Let’s dive into a truth we all share: at some point, we were all sewing beginners, right? Whether you’ve just picked up your first sewing machine or you’ve been at this craft for a while, sewing is a lifelong adventure of discovery. There’s always something new to learn, stitches to perfect, and the next cool creative project to work on.
But here’s the thing – in the whirlwind of fabrics, patterns, and ideas, we sometimes forget about the little gems that can make our sewing journey less nail-biting smoother. You know, those helpful things we might not even think about or occasionally overlook. (Trust me, I KNOW all about forgetting the little things sometimes! 🙈)
Well, consider this your friendly reminder!
In this blog post, let’s take a stroll through some of those sewing machine tips and tricks that often lurk in the shadows. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, these insights might just be the helpful little game-changers you didn’t know you needed! 💪
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.
Simple Sewing Machine Know-How for Stress-Free Sewing
Sewing Machine Tip 01. – Practice sewing straight lines
Why is being able to sew straight lines with your sewing machine so important? Because being able to sew in a straight line is such a fundamental skill that you will use time and time again!
Aside from the trillions of sewing projects that rely on being able to sew in a straight line, starting with the basics of simple straight ahead stitching helps you build your confidence with how your sewing machine operates. While stitching those straight lines, you also practice controlling the speed of your machine, how to guide the fabric through the machine and how to maintain a seam allowance.
Once you feel good about this sewing skill, you can work on building the next one!
Psst! Printable sewing practice worksheets 👈 here!
Sewing Machine Tip 02. – Use tape or an elastic band to mark seam allowance
Speaking of keeping track of your seam allowance… What is an easy way to avoid having your stitches go astray?
Sewing patterns all have their own seam allowance, so don’t assume what the last project needed is the same as your current project 😉. Find out what the seam allowance is for the project you’re about to start.
With a tape measure or ruler measure the seam allowance distance (eg 1cm, ¼ in. etc etc) from the needle and place an elastic band or length of tape around the bed of the sewing machine at this distance.
While stitching, make sure that the edge of your fabric remains aligned with the tape/band to ensure that you stick to the seam allowance!
Sewing Machine Tip 03. – Test stitches on a fabric scrap
Why is it helpful to sew first with fabric scraps? Before starting your all-important project with that lovely fabric, wouldn’t you like to be confident in what you’re about to do with the sewing machine?
Grab a swatch of fabric, best of course very similar in feel to what you are about to use for your sewing project or even a small corner cut from your leftover length of fabric. Sew a few stitches with your sewing machine to test out that your settings are all working and ready to go.
Pay attention to the right type of needle for the fabric, stitch selection, stitch length, seam allowance to make sure you’re happy with them before getting down to work sewing for real!
Sewing Machine Tip 04. – Hold thread tails out of the way
Why is holding the thread tails a good thing to do? There’s a few reasons why it’s useful to grab the ends of the thread when starting a new line of stitches.
For example, if the length of thread at the rear of the needle is too short, it can slip back through the eye of the needle, leaving you with no thread for your fabric and just sewing with air. 😅 Alternatively, if you leave long thread tails to their own devices, they risk getting bunched up like a bird’s nest at the back of your fabric or worse, getting jammed down into the feed dogs.
Briefly holding onto the tail end of the threads as you sew the first couple of stitches will prevent those problems and ensure that the tension of your stitches starts out perfectly from stitch number one!
Sewing Machine Tip 05. – Sew with paper to prevent fabric slip-ups
Why sew your fabric together with paper?!? Well, not just any paper…
Depending on what fabric you are sewing with, you might find that it slips around as you try to control it moving through the sewing machine. Or it might even get caught up and eaten by the feed dogs (aha, perhaps they should never have named them “feed dogs”… 🤔🤣).
If something like this happens to you, try placing a sheet of tissue paper (or even paper towel out of your kitchen) between the sewing machine plate and your fabric, then go ahead and stitch as planned. The layer of paper can help stabilise your fabric and stop those problems happening and can be gently ripped from the back of the fabric when you’re done!
Sewing Machine Tip 06. – Change the sewing machine needle often
Why should you change your sewing machine needle? Dull, blunt, damaged or bent needles can cause all sorts of problems with your sewing projects or even your sewing machine!
Over time your sewing needle can have any of these problems, even if you can’t immediately notice anything wrong with it. Snagged fabric, skipped stitches, ripped thread or flying parts of a snapped needle are all things that you want to avoid when you want to enjoy sewing.
There is not hard and fast regulation for *exactly* how often you should change your sewing needle. But a good rule of thumb is to use a new needle after about 8 hours of sewing, or if any of those problems starting happening to you. Better safe than sorry, right?
Sewing Machine Tip 07. – Clean your sewing machine regularly
Why do you need to clean a sewing machine? You clean your house, right? And your car? Well, why not this expensive piece of equipment too?
No matter how new or old or cheap or expensive your sewing machine, it is full of moving parts that come into constant contact with fabric (and all those micro-fluff particles you don’t even notice). Lint build-up inside your machine can cause troubles with thread tension, the bobbin area and even the feed dogs.
Of course, you can (and should) take your machine in for a full professional clean and service sometime, but there are a number of small ways you can give your machine some basic TLC at home. See how easy it is to clean out lint and give your machine some oil 👈.
More Sewing Free Resources to Help You
Join in with a sewing community to expand your knowledge and contacts for help. Don’t forget to ✨ grab my weekly newsletter ✨ to stay in the know!
Straight lines sewing projects anyone can make!
Sewing machine terms to get started
Even more sewing machine hacks
Paying attention to the often-overlooked details when at your sewing machine, such as holding thread tails out of the way or a little TLC lint clean-out can make a huge difference to your frustration-free sewing joy and gorgeous finished creations!
Have you got any more sewing machine tips to share with us? Comment below!
