Basic Helpful Tips:

1. Store your patterns in ziplock bags - remove the pattern pieces from the pattern envelope and place them behind the pattern envelope. It is much easier than trying to get the pattern back into it’s original envelope.
2. Keep several needles pre-threaded in a variety of colors & you will always have one ready for quick repairs.
   
3. Choose thread a shade darker than the fabric, because it looks darker on the spool. 
4. Purchase your threads and fabric at the same time, because the dyes are made to coordinate each season. If you wait to purchase thread until a few years later, it may be difficult to find any to match your fabric.
5. Pretreat your fabric before sewing, as you would when the project is finished, such as machine washing/drying or drycleaning. This will remove any sizing chemicals and pre-shrink the fabric so it doesn’t shrink after you complete it.
6. If it is difficult to determine the right side of fabric from the wrong side, make a giant X or diagonal lines on the wrong side with tailor’s chalk or a sliver of bar soap. This will make sure your right and wrong sides are consistent on all pieces.
7. Stock up on sewing notions: basic and specialty thread colors, machine and hand needles, assortment of fusible and iron on interfacings (and stabilizers if you do decorative machine stitching, appliqué or machine embroidery), zippers, hooks and eyes, snaps and so forth. Store in organizers and check your inventory before going to the fabric store to take advantage of sales.

Sewing Machine Tips:

1. Replace your needles after 8 hours of sewing because they become dull and ragged (or flat, burred) which may cause poor skipped stitches, holes to form while the seam is being stitched, or throw off your machine timing, requiring a repair.
2. Place a piece of rubber drawer liner under your sewing machine, serger, and foot pedal to absorb noise, prevent machine movement and the foot pedal from creeping across the floor or carpeting.
3. Cut your thread at an angle before threading the needle, it is easier to thread.
4. For more professional looking top-stitching, try using three threads on the top spool of the sewing machine. Fill three bobbins with the thread you are using and stack together on the spool holder, increase stitch length, use a larger eye needle (either increase the needle size or use a topstitching needle).

   To hear what a sewing machine sounds like when it is sewing properly, click on the play button below:

5. When your machine isn’t stitching correctly, change the sewing machine needle, use a quality thread (like Gutterman or Metrosene), clean out the lint from the bobbin area and oil machine if needed.

Time Savers:

1. Fill more than one bobbin for each project, several for larger projects. When your bobbin becomes low or empty, just pop in another, without interrupting your sewing to fill another bobbin.
2. Bring patterns, project books, magazines and so forth with you when you need to wait for appointments, to read on work breaks, when you are staying in motel rooms, or traveling by plane, bus or car. Make notes for future project ideas.
3. Plan for and gather supplies for several projects at the same time. Cut them out and place each project together in a ziplock bag with pattern, notions & thread.

Links to Other Sewing Sites:

Newsletters
http://sewing.com/site/sewntell.aspx

Free Projects
http://www.sewing.org/scripts/blog/
Baby Lock Projects - Free sewing and serger projects and patterns from Baby Lock:
http://www.babylock.com/projects/

Supplies
http://www.clotilde.com/
http://www.sewinglinks.com/
http://www.nancysnotions.com/

Sewing Machine Companies
http://www.babylock.com/
http://www.berninausa.com/
http://www.brother-usa.com/homesewing/
http://www.elna.com/http://www.husqvarnaviking.com/
Sears Sewing Machines
http://janome.com/
http://www.pfaff.com/
http://www.singerco.com/