Top 10 Sewing Tips

1. Be sure your sewing machine is in good working order. If in doubt, have your machine tuned up by a good sewing machine repairman. No amount of sewing skill can make up for the annoyances of a machine that needs work.

2.Whenever you are sewing two pieces of fabric together and one piece is longer than the other,
be sure to place the longer piece on the bottom. That way the feed dogs will automatically help ease in the longer piece.

3.Start with a new needle for each project.

4.Sew with the best materials you can afford. Better quality fabrics are often easier to sew.

5.Invest in a good all around sewing reference book such as The Reader's Digest Guide to Sewing or the Vogue Sewing Book. Used copies are available online or at your local Half-Price Book Store.

6.Use good quality thread. Bad thread equals trouble-filled sewing and even possible damage to your sewing machine. So bypass the 10 spools for $1 table.

7.Use your sewing scissors for sewing only. Tiny burrs and nicks can snag expensive fabrics. Dull scissors make cutting tough going so keep your scissors sharp.

8.Learn to use a rotary cutter and mat. Although once used mostly for quilting, rotary cutters can be
very handy for general sewing. They are especially useful for accurately cutting slippery lingerie and special occasion fabrics.

9.Assemble everything you need for your project and read through your pattern instructions before you begin cutting and sewing.

10. Above all be patient with yourself. When you are tired you are more likely to make mistakes, so when you start having problems, take a break or perhaps come back to your project another day.

Bonus Sewing Tips:

1. Always discard bent and burred pins as you find them. Like bad needles, bad pins can snag fabric and help make sewing more difficult than it needs to be.

2. Get free software that allows you to print out patterns for all kinds of accessories like bags and hats. The program called Wild Things is available at http://www.wildginger.com. Wild Things is one of the most valuable freebies for sewers being offered on the internet. Don't miss it.

3. Ever been at the fabric store and wonder how many yards of fabric are left on a bolt? There is a fast easy way to check. Hold the bolt so that the folded edges of the fabric are up. Count the number of folds on one side of the bolt. Divide by 2. Your result is the approximate number of yards left.

4. If you are a beginning sewer you may be tempted to sew over straight pins rather than take them out as you sew your seams. Don't do it! If you hit a pin with your needle you may throw off the timing of your machine, resulting in a costly repair.

5. Burdastyle.com offers stylish sewing patterns you can print out on your computer and they're FREE. This open source sewing website also features photos of users' versions of the patterns made up and their tips for working with the patterns. This is a freebie right up there with Wildginger's Wild Things. It's a must see. ;)

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