My 5 Dirty Sewing Secrets

[@cynthiasloan3867]

I'm with you on toiles. If I do them at all, I only do bits. As for screw ups, I've been sewing for ages mind you, but the other night I messed up, spent ages carefully picking it all out only to sew it back together the same exact wrong way!!! I decided not to set fire to the sewing room and just went to bed but still! TWICE!!!

[@SewEssential]

Oh my days I've been there and got the Tshirt doing the same mistake twice, that really is a test of the old patience!

[@anainjamul2056]

I just subscribed and my dirty little secret is I'm a beginner sewist and have all the tools, sewing machines, fabric and patterns, but I haven't started yet!!!! Love your videos!

[@grumpy_poo]

Whenever I have a massive 'fail' episode... I tell myself I won't do that again.... and just like back to the future.... I do it.... cutting 2 left fronts, sewing a zip in upside down, leaving a pin in an enclosed pocket lining.. etc etc..The unpicker is a very close friend...... and I am an experienced sewer....

[@SewEssential]

hahaha thanks for sharing, it is so true and it feels so good to share, especially for any beginners reading this, I'm sure it will help to motivate and encourage them so much.

[@carolinewilson4771]

I have done all of these but recently have channelled my Grandma and Mum, who taught me this amazing skill and am really enjoying slowing down and hand tacking before committing to the machine. I'm getting better results and enjoying the time and connection with them now they are no longer here. X

[@leepayk-bann3489]

That is a great idea!

[@Zzzzzzzzz216]

I love that sentiment 😊

[@marthaleereynolds2760]

Lucy! You inspire me. I'm 66 years old, have retired, and live in the US in Virginia. Our climate is hot and muggy in the summer, and thanks to you and your wonderful videos I've made several linen and cotton/linen blend pants (Bob, Ethyl, and Barry, as well as Picasso!) And have made tops (Patina and Selina). And this is just this Spring! I'm having a blast and have learned a great deal from you. (Including the burrito method! Brilliant! ) Thank you so much for bringing such joy and inspiration my way. Your Sewing Friend in Virginia, MarthaLee

[@taniaaustin6433]

With the ironing of pattern pieces. Ive in the past have ironed the pattern piece on top of the fabric that you want to cut out and then pinned it together. Its worked on small pieces and it helps to keep them together with a little bit of static. You can do this in facings etc.

[@annettefarmer7414]

What a good idea

[@SewEssential]

ooooh very clever indeed! I am loving these ideas and the sharing thank you

[@mcbrenda]

I do the minimum number of buttonholes I can get away with. I do just enough to be able to pull shirts etc over my head. I then sew the buttons through both layers where there are no buttonholes

[@SewEssential]

what a clever work around I never thought of that, thanks for sharing!

[@allisonjenkins5079]

We all need to go to sewing confession! If I'm making close fitted jersey tops that I know I'll be tucking it in, I'll often just overlock the bottom edge without hemming it😮

[@SewEssential]

hahaha I like that idea! Why not just overlock, if you're tucking it in anyway and it works for you happy days!

[@cashmerecat4768]

Good idea, it’s flatter like that.

[@janboulton8141]

Guilty of them all, always was and I am 70+ sewn all my life!!! I also dont read the instuctions, until its too late usually. I dont learn from written word and there were no tube videos in the 70s.. But no-one has ever commented on my hand made clothes so they look and fit wall, and these days if I mention that I make all my clothes , I am mostly met with astonishment.. Be creative, adapt things and enjoy the process.My son learned to sew by aborbing the process, and I was so proud when my grandson wouldn't allowi me to sew on his badges and sat an did it himself.. Keep on loving this amazing hobby Lucy

[@KatVal-pl4wn]

Yes, done them all…and more. This is down to the experience of making my own clothes since I was 11 years old. Over 50 years I know what works and what does not.

[@SewEssential]

so true, I think that is when the confidence comes to pick and choose which 'rules' you subscribe to, once you've got some experience and understand what works for you.

[@sarahmiddle5028]

Great idea for a vlog. I laughed when you talked about not transferring all the pattern markings and having to go back and find pattern pieces to add them in, do that all the time! And here, here to the message that it's okay not to be follow all the rules or try to be "perfect"

[@SewEssential]

aaaah so glad you liked it Sarah, it's always a gamble when I come up with a random idea like this, but judging by the comments people really love it. Thanks so much for taking part and the encouraging feedback

[@saraaronzon4562]

I talk to myself all the time when sewing! And when I mess up, I chuckle about it, then move on! It’s fun, entertaining and does decompress me from my busy life.

[@ritaadler-everett5392]

Lucy, Lucy you naughty girl. Haha I'm right there with you on using pattern pieces without ironing them, sewing over pins (psst, I use the fine pins. My machine doesn't even know they are there) and making a toile all hinges on the price of the fabric. Another of my secrets is interfacing. I use whatever I have on hand and feels similar to the fabric. So far, I haven't had any issues. I think part of sewing is learning where you can take shortcuts or using a technique different to the instructions to save time.

[@elizabethtriplett6422]

Your enthusiasm for sewing is inspiring - and charming!

[@SewEssential]

aaaah thank you so much, it is easy to get it across because it is so genuine and I love to talk to express myself, my beliefs and my feelings so video is the perfect format for me. I'm so glad you like it.

[@tammyjohnson8150]

I sewed the back of flannel pajama pants upside down! Two pair in a row! Both were gifts and were one way prints. I didn’t even notice the difference when I was cutting them, pinning or pressing them ! The second set I was able to get another piece cut out. But the first one was all sold out of the print. So my bf who is the sweetest guy ever just told me not to worry about it and that he loves motorcycles driving upwards lol! They were designed to be driving on curvy road downhill. They do look ridiculous on the bright red background driving upwards. Sigh! But he wore them all winter. He won the “What A Guy” award for sure! So now I put a piece of blue tape on the fabric when I begin to pin the pattern pieces to signify that the fabric is facing the correct way and I have checked and rechecked it before the first cut. No blue tape, no cut! lol

[@marionskinner]

Wow. I do the #3 all the time ... I think I just want to get to sewing,,,,,, Thank you for being so genuine.

[@valarievowles9022]

Hahaha. New to your sewing channel and loved your confessions. 😂 I have been sewing since my early teens and am now almost seventy. Been there and done all of them. It's sew nice to learn I'm not alone. I've made so many different things from tent repairs to my daughter's wedding dress and everything in between. My cousin calls me a sewing ninja because, and here's my dirty secret, I often make it up as I go along! Can you change this button fly in my jeans to a zip fly, Mum? Of course I can! My seam ripper, curiosity, no such word as can't and lots of tea (or wine if it's really perplexing) are my favourite tools. My mum trained as a tailor ( with Burtons) and the best advice she ever have me was 'lay your pattern out. Go and get a cuppa then look at what you think you're doing '. Many was the time I looked and thought 'ooh! That should be on a fold'. It took me weeks of reading the 'destructions' for the wedding dress before I moved all the furniture back and laid out the metres and metres of duchesse satin and set off. Only to stab my finger with a pin and drop some blood on the fabric. I sorted it out. That's a very dirty secret for another time. Enjoy the dirty secrets of others - they're often helpful. Ok.I'm off now - got a job to do as apparently I know how to upholster a footstool! Of course I do!

[@adriane5496]

Beginners sewer and I love this video. Practice and patience. I get sew excited. My favorite tool seem ripper. Thank you

[@252jdw1]

I can identify with all of these! The markings and notches are the ones I have good intentions on every time I am cutting but normally manage the first couple of pieces and then stop again. I hate facings with a passion so try to line to avoid them if I can but yes share your frustrations when they keep flipping up!

[@HouseatHCorner]

3 out of 5 of those for me!!!!✅✅✅ it’s interesting because my sewing not so secret is that I am loving indulging my perfectionism when sewing and enjoying what is often dismissed as an unhealthy character trait. I break all the goal setting rules behaviour change xoa bing taught me. Go big or go home is my approach to goals. So I am working slow on projects above my experience level and having a great time.

[@kathrynstubbs4519]

New viewer, old sewer here. Yes, I've done them all... on a regular basis.

[@SewEssential]

haha thanks kathryn, it is so great for any newbies to hear, so encouraging

[@suek7086]

Multiple, multiple times.

[@kimsharpe9504]

I love that you're honest and authentic. Thank you!

[@lovesredsews]

I think I resonated with you on most of those sewing secrets, except the sewing over pins one 😂

[@AvrilBrown-ld6gm]

Yes to all of them! I do try to make a toile but most often I think I don't need to (naive or what). As for facings I hate them! I'll do almost anything to avoid using them - even making my own bias binding!

[@SewEssential]

wow that is a strong hatred for facings, but if you prefer bias binding, why not. Have you seen our bias tape maker machine, it is super cool. You can see it here: www.sewessential.co.uk/simplicity-bias-tape-maker and there's a video showing how it works. I love it!

[@emmabuxton7971]

A great fun video Lucy. Considering you openly admit cutting corners, you sew the most amazingly professional looking garments. I'm very cautious so don't actually skip stages as too worried I'd mess up! I've never made a toile as too keen to get cracking, but I do iron all my pattern pieces first and transfer all the markings! Another thing I never do is to read the pattern instructions to the end, only as I go along 😊

[@cyndyregeling6337]

Thanks for being so honest :) I agree with all your little secrets! Nice to know I’m not the only cheater out there :) and my own little secret…I don’t always cut on the grain 😊 usually bc I am trying to squeak something out of a smaller amount of fabric. Thanks again! You are a delight to watch!

[@mereese1]

Thank you for sharing 😊 Haven't we all thought why would the directions say to do something a certain way, when we know an easier way. Sometimes the pattern teaches me a new trick and sometimes I like to do it "my way." Most of the time it's a win - win. Sometimes it's a dead end. Either way, most of the time it's a great ending 😅

[@tonia-deegraveson1760]

Thank you for sharing super humble and special - i am trying to step away from the machine when i am tired hmmm in saying that i am a person once i start a project i want to finish it and towards the end if i am tied i get inpatient and the result is always obvious so i keep saying to myself “his dress is a slow sew” (wish me luck)

[@SueSewTall]

I've been sewing over pins since I started sewing (it's been a few years 😉). I was actually taught that was one of several reasons to pin perpendicular to the seam. I didn't know until recently that some people consider it a 'no-no'. The only time I don't is when I'm using my teflon foot because of the coating on the foot.

[@cleanqueen75]

I’ve been sewing since 1971. In Home Ec we always sewed over pins. We never made a toile either. I do now for trousers and if I’m sewing something fitted. I’ve always ironed my pattern pieces.

[@SewEssential]

thanks for sharing, good to know sewing over pins has been around for so long.

[@PhyllisBuck-n6m]

10:04 I may not be remembering this correctly, but when I bought my very first sewing machine in 1974, one of the selling points was that you could sew over pins. I did it for years!!😊

[@margaretreid7718]

I love this! I have done all of these, and I have worked not to do them, too. My garments still turn out for the most part!

[@amyosborn4604]

I wear my reading glasses mainly because I want to keep my eyeballs if/when I sew over pins. I’ve had needles break on thick seams, too, and half the needle flies up and hits me in the cheek. Also, I don’t change my needles for every project like you’re technically supposed to. Never made a toile because that intimidates me more than fussing with an ill fitting garment. 😅

[@SewEssential]

yes there is a risk of injury sewing over pins to you and your machine, I like the idea of glasses for protection!

[@rhodamurphy2097]

This was such an enjoyable video! You are so obviously a skilled seamstress, and to hear such a forthright account on the subject that is so dear to our hearts, makes you so much more approachable and real.

[@marathorne6821]

I was scared of making buttonholes for years, and avoided any pattern that featured lots of buttons. I've actually overcome this particular fear - as I write I'm attaching 20 buttons to the front of a dress 😱 One thing I'm still scared of is inserting invisible zips. I don't know why, I've never tried... I use regular zips, generally tucked away in a side seam where they're less visible anyway, and I sew them by hand as I get better results that way. We're funny aren't we?

[@Kate-m5m]

I have been sewing for a long time on and off. When I was a teenager I used to make a lot of my own (unique!) dresses. I was so impatient, I just wanted to get them on my back, so probably broke all the rules going, although I had been to sewing class at school, so had been taught how to do things correctly (!!!) Now that I am older, I have a lot more patience and actually enjoy making things properly and methodically. I have two dirty secrets though: if I meet a lot of problems with a garment, it is likely to languish in a pile of unfinished items (only a small pile though). My second is that I don't always wash my fabrics before using them, except for viscose. I don't wear fitted garments, so I can get away with the risk that it might shrink a bit - so far I seem to have got away with it!

[@lizlisle7361]

I do mark the notches for the sleeves or I risk putting the wrong sleeve in each side. I rarely mark them for side seams or sleeve seams etc. I don't make toiles and I have regretted that occasionally but haven't learned from it. I don't change my machine needles as often as I should...

[@sandrasimpkins2108]

😅😅 🙋🏾‍♀️ I very rarely make a toile! All of your dirty secrets are mine, too m. 😅 Although, I always iron my pattern pieces. Thanks for sharing 👍🏾

[@SewEssential]

it's a pleasure, thanks for watching and sharing your secrets too!

[@sharonscott8358]

I wish I didn't need to do toiles. Before I hit the menopause, I could just take a pattern out of the packet and make it up. I always had to lower the bust dart but now, I have to make so many adjustments I would be too scared to not make a toile. Having said that, if I'm making a dress, I only do the top bit as that is where most of my adjustments need to be made. Depending on the pattern, I don't have to do much adjustment to trousers, just grading out from the hips to the waist.

[@SewEssential]

yes i think you get to know your own body and where changes generally have to be made don't you? It's also a good point about our bodies changing over time

[@carlamccabe9638]

I am guilty of all five of these! I believe getting the markings right makes the sewing process much more rewarding, though. Lately, I’ve been trying to remember to check and double check those pattern markings. 😊

[@annettecowburn-sz8cq]

I always used to tailor tack but I don't now. All the things you don't do, I don't do either. Who has time to iron patterns. Great vlog Lucy.

[@SewEssential]

hahaha I love that, indeed no time for ironing pattern pieces here!

[@miriamgladen9615]

Thank you so much for sharing. If someone like you with your experience and the beautiful clothes you're wearing is skipping steps I don't have to strife for perfection to produce wearable items for myself.

[@SewEssential]

Ah that's really kind of you to say, it means a lot thank you

[@miriamgladen9615]

❤

[@judysharpe3283]

Love your honesty, Lucy. You are so cute.😁👍

[@janewarnock8855]

I'm with you on not ironing the pattern pieces 😂 This week I decided to do French seams for a dress, then went and sewed up the side seams without adding the pockets!! ☹️ Now the dress will only have 1 pocket 😅 as I'm not undoing both double seams

[@patricianaezer1077]

Guilty of all 5! And refreshing to hear we're all the same!

[@a.guerra2139]

I never remove pins. Never. I sew right over them. Also, I often play chicken with my bobbin -- see if I can finish a seam before the bobbin runs out. I run about 50-50 ... it's kind of fun making sewing exciting.

[@SewEssential]

I definitely do bobbin chicken too!

[@leepayk-bann3489]

If I sewed over the pins it does not work though I have done it by accident.

[@charissecolbert7204]

Thank you for your honesty, no judgement here!😂 I’ve done several of those myself

[@SewMyTime]

I don’t make toiles either - well a rare half toile like you. I also cut straight into my patterns - big mistake as I have lost weight and want to make some of those again😱. Thank you for sharing - made me smile as I have done most of the things you have done at some point too. Missing markings is a favourite 😂😂. Happy sewing 😊. Lynne

[@janethickett9423]

Thank you for sharing your dirty secrets. I have never ironed pattern pieces in the 62yrs of sewing. I rarely mark notches only where I need to. The only time I’ve made a toile is when I did my fashion and design qualifications and when I’ve made any blocks. 😊

[@SewEssential]

I am loving how many super experienced sewers are in agreement here, thanks for sharing

[@jilltownshend5852]

I'm a beginner sewist and have collected a lovely little stash of fabrics and patterns. I have watched so many tutorials and sewalongs, which I have found so interesting and helpful and I can't wait to get started. And there's the problem - I'm too scared to cut into the fabric in case I mess it up! I have got as far as pressing my pattern pieces and tracing the pattern, only to chicken out and pack it all away again. I have bought some really inexpensive fabric to make a toile first. If I'm honest, I think I'm afraid that I may be put off completely if I ruin the fabric! Silly, I know, but I'm determined not to let my fear get the better of me.

[@julieh4816]

I am in the same boat! I am a quilter and it's like a psychological barrier I need to cross

[@dazzys4618]

Thanks Lucy, put my hands up to all those! Although this has broken a few needles on my latest machine😢, so getting better at taking them out as I go. Been sewing for quite a number of years pre Internet !!!😊, and pre-washing fabrics & toiles are fairly new concepts, although I do practice parts as you do, and more aware now of what adjustments I need to make, never perfect & some makes become wearable toiles even where that wasn’t the intention🤭

[@SewEssential]

thanks for sharing, yes sewing is definitely a journey of discovery and learning, that's why i love it so much

[@prdsjfamily396]

I start sewing with good intentions. Then when I think it will look better with zip instead of buttons, I do that. I tend to change it to suit the style I want. Thanks for sharing!

[@sheilaanderson9611]

🤣 done four regularly. But always iron paper pattern before use and when putting back into packet.

[@SewEssential]

wow ironing before you put back in the packet too, I bet your pattern stash is way neater and tidier than mine!

[@alexandriaborn8285]

These five and more are the story of my sewing life

[@lesleyallerby1295]

I learned to sew at school and have to tell myself - I 'm not passing an exam, I just want a wearable garment. If someone notices topstitching on zips isn't straight or similar small detail - THEY ARE TOO CLOSE.

[@julieharwood8570]

Thanks for sharing Lucy its good to hear youre not preaching perfection. Yes I've done all of the above. I am an impatient sewist. But I have had more successes than failures to be honest

[@SewEssential]

it's a pleasure, I can be impatient too, but like you say, if you win more than you lose, happy days!

[@valentinaedwards2992]

I made buttonholes for years but got fed up with the way they always ended up looking tatty after frequent washing. I recently stopped making them. However, I like buttons. Now I use sew on snap fasteners with buttons on top. The overall effect is much neater. It's no quicker than making buttonholes but I enjoy hand sewing so no problem! I've been sewing for decades and have never made a toile. I never cut notches in my fabric either but use tufts of double thread as markers instead. I sometimes clip seams before they're machined especially on armholes.

[@lpetitoiseau9146]

I do love the toile. Even (maybe especially?) the partial toile. I have a special drawer for them.)

[@thebrumstitcher495]

Haha, 😂 I’m glad I’m not the only one that does all of these. I never make a toile either, and I get annoyed with myself when I miss off the notches, however on occasions I have ironed patterns pieces if they are thicker paper 😊

[@SewEssential]

hello fellow brummy! Lots of people saying the same and yes spotting those missed notches is annoying!

[@TheAlixCat]

Great video Lucy - as a newer sewist it is helpful to hear different approaches to process and technique, to know there is not ONE way to sew. I do try to get all the markings transferred as I have already experienced the ‘joy’ of trying to work out where a notch should be after I’ve sewn seams - ugh. You mentioned a video on toiles - is that the one from a couple of years ago on when/why/how to make them? I’d like to hear your thoughts on how far to go in the process. I’m also curious if you have ever made blocks or slopers as a way to understand your own fit issues?

[@SewEssential]

Hi there, so pleased to hear this was helpful to a newer sewist, that was definitely my hope. Yes it is the video from a couple of years ago and I think I talk about the bits I prioritise in there. I did make a basic block for some trousers once and it was useful, but I've never had time to play around with them much due to having to keep sewing for work and the channel content

[@SarahVasey-hi4kp]

Hi! I don’t do the toiles either. I do sometimes do paper pattern fitting method by Palmer&Pletsch if I do anything. Other than checking the garment measurements, like you do just making sure I can adjust as I go. Also, I hate pins, so if I have to match a seam intersection, I pin it and sew slowly over the pin. Taking the pin out before getting to it just makes everything shift, so the pinning effort is wasted. Thanks for sharing your “dirty” secrets!

[@sandrabrookes1488]

I never prewash my fabrics and on the one occasion I did, when I bought some T shirt material, it was a nightmare, the edges curled and it was difficult to sew. I have never had a problem with the fabric for not washing it. Just lucky I suppose.

[@SewEssential]

yes it does sound like you've been lucky, certain fabrics are definitely more prone to shrinkage and maybe you've been choosing ones that aren't.

[@janeybwells2810]

I had the same problem with washing jersey so I never pre-wash it now. I have never had any shrink noticeably now , Johanna Lundstrom of The Last Stitch recommends this approach too.

[@Cambrilsbirds]

Done all of these and most recently meaning today was in a hurry to get my knit T-shirt. Done I was making to wear today all I had left was to attach the neckband. Alas I ended up putting it on with the back seam in center front😂 needless to say I turned out the lights and left the room

[@renh9717]

I'm with you at sewing over pins, not good for the pins as I end up throwing away a lot of bent ones so I should probably stop doing it. I also don't toile, I went so far as to draft my own blocks cause I don't like to toile.

[@Joanna-iy3en]

When I lay out a new paper pattern I get out my colouring pencils and fill in all the the triangles on my size, extending them outwards to complete notches. Also I colour in all the circles that relate to the tailor tacks. I very rarely iron the pattern, as I like to fold it back along the original crease lines as that way it will fit back in the packet. Have been guilty of taking some of the other short cuts though!

[@jeaneford6895]

Not so guilty now I am retired and can take my time with projects. I have taken to making a toile for a new pattern which sometimes works well. I must confess to using tailor's tacks to mark patterns which is how I learnt at school. Can you please do a video on all the different types and weights of fabric, particularly cottons.

[@catherinerw1]

Facings: no (tend to avoid facings as a finishing, unless they are also attached to a lining). Sew over pins: sometimes (depending what needle I've got mounted). Markings: use minimum definitely Mock-ups? What are they? 😉 The occasional failure does end up in the charity shop though. More that I'm not so happy with it, rather than it not fitting. Life is too short to iron pattern pieces!

[@SewEssential]

lots of people skipping toiles too and what a lovely way to share your makes at the charity shop if they don't fit, love it

[@elainefenn283]

With you on the toile issue, only ever done one, and that was only a partial. I usually just pin the pattern pieces together 🤭

[@dbdesignsandsewingaustrali5668]

Yes I do all of them, and many more, most of the time it’s fine 😂

[@SewEssential]

that's it, if we get away with it, why not!

[@curveappeal8180]

I totally agree about toiles. I find them incredibly wasteful because what does one do with them after the project is finished?? I only made one once for a very fitted blazer and I try to use it as a rag or a drop cloth for painting projects 😂 Also, sewing over pins is another thing I do as well (especially when attaching sleeves!) what I do to avoid damage to the needle is use the hand wheel to sew over the pins instead of risking it with the foot pedal 😬 My dirty secret: I don’t always press my seams 🫣

[@deafbird57]

I have never ironed a pattern in my life! 😊 I never hand stitch roulo loops at the end of a project. I make them on the machine, so measure them to the size I think and then sew them in when making the facings. Just have to find a button that fits the loop!

[@karinpapps4467]

I’m guilty of all of the above except securing my facings. I always do that! Additionally, I’m trying hard to always trim my French seams with care to prevent whiskers, but not always I must confess.

[@sharonjennings4417]

Thanks for a fun vlog! We’ve all been there in some way. You mention a toile tutorial…please will you let me have the link to it. Thanks.

[@bodyandsoul17]

I don’t see a difference when I stay stitch, so unless the pattern specifically tells me to, I don’t think about it. I always forget to interface for zips and shoulder seams (as a pattern never tells you to do this), and I will skip putting in a zip or put in a shorter one whenever I can get away with it!

[@jadevandeluitgaarden]

My secret is that I can't leave any seam unfinished. Even if it's in a place where no one will ever see it, like underneath a facing. I'm just neurotic about it for no reason. Another secret is that even though I have a wonderful Babylock coverstitch machine that I love very much, if I'm in a hurry or just 'trying out' a pattern, I will use Seraflex thread (stretch thread) and a straight stitch instead of my coverstitch. It hasn't failed me yet. Another secret is that even though I'm perfectly capable of sewing buttonholes, if I can substitute them for metal snaps I always will.

[@leepayk-bann3489]

Firstly I do not always put interfacing on some fabrics where I feel the fabric is too fine and it will lose its flexibility, secondly I do not iron pattern pieces so the folds remain so it is easier to pack them away, thirdly I do not always finish a seam if the instructions require more lines of stitching as it can make the garment too heavy, in fourth place I do not always make a toi l e I make mistakes then I do it in a different fabric, and lastly perfect collars on shirts can be very challenging.

[@theresaanndiaz3179]

I rarely make a toile. If it's a commercial pattern I occasionally try on the tissue pattern, but I know what alterations I always need to make. I may practice a new technique first. If I drafted the pattern myself, then I don't bother.

[@annerobinson647]

Thanks Lucy I can relate so much to these😂

[@barbararule3800]

Made a toile for a blouse out of a white sheet...never did make the proper version.... but wear the toile😅😊

[@brenholmes4894]

Guilty of missing markings and notches sometimes, I'm also guilty of not sewing down facings every time. I toile sometimes, and may make a wearable toile with more inexpensive fabric, but I never stitch over pins and I iron my patterns. I'm trying to think about what other dirty secrets I may have :-) None of us are perfect and we're all having fun.

[@dustygrrl]

If I don't sew over my pins, it is because I would be afraid to lose an eye... ❤

[@janeybwells2810]

If a garment doesnt do it for me when finished I get rid of it, even throw it away. Never make toiles but I don't do super fitted garments anyway and know the adjustments I need to make as standard. I don't iron pattern pieces, but I don't sew over pins since I had an incident where the needle broke and I read that it can damage the timing on your machine. I dont pre-wash jersey as it curls if you do. But I now do a lot of tacking and tailor tacks as the finished result is so much better.

[@ellendempsey7865]

Full discloser I hate hand sewing lol I usually will still sew it on the machine 🥰

[@teresaoflynn9708]

I can relate to all.......thank you 😊

[@nicola5669]

I am the same with not ironing the pattern pieces. Life is too short. 😁

[@SewEssential]

agreed! A really good idea in the comments about ironing the pattern piece over the fabric at the same time though, I thought that was super clever!

[@elizabethsmyth7769]

I love this.... the toile is my nemesis... but a necessary evil as Ibam such a weird shape and even though I draft my own patterns I do have cock ups as I go along .. my mum was a professional seamstress in the 50s and they all stiitched over the pins...sometimes with explosive consequences..but time was money literally as they were on piece work... my mum was an ace at collars ...

[@traceysimpson5434]

have sewn for 50 +years, always sewn over pins not a bent needle yet 😂

[@denisehill7769]

I remember being taught to do this at school! I always sewed over the pins on my old Singer treadle, never had a problem, but on the modern machines I no longer risk it.

[@marjoriew8120]

Playing chicken with pins is so Me!

[@SewEssential]

lots and lots of us playing that game here!

[@tinapasic2013]

I don't make toiles and... I only skim over the instructions if I need clarification; otherwise I just sew the garment together in the order in which I think they need to be completed.

[@seamstrahnancy8693]

I am guilty of all. Instructions! Who needs instructions! I get so far and can’t figure out what to do next! Been sewing for years. I guess l should look at them once in a while!😂

[@MyrtleLilley]

That could be me.. .. I take shortcuts for the same reason as you and then discover that it takes longer to fix problems than it would to do it properly.. I never learn..

[@JasmineLeeRead]

I don’t do toiles, forget notches all the time and I don’t iron patterns. I’m equally as bad that I start reading the pattern but then go rogue because I want to see the item finished

[@gayprendergast7102]

Lucy I think we have all been guilty of these sins. I also make things a little too big...just to be sure to be sure of fit...then have to go back and take it in😂

[@martbright]

I don’t always finish seams! Bad habit, I know. But I usually hand-wash my clothes anyway…

[@angiemcconnell9070]

I have done all of those, but due to way too many ill fitting garments in the beginning, and knowing I am going to have to make adjustments, I usually make a wearable toile …I work from home most days and away from a camera so my clothes don’t have to be perfect, even if something is a little to short or needs a bit more FBA.

[@yvonnebass9717]

Do you cut the notches in or out on pattern pieces.

[@HeatherDocherty-q7f]

I’ve been sewing over pins for 50 years and I’ve never hit one yet!

[@elsafischer3247]

This mis a great, funny. I tried to go fast and at the end I have to go back and fix it

[@joulsw3739]

My biggest sin is a lot more sewing goes on in my head than in reality!! 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@LaurenCarman]

I sew over pins and hardly ever using a matching bobbin thread!

[@Bibi-ms4nm]

What pattern ist that beautiful dress on the mannequin?