Favorite Sewing Tips ~ Call for Contributions!

We all have a few sewing tricks up our sleeves. They’re things we learned from our moms, our sewing instructors or through painful trial and error. Bloggers are always writing tutorials for new bags, placemats or kids’ toys, but few people take the time to write about the simple way they turn a tube or make the perfect bow. We think it’s high time we document our favorite sewing tricks and we’d love to gather as many of those tips as possible in one place.

Did your Grandma teach you the best way to hand sew a button? Can you insert a shirt sleeve in the wink of an eye? Do you know the perfect way to bind a quilt? Can you hem beautifully? Do you have sewing tools you can’t live without? Please, write about it or any other skill you think every sewist should know. Share photos or video and details about how to do it on your blog, Flickr, or our forum. Later in the month, we’ll round up your links and organize them for easy reference.

A few guidelines:

1. Title your post My Favorite Sewing Tip–Sewing a Button or My Favorite Sewing Tip–Turning a Tube, etc.
2. If you don’t have a blog, you can do a Flickr tutorial or write about it on our forum in this thread.
3. When you’re done, come back here and link to your post in the comments on this page.
4. Include a link to this post in your introduction so readers know where to go to find more great tips!
5. Post your tip and tell us about it by May 20.
6. We’ll feature some of our favorite tips and a comprehensive list the last full week of May.

Share your wisdom! We can’t wait to learn from you!

31 Responses to “Favorite Sewing Tips ~ Call for Contributions!”

1. Michelle responds:
   Posted: May 2nd, 2010 at 10:03 pm →

   In March, I posted about a readily-available, inexpensive tool that can help turn a skinny tube right side out. I’ve adjusted the post title to follow your guidelines, here’s the link.

   http://greetingarts.typepad.com/greetingarts/2010/03/turn-that-loop.html

   Hope it’s okay to link to a previous post.

2. Cheryl responds:
   Posted: May 2nd, 2010 at 10:18 pm →

   I actually just posted about my favourite tool. It costs about 10 cents and I can’t live without it!
   http://naptimequilter.blogspot.com/2010/04/friday-favourite-lint-tool.html

3. angelina responds:
   Posted: May 2nd, 2010 at 11:45 pm →

   great !

4. Crafty Mummy responds:
   Posted: May 3rd, 2010 at 3:43 am →

   My scissors tip is on my blog at http://mummycrafts.blogspot.com/2010/04/scissors-trick.html

5. Susan Rosenbaum responds:
   Posted: May 3rd, 2010 at 7:17 am →

   My favorite sewing tool is a chopstick. The wooden type we get for free when we order take out. I can’t eat with them, but they sure do help me sew. It helps me push bulky areas through the machine when sewing/quilting, when I’m coming to the end of a seam I use it to guide the fabric, I use it to push out the seam when I turn something and can use with my paper piecing to “iron” those small seams. It seems I always have a chopstick in my hand when I’m sewing. I give them to all of my quilting friends, who in turn, look at me just a little bit funny

6. DebbieB responds:
   Posted: May 3rd, 2010 at 8:25 am →

   Since I’m still sort of new at sewing I look forward to all of the helpful hints.

7. Diana responds:
   Posted: May 3rd, 2010 at 9:40 am →

   THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m super excited about this!

8. Taki J responds:
   Posted: May 3rd, 2010 at 11:01 am →

   Wow..this is going to be great. I don’t have anything to offer because my daughter and I are just about to start taking up sewing. Woo hoo, I am sure these tips will help us out a LOT!!

9. ~Helena~ responds:
   Posted: May 3rd, 2010 at 11:35 am →

   What a great topic, can’t wait to hear about all the neat tips.

10. Sara responds:
    Posted: May 3rd, 2010 at 12:20 pm →

    About the only little trick that comes to my mind at this moment is my tweezers “tool” that I use to get lint out in the bobbin area or other tight areas and it’s really handy to pull the bottom thread/bobbin thread through the plate when all it wants to show is its very tip (like it’s playing peek a boo!). Thanks for this great blog!!! Look forward to reading all the tips and tools!

11. Christine responds:
    Posted: May 3rd, 2010 at 2:39 pm →

    I use a pair of tweezers to help me thread my sewing machine. It takes no time at all. And, putting paper or fabric behind the needle helps to see the eye of the needle.

12. Mary Jo, Five Green Acres responds:
    Posted: May 3rd, 2010 at 10:11 pm →

    I did a four-part series on this very thing, called Tools of the Trade. Posts here: http://fivegreenacres.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/tools-of-the-trade-add-a-seam-allowance/
    http://fivegreenacres.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/tools-of-the-trade-pattern-weights/
    http://fivegreenacres.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/tools-of-the-trade-from-the-doctors-bag/
    http://fivegreenacres.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/tools-of-the-trade-bias-tape-makers/

13. The Cottage Mama responds:
    Posted: May 4th, 2010 at 4:50 pm →

    Hi!

    I recently did a post on super-easy, inexpensive pattern weights – they work great!! Please stop by and check it out!

    http://thecottagehome.blogspot.com/2010/04/pattern-weights.html

    Lindsay
    The Cottage Mama

14. Maddie responds:
    Posted: May 5th, 2010 at 6:25 am →

    Scissors….. oh how I love my good and varied scissor collection.. I could not do without them in my sewing room.. SO my best tip is to Know thy scissors and use them well!

    Thus I blogged about.

    http://freshstitches.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-favorite-sewing-tip-scissors-your.html

    Maddie

15. Liz Noonan responds:
    Posted: May 5th, 2010 at 8:05 am →

    I use bed risers so I can sew while standing, that’s the best back pain free way to sew!
    http://liznoonan.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/my-favorite-sewing-tip/

16. Melissa responds:
    Posted: May 5th, 2010 at 2:40 pm →

    I posted!
    http://ardeasnest.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-favorite-sewing-tip-making-hexagons.html
    I am loving my adhesive dot roller for holding my templates in place when making hexies!

17. Robyn / Coffee and Cotton responds:
    Posted: May 6th, 2010 at 8:56 am →

    I have a couple tips listed here:
    http://coffeeandcotton.com/oh-quarter-inch-how-i-love-thee
    My favorite newly acquired tool is the Quarter Inch patchwork foot.

18. Chris responds:
    Posted: May 6th, 2010 at 10:35 am →

    I recently posted on some of my tips for using purchased patterns, and recommend using some of the old pattern tools my great grandmother handed down. I hope this might be found helpful:

    http://pickupsomecreativity.blogspot.com/2010/04/tips-for-using-purchased-patterns.html

19. Charlene responds:
    Posted: May 6th, 2010 at 10:44 am →

    Here’s my tip about finding lost pins and/or needles before you step on them

    http://www.sewmamasew.com/forum/index.php?topic=3355.msg17125#msg17125

20. Wynn responds:
    Posted: May 6th, 2010 at 6:04 pm →

    Hi, I have posted a tutorial on hand quilting (maybe in a different way). I thought it might be good to share with other quilters!

    Here is the link: http://zakkaart.blogspot.com/2010/04/hand-quilting-tutorial-1-maybe.html

    Title: My favourite sewing tip: Hand quilting (without backing or hoop)

21. Destri responds:
    Posted: May 17th, 2010 at 8:41 pm →

    Okay, so nothing I have on this post is rocket science, but to the novice sewer it just might make their life a little easier! Just a few of my favorite sewing tips.

    http://www.themotherhuddle.com/a-new-jacket-and-some-sewing-tips/

22. san responds:
    Posted: May 19th, 2010 at 1:08 pm →

    Hi Ladies, I took the humble route to your challenge, check out my Homage to the Humble Safety Pin, on my blog, the link below.
    You have such creative challenges, I appreciate your lovely readers and their contributions…Add mine to the pile.:)

    http://the4rsramblings.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-favorite-sewing-tiptool-besides-my.html
    Sandy

23. Bonnie responds:
    Posted: May 19th, 2010 at 5:51 pm →

    I just added a blog post with tips on hemming cotton and cotton blend knit fabrics. I’ve actually been meaning to do this for a long time. I hope everyone finds it helpful!

    http://fishsticksandfries.com/blog/?p=447

24. Jessica responds:
    Posted: May 19th, 2010 at 8:26 pm →

    Here are two tips that have made my sewing life *that* much easier! Can’t wait to see the list, what a great idea this is!

    http://thecozyapartment.typepad.com/cozynotions/2010/05/my-favorite-sewing-tip-the-trash-bowl.html

    http://thecozyapartment.typepad.com/cozynotions/2010/05/my-favorite-sewing-tip-you-can-sew-knits-without-a-serger.html

25. Jessica responds:
    Posted: May 20th, 2010 at 6:12 am →

    Here are my 2 tips, can’t wait to see all the others together! Hope I’m not too late to toss these in!

    http://thecozyapartment.typepad.com/cozynotions/2010/05/my-favorite-sewing-tip-the-trash-bowl.html

    http://thecozyapartment.typepad.com/cozynotions/2010/05/my-favorite-sewing-tip-you-can-sew-knits-without-a-serger.html

26. Tiffany responds:
    Posted: May 20th, 2010 at 9:25 am →

    i’m doing a sewing 101 on my site! each one has tons of sewing tips…

    tools & supplies: http://www.simplymodernmom.com/2010/05/basic-sewing-tools-and-supplies/

    sewing machine parts: http://www.simplymodernmom.com/2010/05/sewing-101-sewing-machine-parts/

    and another one tomorrow for threading sewing machine (winding bobbins, preparing top thread).

27. Tiffany responds:
    Posted: May 24th, 2010 at 9:06 am →

    OK, list of my 5 sewing tips. http://www.simplymodernmom.com/2010/05/fridays-5-at-5-btb-tip-17-general-sewing-tips/

28. Julie responds:
    Posted: May 24th, 2010 at 9:26 am →

    Here is my tip for preventing frayed edges when prewashing fabric. http://ohbabyredding.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-favorite-sewing-tip-stopping-frayed.html

29. Ashleigh responds:
    Posted: May 24th, 2010 at 11:47 am →

    New to the sewing world, I’m learning something new almost daily. One of my favorites is a magnetic pin holder. I liked using my grandmother’s when I was first learning, so instead of buying myself one I made it with a small candy tin and magnets! I’ve started considering attaching some velcro to the bottom of the holder and attaching it to the end of my machine so it won’t clutter the sewing table. I like the fact that I can just drop the pin and keep on going with my sewing.

    Another fun thing that my mom gave me were the pins with glow in the dark pin heads… easy to find at night if you’ve dropped any!

30. Maripat responds:
    Posted: May 24th, 2010 at 9:33 pm →

    I love the hump jumper for hemming jeans. I use a size 18 jean needle and the hump jumper and never have a problem. I probably hem 2-4 pair a week. See a short tutorial here

    http://whatimaltering-blog.learning-alterations.com/2010/03/putting-hump-jumper-to-work.html

31. Vanessa responds:
    Posted: May 24th, 2010 at 9:34 pm →

    I just posted my tip on pre-washing fabric: http://livelaughsew.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-favorite-sewing-tip-pre-washing.html

    Enjoy!

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