Pants & Shorts Patterns

Sewing Quick Tips:

Tip #1: When preshrinking fabric, zigzag or serge the raw edges of your yardage before tossing it into your
washing machine. This will keep the edges from fraying (and becoming a tangled mess) during the laundering
process.

Tip #2: Sewing machine needles can become dull with use (if you hear a thumping noise when sewing, your
needle is probably dull). Therefore, change your needle with every new sewing project or after about eight
hours of continuous sewing.

Tip #3: When stitching heavy denim fabrics, use a “denim” or “jeans” sewing machine needle. The thicker shaft
and sharper point of this needle can pierce through thick layers of denim easily and without breaking.

And to make sewing over fabric bumps (where several layers of fabric come together) easier, try using a
“Jean-a-ma-jig” or a “Hump-jumper” (your local fabric store should carry them). This tool will keep your
presser foot level as you sew over the bump and give your feed dogs (the little teeth that stick up beyond
your needle plate) something to grip onto to help move your fabric forward.