Video:How to Pin Fabric

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Transcript:How to Pin Fabric

Hi, I am Debbie Colgrove for About.com. Today I am going to show you how to pin a seam and keep your sewing machine safe.

Line Up Fabric Edges

First, line up the edges of the fabric so that your edges are even, and any notches line up. In this example there are no notches, but a pattern that is cut out usually has notches. Seam allowance is 5/8 of an inch, so it will probably be about there.

Pin Away From the Seam Allowance

To keep my sewing machine safe I am going to put the pins back further than the 5/8 of the seam allowance. Today's sewing machines do not allow you the luxury of sewing over straight pins. It used to be that if the straight pin was perpendicular you were safe to sew over it. If it is necessary to put your pin in the seam allowance area be sure to remove it before you sew over it.

Keep Seam Allowance Even

I will show you a quick sample here. I start on the edge, go backwards so that it locks the seam, always keeping my eye over here so that the seam allowance is even. I am not sewing over any pins, even the head of them; they are safe and secure, far from the needle. As I come to this one, obviously, I would end up running over it so I will be removing it as the sewing machine gets to it. That is it, that is a safe way to pin a seam.

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