Keep Track of the Right Side

On fabrics where it is hard to tell the right from the wrong sides, pin a straight or small safety pin on the "right" side of each piece so that all of the pieces will have the same side right side out.

Cushioned Seam Ripper

Holding and maneuvering those skinny seam rippers has always hurt my middle finger, so I found a great solution: I put one of those foam pencil cushions on the handle. It slides on easily and is firm enough for using the seam ripper, but no longer digs into my finger.

Organizing Machine Needles

When I first started sewing, my mother bought me a tomato pin cushion. It stayed in my sewing basket for years, because I never really knew what to do with it, other than "sharpen" on the little tomato. A few years ago, I figured out a great use for it – since it's sectioned into 8 equal sections, I took a fine permanent marker and labeled each section with a machine needle type and size, such as Denim/Leather, Universal size 10, Ball Point size 8, etc. I keep only the specific type of needle in each section, so now when I need a specific needle I can pick it out from the group at a glance.

Easy Zipper Installation

When sewing zippers, I found that sometimes they would shift while sewing, and then I'd have to unpick it and try all over again. Now I use a washable glue stick to keep the zipper in place; I just run a small bit along the zipper tape and iron it into place before sewing. It holds while I sew and then the glue easily washes out.

Easy Gathering Technique

When making my daughter's wedding dress I found it very hard to gather so much fabric in the usual way; the thread would snap or get caught. I bought some small, narrow cording and zigzagged over it in the seam allowance of the skirt, making sure that the stitching didn't catch the cord. I then pinned the cord at the center of the skirt and pulled on both ends, gathering to the correct side. After I attached the skirt to the rest of the dress, I pulled out the cord – it worked!

Keep Fabric from Slipping

I use a foam door mat next to my machine to keep the extra fabric from slipping while I sew. Set the mat close to the machine, resting the extra fabric on it; this helps a great deal when sewing slippery fabrics, such as satin or taffeta.

Marking Tip

Marking pens and chalk aren't always the best way to mark fabric, especially if the fabric is dark and/or coarse or fuzzy. I save my thinnest Ivory soap slivers from the shower. They make easy-to-see markings and the marks easily fade away when pressed. Simply store the dry slivers of soap with your other marking pens and pencils.

Bobbins at the Ready

When I am sewing a project that will use a lot of fabric (such as an evening dress or window treatments), I fill two bobbins with the color thread that I am using before I start to sew. This way when my first bobbin runs out in the middle of the project, the second one is full and ready to go – I just grab the new one and quickly continue sewing.

Checking the Gauge

Always take the time to check your gauge against the one given in the pattern, since your personal knitting tension and the thickness of each wool used makes a slight difference that can affect the finished product. Knit a swatch at least four inches wide and four inches long to compare the actual knit to the gauge given; this will allow you to adjust accordingly to achieve the same result when the project is finished.

Keeping Track of the Pattern

Use Post-It notes to keep your place when following a knitting pattern. When you put your work aside, the Post-It note will tell you exactly where to resume. You can also write on the note the needle size you are using, and if the pattern has color changes, which color to work in next.

Binding Off Tips

When you cast or bind off, leave a tail at least 18” long so you can use it sew up seams.

Many knitters bind off too tightly. To be sure that your bound-off edge is the same width as the rest of your project, bind off using a needle that is one or two sizes larger.

Steaming Ribbing

When steaming a project, never steam the ribbing. It will stretch it out, making the bottom, collar and cuffs of you knit garment too loose.

Chaining

Think of the turning chain as a ladder to climb up to the next row. If you chain tightly, you may notice the edges of your rows start to "cup in". If so, you may need to add a chain to the usual count. A person who chains loosely may need to omit a chain. Use the number of turning chains that works for you.

Finding the Skein Center

Many yarns are packaged as center-pull skeins. Although no method is foolproof for finding an end buried in the center, try this: insert one index finger into each end of the skein. Gently twirl your index fingers so that the yarn wraps tightly around your fingers. Gently pull out each finger, with the yard twisted around it. As you continue to pull, the end should appear shortly.

Keeping Track

When crocheting a long chain, such as the base for an afghan, use a split ring marker on every 25th chain. It's easier to keep track of your count; if you think you've miscounted, you won't have to go back to the beginning to find the error.

Avoid Yarn Tangles

Ever get your yarn tangled? Here's a quick and easy yarn storage tip: Take a large round empty oatmeal box and cut a small hole in the top of the plastic lid. Put the yarn in the box, slip the tail of the yarn through the hole and gently pull the yarn to start. Put the lid in place, which will hold the yarn neatly in the box as you use it. You can decorate the box with pretty fabric or paper, attached with spray adhesive.

Quick Access to Tools

I have many small sewing/quilting tools and rulers. For quick access my husband installed a 1 ½ yard length of rail (like picture rail) with small hooks placed all along the bottom of the rail. It is attached to the wall, just above waist height. I have rulers, French curves and all other small tools and items hanging on the hooks, ready to grab whenever I need them. Most tools already come with holes in them, but it's quite easy to drill one in if needed.

Using Men's Ties for Projects

I have found that men's neck ties have quite a bit of fabric in each tie, when opened and pressed, enough to make pillows and quilts. They make unique and beautiful fabric additions to these projects.

Expert Tip: Embellishing Hint

I love to embellish my quilts with beads, buttons, embroidery floss, pieces of felted wool and other unconventional items. It is often difficult to get through all of the layers of fabrics to add these little treasures. My jewelry pliers are now a permanent fixture in my sewing box; they help pull the needle through all of the layers.

Straight Lines Every Time

I bought a 6 ½" handle that has suction cups on either end. I attached this handle to the middle of my long plastic (clear) ruler. By gripping the handle as I measure, mark and cut, I'm able to keep the ruler from sliding as I cut my fabric. Since the handle has suction cups, there's no gluing necessary and I can remove and replace the handle as needed on my ruler and other tools.

Expert Tip: Crisp Folds and Edges

Use Magic Sizing rather than starch when pressing your quilt blocks, bias tape other fabrics for quilting/sewing projects. Sizing penetrates the fibers better than starch and will make it easy to press and get nice crisp edges on the folds.

Using Scrap Fabric

If you have lots of small pieces of fabric left over from projects, try cutting them into circles, squares and rectangles, overlocking the edges. These pieces can be used to wrap gifts for all occasions and also be saved for later projects. This is particularly great for quilters, who often end up with all kinds of fabulous fabrics to play with.

Quilting Tip for consistent ¼” seam from Darlene Zimmerman

Sewing an accurate and consistent ¼” seam is the key to successful quilt making. When rotary cutting the geometric shapes, an exact ¼” is included. If you sew a seam allowance that is slightly more or less, it will change the size of the unit — which is going to make you crazy when you try to match seams. It throws everything off.

Even if you have a ¼” foot, but especially if you don’t, the seam allowance on your sewing machine needs to be checked. A good test to see how accurately you are sewing the ¼” seam allowance is to cut three 1-½” x 3-½” strips. Sew them together on the long edges. Press, then measure. The square should measure 3-½”. If not, you will need to adjust your sewing machine (and Possibly your pressing technique).

Keep Track of the Right Sidep

On fabrics where it is hard to tell the right from the wrong sides, pin a straight or small safety pin on the "right" side of each piece so that all of the pieces will have the same side right side out.

Cushioned Seam Ripper

Holding and maneuvering those skinny seam rippers has always hurt my middle finger, so I found a great solution: I put one of those foam pencil cushions on the handle. It slides on easily and is firm enough for using the seam ripper, but no longer digs into my finger.

Organizing Machine Needles

When I first started sewing, my mother bought me a tomato pin cushion. It stayed in my sewing basket for years, because I never really knew what to do with it, other than "sharpen" on the little tomato. A few years ago, I figured out a great use for it – since it's sectioned into 8 equal sections, I took a fine permanent marker and labeled each section with a machine needle type and size, such as Denim/Leather, Universal size 10, Ball Point size 8, etc. I keep only the specific type of needle in each section, so now when I need a specific needle I can pick it out from the group at a glance.

Easy Zipper Installation

When sewing zippers, I found that sometimes they would shift while sewing, and then I'd have to unpick it and try all over again. Now I use a washable glue stick to keep the zipper in place; I just run a small bit along the zipper tape and iron it into place before sewing. It holds while I sew and then the glue easily washes out.

Easy Gathering Technique

When making my daughter's wedding dress I found it very hard to gather so much fabric in the usual way; the thread would snap or get caught. I bought some small, narrow cording and zigzagged over it in the seam allowance of the skirt, making sure that the stitching didn't catch the cord. I then pinned the cord at the center of the skirt and pulled on both ends, gathering to the correct side. After I attached the skirt to the rest of the dress, I pulled out the cord – it worked!

Keep Fabric from Slipping

I use a foam door mat next to my machine to keep the extra fabric from slipping while I sew. Set the mat close to the machine, resting the extra fabric on it; this helps a great deal when sewing slippery fabrics, such as satin or taffeta.

Marking Tip

Marking pens and chalk aren't always the best way to mark fabric, especially if the fabric is dark and/or coarse or fuzzy. I save my thinnest Ivory soap slivers from the shower. They make easy-to-see markings and the marks easily fade away when pressed. Simply store the dry slivers of soap with your other marking pens and pencils.

Bobbins at the Ready

When I am sewing a project that will use a lot of fabric (such as an evening dress or window treatments), I fill two bobbins with the color thread that I am using before I start to sew. This way when my first bobbin runs out in the middle of the project, the second one is full and ready to go – I just grab the new one and quickly continue sewing.

Quick Access to Tools

I have many small sewing/quilting tools and rulers. For quick access my husband installed a 1 ½ yard length of rail (like picture rail) with small hooks placed all along the bottom of the rail. It is attached to the wall, just above waist height. I have rulers, French curves and all other small tools and items hanging on the hooks, ready to grab whenever I need them. Most tools already come with holes in them, but it's quite easy to drill one in if needed.

Using Men's Ties for Projects

I have found that men's neck ties have quite a bit of fabric in each tie, when opened and pressed, enough to make pillows and quilts. They make unique and beautiful fabric additions to these projects.

Expert Tip: Embellishing Hint

I love to embellish my quilts with beads, buttons, embroidery floss, pieces of felted wool and other unconventional items. It is often difficult to get through all of the layers of fabrics to add these little treasures. My jewelry pliers are now a permanent fixture in my sewing box; they help pull the needle through all of the layers.

Straight Lines Every Time

I bought a 6 ½" handle that has suction cups on either end. I attached this handle to the middle of my long plastic (clear) ruler. By gripping the handle as I measure, mark and cut, I'm able to keep the ruler from sliding as I cut my fabric. Since the handle has suction cups, there's no gluing necessary and I can remove and replace the handle as needed on my ruler and other tools.

Expert Tip: Crisp Folds and Edges

Use Magic Sizing rather than starch when pressing your quilt blocks, bias tape other fabrics for quilting/sewing projects. Sizing penetrates the fibers better than starch and will make it easy to press and get nice crisp edges on the folds.

Using Scrap Fabric

If you have lots of small pieces of fabric left over from projects, try cutting them into circles, squares and rectangles, overlocking the edges. These pieces can be used to wrap gifts for all occasions and also be saved for later projects. This is particularly great for quilters, who often end up with all kinds of fabulous fabrics to play with.

Quilting Tip for consistent ¼” seam from Darlene Zimmerman

Sewing an accurate and consistent ¼” seam is the key to successful quilt making. When rotary cutting the geometric shapes, an exact ¼” is included. If you sew a seam allowance that is slightly more or less, it will change the size of the unit — which is going to make you crazy when you try to match seams. It throws everything off.

Even if you have a ¼” foot, but especially if you don’t, the seam allowance on your sewing machine needs to be checked. A good test to see how accurately you are sewing the ¼” seam allowance is to cut three 1-½” x 3-½” strips. Sew them together on the long edges. Press, then measure. The square should measure 3-½”. If not, you will need to adjust your sewing machine (and Possibly your pressing technique).

Chaining

Think of the turning chain as a ladder to climb up to the next row. If you chain tightly, you may notice the edges of your rows start to "cup in". If so, you may need to add a chain to the usual count. A person who chains loosely may need to omit a chain. Use the number of turning chains that works for you.

Finding the Skein Center

Many yarns are packaged as center-pull skeins. Although no method is foolproof for finding an end buried in the center, try this: insert one index finger into each end of the skein. Gently twirl your index fingers so that the yarn wraps tightly around your fingers. Gently pull out each finger, with the yard twisted around it. As you continue to pull, the end should appear shortly.

Keeping Track

When crocheting a long chain, such as the base for an afghan, use a split ring marker on every 25th chain. It's easier to keep track of your count; if you think you've miscounted, you won't have to go back to the beginning to find the error.

Avoid Yarn Tangles

Ever get your yarn tangled? Here's a quick and easy yarn storage tip: Take a large round empty oatmeal box and cut a small hole in the top of the plastic lid. Put the yarn in the box, slip the tail of the yarn through the hole and gently pull the yarn to start. Put the lid in place, which will hold the yarn neatly in the box as you use it. You can decorate the box with pretty fabric or paper, attached with spray adhesive.

Checking the Gauge

Always take the time to check your gauge against the one given in the pattern, since your personal knitting tension and the thickness of each wool used makes a slight difference that can affect the finished product. Knit a swatch at least four inches wide and four inches long to compare the actual knit to the gauge given; this will allow you to adjust accordingly to achieve the same result when the project is finished.

Keeping Track of the Pattern

Use Post-It notes to keep your place when following a knitting pattern. When you put your work aside, the Post-It note will tell you exactly where to resume. You can also write on the note the needle size you are using, and if the pattern has color changes, which color to work in next.

Binding Off Tips

When you cast or bind off, leave a tail at least 18” long so you can use it sew up seams.

Many knitters bind off too tightly. To be sure that your bound-off edge is the same width as the rest of your project, bind off using a needle that is one or two sizes larger.

Steaming Ribbing

When steaming a project, never steam the ribbing. It will stretch it out, making the bottom, collar and cuffs of you knit garment too loose.