Blogger, Helen Spencer

Photo Courtesy of Brand Ambassador, Katie Wyatt

The difference between sewing something great and sewing something amazing is subtle. Even so, this subtleness is the fine line that separates a skilled sewer from a professional one.

Taking that step forward and becoming a pro yourself is actually not all that hard. To achieve that, you will need someone to show you a few tricks that can improve your sewing almost instantly. Today, this article will be playing that role and helping you get there with the following hacks.

Binder Clips and Clothespins

Sometimes you don’t want to or can’t use pins. If the fabric is too thick, pins tend to fall out and not stay in place. On the other hand, if you’re working with quality fabrics you don’t want to damage, like leather or silk, using pins is definitely out of the question. To keep the fabric in place you can use clothespins or binder clips instead. They will do the job equally well as those expensive clips you can find in stores that sell sewing supplies.

Mark the seam Allowance on Your Machine

If you wish to use a seam allowance that isn’t clearly marked on your machine, here’s what you can do. You can use some kind of sticky tape to make the marking on your own. You can use a rubber band as well, as long as it is stretchy enough to go around your entire machine. Or you can use a simple sticky note in the same way you’d use the aforementioned tape.

Mark the Seam Allowance On Your Pattern

Certain patterns don’t have seam allowances marked on them, which can be a bit annoying. Adding them on your own with a ruler and a pencil takes quite some time. To speed this up, just tape some pencils together and you’ll cut your work in half or more. Use mechanical pencils if you want extra precision.

Use Pill Trays for Storing Buttons

Yes, the ones senior citizens use to store their pills for each day. They are great for sorting different buttons and having easy access to them. If you can find the one that allows you to change the size of a section, get it.

Use Nearly Empty Bobbins for Basting

Don’t throw away threads you don’t like. If you have some thread you know you won’t be using leftover on the bobbin, store it for when you’ll make a baste stitch. Why waste money on a different thread when you can use the leftover ugly one?

Use Wedges for Sewing Bulky Fabrics (And Adequate Machine)

If your machine is having issues to get started when sewing thick fabrics or multiple layers of fabric use a wedge to lift it a bit at the beginning. Wedges are sold in most haberdashery stores, but you can even make your own by using a piece of the fabric. Roll it up a few times until it is level with the rest of the fabric and place it under the presser foot. You can also use a piece of cardboard or even a nails file.

Don’t try to work on large leather or upholstery projects on a regular home machine. Use a heavy-duty upholstery sewing machine instead as heavier materials need to be held together by heavier thread and stronger stitches and you can’t use a heavy-duty thread and an industrial-grade needle on a regular machine.

A Tape Measure is as Wide as the Most Common Allowance
When you have to quickly mark an allowance, you can use a tape measure for reference. Measuring long distances this way is pretty easy.

 Wrap Your Fabric with Paper and Write the Details On It

This will help you find the fabric you need very fast. Write details like the length and width of the fabric, what type of fabric it is and whether it is washed or not.

Use Toe Separators to Store Bobbins

Prevent your bobbins from rolling around everywhere by putting them inside a toe separator. The holes for toes are the ideal size and they’ll hold the bobbins firmly.

Get the Perfect Buttonhole with a Small Help from a Pin

Put a pin across the buttonhole, near its end. It will keep you from accidentally tearing too much of the fabric when you’re cutting the hole open.

Sharpen Your Chalk
You can mark your fabric very precisely by using sharp chalk. Some sandpaper or a fruit peeler will help you sharpen it up properly.

Store Used Needles on a Corkboard

When you switch a needle on your machine don’t just throw it away. Each one of them is capable of working for 8 to 10 hours before becoming useless. As you take a needle out, stick it onto the corkboard. Write the details about it and how much you used it so far below. Then put it to good use during one of your future projects.

I hope you liked the article. Now you should be able to call yourself a true sewing pro!