https://www.sewingtip.com/Sewing guides, machine advice and shop notes.en-usTue, 25 Aug 2026 14:32:54 +0000https://www.sewingtip.com/cording-and-piping-feet-for-trims-and-edges/https://www.sewingtip.com/cording-and-piping-feet-for-trims-and-edges/Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:47:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesCording and piping feet have a channel or groove underneath that cradles a raised cord so your stitching lands right beside it, tight and straight.https://www.sewingtip.com/why-your-machine-is-skipping-stitches/https://www.sewingtip.com/why-your-machine-is-skipping-stitches/Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:31:13 +0000Machine Maintenance and TroubleshootingA skipped stitch means the hook missed the thread loop. Work through the causes in order of likelihood, starting with the needle, and you will usually solve it without touching machine timing.https://www.sewingtip.com/bias-binding-making-and-applying-it/https://www.sewingtip.com/bias-binding-making-and-applying-it/Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:15:57 +0000Core Sewing TechniquesBias strips stretch and curve because no yarn runs the length of the strip. That single structural fact explains how to cut binding, how to join it, and how to apply it around a neckline.https://www.sewingtip.com/walking-feet-for-even-layers-and-slippery-fabric/https://www.sewingtip.com/walking-feet-for-even-layers-and-slippery-fabric/Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:41:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesA walking foot, sometimes called an even-feed or dual-feed foot, adds a second set of feed dogs on top so the layers move through together.https://www.sewingtip.com/free-motion-and-darning-feet-for-machine-quilting/https://www.sewingtip.com/free-motion-and-darning-feet-for-machine-quilting/Sun, 23 Aug 2026 13:38:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesFree-motion and darning feet are what let you quilt curves, stipple, and write with thread.https://www.sewingtip.com/zipper-feet-and-the-jobs-they-quietly-handle/https://www.sewingtip.com/zipper-feet-and-the-jobs-they-quietly-handle/Sat, 22 Aug 2026 16:09:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesA zipper foot is narrow so the needle can stitch right up against a zipper coil, a piped edge, or any bulky seam the standard foot cannot ride.https://www.sewingtip.com/longarm-quilting-rent-buy-or-send-out/https://www.sewingtip.com/longarm-quilting-rent-buy-or-send-out/Fri, 21 Aug 2026 21:52:58 +0000Quilting and PatchworkA longarm moves the machine over a fixed quilt instead of the reverse. Here is how renting, sending out and buying compare on cost and space, and how to prepare a top for a quilter.https://www.sewingtip.com/caring-for-garments-so-they-last-longer/https://www.sewingtip.com/caring-for-garments-so-they-last-longer/Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:40:03 +0000Repair, Mending and Sustainable SewingWashing is the main thing that wears clothes out, and the research is fairly specific about which parts of it do the damage. Here is what the evidence says about wash frequency, load size, drying and storage.https://www.sewingtip.com/quarter-inch-feet-for-piecing-that-actually-lines-up/https://www.sewingtip.com/quarter-inch-feet-for-piecing-that-actually-lines-up/Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:41:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesA quarter-inch foot is the first specialty foot most quilters buy, because piecing lives or dies on a consistent seam allowance.https://www.sewingtip.com/presser-feet-every-sewing-room-should-own/https://www.sewingtip.com/presser-feet-every-sewing-room-should-own/Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:47:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesPresser feet are the simplest way to make a machine do more, and most people use three when the box holds a dozen jobs.https://www.sewingtip.com/pattern-markings-and-symbols-decoded/https://www.sewingtip.com/pattern-markings-and-symbols-decoded/Wed, 19 Aug 2026 08:04:11 +0000Garment Construction and FittingGrainlines, notches, dots and dart legs are a compact instruction set. Here is what each symbol on a sewing pattern actually tells you to do, and which marking method suits which fabric.https://www.sewingtip.com/accurate-quarter-inch-piecing/https://www.sewingtip.com/accurate-quarter-inch-piecing/Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:09:57 +0000Quilting and PatchworkThe scant quarter inch exists because thread and the fold of a pressed seam occupy real space. Here is how to test your actual seam allowance, correct it, and stop small errors compounding across a quilt.https://www.sewingtip.com/mechanical-vs-computerized-machines-how-they-differ/https://www.sewingtip.com/mechanical-vs-computerized-machines-how-they-differ/Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:53:42 +0000Sewing Machine FundamentalsThe real difference is not the number of stitches on the front panel. It is whether a metal cam or an electronic circuit decides where the needle goes, and that shapes repairability and failure modes.https://www.sewingtip.com/bobbin-threads-and-prewound-bobbins-for-machine-embroidery/https://www.sewingtip.com/bobbin-threads-and-prewound-bobbins-for-machine-embroidery/Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:09:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesThe bobbin is half of every stitch and the half people ignore until the tension goes wrong.https://www.sewingtip.com/fabric-flammability-and-home-safety/https://www.sewingtip.com/fabric-flammability-and-home-safety/Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:29:57 +0000Sewing Room Safety and ErgonomicsApparel textiles sold in the US must meet a mandatory flammability standard, and children's sleepwear must meet a much stricter one. Here is what those rules cover and why fabric construction matters.https://www.sewingtip.com/quilters-select-para-cotton-for-smooth-machine-quilting/https://www.sewingtip.com/quilters-select-para-cotton-for-smooth-machine-quilting/Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:41:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesBuilding a thread palette is more useful than buying colors one project at a time.https://www.sewingtip.com/electrical-safety-with-irons-and-machines/https://www.sewingtip.com/electrical-safety-with-irons-and-machines/Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:22:18 +0000Sewing Room Safety and ErgonomicsA sewing room combines high draw heating appliances, trailing cords and a great deal of combustible material. This is an informational look at cord condition, outlet loading and unattended irons.https://www.sewingtip.com/building-an-isacord-embroidery-palette-from-the-essentials/https://www.sewingtip.com/building-an-isacord-embroidery-palette-from-the-essentials/Sun, 16 Aug 2026 07:22:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesBuilding a thread palette is more useful than buying colors one project at a time.https://www.sewingtip.com/understanding-commercial-pattern-sizing/https://www.sewingtip.com/understanding-commercial-pattern-sizing/Sat, 15 Aug 2026 19:52:35 +0000Garment Construction and FittingPattern sizes and ready to wear sizes measure different things, which is why the numbers rarely agree. Understanding ease and finished garment measurements makes size selection a calculation.https://www.sewingtip.com/aurifil-cotton-for-piecers-who-notice-the-difference/https://www.sewingtip.com/aurifil-cotton-for-piecers-who-notice-the-difference/Sat, 15 Aug 2026 11:22:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesCotton thread is the natural match for cotton fabric, which is why quilters reach for it out of habit and instinct.https://www.sewingtip.com/knitting-needle-types-and-materials/https://www.sewingtip.com/knitting-needle-types-and-materials/Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:14:05 +0000Knitting and CrochetStraights, circulars, double pointed and interchangeable sets each solve a different problem, and material changes how fast a yarn moves. Sizing systems are where most people come unstuck.https://www.sewingtip.com/mettler-threads-for-everyday-garment-sewing/https://www.sewingtip.com/mettler-threads-for-everyday-garment-sewing/Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:47:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesEvery thread brand has a personality once you have run a few spools, and knowing the lines saves you buying the wrong one.https://www.sewingtip.com/seam-allowances-and-accurate-stitching/https://www.sewingtip.com/seam-allowances-and-accurate-stitching/Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:02:43 +0000Core Sewing TechniquesSeam allowance conventions differ between pattern companies, and a small consistent stitching error multiplies across every seam in a garment. Here is how to measure, guide and test your own accuracy.https://www.sewingtip.com/superior-threads-which-line-for-which-task/https://www.sewingtip.com/superior-threads-which-line-for-which-task/Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:09:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesEvery thread brand has a personality once you have run a few spools, and knowing the lines saves you buying the wrong one.https://www.sewingtip.com/the-madeira-thread-line-up-fiber-by-fiber/https://www.sewingtip.com/the-madeira-thread-line-up-fiber-by-fiber/Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:27:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesEvery thread brand has a personality once you have run a few spools, and knowing the lines saves you buying the wrong one.https://www.sewingtip.com/nylon-and-monofilament-threads-for-nearly-invisible-seams/https://www.sewingtip.com/nylon-and-monofilament-threads-for-nearly-invisible-seams/Mon, 10 Aug 2026 18:33:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesMonofilament and fine nylon threads exist to disappear.https://www.sewingtip.com/english-paper-piecing-for-beginners/https://www.sewingtip.com/english-paper-piecing-for-beginners/Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:07:07 +0000Quilting and PatchworkEnglish paper piecing wraps fabric around paper templates and joins the shapes by hand. Here are papers, basting choices, whipstitch versus flat back stitch, and when to take the papers out.https://www.sewingtip.com/repetitive-strain-and-hand-health-for-sewists/https://www.sewingtip.com/repetitive-strain-and-hand-health-for-sewists/Mon, 10 Aug 2026 08:51:48 +0000Sewing Room Safety and ErgonomicsCutting, hand sewing and unpicking concentrate grip force and wrist deviation in ways that add up. This is an informational overview of the recognised risk factors and of tool and pacing choices.https://www.sewingtip.com/wool-and-silk-threads-for-special-finishes/https://www.sewingtip.com/wool-and-silk-threads-for-special-finishes/Sun, 09 Aug 2026 13:27:00 +0000Buyer's GuidesWool and silk threads are the specialty end of the rack, and each does something ordinary thread cannot.https://www.sewingtip.com/woven-knit-and-nonwoven-structures-explained/https://www.sewingtip.com/woven-knit-and-nonwoven-structures-explained/Sun, 09 Aug 2026 12:15:53 +0000Fabrics and MaterialsWovens interlace, knits loop, nonwovens bond. That structural difference decides stretch, recovery, fraying and which patterns a fabric can be used for, more than fibre content ever does.