Table of Contents
Sewing Hacks, Tips and Tricks That Make Sewing Easy!
How to Make Easy Pleats
Did you know you can get perfectly even pleats with something as simple as a fork? You have to try this trick! Watch the video for the how-to!
Or you can try this Ruffler Foot! It does all the work for you!
Sewing Practice Cheat Sheets
Struggling to sew a straight line, a curve, or pivot? You'll love these free printable cheat sheets! Download them by clicking here.
How to Quickly Cut Fabric
To quickly cut fabric snip into the fabric and rip the fabric apart by pulling apart both sides. This will also help you to find the grain of the fabric.
No Fuss Needle Threading
Tired of trying over and over to thread a needle with a limp piece of thread and no success? Spray the tip of your thread with hairspray to quickly thread a needle! Keep a travel sized can of hairspray near your sewing machine for easy access.
Bobbin & Thread Organization
A golf tee is a perfect way to organize a spool of thread and its matching bobbin. Place the bobbin on top of the spool of thread and insert the golf tee. Easy peasy, right? No more digging through your bobbins trying to find the right color!
If you want something even more secure try these Bobbin Holders!
Adjust Sewing Machine Tension with Ease
Struggling to adjust your machine tension? If you've ever experienced the dreaded tangled mess of threads, you need this free printable troubleshooting guide!
Click here to download the guide.
Make Your Own Pattern Weights
All you'll need for this quick DIY is some ribbon and a few large washers from a home improvement store. Just wrap the ribbon around the washer and glue the ends. This creates a cute weight to be used to hold patterns in place instead of using pins. Sewing weights are much more practical than pinning an entire pattern down!
How to Make Perfect Ruffles
Here's a quick and easy way to create beautiful ruffles without all the hassle! Lay a piece of crochet thread along the seam allowance of the fabric and stitch over it with a zig-zag stitch. Gently pull the crochet thread to gather the fabric. I've ever heard of people doing this same trick with dental floss!
Easy Turning Tool
In a pinch, a straw and a crochet hook can be used to easily turn a small strap. Insert a straw into the strap, then push the chopstick into the straw against the sewn edge of the strap and voila! No more wasting time trying to turn those pesky straps!
Easily Access Trims
Use a wire basket to easily gain access to your most used trims and ribbons. Guide the ribbon through an opening at the bottom edge of the basket and keep a pair of scissors stored in the basket. I feel like some might bring the toilet paper argument in here. Just in case, let me tell you that Yes, they are in fact threaded the correct way. 😂
DIY Make a Sewing Pin Dish
Find a cute dish and super glue a few magnets to the bottom of it to create a magnetic dish that allows you to easily collect pins! Try adding a cute salt or pepper shaker to the top for a fun detail!
Washi Tape Seam Allowance Guide
Need an easy way to make sure your seam allowance is consistent? Use a piece of washi tape or sticky-backed ribbon to mark the seam allowance on your sewing machine. This provides a clear guide that makes it easy to keep a consistent seam allowance!
Clean Your Machine
Open up your serger machine and clean it out with a can of compressed air! Make sure you buy the moisture free kind!! This tip only applies to sergers that can be opened up.
It easily cleans away all of the pieces of lint and thread! You wouldn't believe just how much lint and dust was hiding in my serger!😅
Make sure to spray the machine lightly and from an angle so that the dust is pushed out of the machine instead of further inside.
Serger Thread Trick
Did you run out of thread? Have an excess amount of serger thread? I know I do!! Did you know you can use serger thread in a sewing machine? All you need is a mug or small glass jar! Place the serger cone inside of the jar and thread the machine as normal.
Do you have a favorite sewing hack? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments!!!
Canned air just pushes the lint, etc. deeper into the sewing machine. Your other hints are very good.
The tip for turning straps was confusing. It starts out needing a straw and a crochet hook but then somehow a chopstick is added?
Lol I noticed that too
This is so true, a large soft paint brush works much better.
Love your tips, thank you! I've never seen any sewing tips before, so these are great to know.
Your seam ripper is your best friend. Keep several around where you sew, iron, cut patterns, etc.
I am having trouble saving this toPinterest after about 10 (actually 7) tries. It tells me that There is no picture attached to it. It is a very useful collection of hacks for me. Any suggestions please
Älskar alla dina tips, tack så mycket
Having trouble posting to Pinterest. Sad because this is a useful group of hacks. It tells me there is no picture attached to it. Tried many times to get it to work. Anyone have any suggestions please.
I so love your blog. You are a very good seamstress. I love what you sew for you and your family. Your clothes always seems to fit well. I am intrigue by the fabric from spoonflower. I have not sewn with knit before as it seems to stretch too much and I do not like wavy seams when they should be straight. (I will definitely use your trick for hems on knits though.) Is the quality of the knits on spoonflower good? What weight should I use for a dress?
Thanks for you help.
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I just saw this blog, I am a busy grandmother and I love sewing. I made the scrub hat and I love this easy pattern. Thanks for all the good tips, Sue
Sue where did you find the pattern you refer to?
All great tips, thank you! Going to especially appreciate the gathering trick!
I enjoy your website and have used a couple of your patterns and tips. Thanks for sharing.
Linda D.
Love You and your blog and your tips...
You're such a wonderful human helping others! ❤️
Great tips, especially the golf tees to match up the thread & bobbin
I love your helpful hacks. So easy to do.
If I use serger thread on my sewing machine I just insert an old wooden cotton reel into the cone and it fits so I can thread machine as normal
The jar and washer tip is very good! The magnets in a dish too although I purchased and actual magnet dish but I may now make more 🙂 thanks
Could you please help me or explain adjusting the tension on my singer sewing machine. I have loops underneath where I am sewing. Thanks in advance Patricia
I kept having this happen. When I raise the upper tension it seems to take care of this problem.
try a new needle in the machine
Make sure the thread is securely in the tension disk. Remember - if it was sewing correctly before, and you haven't adjusted anything, it may be threaded wrong. The darn machine doesn't do very many things by itself, it usually had human "help".
I am confused about the mention of a chopstick in the part on turning a strap. Is that in place of the crochet hook?
Always cut your thread at a slant. MUCH easier to thread any needle.
I put a dab of white paint/nail polish on the presser foot directly behind needle. Makes the thread hole visible and easier to thread
Hey Gena!
That is a fabulous sewing hack that I'm putting into practice today. Thanks for making my sewing life even more enjoyable!
Have used a small piece of cloth folded 3-4 times to start sewing thick areas of fabric. It is called a starter piece. Also have seen a 2 inch piece of Velcro used as a starter which catches your threads.
I also found that magnetic spice containers work great for pins. They are round with clear lids and they have a magnet glued to the bottom. I found them at Dollarama. They came in a package of two for less than $3 dollars.
You can make ruffling easy on the serger also. Run out a length of stitches a little longer than the material to be gathered. Lay the stitch-rope on top of the material to be gathered. Stitch with serger. OVER the rope (careful not to catch it). When you reach the end of the material simply pull on the end of the rope & the materisl will gather.
Where's the video for making a pleat with a fork? Also, I'm still confused about the strap turning trick. Maybe a video would help.
easy skinny straps. Sew then attach buttonhole thread in a large needle at one end. PUSH the needle through the strap and pull through at the other end. perfect every time. This procedure is on Youtube.
Kim, Before I opt out of your site, because I am really no longer sewing. I just wanted to give you a big big TY for what you did during covid. Your site was so wonderful. It helped so many of us to make the needed (at the time) masks. It was just a great friendly, encouraging place to chat with new friends while we sewed so many masks. I am so proud of you and what you are now accomplishing. You were just a young mother who started a 'sewing site' and look at you now. Still young and beautiful with a successful business. Again I TY so much for sharing your sewing talents during the covid crisis
Regarding posting to Pinterest; ( if you have an IPHONE) at the bottom right corner I tapped the small box with an arrow in and my choices popped up. I hit More Options and Pinterest popped up next to Facebook. I clicked it and the image showed as marked so I scrolled to Sewing ( my category ) and hit Save. It posted on Pinterest immediately.
This was posted a while ago but now all of the pictures that show the tip are just showing up as an adobe ad. I can see it t for a second but then it reverts to the ad. A bit frustrating