Sewing hacks that will make your life a breeze

You’ll definitely want to try out these quick and easy tips from the pros to make sewing even easier and the bonus is that most of these hacks use everyday objects that you already have lying around the house.

Fork it

Andrea's Notebook has this amazing trick for those troublesome pleats. Did you know you can get perfectly even pleats with something as simple as a fork? 

Cut and rip

Make It Love It says to quickly cut fabric snip into the fabric and rip the fabric apart by pulling apart both sides. This will also help you to find the grain of the fabric. 

No fuss needle threading

Tired of trying over and over to thread a needle with a limp piece of thread and no success? Sweet Red Poppy suggests spraying the tip of your thread with hairspray to quickly thread a needle. 

Goodbye bent pins

Say no to bent and ruined pins! Make It Love It suggests poking the pins into a bar of soap to straighten them out. 

Pipe cleaners for that professional clean

It’s also important to clean your machine regularly to keep it operating properly. According to Tuesday Stitches pipe cleaners cut and tucked into coffee stirrers are perfect for brushing debris from your machine. 

Nail polish to the rescue

Clear nail polish will do wonders for those pesky buttons that love to unravel. Life Hacker.com suggests a coat of clear nail polish to keep the thread from unravelling and keep your buttons in place for much longer. 

Zip it with ease

On her blog, Nancy Zieman shares some interesting tricks for dealing with zippers. She suggests sewing right along the edge where you want the zipper to be eventually. Remember to sew so that your seam allowances stay the same as the rest of the garment. Press the seam open, ironing the seam allowance back against the wrong side of the project. Install the zipper in its closed position. Position the top of the zipper so the pull is just above the top line of the garment. 

Use 2 pencils for that perfect seam

While you are tracing the pattern onto tracing paper, Sew McCool suggests using two pencils instead of one. All you have to do is secure them together with a rubber band. Trace with the inside pencil, and the outside pencil will draw your seam allowance.

Bias those edges

Craftsy.com suggests using bias tape to finish off raw edges. With a little bit of practice, you can use bias tape to finish off even armholes. Bias tape is an elegant way to finish your clothes, and it’s a great opportunity to add an accent colour to your garment. 

Mother's Day is just around the corner but if you haven't picked up a gift yet, fear not. If your mum has always had a flair for design whether it’s fashion or interior decorating then we have the perfect gift for her. The Brother range of sewing machines is now available on the ECR Shop from just R1,800. Plus, as an East Coast Radio exclusive, your mum will get a free 1-hour introductory lesson on how to get the most of her machine.