When you first start sewing, you might ask the question, can you sew over pins? Sewing over pins seems like it would save time as you wouldn’t have to slow down and remove them one by one but is it the right thing to do?
Well, the answer is that it depends – Some sewers will say yes and some will say never. Here is why.
Can you Sew over Pins?
My thoughts – I say NO WAY! This is because when you sew over pins you risk:
- Damaging yourself with a broken needlepoint. You don’t have to look far for sewers who have ended up with a broken needle tip in the eye. Try googling it!
- Damaging your machine – If you hit a pin with the needle it can put the timing of your machine out which means a costly service bill.
Either scenario is not good.
Most of the time the needle will miss the pins or slip over them but it only takes one slip up to wish you had slowed down and removed those pins. I wrote this post as last week I hit a pin and it put the machine timing out causing it to need a service. Wasted money – if only I had been more careful!
SEWING OVER PINS
Ok, so what about if you are in a hurry and sewing over pins is necessary?
- Make sure your pins are vertical (stitching out from the edge) and not horizontally placed. This way you are only sewing across the narrowest part of the pins.
- Use really fine pins with small heads.
- If you are wanting to leave the pins in the fabric due to a difficult curve or slippery fabric, consider hand basting instead. Hand basting with a simple running stitch. It really doesn’t take that long and can be a more secure way to hold your fabric.
- Further reading – types of pins, how to pin fabric
Take a vote. Do you sew over pins? I’d be willing to bet it is about 50-50. But I could be wrong. Please share your thoughts.
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