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.

Section:

Sewing Tips & Tricks

Comments (6)

Cheryl said:

In over 50+ years of sewing professionally (costume/seamstress) and for my family. I've never pulled pins. I have had different types of machines... It takes too much time to stop and pull pins.... I sew right over them with no problems.. and very few broken needles because of that , and never had one to clog up my machine.. or fly out into the room...
I think you have to do what you normally do... for me.. I run over the pins.

Anonymous said:

For long straight sections where you can sew fast run your pins parallel to the edge of the fabric about an inch from the edge and you won't run over them or need to remove them while you're sewing.

Also, I prefer to pin from the other direction on fussier sewing, so that I can hold/guide fabric with my right hand and pull pins with my left without stopping to pull the pin then grab hold of my fabric again.

Seleph said:

The electronic sewing machines made more recently are much better shielded. Magnets are still a "use at your own risk" idea, but the post-1990's machines are much less likely to have any problems with them. It didn't take much to interfere with the first generation of the electronic machines.

Jeannie P. said:

IF your machine is an older metal machine (not electronic), use a black flat sheet magnet to hold the pins you pull out. just get them near and they will stick.IT is even faster!