Sewing Techniques

May 16, 2025

Giving Your Sewing Machine Some Love

As much as we love sewing, some tasks aren’t quite as much fun as others, but they’re no less important. One of those tasks is cleaning your sewing machine. If you allow dust, lint and thread to build up in the machine, you’re asking for trouble, so make a point to clean it on a regular basis.

How often do I need to clean my machine?

Experts advise cleaning every 10-12 hours of use, or more often if you’re using fuzzy fabrics like fleece, wool, quilt batting, etc.

What You’ll Need

In addition to the machine manual, you’ll need a few helpful tools. Look for the machine’s lint brush (or a small paintbrush), a soft cloth, pipe cleaners, Q-Tip, tweezers, a screwdriver (if needed) and perhaps treat yourself to a mini vacuum attachment. Or, if you prefer, look for disposable sewing machine cleaning brushes.

First and foremost, consult your instruction book for the care specifics of your model. Then, unplug the machine before you begin. Remove the needle and presser foot to allow easy access to the innards of the machine where the accumulations can easily go unnoticed.

Up Top

Once you’ve removed the needle and presser foot, take off the machine’s throat or needle plate. This can be done by pushing a button, lifting a lever or unscrewing it, depending on the machine brand. Doing this exposes the machine feed dogs (those little teeth that move the fabric), thread cutter (if you have one) and other movable parts. And, very likely, some packed-in lint as well.

Gently brush the lint out from under the sewing machine's throat plat

Lint comes from the fabric we sew, the thread we use and from the dust in the environment, including those loyal pets who watch us create at the machine.

Use the brush, tweezers and/or a pipe cleaner to pull out the gobs of lint throughout the entire area. Lift the feed dogs to remove lint packed underneath them. Avoid the temptation to simply blow lint out with your breath or with canned air, as both not only introduce unwanted moisture into the machine, but they can imbed the dust bunnies further into the machine’s mechanism. The use of canned air can also void some machine warranties. Gently lift it out one whisp at a time.

Don’t forget to clean the area above the presser foot, as lint often accumulates there as well and sometimes up into the light area if it’s accessible.

Fold the soft cloth and clean between the tension disks to dislodge any bits that might be hidden as a result of thread breakage while sewing.

Down Below

Remove the bobbin case (if you have one) and open the bobbin area per your instruction manual. Pay close attention to the process, as you’ll be putting it back together in reverse order. Remove lint or any errant thread bits in that entire area, including inside and outside the bobbin case.

If your machine requires oil, now is the time to do it, once lint is removed and the moving parts are visible. Carefully follow the instruction manual for where and how to lubricate and use ONLY sewing machine oil for the task.

Finishing up

When you’re done with the cleaning tasks, reassemble the parts and plug the machine back into the power source. If you oiled it, run it for a while without thread or bobbin to work the oil into the parts. This is a great time to put in a new needle as well.

Use a barely damp cloth to wipe down the outside of the machine to remove any visible stains. You probably didn’t mean to touch the machine after eating chocolate.

Call in the Pro

Regular machine cleaning is essential to successful sewing, but so is a yearly or bi-yearly check-up from your dealer. They can get to the internal workings that you can’t reach, and their work goes beyond cleaning. So, don’t skip it…it’s like your personal health check-up.

~Linda Griepentrog is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and three dogs, Yohnuh, Abby, and Lizzie. Contact her at .

October 6, 2023

Meant-to-be-Seen Seams

Most of our sewing positions seams on the inside of a garment or project, but there are times when you may want to showcase a seam on the outside of your creation. Why, you ask? Seams can be fun!

Inside Out

Traditional seams are sewn right sides together and the resulting seam allowances are on the inside of the garment but turn that around for some fun. Try stitching the seams wrong sides together so that the seam allowances are showcased on the outside. For a very casual look, leave the edges raw.

You can choose to topstitch the seam allowances open flat with a straight or zig-zag stitch.

For added pizzazz, use a contrasting decorative stitch. For easier decorative stitching, use a narrow strip of fusible web to hold the seam allowances in place. For even more fun use decorative scissors, like pinking, scallop or wave, to trim the exposed seam allowance edges.

If you prefer, instead of pressing the seam allowances open, press them to one side and topstitch.

Seam allowances can also be finished with serging, using either matching or contrasting thread colors {pic}. For a more decorative look, use a novelty thread or yarn in the loopers.

This technique is especially fun if the wrong side of the fabric looks significantly different from the face side. Denims, double knits, double-wovens and fleece are good candidates for outside seaming. Lightweight leather also works, showcasing the sueded side to the outside.

Abutted Seam

Non-woven fabrics, such as faux leather or suede, faux furs and some knits work well with this flat seam, as do some heavy wools like melton. To create an abutted seam, trim the seam allowances of adjacent seamlines, then push the edges together and join with a zigzag or three-step zig-zag stitch, or even a decorative stitch that spans the two edges. It’s important for strength that the selected stitch catches both edges securely.

For a little extra strength, fuse a narrow strip of lightweight interfacing under the abutted edges prior to stitching. This also helps keep stretchy fabrics from distorting and rippling during the stitching process.

You can use this seam finish with woven fabrics as well, simply press under the seam allowance edges rather than trimming them off. Then, abut the folded edges for joining.

Lapped Seam

Instead of stitching a conventional seam, a lapped seam is created simply by lapping one section over an adjacent one and stitching in place. A lapped seam is ideal for non-wovens, leather, felted fabrics, boiled wools, etc. where fraying isn’t an issue.

To create a lapped seam, trim the entire seam allowance from the overlapping layer only. Using a removable marker, mark the seam allowance line on the right side of the underlap layer. Place the trimmed layer over the bottom layer and topstitch in place using one or two rows of stitching. You can either stitch twice, or use a double-needle to create the parallel stitching lines. The underlayer can be trimmed to reduce bulk if desired.

To make this process even easier, use a narrow strip of fusible web between the layers to keep them in place for stitching.

For a bit of pizzazz, trim the overlapping seam allowance edge with decorative scissors before stitching, or use one of your machine’s decorative stitches for the stitching lines. If the seam is in a stress-free area, a single line of stitching can suffice.

Which way should the seams lap? They can lap whatever way you prefer, but traditionally, front goes over back at side seams and shoulders, armholes go over sleeves, and left back goes over right back.

Strapped Seam

A strapped seam is sewn wrong sides together, then the seam allowances are trimmed and pressed open. Another piece of fabric or trim (contrasting or matching) is centered over the seamline and topstitched in place. The seam allowances are totally hidden by the strapping, so the garment inside is simply flat and finished.

This type of seam is a great way to add reflective trim on outerwear, add ribbon or a contrast fabric, as long as the addition is wider than the pressed-open seam allowances. The strapping strip edges need to be finished before applying if the fabric frays. Options for finishing include decorative scissor cutting, decorative stitching or serging, or choose a pre-made tape trim.

Strapped seams are often found on faux leather garments or those made from heavy wool, melton or felted fabrics, as this finish creates a flat seam that can also be decorative.

All these seam finishes can be used on reversible garments, so you can double the fun!

September 1, 2023

Front Fly Zipper in Slacks or Jeans

The traditional fly zipper you see on a commercially made pair of jeans or slacks works well in a manufacturing environment because special machines can make them very quickly, even though it is not necessarily the best technique or finished product. A mock fly is a great option for home sewers and is a good compromise that gives the same look but is much more practical. This method is a very deep-set version of a lapped zipper that requires little extra preparation to be successful.

Getting Started

1. Make the following marks on the fabric section. (See Figure 1)

Make a dot at the Bottom of the zipper. (#1 on diagram)
Make a dot at the Beginning of Stitching. (#2 on diagram)
Make a clip at the top of the Center Front line. (#3 on diagram)

2. Stitch from the bottom opening dot (#2 on diagram) down 2 1/2″ towards the inseam using very small stitches. Do not sew the entire seam!

Underflap

3. Decide which will be the underflap of the zipper.

4. Fold the underflap wrong sides together from the seam allowance to 5/8″ from the clip at the top of the Center Front line. This should make the underflap fold evenly.

5. Apply glue stick to underside of the folded flap and attach to zipper as close to the teeth as possible.

6. Sew fabric to zipper as close to the teeth as possible.

Overflap

7. Fold other flap under from center clip to bottom of opening. (Figure 3)

8. Match clips and pin folded edges flat to front.

9. Use a glue stick to apply glue stick to the loose top of the zipper and apply the top to the overflap, making the top parallel to the zipper.

10. Lay garment flat, feel for edge of zipper. Using the zipper package as a straight edge, mark stitching line, stopping 3″ from the end with removable pen, pencil, or chalk (Figure 4).

11. Using the bottom curve of the zipper package as a template, finish drawing the stitching line, ending at the bottom of the opening.

12. Beginning at the top, sew over the drawn line for 2″ and stop.

Fabric Manipulation for Zippers

Practice manipulating the fabric while sewing to prevent wrinkles on the overlap section as shown in Figure 5.

As the foot slides on the fabric, it presses on one side of the needle only. This exerts an uneven push and shoves fabric on the foot side faster than the other, thus creating the diagonal wrinkles that often happen along the overlap piece.

Preventing this problem requires handling. Note that this hold will seem awkward at first, but with a little practice you will love the results.

After the zipper is in place, begin sewing from the top down and continue about 2″. Stop sewing and with your hands flat on the surface of the fabric, push the side that the foot rests on toward the back about 1″.
Wrinkles will form on the surface, but will equalize with the force of the foot.
Sew forward about 3″ allowing your hands to move evenly with the fabric.
Stop, readjust your hands in the same way for the next section, and repeat this process until you reach the end of the zipper.
Turn at an angle and sew to the seam.
Reduce the stitch length to 0 and make 3 or 4 stitches.
After removing from the machine, pull both threads to the back, then pull apart to cinch knot.

~Gale Grigg Hazen, edited from an article that appeared in a previous issue of Notions

August 4, 2023

Facing Facts

Facings are a great way to finish edges—whether it’s down the front of a garment, around the neckline, or on armholes. By definition, a facing is simply a narrow fabric piece cut to the shape of the opening to encase the garment raw edges. However, you don’t normally leave the edge of a facing without any finishing as the fabric can fray and wear.

For any finishing method except the last one listed below, attach interfacing as required to the facing piece(s) and sew any joining facing seams first—like shoulder or underarm.
Press the seam allowances open. If the fabric is bulky, trim the seam allowances to ¼”.
Once the facing is complete, then finish the edges.

So how do you finish facing edges? Let us count the ways…

Serging

If you have a serger, it’s ideal for finishing facing edges. Easy and quick—just serge around the outer edge of the facing. The serger threads encase the raw edges of the fabric and leave a flat smooth perimeter.

Hemming

You can hem the outer edges of facings if you don’t have a serger. Simply press under the perimeter edge ¼” and stitch close to the fold. This creates a finished edge, but on some fabrics, it can add unnecessary bulk. Depending on the grain on the facing edge, turning under and stitching a hem can also cause distortion and rippling. On some fabrics, that extra layer of turned-under fabric can also create a ridge on the garment outside when pressing.

Stitch and Pink

Adding a line of stitching around the facing perimeter, followed by the trimming with pinking shears creates a neat looking, flat-finish edge suitable for many fabrics. It’s ideal for knits and closely woven fabrics.

Binding

The outer facing edge can be bound, either with bias tape or with a bias strip of a lightweight fabric. If using bias tape, place the larger side under the facing and use a narrow zigzag to secure the edges.

On bulky fabrics, a narrow single-layer binding is made using fabric that’s lighter in weight than the garment fabric itself to avoid additional bulk—something like silk organza or lining fabric is ideal.

To finish a facing with a narrow fabric binding, cut enough 1”-wide bias strips to go around the facing outer edges plus 1” for each. Piece the bias strips together if needed and press seams open. Align one strip long raw edge with the facing edge and sew around the facing perimeter using a scant ¼” seam allowance. Flip the binding to the underside, press and stitch in the ditch of the seam to hold the underside in place. Trim any excess binding width close to the stitching.

Sometimes facing edges (and seams) in unlined garments are bound in a contrast color for added interest.

Interfacing

Many faced opening patterns call for interfacing to help the armhole, neckline or front opening keep its shape during wearing and construction. The interfacing also serves to help stabilize areas for further design details like buttons/buttonholes, toggles, etc.

Rather than adding interfacing as a separate construction step, you can use it to finish the facing edge. The interfacing can be fusible or sew-in depending on your fabric and the desired amount of stabilization needed.

To finish facings this way, cut the facing pieces out of both fabric and interfacing. Sew the seams (shoulder, underarm, etc.) as needed, separately in both the fabric and interfacing. Trim the seam allowances to ¼” in the interfacing layer. Finger-press the seams open if using fusible interfacing; otherwise press open with an iron. Place the matching fabric and interfacing layers right sides together and sew around the perimeter using a scant ¼” seam.

Turn the interfacing to the facing underside and press along the outer edge using the tip of the iron. If you’re using fusible interfacing, this process will fuse the edges together. Turn the facing interfacing side out and press. Again, for fusible interfacing, this will secure the interfacing to the fabric layer. For non-fusible interfacing, match the inner facing edges and baste around the opening.

Once the facing edges are finished, apply the facing according to the pattern instructions.

Raw edges? Is there ever a time when facing edges can be left raw? The answer is yes—if they’re hidden by an attached lining, there’s no need to finish the edges. Some sewers leave facing edges unfinished if the fabric is knit, as the edges won’t ravel. But, serging a knit facing edge, or even just pinking it, gives a nicer looking finish.

February 26, 2021

Corner Cues: Mitered Binding Corners

If binding a quilt is one of your least favorite tasks, and that simple directive in the instructions that says “Miter the corners as you bind the edges” leaves you bewildered, read on.

A mitered binding corner is simply a clever way to make a neat flat corner. It creates a fold at 45° to the edge. Mitered corners are less bulky than lapped corners and give a professional look to your binding.

Step by Step

To miter a corner, begin sewing the double-fold binding to one edge of the quilt, matching the cut edges of the binding to the trimmed edge of the layered quilt right side.

As you approach the corner of the quilt, stop stitching ¼” from the perpendicular edge (1).

Move the fabric just clear of the presser foot, and fold the binding back at a 45° angle to the edge you just sewed (2). At this point the unsewn binding length will be extending at right angles to the edge you just sewed.

Fold the binding again, this time matching the cut edges to the perpendicular quilt edge (the 45° fold is between the binding and the quilt) (3). There will be a fold at the corner that matches the quilt edge you just sewed the binding to.

Begin sewing again on the ¼” seam line and sew the next edge—you’ll be sewing over the fold you just made (4). When you get to the second corner, repeat the process and repeat for the remaining corners.

When the binding is attached on all edges, fold the binding at a 45° angle at each corner underside. Set the bulk of the fold in the opposite direction of that on the quilt front. Hand-stitch the folded binding edge in place around the quilt. The underside miter should look as good as the front side (5).

If you’re not making a quilt, this same mitering technique works to bind any edge like a collar, cuff, jacket front or pocket, as long as the corner is a 90° square.

~Linda Griepentrog
Linda is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and two dogs, Yohnuh and Abby. Contact her at .