Have an area,drawer,box etc close to your sewing machine to keep those item you will use all the time.The good scissors,pins,needles,tape measure etc So you don't have to go looking for them when you start a project.

Always remember to "measure twice,cut once"..Also there is no such thing as a dumb question.There are lots of ladies here and on the quilting forum(which is busier than this one) that are ready willing and able to answer any questions you may have. So if you post something here and no one answers,ask it also at the quilting forum,or even post it at both forums at the same time.
HTH and good luck.
Kathi

Happy New Year

Cleaning up/putting away after each session. Since I sew on the table, I have to put it somewhere. Unfortunately, it is not always where it is supposed to be.

I think to finish one project before starting the next would be a good habit that I need to enforce myself, LOL. I've got several things that I started out of Christmas fabric and didn't finish, now they'll have to wait til next year.
Welcome back to the world of sewing.
Susan

Ladies, you have forgotten the most important habits of all...

NEVER put your finger in front of the needle!
NEVER change a needle with your foot on the treadle or with the power on!
ALWAYS reinsert the bobbin case, never leave it on your bench.

;) (to quote Homer Simpon, "Safen up!")

Never cut anything except fabric with your good sewing scissors. My former high school home ec teacher would have had our hides if she had caught us cutting paper with the sewing shears that all hung on pegboard in the classroom! Also, I have a rotary cutter for fabric and a second one for batting and labeled each of them with a label maker.

Always press a seam open before crossing it with another seam (important rule).

Thanks for all of the great advice! I'm keeping a list.

Kathi, Thanks for the recomendation to check out the quilting forum; they have a "2006 tips" thread going on over there.

Chelone, I should probably add in the safty catogory: no sewing or cutting when tired ;)

Susan, I had better finish the hem on the robe I made for my husband before I make another dog coat! Also I will add to not buy fabric for projects too far down the "to sew" list.

Keepmeinstitches, I have never used a rotary cutter...I may have to buy one someday. My good scissors are still sharp from high school, they are only used on fabric; I think I will take them in for sharpening every year when I take my machine in for cleaning.

Temom, I am working on setting up my sewing room (in the guest bedroom) so that every thing has a place. I have house cats so I have been pretty good about putting my work into a plastic box at the end of the sewing day, if I didn't it would be covered in cat hair!

Clean the lint from your machine after sewing each project. Use a small brush. Remove the bobbin casing and brush, brush, brush. You'd be amazed what a difference that makes!

Have some extra threaded bobbins handy so that when you run out in the middle of a project, you don't have to waste time getting another one ready to use. Colleen

I've found that a cork pin-up/bulletin board is handy for hanging pattern instructions near my machine for easy reference. I used to have instruction sheets taped all over my wall...what a mess! Also, I got tired of fussing with little plastic packages when switching from one needle to the next, so I cut a chunk of styrofoam about 2"X 4" and wrote needle sizes and type(ball point,etc)on it and I stick my needles in that, using a ball-topped straight pin in the spot of the needle I'm currently using(at my age it gets hard to read those tiny numbers on the needle!), so I'll know at a glance which needle is in the machine. I keep my little needle block in my accessory box(pins, needles, bobbins, scissors) next to the machine.

toad lily
some things i learned after over 60 years of sewing
if you can never put the machine away. i had 2 girls and 2 boys, somethind always needed repair or heming real fast.
always leave black or white thread in the machine.
when you stop leave the pressure foot up.
put a piece of masking tape to mark seam allowence.
press seam on both sides before you press open. this sets the stitch.
have a wste basket handy.
have a radio on. i like talk radio so i talk backand never feel alone.
i could go on and on .
good luck
gerryo

gerryo86- "when you stop leave the pressure foot up"?
I was always taught to leave the presser foot down and to also have a scrap of fabric under the needle which was also down. I thought this was to relief the pressure on the presser foot? Don't remember why the needle was to be down also.
toad_lily_z8- there's really good suggestions here. I don't necessarily clean up every day, but I do put away and clean after each project is done. Cleaning includes the machine. I have a miniature set of vacuum attachments that I use to clean the machine. Works well.

I got back into sewing a couple of years ago and I'm now finding I want/need to keep track of my projects. Some I take a picture and keep in the computer. But I think I should also keep a log or journal of what I made for who/what and materials etc as well as any special notes.
I do tend to stock up on projects so I've learned to put all materials together in a bag with the pattern I'll use and notes regarding the view, size, etc.

Also buy the notions when you get the materials as it can be frustrating to be in the middle of a project and not be able to find something which could then take some time to find or order. Can you tell I've gone through this process.LOL
Oh, in hardware stores(and mail order) they have a telescoping device with a magnet on the end (for picking up nails in a workshop) which is great for picking up any dropped pins before I vacuum.
Enjoy your sewing
Sally

My mom always said to never start a project on Friday or it will never get finished, and by gosh, it usually works out that way!
Always stop your line of sewing with the thread takeup in the top position. You'll avoid some tangels that way.
I also was taught to leave the machine with the presser foot down on a piece of fabric with the needle in it. I'm sure there must be a reason for it!
A tip I need to learn is to put away my accessories when I'm finished! I have multiple Singer machines and I get my straight shank and slant shank presser feet all mixed up so when I need one I have to dig through to find the right one. What a waste of time!
Read all the instructions (twice!) on a project before starting.
Keeping the sacred scissors just for fabric is a must.
Have fun with your projects!
Elaine

My favorite rule is: Never walk away from a mistake. Too often I will say, "Well, I'll fix that tomorrow." But, knowing there's a mistake waiting to be taken out, tomorrow never comes! Take it out NOW!!

Also, never put it down; put it away.

Ok, here's my list of habits.

1. Make a muslin if you aren't sure.
2. Go ahead and wind 3 or 4 bobbins when you do 1.
3. Sew with wild abandon - drop your snipped threads on the floor as you go and use a clean, unused toilet brush to collect them off the carpet after you've finished. It's amazing how much more you can do if you don't worry about being tidy until the end of the project.
4. Keep muslin, various weights of interfacing, and various sizes of needles on hand at all times.
5. Hang your patterns on hangers and use a pin below the hanger to secure the pieces, then store them in a closet.

That's all I can think of now.

-Myca-

NEVER BLOW INTO YOUR MACHINE. your breathe has water vapor in it.

I am new to this forum...and wanted to add my favorite tips...
*iron as you go, after every single seam.
*snip every seam thread completely off as you go.
*always start and end each seam with a couple of backstitches.
*I iron my tissue pattern pieces when done using them, fold and iron, fold and iron, until you can get them small enough to go back into their original envelope.
*wash all fabric AND bias tapes and other notions before assembly to avoid shrinkage later on.
*always buy thread to match when you buy fabric..I can never match it up from memory later on.

Woodsy

Hi Toad and Everyone,

I have 3 ideas. In 40 years of home sewing, I've found that one of the best sewing habits I've used is to set up the ironing board next to my sewing chair so all I have to do is swivel and press. Pressing (not ironing, which rubs the fabric and causes some amount of distortion) does 'set' the seam as GerryO said. When the iron is close by, you're more apt to press as you go. My friend loved to sew, but everything she made looked 'homemade' because she didn't bother to press anything.

Another time-saving tip is to make a stitch notebook of my machine's sewing stitches. Even if there's a photo or illustration in the manual of each stitch, seeing them in fabric and thread, both top and underside, helps me quickly choose the most appropriate stitch.

Lastly, I don't use the debris bag you mentioned for scraps, because I have a small trashcan below the machine, but I use it to hold tools I use frequently-- small scissors, stiletto, seam ripper and long serger tweezers. The tools are right in front of my body as I sew, and I can reach them without having to turn my head or reach to the right or left.

What is a stiletto?

Don't laugh, but I use empty Kleenex cubes for my scraps, as well as small trash cans. I have cubes at the serger, sewing machine and ironing board. The floor is still a mess anyway. Good tip about swiveling to press. I keep a mini ironing board between my machines and stand to press only the long seams at the big ironing board.

Good tips here!

~ measure twice and cut once

~ it is handy to tape down a tape measure right in front of your machine at the table's edge - use clear packing tape and tape the longest length you can - this saves steps and time taken looking for a ruler or tape measure -mine starts about 8-inches to my left and runs for 36-inches to the end of my sewing table

~ keep the Kleenex cubes for thread snips in your living room or den if you do hand sewing at night while watching TV

~ ditto about the stitch notebook, but mine is just a 10-12-inch square of muslin with stabilizer on the back, the stitches can be done with different colors of thread and then label using a Pigma pen what number or setting they are on your machine or d-cards (for my Viking) - saves lots of time spent looking them up in your manual - I have the stitch "sampler" pinned to a bulletin board in my sewing room - btw, I passed along the "sampler" to my previous machine when I sold it

~ always pre-wash ANY fabric that you plan to wash the finished project, whether it is a quilt, pajama bottoms, casual jacket, dress, bed skirt, etc.

~ try to find a way to put up your pattern directions or quilt block directions to where it will be easy to see while at your sewing machine - I have a twine "clothesline" strung between two built-in cabinets that form an alcove where my sewing table sits - not only is it helpful to hold direction sheets, but I can put photos, notes, reminders, and inspiration clips where I can see them.

I had a good sewing tip last night but now I can't remember it.....:o(

I'm sorta new to this board, but I'll chime in. I have a personal rule, if things start to go wrong, and I feel myself getting frustrated, STOP. I am not supposed to be doing this right now, I'll come back when I am not tired/stressed/distracted. It may be bad to come back to a mistake, but if I keep going I'll very likely make it worse.

In reference to cleaning the machine after every finished project: I figure I'm good with "never" since I never seem to finish anything! LOL :-)

About washing the fabrics and notions.....In 35 years of sewing, I have never washed fabric or notions first or had a garment shrink after I made it. I have six kids, five GKs, try to use natural fabrics (wool, cotton, silk) because they are so much easier to sew. I sew A LOT and I admit that I used to worry a little that the worst would happen, but so far, not one thing has. It can't just be luck, considering I've probably made a couple thousand garments over the years.

Natural fabrics bend and curve for easier shaping and handling. I find that polyesters are very difficult to use if a garment requires shaping, or even to set-in sleeves. There are some awfully cute polyesters, though.

I purposely keep my ironing station several steps away from my machine. This forces me to get up and move around, if I didn't have to I'd be glued to that chair for hours and would be SO stiff when I finally did get up. I like to let my blood circulate a bit. :)

I keep an old sewing machine drawer from a treadle machine next to my machine. In the back of it I have a block of foam and I've jammed all my little, oft-used tools into that, keeping them handy but not jumbled up. Then my pincushions (why do I have 3 of them?) take up the rest of the space. It's a great place to toss an empty bobbin, too.

I have a small table next to my sewing center, it has two drawers and houses all my scissors, snips, rotary cutters, etc. I recently reorganized the craft room and I'm liking how much easier it is to keep it clean.

i have those sewing scissors that noone touches!

i put a small size trash can to the side, where i found i was dropping the snips of thread. i then move it underneath my serger so those pieces can fall right in.

i have a strong earth magnet glued to the bottom of a cheap $1 dog dish..its glass. i keep it right where i found i would throw the pins while i took them out while sewing.

im glad im not the only one that doesnt pre-wash :) if im sewing for someone else, or the fabric just looks like its going to shrink, than i do, otherwise i dont.

i also have a bulletin board above my sewing machine (well i did, now i dont have a wall!), and i would pin my instructions up so i could just look up and see what the next step was. going to have to figure something out now in my new sewing area.

now..if i could figure outhow to get the pattern pieces back into the envelopes i would be happy.

chatrbug-
I iron my pattern pieces to get them back in the envelope. Fold and press, fold and press..until they are small enough to fit back in the envelope. I also try end up with the pattern piece letter or number showing so I can find a specific piece easily.

Rather than try to fit my pieces in the envelope, I like to put directions in it alone and then take a Gallon or two gallon zippy bag and put the pieces in it. I put the envelope on top of the pieces. It keeps me from having make the pieces so small. This is also good if you trace you patterns and have alot of pieces in addition to the pattern itself.

Hi: a tip to organizing your patterns. I worked in a fabric store for 9 years and got free patterns every month, so I have LOTS of patterns (over 300) I bought a large three ring binder and plastic insert sleeves. I put the pattern envelope only in the sleeve. I then put the pattern pieces in a 7 1/2 x 10 1/2 in brown envelope, write the pattern co name, type and size on the front and store them in a bankers file box. This way it is easy to look through all my patterns and I'm not destroying the patterns shuffling through them plus I can take the envelope with me when purchasing fabric. I'm up to three binders now,one for womens, one for kids, and one for crafts.
Bonnie

Sacred scissors...the best I can afford :^)
a magnetized dish from the auto department for pins...
tallish garbage can beside machine..
ironing board on the other side of the garbage can...
zip lock bags for:
patterns
trim
buttons
notions
for all small pieces to a particular project....
empty medicine bottles for bobbins....
golf tees for the top of a spool...they will hold the matching bobbin in place for the next round, and you can also wind the thread around them if the spool doesn't have a spot to lock the thread end in place....
LOCK THE THREAD END IN PLACE everytime you remove/use a spool of thread....
Sticky notes in a self feed holder...right beside the machine...
Scotch tape in a self feed holder near the machine....
rubber electrical tape to wrap the handle of the seam ripper...makes it a lot less apt to slip, and a lot more comfortable for aching hands...
BRIGHT colored ribbon tab for handle of scissors...makes them easy to find in the sea of bits and pieces,,,,
inch markings on bed of machine (I use a sharpy)....
measuring tape piece glued to front of cabinet...as long as possible....
roll of narrow painters tape in drawer of machine....it will come in handy to tape leftover ends of trims and also to mark bed of machine for a custom width seam....
an artists' soft lead pencil to make dots at needle turns...
a small and medium sized natural bristle paint brush for "dusting" the machine.....
I better quit before you run me off....
Loved everyone elses ideas too...thanks Lilly for starting this thread!

Lilly,

Please go on!!!

Love your tips! You have probably forgotten more about sewing than I know. (Big smile!)
Katie

Jaybird, great tips! You really sound organized! I also have a magnetic auto parts dish on my ironing board. It's sew handy.

Love this thread! Thanks for starting it, Sarah.

Mary

I use a corkboard on the wall above my machine to hold directions to patterns so I can easily see them. I also use a magnetic 'parts holder' that mechanics use to hold nuts, screws etc for my straight pins, safty pins and a few hand sewing needles. Its like a small metal bowl. Works great. I also just let my cut threads and scraps fall to the floor, and at the end of my sewing session, I vacuum, so next time I sew everything is all clean and ready for another mess.
I will also use a lot of the tips shared here. Thank you!

Sherrie

I have just started sewing after many years as well. You have great tips. Thanks. I have two questions. One is kind of dumb, but... I can't seem to sew in a straight line! Is this just a matter of practice or is there a trick to it? Also, I'm wondering about where to get a small ironing board that I could set up next to my sewing machine.

Sewing a straight line: It does take some practice, and I do have a couple of tips. And, no, it's not a dumb question.

Most important: Don't watch the needle. By that I mean, when you are sewing a seam, there's a natural tendency to look at the needle and try to line up the needle with where you want to go.

Instead, use the guidelines on the throat plate of your sewing machine. If there are no guidelines, or they aren't where you want them to be, use a piece of masking tape or a post-it note, etc. to mark where the outside edge of the fabric should be in order to obtain, for instance, a 5/8 inch seam. (There would be 5/8 inch measurement from the needle to your mark/tape on the right.) As you sew, line up the edge of the fabric with a line on the throat plate or your tape marking.

Concentrate on keeping the edge of the fabric on that mark and keep your eyes on the edge of the fabric and your guide line; don't look at the needle, just trust that it's sewing along just like it's supposed to.

I've been sewing regularly for decades, and I can *still* get distracted by watching the needle instead of the edge of my fabric. The seam line is off every time I do that.

CMC

What a great thread!

I TRY to clean the lint at the end of each sewing session. I also try to remember to oil my serger regularly. I keep my sewing machine manuals handy for quick reference.

As already mentioned above - I'll repeat because it's so important. When sewing apparel, ALWAYS press. First press each seam as sewn, then open or to one side. Makes an enormous difference. I learned that from a woman who worked in New York's garment district for 40 years.

I use a similar method to Bonnie's for pattern organization. I make a copy of the front and back of the envelope (I can get both on one sheet of paper and then do a second pattern on the back). Then I use a hole punch to punch holes in the sheets and store in the binder. In the front pocket of the binder, I keep my JoAnn's coupons, other sales info, and a shopping list. I also keep a sheet with my mother's and granddaughter's measurements (I sew for them) in the binder as well.

Now, when I find a great sale on fabric, I have the pattern info at my fingertips, and I've stopped buying a pattern then discovering that I have a nearly identical one at home.

In my pattern file drawer, they are filed by brand and pattern #.

This is a fun thread (no pun intended)!

I always watch my sales at Joann's and other local fabric stores, especially for patterns and the coupons.

Keep your machine manual(s) handy - I never know when I'm going to need to look something up!

I've bought cheap thread and watched it mess up my machines. So I leave the cheap bins alone unless I'm buying thread for quick hand-sewing repairs.

DonnaR/CA

I keep a can of compressed air (for cleaning computer parts) next to the machine and blow out the lint at every bobbin change.

I also prefer to clean as I go, and keep a small tin next to the machine for thread and fabric bits.

Cheers,
Michelle

Instead of using compressed air, I use a mini vac attachment to suck out the lint. My sewing machine tech told me that using compressed air can blow lint further INTO the machine.

I do use compressed air to blow the bobbin case (after I've removed it from the machine)

Don't sew over pins; remove them as you go

Flatten your pattern pieces by sitting on them!

Put a self-stick magnetic strip on the far right side of your machine (out of the way of where you're working). This will hold a spare bobbin, machine foot, pins, needles, and the screws you removed to clean your machine; very handy!

Don't sew in a room with a rug; pins and thread are too hard to remove. If you have wall to wall carpet, lay a piece of linoleum under your machine on top of the carpet.

Wash a newly-made garment before wearing it; it loses all that stiffness.
Lee

Here's a tip i havn't seen yet.

When i bought my first Bernina,my dealer told me to always use a cloth cover to cover it with and not one of those plastic ones.Reason for this is because i live near the ocean,and the combination of the salt air,the metal parts etc with plastic covers the parts were more suspectible to rust

toadlily,as long as you take care of your good scissors there is no need to take them every year for sharpening.My experience is that once you have them sharpened,they are not as good as they were originally.I have a pair of Kai scissors that are over 20 years old and have never been sharpened,and i actually like them better than my Ginghers.

I keep several pairs of those cheapie,2.00 scissors on hand for batting,paper,etc.

This is a good thread,keep 'em coming.
Kathi

What a bunch of good tips-I am surprised that I do most of them. When I press my seams, I press them all flat first to set the seam then I press them open. Also, another idea is always use a pressing cloth. This will help to prevent the seam from leaving a shine line on the right side of the fabric and protect the fabric from a hot iron.