MadamSew Favorite Sewing Tips

Hello all!

I first dabbled in sewing as a child, mostly by hand, when I made simple clothes for my dolls while I watched my grandmother make beautiful clothes for herself. As a young adult I asked my mother to teach me how to use her sewing machine and made a couple of skirts for myself and a few baby dresses for friends, but it was when I was expecting my first child thirteen years ago that I started sewing regularly. During these years I have amassed a few tricks that I use regularly and that work for me every time. Maybe some of them will work for you too!

This one is pretty basic, but I can’t tell you how many times I have run to help a friend solve tension issues in their machine just to find that it was not properly threaded!

So here it is, the number one sewing tip: FOOT UP!

When you lift the foot the tension disks in the body of the machine open up, allowing the thread to fold into the right place. When you bring the foot down, they close on the thread, creating the necessary tension to sew.

You need a lot less pins than you think. I learned many years ago how to hold the layers of fabric together so that they move under the foot at the same time and it has really simplified my sewing (admittedly, I was an utter overpinner).

To start, match the corners of your two pieces of fabric.

Now that the beginning end is secure, match the rest of your fabric, if you are sewing a garment, match to the first notch.

Repeat this process until you get close to the end.

Instead of sewing around the pull of a zipper, which is a major pain, simply use a zipper a couple of inches longer than you need. Close it and secure it in place with the pull dangling off the top of the seam.

Invisible thread resembles fishing line more than it does regular sewing thread, it can be made out of nylon (as is fishing line) or polyester. Polyester is more durable and flexible and I prefer it to nylon, which will yellow and become brittle with age.

It is meant for use on your sewing machine and it certainly has its applications, but I love to use it in my travel sewing kit because it will match any fabric I may need to repair on the go.

So throw away all those little bobbins of cheap, bad quality thread that you have laying around and make yourself a little bundle of this all purpose wonder; you will actually use it!

They sound scary, but invisible zippers are actually very easy to install. However, according to Murphy’s Laws, you will never have the right color on hand. But fear not, since the zipper is actually, believe it or not, invisible, the only part you need to match is that tiny pull. And chances are you have a sharpie or nail polish in the right color on hand.

Make sure you do this before installing the zipper and give it time to dry, but it couldn’t be easier to do! If you want extra safety from any peek-a-boo, paint a line down the middle of the zipper.

Narrow rolled hems are used mainly for thin, slippery fabrics, which are challenging to use even when just stitching a plain straight seam. Add a folded, super narrow hem, and even with a rolled hem foot, getting started smoothly with that tiny seam can seem almost impossible without ruining the first half inch.

Forget about hair spray, rubbing and all those complicated tips for threading a stubborn needle. All you need to do is moisten the back of the eye for super easy threading.

Contrary to popular belief, the selvedges of yardage fabric aren’t always square. In fact, they are very often distorted. Rather than fight your way to match the selvedges, fold the fabric to get them roughly matched, but focus on getting a smooth fold that happens naturally.

When matching seam edges before sewing, you can lay them on top of each other to get a rough match, and then use your fingernails as claws to gently push the top layer to line up with the bottom one.

Walking feet come with a quilting guide that you can also use with other feet. If you have Madam Sew’s 32 Presser Feet Set, you have a presser foot holder that you can attach the guide to.