I have been using DogHouseMom's suggestion for more years than I'd like to confess. I started before I even thought about making quilts. I was solely a garment sewer but one who wasn't going to put the time, effort and money into a garment if I didn't do my best effort for a French designer salon look. I was working in an industry which demanded that sort of look plus the rest of the getup. Not much fun when one is a jeans and sneakers sort of girl but well paid.
Then I retired and a dear friend infected me. Quilts rule the roost around here.
Anyway, DogHouseMom's suggestion gets the job done and becomes habit over time. As to the sewing over pins problem, I sew up to a pin and then walk the needle over it by hand. S-L-O-W-L-Y! That way of handling a pin gets to be habit too. I think a good one.
Remember the old tv ad, "Try it. You'll like it"? Guess what. You will.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Pat