Common Sewing Mistakes To Avoid when you start sewing to achieve better results in all you’re sewing projects.
From making an easy new potholder or to make a fancy new garment and get better results is not about having the best sewing machine you can find in the market, it is about learning the basics of sewing to get the best results in all you’re sewing projects whether you are just a beginner or an advanced sewer.
When you first start sewing, the best tip is to start working on easy sewing projects with easy steps to follow, by doing this, you will learn new sewing skills that will help you to work in more advanced level projects and get the best results always!
But you also need to learn more about you’re sewing machine, whether you have a mechanical basic sewing machine that comes with just a few built-in stitches and 4 step buttonhole pattern, or if you have the updated computerized sewing machine with all kinds of features and is recommended for any sewing project.
You need to spend more time to learn how to work with you’re sewing machine and learn more sewing skills to make any sewing project in you’re sewing machine, never underestimate the power of a mechanical sewing machine, as any sewer with good sewing skills can do any sewing project with it.
6 Common Sewing Mistakes To Avoid
We will share some of the common sewing mistakes to avoid while working on any sewing project whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned sewer.
1 – Turn The Handwheel Backward
Most of the sewing machines are designed and built to work great. One common mistake some sewers do is to turn the hand wheel backwards or in the opposite direction it should work, this is made when you want to lift the needle to take the project from the sewing machine.
The hand wheel on a sewing machine is designed to work in one direction, anytime you want to lift the needle, you need to turn the hand wheel forward until you get the needle up.
New machines and most computerized sewing machines comes with the needle up button, and it makes easier for sewers just to push the button and your needle will go up, no need to turn the hand wheel.
Some computerized sewing machines come with the feature to set the needle up every time you stop sewing, but sometimes this will make you to move the sewing project and the stitching will get moved, for this reason it is better to get always the needle down in your project and should be the sewer who decides when to move the needle up.
2 – Not Bobbin The Sewing Machine Right
Many times a sewer will get a stitching problem in their sewing machine and it might be just because the bobbin is not placed right in the sewing machine.
Every sewing machine is designed to have the bobbin placed one way or the other. To avoid any problem, it’s always better to read you’re sewing machine manual to know how to bobbin your machine properly.
Taking the time to learn how to bobbin you’re sewing machine right, will save many problems and it will help the machine to deliver high quality stitching every time you work with it.
3 – Leave Your Sewing Machine Uncovered
Dust can be you’re sewing machines worst enemy, for this reason when you leave your machine uncovered, dust can get inside the machine and may hurt it, causing damage to the machine.
Every time you finish working on a sewing project, whether is finished or not, take your time to cover the machine, it will be best if you cover it with the cover that comes with your machine, in case it came with no cover when you purchased it, you can always buy a sewing machine cover.
Another good idea is to make a sewing machine cover by yourself, and the last resource will be to cover your machine with a piece of cloth.
Related: How To Store Your Sewing Machine
4 – Sewing With Poor Quality Thread and Needles
When starting to sew any project, you need to read you’re sewing machine manual to find which type of needle is best for the fabric type you’re going to be working with, each type of fabric requires a sewing machine needle to get the best results.
The same goes with thread, there are threads that are made to help us to sew some different projects or type of fabrics and get the best results from that type of thread, but when you’re working with a specific type of fabric like thin fabrics, velvet, taffeta or any thick fabric like canva or denim, it’s better to consult you’re sewing machine manual to check what type of thread is recommended for that type of fabric.
Many times spending a few extra dollars on a specific type of thread or a specific sewing machine needle for a sewing project will help you to get the best results from you’re sewing work and it will save you a few problems and money.
5 – Pull Out Fabric When Your Sewing Machine Gets Stuck
Sewing machines are designed and built for some sewing projects, that is why you can find so many different models in the market where you can pick the one to bring to you’re sewing room.
When you’re working on a sewing machine, some times you will notice the sewing machine gets stuck and the stitching is not as good as it should be, the first thing some sewers might try to do is to pull the fabric from the back of the sewing machine to help the sewing machine to keep stitching.
When you do this, you are forcing the machine to work, it might damage the feed dogs and also the motor.
The best thing to do when this happens is to find out why your machine is doing this, many times this is because there are many layers of fabric, and your machine is not designed as a heavy-duty machine.
To keep your machine working find, there is a trick to solve out this problem, you can purchase a small device to place in the back of the presser foot to lift it to the same height as the multi fabric layers in the seam, and this will help you’re sewing machine to keep working fine.
Another thing you can try, is to keep those sewing machine plastic boxes, when you’re sewing machine get stuck, place the plastic box behind the presser foot and it will lift it to keep sewing smooth, remove the box as soon as the multi fabric layer seam is stitched.
Next time you’re working on a sewing project with thick fabric or with multi fabric layers, keep one of those sewing machine plastic boxes, right next to the sewing machine, stop the stitching as soon as you reach the problem and use the sewing machine needle box to help the machine to sew smooth on that stitching problem.
By doing this, you will protect the feed dogs and you’re sewing machine motor and it will last longer in good conditions
6 – Get The Right Sewing Machine Model In Your Sewing Room
As a sewer for many years, I’ve had a few different sewing machine, from the old Singer Featherweight, that always delivered a high quality stitching, to a Brother Industrial sewing machine that was the perfect sewing machine to work on many different projects for many years.
Along the way, I’ve been working with a few different sewing machines, today I have two Brother sewing machines, one is a mechanical and the second one is a computerized sewing machine.
As a sewer you might need to start small, with a mechanical sewing machine that comes with a few features, but as you keep sewing, you will know better what features you need to have in you’re sewing machine to work on your projects.
Getting the right sewing machine to work on projects you love to make, whether they are for family use or as a home based sewing business, or the start of you’re sewing business, will help you to deliver a better stitching quality in all your projects.
The right sewing machine model will also help you to work with ease and be more productive in less time.
When thinking about the price of sewing machine with updated features or with specific features, you also need about how good those machines can help you to be more productive, and many times the price tag is worth the money you put on your machine.
6 Common Sewing Mistakes To Avoid Closing Thoughts
Sewing is a creative activity that’s always worth the time and work you put into it, whether it is making a small dress for a small girl in your family, or if you’re thinking about starting your own sewing business.
There will be always a learning curve, and I’m sure I can say, every sewer has done one or all of these mistakes, me included, but the more you learn about sewing, it will help you to get better results from you’re sewing work.
Learning to avoid these sewing mistakes will also help you to keep you’re sewing machine in good shape and it will last for many years. (The Brother XL-3750 in an image above, has been 10 years with me, and it works great as the first day!)
We hope we help you to keep sewing easier with these tips to avoid the most common sewing mistakes, if you know one mistake to avoid that will help many sewers and is not on the list, please share it on a comment, we all learn from each others!
Happy Sewing!
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I made exactly the same mistakes that you mentioned in this blog post, so I only wish I would have read your article first, haha! Especially where you say that I am trying to force my machine to work, by pulling the fabric from the back of the sewing machine. That must be a common mistake indeed. Thanks for this information!
This is a great post on sewing mistakes to avoid. I have been sewing for more than 50 years, and have also helped youngsters to learn how to sew. The most common mistake that I have seen my students, and friends make, is to try and force the machine to do something. And that is when you break needles and do far more damage than what you might realise at the time.
I am so glad I have come across your article. I forgot how much I love sawing. I got so wrapped up with other things in my life that I totally forgot how I used to love sawing. You have inspired me. I’m going to get my sawing machine out and start creating.
Your list of common mistakes is very useful. I honestly didn’t know that you are not supposed to be leaving your machine uncovered. It makes total sense but I never realized that before.
Your list of mistakes to avoid is helpful whether one is a beginner or a seasoned person. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.