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10 Mistakes Every Apparel Sewist Will Make
Have you ever wondered why it happens to you? That moment you sit down to your machine to complete that super-fast thirty minute project and it somehow becomes a three hour project. I spent several hours on an infinity scarf once, it only had two seams. How is that even possible? For me, it was an issue of plaids not lining up and being slightly OCD, but sometimes it is just a total brain fart. (Sorry, I really thought that was the best word here.)
The truth is that we make crazy mistakes all the time. I like to think that there are two types of sewists in the world, the ones who have made these mistakes, and the ones who are going to make them. No one is safe! I’ve made a list of the “Big Boo Boos” that make us want to pull out our hair, scream profanities, and sometime cry when we do them.
#1 Stitch A Sleeve on Inside Out
I’m going to be guilty of all the mistakes on this list, but this is one I’ve probably done more than any of the others. I swear I double and triple check before I put my fabric to the machine. I mentally scream profanity when this happens and then blame it on my machine. If it doesn’t stop doing this stuff, I’m going to toss it out for an upgrade.
Want to learn how to set in sleeves? Check out Fearless Set-in Sleeve.
#2 Sew a Skirt to the Wrong Side of a Bodice
Sewing a skirt to the wrong side of a bodice is a total bummer. This mistake is amplified when you topstitch the seam allowance before you realize you have screwed up. This usually happens to me when my husband asks when I’m coming to bed and I holler down that all I have left to do is sew the skirt on and I’ll be done in 10 minutes. AHH! Then I realize what I have done. This is when I go ahead and plop down with my seam fix (read about that here) and turn on some Netflix. Really, I should call it SeamFlix or RipFlix with how often I watch and rip at the same time.
#3 Catch Your Fabric in Your Serger Knife
You are completely finished with your project and on the last run of the serger your worst sewing nightmare occurs. Your serger knife cuts a section of your fabric that somehow snuck in under the knife. This is not a curse words type of event. Break out the tears and throw in the towel for another day. I know a hundred people will say to patch up that hole with a few stitches and plop a fabric flower or something similar over top. My heart just can’t accept that as a fix. It is O-V-E-R, over.
#4 Iron the Wrong Side of Fusible Interfacing
Do you iron in a dark basement or bonus room of your house? In these dark spaces it is hard to make out the fusible side of interfacing versus the right side. Scrubbing fusible interfacing off my hot iron is not my preferred past time, so I try to keep this to a minimum. I haven’t managed to do this with my newest iron, so knock on wood that I don’t do that this week. What is the best way to get that gunk off anyway?
#5 Sew a Neck Binding with the Seam in the Front
I just made this mistake last week. It was on one of those fast projects that should be quick to whip up until you are unpicking a wrapped neck binding that has been serged, wrapped, and then top-stitched with a twin needle. Grr… That crew neck suddenly became a scoop neck. I’m a designer and didn’t even know it. I think this mistake probably happens more often to the sewist in general than the other ones I’ve mentioned. I feel like I see people share this mistake often. Have you done it?
#6 Cut Through Your Buttonhole Stitches
For goodness sake, stop using your seam ripper to open up your button holes! I swear this is the culprit to our demise. Putting the pins in the ends of the button hole so you don’t go too far didn’t fix my issues. I sometimes snag seems in the center of the buttonhole too. Instead, I use Fiskar Micro Touch scissors (affiliate link) with the spring opening. I feel like I have more control over my hands with this and so much more success.
#7 Cut Two Pieces Instead of One on the Fold
Yap, I don’t know about you, but I only do this when I have just enough fabric to complete my project without any screw ups. I’ve made it better by adding some fabric in the center, piecing it together, and then calling it a design feature. Really, we could try to fix a lot of these mistakes by implementing a designer feature.
#8 Sew a Hem or Seam Without Bobbin Thread
This is a mistake that is easily laughed off, but done often. In fact, I did sew and entire skirt hem this week without bobbin thread. I feel the same way about threading my bobbin as I do stopping for gas. I don’t like to take the time to do it. It slows me down. Because of that, I never completely fill the bobbin (or my gas tank for that matter) because I don’t want to wait for it. Do you see how this could cause a problem. Not filling it then causes me to have to come back and fill up more often. It is a horrible cycle!
#9 Snip Your Thread When Notching Curves
Guilty! This has happened to me. It is super frustrating. This could probably be paired up with the buttonhole mistakes. Of all the examples listed, this is one I think about every time I’m working. I don’t want to have be the one restitching to try to make something come out right.
#10 Melt Your Fabric with a Hot Iron
We like steam. To have steam in our irons, we need our irons to be HOT, HOT, HOT. This is great on sturdy cotton and linen selections, however on less stable pieces you may have experienced melting your fabric with your iron. I also think my husband does this fairly often on his clothing as well, then he leaves the residue on the iron to share it with the next thing that I am working on. Always check your iron before using it. You never know what could be stuck to it before you put your iron to your fabric!
So, these are the big mistakes everyone makes. Are there any you haven’t done? Do you have a story to share about a major boo boo? Be sure to share it with us so we can bond. Even if you cried over it the first time, you can laugh now while helping to keep others from doing the same.
This post is written by Cassy Gobin of Pear Berry Lane Blog. Wife, mother, teacher, and sewing enthusiast.
My latest boo boo was putting the binging on the neckband with the seam of the join in the neckband showing. I was so proud of the garment until I saw that seam. I had to leave it that was because I couldn’t see the stitching well enough to distinguish the seam line from the shirt material. It’s a good thing I have long hair to hide it.
I really have enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. Apart from sewing for myself and sewing various bags and home linens to sell, I do repairs and alterations for a local shop,
So you can imagine I have done my share of sewing boobs over time, but they all come out OK in the end. I have learned not to panic when it happens which is not very often now, but I do thank God for the adhesive ‘hemming web’ when I do, as It makes it so easy to repair the odd little slip.
I have learned to check my measurements 2 or 3 times before cutting into a really expensive pair of trousers or dress. As an additional precaution, I always use a silicone mat when ironing. The only problem I have with my iron is, I forget where my pins are and melt the plastic tops.
Happy sewing everyone.
Val
I’m an experienced ”sewist” now in my senior years, but I swear that my middle name should be Murphy because if there’s something that can go wrong, I’ll do it!
To remove melted gunk from my iron, I use full strength Sol-U-Mel from Melaleuca. Works like a charm. ?
After a few years of sewing, you will quit making those mistakes. I’ve been sewing over thirty years now and I don’t make those mistakes any more, and I also don’t get frustrated as easily either. You just get used to it I guess. Now I work at a costume shop where I am learning even more, in a room full of very awesome seamstresses. I’m learning some couture sewing tricks too. If you make it your goal to never stop learning, you will get there. It’s fun to assembly line sew as well. Have a girlfriend come over, and make a few like items at once. A friend and I once made 6 long sleeved button down shirts together. It was fun and we did it in record time, plus, I excelled at packets after that. Also if you watch old musicals as you sew and sing along loudly and off key it’s more fun and keeps men far from sewing room.
The worst mistake I made was 50 years ago. I was making a dress for competition (4H) at our local fair. At the last moment I noticed that my neck facing had a little bit of fabric folded over. I sat down to rip out the stitching where the boo boo was, which was right in the center of the front of this dropped waist dress that I had used a nice rayon on. As I was stretching the two pieces apart to use my seam ripper to remove the stitches, and it tore right down the middle. I had already shown this, and received high score, so it qualified for the next level. It had to be 2 hours away, I had to have it at the judging hall at 6 am, and it is 9 pm. I had to take the dress apart, re-design the front, add ribbon to hide the unnecessary seam. I got up from my machine at 3:30 am, got in the car with a thermos of coffee. I won supreme prize. But since then I am still a little nervous with a seam ripper. Using a bird has helped immensely, and I had my great grandmother’s that night, but I considered it “old fashion” and did not use it. I still have it, and hopefully, one of my great grandchildren will take up sewing, since none of my grandchildren have. I do have hope for a daughter in law though!
Yikes. You are making me afraid of a serger. My personal boo-boo is sewing pockets in pants backwards. EVERY TIME…sometimes twice!
I had a semi-industrial Novum sewing machine for 45 years. It was brilliant and must have stitched to the moon and back in its time. Sadly it pinged off a part that was irreplaceable so wouldn’t zigzag without holding the lever over. Also it weighed 22 kilos and became too heavy for me to lift onto the table as I got older. I miss its bobbin winding. You could put 2 spools up at the same time. 1 to the needle and 1 to the bobbin winder. So as you stitched your next bobbin was being wound. So when your using bobbin ran out, the next one was already full. Does anyone know of a domestic one that does this?
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Hi Jenni, I am not a sewing machine expert, but from what I know there are plenty of sewing machines with a separate bobbin winding mechanism. They are all in the higher-end range, so probably not something you can buy off the shelf of JoAnn or Walmart. My old sewing machine (I don’t have it anymore), Brother Innovis Duetta 4500D had 2 spools/separate bobbin winder. I suggest you call up some sewing machine stores and they will be able to tell you the models they have with this function.
I have a Singer Quintet that does that for me, as well as a gazillion other things it can do. Maybe someday I’ll sit down and learn maybe one or two a day.
Remember, I said both maybe and someday. lol
I have a “starter” Brother csi5000 or something like that I bought for my 34th birthday to teach myself to sew. I paid $160 from Walmart or a similar big box stores. 6 years later, I sew a ton of my own clothing & have learned a cool trick to wind a bobbin without unthreading the machine – even if I’m using a different spool of thread. It’s not as convenient but damn close. Simply remove your fabric, raise the needle, but lower your presser foot with the needle in the basic straight stich posion and pull the thread out gently from beneath, start it on an empty Bobbi and put the bobbin on the winder and lock it in place. Then wind the bobbin by pedal as usual, the thread tension from the presser foot lowered works perfectly, I just wind it on 3\4 speed to avoid putting too much stress on the still threaded needle, especially if it’s a 70/10 or another speciality or extra fine needle. When you’re finished, clip the thread, replace your bobbin, and lift the pressure foot an get back to sewing. It takes me less than a minute from start to finish and I’ve found it works on every modern machine I’ve used, although the tip was given to me from a lifelong seamstress using a vintage – probably antique- Singer. If you’re using a different spool, just use the 2nd spool holder and thread the new thread with the existing thread but don’t thread the sewing needle, just put it thru the tension bar above and then pull it out from underneath the lowered presser foot. (or if you can stack them on your main one, that’s worked out great as well and is useful when you’re wanting a different shade of thread in the bobbin than you’d initially prepared).
Like I said – not quite as convenient but takes moments and eliminates a ton of time and energy and wasted thread. For the record, however, I would love to own a nicer (read: mechanical machine with metal parts, not a digital plastic one) but until then – thiis is one of the best short cuts and time savers for me.
Bobbins! How I hate them!
Why, why, have they not invented a machine that feeds thread from a spool into the lower chamber? I would gleefully buy extra spools just for that. As it is, I basically only ever use black and white thread, and wind about a dozen bobbins at a time so I have lots.
But I still hate, grrr hate, replacing the bobbin.
To avoid running out of bobbin thread (my personal #1 pet peeve) I always wind 2-3 of the colour I need for my project. Then when I do run out I have one ready to drop in. (if my toddlers haven’t run off with them!) It has saved me many a stressful night when I have “just one more seam” to sew!
I just bought more bobbins this week so I can do this more often!
I do this too! Makes it so much easier! Especially when you are sewing a wide skirt hem and it runs it…the pits!
Running out of bobbin thread at the hem is almost a tradition with me. Seems I can’t take the time to check it. Someone suggested filling two bobbins and using one as the top thread so when ur close to running out on top, your also close on bottom bobbin. I think I need to try that. Thank goodness for a sense of humor.
Seamflix, Ripflix. .. I’m sew right there with you… also keeps me sane through the hand sewing!
Oh my goodness, this is too funny! Guilty as charged on almost all of them! 🙂 Lisa
One time I was sewing a zipper in a bag. When I went to turn the bag right side out, the zipper tab had been sewn so it was outside the seam.
Another reason why I don’t really make bags! I’m terrified! 🙂
I sew invisible zippers in the sides or backs of skirts and dresses wrong the first time, every time. I know I have this issue, yet when I’m finished inserting it wrong – usually with the teeth aligned WITH the seam on one side of the garment but the other side I get right, I will try to turn the garment right side out to check the invisibility and just keep turning the fabric like a Mobius dress for maybe 5 or 10 (+++) minutes with a growing sense of uneasiness -“Why isn’t this working? Did I just jumble up the laws of physics and enter into the multiverse of 12 dimensionality posited by quantum string theorists and if so, what kind of dimension won’t let me turn this dress RIGHT SIDE OUT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD???” And then I remember my invisible zippers issue. And I’m back in our current 3/4D dimension feeling really frustrated with my waste of the 4th D, Time, as unpick the thing. I swear someday one of my Mobius dresses will yield a whole new type of garment because I cannot seem to stop making them!
Well, I just scrolled down to your family photo and I’m absolutely amazed that you get any sewing done at all with those beautiful, little distractions!
Congratulations on only making a few very minor errors. I’ve been sewing for about sixty years and I still make at least one mistake on every garment I make. That’s the nature of our craft. After all, it’s not like painting or sculpting where you can just wipe it out with another stroke.
More power to you!
Glad to hear others sewing and enjoying the process, mistakes and all. Enjoyed reading ur reply. I don’t know if u can beat this tho. I sewed a toddler size pj bottoms upside down: The hem as the waist and the waist as a hem…twice. ?
Done so many of these, sigh…. I also managed to snip through my fabric when doing the final tidy of loose threads!
meeee toooo. i hate that the only reason i haven’t cut fabric on the serger is cuz i don’t have a serger. or a smart phone, or anythng really complicated
Love to see we are all in the same boat!
To get anything off the bottom of the iron, just leave it on and iron over a dryer sheet, it will clean it in seconds and leave your sewing room smelling wonderful!
Through trial and error, I’ve learned to match the interfacing with the fabric, in other words, learned to buy black interfacing for dark colors, you can imagine how a white can peep through on a thin dark print
Here is a solution for ironing the wrong side of fusible interfacing. White vinegar and water, using a Mr. Clean magic eraser. Works like a dream!
when my oldest daughter was a teen a made her a long sleeve blouse with cuffs. She wore it to an Easter program, something didn’t look quite right but I couldn’t figure out what it was until I had the picture developed and I saw that I had the sleeves switched where the hole made from the cuff being buttoned was in the front instead of the back, oops.
I did that once also. A beautiful mint green blouse with special buttons on the cuffs.
Me too, but it was my husband taking once in a lifetime family pictures with his 105 yr old great grandmother!
The mistake I have made more than any other isn’t listed so it must be peculiarly mine: I cut two sleeves/legs the same, ie, two left sleeves or legs. One time I did it was when I was making an outfit for my mother-in-law to wear at her daughter’s wedding. I was only just pregnant with my second child and very sick. I cut two left sides for the sleeveless coat that was to go over the dress. It was expensive fabric and we were poor, but I raced back to the shop and managed to get just enough extra fabric to cut a right side – boy was I nervous putting scissors to fabric. It all worked out in the end, she looked good, but I was too ill to be her matron of honour. Them’s the breaks. But that is my nightmare booboo. And sadly, that was not the only time I made it.
I’m always paranoid about this mistake. I try to cut with my fabric folded to help me not mess this up. When I cut single layers to make something fit I have to check it a zillion times before I cut.
You’re not alone–I have done this also!! So, so frustrating!
Yep, I did this as a teenager when making a bathrobe for my mom.
In those days they let you take the pattern pieces out of the envelope before you bought your pattern and fabric. I could usually “save” a good bit of fabric by shortening some pieces and moving the pieces around. My “economical” layout for the bathrobe meant I had to cut the sleeves separately and I forgot to flip the sleeve pattern over for the second one.
Poor mom (who didn’t sew) kept insisting I must be able to use the second right sleeve in place of the left. I finally convinced her the only way to do that was to use the wrong side of the velour fabric! My clever “economy” was completely used up when I had to go back and buy more fabric!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cut out a pattern piece with the print upside-down. It’s one of those mistakes that I seem doomed to repeat over and over, never learning to slow down and check my print.
So far… I haven’t done that one yet! I’m waiting for the day though. I’m overly paranoid about that.
Been there; done most of that; probably will again.
Yes with so many of these! Great list. Two other mistakes I hate to make – catching the main part of your garment under your serger needles. Oh, and ripping your fabric instead of just your stitches when using your seam ripper.
Ripping the fabric is a big one, I agree. We may need a round two list!
Other mistakes that I believe (HOPE) are common: cutting 2 of 1 piece instead of 1 right and 1 left; NOT cutting on fold; sewing cuffs on wrong sleeves; sewing button holes on wrong side (I am SO used to wearing men’s clothing)
Oh the bobbins! I’m the same way about not filling the bobbins up all the way…sew, sew, sew….ahhhh finished yay…oh not yay! Curse you bobbins!
There needs to be a “low bobbin light”. If that’s not already a thing, for the record, it was my idea send all the money to me!
PS I’ve done 8 out of 10 on your list….wahhhh!
Newer machines do have that function! My Brother Innovis Duetta has it! https://www.instagram.com/p/BDTrgP4MLAM/?taken-by=itchtostitch
Great post!! Thanks for the tips!
I’m new to sewing but enjoy several other crafts, I will be keeping these tips handy!
Every single one of them. Ha! I’ve got a Craft Gossip post scheduled for later today that features your post: http://sewing.craftgossip.com/?p=87656 –Anne
Thanks for sharing Anne! I’ll be sure to check it out!
7 out of 10 but I don’t have a serger at the moment and I only made something with button holes gor the first time last week so give it time :p I have a Davila that’s been unfinished for a year because I’ve sewn the sleeves and skirt wrong side and I’m pretty sure it’s ruined because the fabric unravels like crazy (it was a late night and wine was involved 🙁
That’s so sad. Sit down with a movie and give it a pick. If it ravels you could trim and adjust the seam allowance a bit. Worse case scenario, upcycle into something else. 🙂
Love the list. I’ve done 9 of the 10 items. And that’s 9 because I don’t have a serger. If I did I would have done all of them. I found the perfect thing for removing interfacing from an iron – dip an old toothbrush into some white vinegar and scrub a warm iron. The pieces of stuck interfacing will either fall off or can be peeled off easily.
Guilty of 7 out of 10 (sigh….).
It’s the seam ripping that takes the most time. Take 2 seconds to sew in the wrong spot and an eternity to undo it! Ha!
All true!! I have my own iron for sewing, so thankfully I know what condition it has been left in every time. Tip, when I start a project, I fill two bobbins, I hate having to unthread my machine to fill a bobbin ?
That’s a great tip! I may need to buy more bobbins!
That serger knife is fatal! I had a tiny hole the other day that was able to be repaired, but usually, one slip ruins the whole garment! Nice list !
You forgot
-sewing the buttonholes on the wrong side
-cutting off a zipper stop and then unzipping the zipper mechanism totally off the tape
-cutting 2 lefts or 2 rights because you forgot to flip the pattern while cutting single layers
– and my favorite ripping something out and then sewing it back the exact same wrong way!
The zipper pull almost made the list!!! I just did this recently and had to watch several YouTube videos to figure out how to get the pull back on!
I love your additions! I’ve done all but the button hole one!
I have also cut out a coat making extra sure all the pieces were pattern matched, on grain, etc, only to find when I wore it that the fabric pile was running upwards and not downwards ??????
I made a cute corduroy outfit for my daughter, and checked and re-checked the direction of the nap. I mean, I made a concerted effort before cutting! And then I pinned the back vest piece to the fabric in the wrong direction. Oops!
Sometimes I think the times that I’m really trying to take the most care not to screw it up are the ones that are the biggest mistakes.
Love this list, it made me giggle just because after over years of sewing experience I can remember doing all those things on the list…and most recently iron the wrong side of interfacing. What a mess it made!
We giggle now… I know some I’ve cried over. 🙂 Your poor iron!
Great post! I learned the hard way that the best way to get gunk off the iron is to use and iron shoe! BEST THING EVER INVENTED!! Protects your fabric, gunk doesn’t stick and if it does, just wipes off. I can usually press just about any fabric without fear of burning it.
The worst for me is cutting the fabric with the serger, I agree, it’s over when that happens.
I have never heard of an iron shoe… Another item to add to the “must get” list. I’m super interested in this.
Iron Off is a product by Dritz that will clean your iron. Don’t ask me how I know! You can also use a silicone pressing mat but I can never find mine when I need it!
Used dryer sheets will get the vast majority of gunk off your iron. I use a stainless steel one without a nonstick coating. I figured since fusibles ALWAYS say to NEVER use fabric softener when prewashing fabric, maybe they would remove some steam a seam from my new ironing board cover. Or I’d have to take it off, rub it with isopropyl alcohol or GoBeGone, spot treat, launder, reshape, fight to get it back on just right… I took a used dryer sheet and ironed it on the adhesive. For 10 seconds. It removed all the adhesive AND made my iron look and feel as though I’d deep cleaned it to remove mineral deposits and adhesives with that Iron Off stuff and running it on high steam with white vinegar instead of water for 2-4 full tanks and used baking soda and a toothbrush around the edges of the sole plate. Awesomeness, right?
I use them after I use any kind of adhesives from fusibles to glues of all sorts, or when I’m using freezer paper stencils or when I iron it was side down to unruly knit fabric as pattern paper or just to tame the stuff so I can cut it. Just iron a used dryer sheet on cotten or linen and hit full steam a few times, put your back into it to generate some friction LOL and VOILA! Clean iron. I keep an empty plastic Folgers coffee binnwith a big X cut in the lid to shove used dryer sheets into on top of my stacked machines, I use them to dust tings especially those awful generic apartment blinds, and they’re awesome for removing nail polish instead of cotton balls, they’re more abrasive and less absorbent so more remover gets on your polish and scrubs off in a fraction of the time. Oh, they also repel gnats and mosquitos if you tuck a couple into your shirt or – I learned this one from living in Florida throughout college and not wanting to wear bugspray whenever someone was grilling out because then it just tastes like DEET. Works for a barbeque, I wouldn’t rely on them while hiking in summer or anything 😉
You missed sew a leeve upside down, i.e the underarmseam hitting the shoulderseam and even wear the dress (very stretchy fabric) several tims before I found out
Epic :-O
That’s a seriously good one! I can totally see myself doing this too!
And I have sewn them in back to front ???
I sewed the skirt to the bodice wrong not once but twice on the same garment. 🙁
Oh no!! How horrible!
Ok….., then I think I’m not supposed to be sewing, just b/c I did before. Taking my time and TRY’N to think my way through it – good to hear that “stuff” happens to others. Be Blessed – keep pushing forward.
Great list. One of my most aggravating mistakes was thinking I sewed the skirt to the wrong side of the bodice and ripping it out only to find that I had really sewn it correctly the first time.
I’ve done that before! Taking something out only to discover that it was right to begin with. :*(
I totally did this with a shirt with the sleeve bindings. I almost put that on the list. My poor racer back had stripes, so it ended up looking like it had a yellow binding on one arm and a gray one on the other!!! I was ready to toss it!
Yes!!! That is many more times more frustrating than actually having made the mistake you thought you made!