Quick Tip: Never Sew Over Pins, Try This Instead

Sewing over pins is faster than removing them, but it’s a gamble. Often, the machine needle misses the pin, but when it doesn’t it can break your needle, thread and worst of all, seriously damage your machine. It’s not unheard of for a piece of the broken pin or needle to end up embedded in your eye. So, NO, don’t sew over pins.

Here’s a tip that’s nearly as fast, and a whole lot safer:

• Insert pins horizontally to hold the seam together. The pin head faces to the outside edge of the fabric (the right).
• Keep your pin cushion or magnetic pin holder to the right of your machine.
• Put a small, flat open box (an old lid also works great) on the bed of your sewing machine just behind and to the right of your needle.
• Begin sewing your seam and when you get to about an inch or so from the pin, take out the pin and toss it into the open box. No time wasted turning to look over at your pin cushion in order to reinsert the pin. Your eye stays on the seam.
• When you’re done sewing. Put all the pins you dropped into the box back into the pin cushion.