Some useful tips for sew-ers and crafters

Since I was old enough to put a needle through fabric, I've been sewing, with various levels of success and expertise. I've learned a lot over the decades and absorbed so much information that, at times, I forget that not everyone knows it. So, in the spirit of sharing, here are some of the more useful hints I've picked up/been taught over the years. Some may be from my Mum or school teachers, some were definitely taught to me at college, whilst others have come from the amazing online sewing and crafting community that the world wide web has opened up to us nowadays.To all those amazing people, I thank you!

1 - Keep fabric scissors for fabric ONLY. Threaten those who go to use them on paper with instant death (well, it works for my husband lol). Keep them properly separate from paper scissors. These are my paper shears below - they're larger than the fabric ones and slightly more battered, making them instantly recognisable to me. You may choose to wrap a ribbon around the handle of your fabric shears to identify them, or perhaps purchase ones with different coloured handles, however you identify them, keep them for fabric and fabric alone! It'll be worth it when they stay sharp!

2 - When cutting fabric (this works for paper too, actually) run the flat underside of the scissors along the table as you cut. There should be no picking up the fabric and cutting in mid-air. Using a flat surface as a support makes your cutting much easier on hand and wrist and a heck of a lot more accurate. The scissors are flat on the bottom for a reason - make use of that feature.

3 - Rotary cutters are a pleasure to use (as long as you avoid your own fingers) but can cost a fortune as the blades blunt quite quickly and are expensive to replace (about £3.50 to £4 per blade here in the UK). Rather than purchase new blades constantly, or buy an expensive blade sharpener, you can get more life out of your rotary cutter blade if you fold a sheet of aluminium/kitchen foil multiple times and run your rotary cutter through it. This sharpens the blade, although it won't remove significant dents and notches if you've been careless and have run the blade over pins. This method also works with the zigzag/curved blades and, to a certain degree, with scissors.

4 - It's always worth buying the more expensive thread for your sewing machine. It's much less "linty" in use, doesn't shred as much and won't break as often. Your seams will be stronger as a result and your machine less likely to get clogged with fluff and muck. A thread bargain may cost you dear in machine maintenance.

5 - Every single new project should have a new needle, and long running projects should use more than one needle. If you can hear a "pop" as your needle punches through the fabric, it's blunt and it should be changed immediately before it damages your item or breaks in use. Keep discarded needles in one box along with bent pins and put them into a metal recycling bin when the box is full.

6 - If you sew a lot, it's most definitely NOT worth buying needles in those neat little packs of 5. These are horrendously expensive, around £3 to £4 for 5. Instead, you can buy Schmetz needles in little boxes of 100 for about £20. Do the maths!!! The boxes are visible in the left of the image below. I bought mine from jaycotts.

7 - Pins also become blunt. Don't expect one box of pins to last you your whole sewing/crafting career. Throw them out every one or two years and start with a new box. You'll notice the difference immediately. Be aware also of the different types of pins available. Lace/bridal pins are much finer and best suited to delicate fabrics, whilst curtain pins are long and sturdy so are great for bags where you have multiple thick layers of fabrics to pin together.

8 - Plastic headed pins will melt if you press an item whilst it is pinned. If you purchase metal or glass headed pins you can iron over them without a care in the world!

9 - When pinning a seam before machine stitching, always insert the pins perpendicular (ie at right angles) to the seam line. That way you can run the machine over the pins without removing them and the needle will just slip off the pins if it hits them, allowing you to sew the seam without fiddling with pins.

10 - It's worth purchasing and getting used to hand sewing with a thimble. It saves on a lot of pain and discomfort and makes hand stitching much quicker. I use a tailor's thimble, that's open-ended. This stays on my slim fingers best and stays cool whilst you work.

11 - Remember that hand sewing needles also get blunted with use and should be regularly replaced and recycled. Keep the needles you're currently using in a pincushion - don't put them back in the pack, so you'll know the pack ones are sharpest.

12 - It's a false economy to avoid having your sewing machine serviced. During a service the engineer can clean all the dust and fluff from inside the case, replace any worn elements, check the timing and alert you to anything that may need attention soon. Leaving it until your machine has coughed to a halt may result in a hefty bill and a long wait for its return. Depending on how much you use your machine, a yearly service with a reputable dealer is recommended.

13 - If you're lucky enough to have a computerised sewing machine, never EVER let a magnet come close to it. Magnets can completely wipe the memory and leave you with a large white box that does nothing but gather dust. The manufacturer may be able to reprogramme your machine, but both you and I know that this won't be done for free!

As soon as I publish this, I no doubt will remember other useful tips and hints, so keep an eye out for future posts!