5 Sewing Tips I Wish I'd Learned Sooner (That No One Talks About)

 5 Sewing Tips I Wish I'd Learned Sooner (That No One Talks About)

Sewing is one of those skills, nowadays, where we often rely on YouTube videos, blog posts, or trial and error. After a decade of being a self-taught sewist, I’ve come across a few clever tricks that rarely make it into tutorials-but they’ve saved me time, fabric, and frustration.

Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been sewing for years, these underrated tips might be just what you need on your next project.

Iron Your Patterns

Big-store paper patterns usually come folded and creased, making them hard to work with. A quick press with an iron (no steam!) smooths everything out and makes cutting more accurate and way less frustrating.

Use a Quilting Roller

             Spoiler: It’s not just for quilting. I’m a lazy sewist, and the less I have to take out my iron, the better. I batch iron everything for a reason! But I can get away with less ironing when I use a quilting roller.

A quilting roller is a handheld tool that presses seams without heat. I use this to open seams I need to connect (like attaching sleeves to a bodice) or even to roll my hems flat before pinning. It works best for cotton fabric, though not so much on stretch knits or thicker seams. But on everyday woven projects- it’s fantastic.

Try EcoFlex Thread for Knits

             When sewing knit fabric, you’ll often hear: “Use a zigzag stitch.”. It’s great advice- until you want to use a straight stitch to make the outside look clean. It can be hard to compromise when you want the outside of your garment to look nice without using the zigzag stitch. 

This is where I use the Eco Flex Thread. It has a slight stretch, making it perfect for straight stitches on stretchy fabric. Your seam will stretch with the fabric and your garments will look more polished! With Joanns gone (ugh!), you can find it on Amazon.

Backstitching Gathers

        This tip has been a game changer.. I’ve had too many gathers unravel while gathering because my thread pulls out. But by backstitching at the start of your gather locks them in place. It keeps everything secure and saves you from having to redo all your gathering.

Don't Skip Understitching

            Understitching is where you sew a line close to the connected seam, but you only sew the lining and your seam allowance, leaving your main fabric free. It’s often used on necklines or facings and I use to skip it every single time.

I figured that a top stitch was just as good. I was wrong. IUnderstitching keeps the facings from flipping out, gives you cleaner edges, and makes the garment look more professional. It’s now my go-to method for sewing collars and necklines.

Which one of these tips are you excited to try? Or do you have an underrated sewing hack of your own? I’d love to hear it! Leave a comment below or tag me on social media!