You Have to Try These Cool Sewing Tricks! 

Shortages of toilet paper or hand wipes have nothing on the sales boom experienced by sewing machine manufacturers in 2020.

People are spending more time at home, seeking a more minimalist approach to consumption, and looking for eco-friendly clothing options. Sewing is in vogue right now, and sewing tricks are trending online as people try to upskill in the craft.

Whether you’re an advanced seamstress or just starting in sewing, we’re sure you’ll find the tips and hacks for sewing listed below worth a browse.

Scissors That Are Sharp

One of the simplest sewing hacks is making sure your scissors are sharp. Buy scissors with blades that a professional can sharpen. They will last you a lifetime.

Make sure you understand the difference between sewing scissors and fabric shears, too. You can use scissors while holding them in the air. Shears have an angled handle, meaning they work best when cutting fabric that’s resting on top of a table.

Other things to look out for are a good balance between blade length and size (professional tailors aim for larger sized scissors while home sewers are likely good with an 8-inch length), ergonomic handles, and blades made from quality materials.

Painter’s Tape as a Stitch Guide

Are you wondering how to sew quickly in perfectly straight lines? Do you need to sew deep hems that cover the engraved stitch guides on your sewing machine?

You could draw or scratch more guidelines onto your machine with a permanent marker, but that is guaranteed to look ugly.

Painters tape is the perfect choice for obtaining accuracy without damaging your machine. Just cut off the length you need from a roll of tape and stick it down alongside the stitch plate.

This kind of tape will stick efficiently but peel off easily. It won’t leave ugly gunk behind no matter how long it is on your sewing machine.

Other tapes to try are washi tape and stay tape. And iron-on transfers are another great option for tricky stitching like smocking.

Sewing Tricks With Rubber Bands

The humble rubber band is a cheap and useful addition to your sewing kit. This is one of those hacks for sewing that everyone can take advantage of!

Use thick rubber bands to stop your foot pedal from running away from you every time you lift your foot. Slip one to a few bands around your pedal, spacing them a few inches apart for the best grip.

Just like tape, use rubber bands to make an adjustable guide for a larger-than-normal seam allowance. It slips over your sewing machine easily, stays in place, and it’s easy to remove once you’re done.

Are you constantly mixing up your bobbins and their matching spools of thread? Keep them paired up using a rubber band.

Poke a rubber band through the hole in the center of the spool and anchor it at one side. Attach the bobbin to the other end and anchor that end of the rubber band. Voila! You have a matching pair.

Built-In Measuring Tape

When it comes to tricks for sewing, some of them come straight from the days of old.

Not too many decades ago, people visited tailors and bought their fabric in shops instead of online. These places had tables specifically for cutting fabric, each fitted with a long ruler on one side. Simply roll out the fabric and line it up against the ruler to cut it to the length you need.

You can mimic this in your own home by lining the edge of your sewing table with a wooden, steel, or plastic ruler, or cutting and gluing down a flexible measuring tape.

You can even buy self-adhesive tape printed with measurements. Simply unroll it, peel of the backing, and stick it to your sewing table!

Mark Velvet with Tailors Tacks

Velvet is a notoriously tricky fabric to work with. The soft and luxurious fabric is crafted from a mixture of synthetic and natural fibers, all densely piled against one another and then cut short. This creates the distinctive furry feeling texture of this special fabric.

Chalk and textile pencils tend not to work so well on the shaggy piles of this temperamental fabric. Learn how to sew quickly with velvet by using tailor’s tacks instead. Mark out the hem or other edges using a length of silk thread and a fine hand-sewing needle.

Are you still struggling to find success with velvet? Advance your skills using a ready-made velvet sewing kit.

Hair Straightener for the Tricky Bits

If you or anyone in your household regularly straightens their hair, you already have the tool you need for one of the most revolutionary hacks for sewing. 

While irons are essential for pressing seams and smoothing out folded fabric, they aren’t much good at getting into those tight spots. Use your flat iron to quickly press between buttons and pins, hems, fabric strips, ribbons, and between buttons and pins. They work magically for pressing pleats.

Just make sure you don’t hold the iron on the fabric for more than a few seconds or you’ll burn it. You’ll never feel the need to drag out your ironing board again!

Don't Pin It, Clip It!

Binder clips are as useful in your sewing corner as they are in the office. We bet you never thought one of the most affordable sewing hacks would come from the stationery cupboard!

These simple steel clips are affordable, hold multiple folds of fabric together better than pins, won’t damage your textiles with teeny holes, and are safe for the kids to use. They are especially good when you’re working with delicate fabrics like silks and satins.

Since binder clips became such a popular hack, several companies have released sewing clips. One advantage of professional sewing clips over binder clips is that they’re flat-backed. You don’t need to remove them while sewing.

Use a Pattern-Free Sewing Kit

Wondering how you can learn how to sew quickly? One of the best ways for beginners to familiarize themselves with basic sewing techniques is to simplify your projects.

Pattern-free sewing kits offer newbies a stress-free introduction to sewing, allow them to quickly build their sewing skills, and understand how different fabrics work. You get all the gratification of making something on your own without the frustration of attempting to tackle advanced skills before you’re ready.

Because they’re designed with younger or beginner sewers in mind, pattern-free sewing kits come in a wide variety of ultra-contemporary styles and fabric patterns.

Use and Gift What You Make

These sewing tricks and sewing hacks will help you improve your sewing skills, get more about that investment in a sewing machine, and gain the confidence to create fabric items that you’ll be proud to wear and use. Remember, hand-sewn objects make wonderful birthday and Christmas presents!

Not ready to leap into making your own patterns? Shop the pattern-free sewing kit collections at THREADYMADE today. Delivered to your doorstep across the USA and Canada.