10 Essential Hand Sewing Tips and Tricks For Beginners

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Prewashing

Prewashing is one of the most important things you should keep in mind while hand sewing your cloth.  Cut the small or uneven edges of the cloth and then soak for at least 30 mins and once it is done, let it dry completely. This will help you know if there is an uneven side of the cloth present or not. The zigzag edges help in the prevention of unraveling of cloth.

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Ironing the Cloth

No matter what kind of cloth you are dealing with, it is crucial to iron it well so that you would be able to align it quickly and would be able to take measurements in a better way.  After you are done ironing, keep the cloth on the table with a smooth surface so that it would be easy to take measurements and make the adjustments to the cloth as required.

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Placing Pins for Position Securing

When you are done with making all of the proper adjustments and measurements, cut the piece accordingly. Secure the pieces that you have to stitch with the help of safety pins. These pins are excellent in keeping the cloth at its place and will not allow it to move so that you can stitch it without getting worried. Most of the time, I usually face issues while sewing as I forget which piece 

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Placing Pins for Position Securing

attaches where. Therefore when I started using pins for securing cloth, it made it a lot easier.  You will not need to think about which part you have to stitch as everything in front of you will be present just in the right place. This trick will no doubt make your life easier and your hand sewing even better.

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Choosing the Right Type of Needle

Now before knowing anything regarding hand sewing, you must know about needles. There are a variety of needles that you can easily find in your nearby store. There are two kinds of needles: platinum and metallic needles, which can be stainless steel or iron.  Platinum needles are expensive and are twice the value of ordinary needles, but they are long-lasting and don’t break the thread 

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Choosing the Right Type of Needle

of the cloth while sewing. There is a range of numbers present in needles as well. For example, the number 1 is heavy in its weight and significant in its size. These are used for amending sacks or sewing challenging items, whereas the needle of number 10 is fine in its size and is small and sharp. This small-sized needle will be perfect for hand sewing the clothes. As the number increases, the size of the 

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Choosing the Right Type of Needle

needle decreases, and it will become more refined and better for stitching. There are two ends of the needle. The pointed end helps with sewing, and the other end has a hole in which you can put your thread or cord through which you want to stitch. If you buy a need of good quality trust me, they won’t wear out as I am still using the needles that I repurchased for six years and they are still the same 

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Choosing the Right Type of Needle

and in perfect condition of using them again. If you buy a needle of low quality, there are high chances that its hole will probably break down after a few uses.  Or, if it is made up of iron, it will catch rust due to moisture in the environment. Therefore invest in the best quality, and it will be with you for a more extended period. Needles can cause shear, break the thread or cause damage to the fiber of the 

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Choosing the Right Type of Needle

cloth if used for an extended period. And you will observe this more in needles with low quality.  You will need to buy a new needle if you observe that it is becoming hard to pull out the needle or if the needle is snagging the fabric and not sinking into the cloth you are sewing.

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Choosing the Right Type of Thread

For hand sewing, you also need to choose the right type of thread for your fabric. You should not choose a thread that is weak and breaks easily.  In the same way, you cannot opt for a thread that is too thick to come into your needle hole. For this purpose, you need to select initially which kind of hand sewing you want to do. If you are doing darting, then you can use cotton 

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Choosing the Right Type of Thread

thread. It is an all-purpose thread, so you can use it for any kind of neat stitching, like if you are stitching your dress or darting the holes in your dress.  If you are also interested in embroidery, you can use silk threads, wool threads, or even metallic ones. Depending upon the type of customized designing you are going to do.

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Running the Thread Through Wax

If you are frustrated with your tangled threads, then this is the perfect trick for you.  While sewing clothes, if you run your thread from bee wax, it will make your thread smooth and become non-tangly and easy for you to stitch your dress. It will make your insertion as easy as butter.

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Using Thimble

As I already told you about myself, I used to poke myself multiple times with the needle, and it used to be very uncomfortable and painful.  The easy solution for removing that poking was getting a thimble. Trust me, guys. It is a fantastic product for hand stitching, and it will prevent you from getting poked from needles while you are putting on a button or even a hook.

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Using Tissue Paper Under Slippery Cloth

Stitching silk clothes is seriously an issue, and apart from that, various other fabrics slip during hand sewing even if you secure them through safety pins.  One of the best tricks for this kind of fabric is that I recommend using tissue paper under the fabric as the tissue paper will stay at its place and won’t allow the fabric to move freely.

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Ironing the Cloth Before and After Sewing

When you are done with your stitching, it is equally essential to iron your dress after stitching.  During this process, try to run over the area you have stitched and press it well. Ironing the cloth will help it come in proper shape and make the crease very well after stitching.

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Using Hair Spray for Thread

An additional tip that I would like to give you is using hairspray on your thread if you cannot put it in the needle hole.  The hair spray will help in making the end of the string a little stiff. Due to this, you will be able to put it in the hole within no time.

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