PINS AND NEEDLES

PINS Pins are sized by their length Pins are made of steel or stainless steel You should discard any pins that are dull or bent because they will SNAG fabric SEAMSTER PINS = general all purpose SILK PINS = smaller diameter; used for lightly woven, finer fabrics

BALL POINT PINS = Slightly rounded tip Invented when double knits were popular Works on most oven fabrics as well QUILITING PINS = Use with thick fabrics A guideline for pin selection = always use the thinnest pin you can on the fabric your working with

NEEDLES

NEEDLE SIZES The lighter the fabric the smaller the size needle you need Most clothing fabrics use sizes 12/80 or 14/90

NEEDLE TYPES JEANS NEEDLE SELF THREADING NEEDLE

STRETCH NEEDLE WING NEEDLE

WEDGE OR LEATHER NEEDLE TWIN OR DOUBLE NEEDLES

If Your Sewing Machine is not working. . .

Serger Review/Tips The most important thing to remember about serging is to leave a “thread tail” afterwards so that it will not come unthreaded. Do not lift up the presser foot unless you are serging around a round edge. Make sure the presser foot is down before beginning to serge. The FIRST thing to check when a serger is not operating properly is to check the machine threading. On a serger, the metal prong around which stitches are formed is called the stitch finger. The part of the serger that trims the seam allowances as the stitches are formed are the knives. The loopers control the lower thread.

All-Purpose Sewing Machine Thread Lint in both the sewing machine and serger should be removed regularly to prevent build-up. Serger thread is finer in size and must be good quality to prevent thread breakage and lint accumulation. All-Purpose Sewing Machine Thread Serger Thread