- 2 min read

Sewing Over Pins? Ashley Hough Offers Great Tips and Tricks

Sewing over pins can be a contentious subject for many sewers. Some sewers make it a rule to never sew over pins and others have always sewed that way. Sewing over pins is a personal choice, and the type of pin you use can have an effect.

Ashley Hough from National Sewing Circle talks about some of the different types of pins available today and gives you great tips for choosing your sewing pins:

If you are one who struggles with pinning, or picking them up due to arthritic hands or other issues, pins with soft silicone grips may be the best choice for you. Because of the grips on these pins they can be much larger than standard pins, meaning you may want to avoid sewing over them.

Ashley also discusses different types of pins that are easier to sew over because of their size and thickness. These types of sewing pins are known as silk or satin pins and are very fine. These pins are very flexible and usually bend before a needle breaks.

Ashley also mentions sewing pin placement and how placing your pins in a different area or in a different direction can help you to sew past the pins, or to remove the pins easier.

Short pins, like applique or sequin pins, can be placed further back off of the seam allowance so you can easily sew past them, while placing the pin so the head of the pin is in the direction of your dominant hand makes removing them easier.