I was taught by a tutor who was trained by Dior to sew over pins, placing the pins at right angles to the way I was sewing. In 1968 I started up my own home furnishings business and I worked till year 2000 before retiring and I always sewed over my pins. I had an industrial singer. I never had any problems but perhaps a home sewing machine is more sensitive? I have a Bernina for my quilting but don't often have the need to use pins. I am horrified to hear about all the dangers.

I'm old enough to remember when the big "news" was that the foot on a sewing machine was now hinged so that you could sew over pins!! Until then you had to remove the pins because the foot was stationary and would not go over them. Anybody else remember that?

My original Janome will sew over pins with no trouble, my Janome 6600 doesn't like to sew over them. As I always use two pins where seams join I walk the needle across the pins. Don't want to wreck my machine.

When I was in home ec, we were never told that it was not ok to sew over pins, so I sewed over pins all the time with my singer golden touch & sew. Never once had a problem. I now have a Pfaff select and I was told not to run over pins, so I don't I try to take them out before I get to them.

You can throw your machine out of time if you hit a pin! Ask me how I know. It is an expensive lesson!

I'm definitely a pinner and I've always pinned horizontally. I've sewn tons of clothing and will admit that I used to sew over the pins and have broken or bent quite a few needles and/or pins, then thought to myself that it's silly to me to bend/break a needle when all I have to do is take out the pin before I get there. There are a few times that I'll leave the pin in, taking it out just before the needle will hit it. Nowadays when I break a needle it's because I forgot to either change the foot, needle position or the plate. It's also a lot cheaper since I'm not buying needless supplies of needles and don't have to worry about damaging my machine.

Yes, KwiltyKathy, I remember. In the 194?'s, we were told to sew over pins. To set inn sleeves, we put a pin at the notches and at the shoulder seam. Then we found the half-way point between them and put pins there; found the half-way point between those and put a pin there until there were a zillion pins easing in the sleeve cap. (All these pins were at right angles to the edge.) You wouldn't dare see a tuck in that seam. We'd scratch with our thumb nail to get all the puckers out. Then we would sew over them all.
Now, of course, I put gathering stitches in: one row of longer stitches on each side of the seam line, and pull the gathering up to match the garment sleeve hole measurement. I still put in a few pins to hold the gathers in place.
When I got my new Singer 301A in 1956, the big feature was that it had a hinged presser foot so that it could sew over pins. And, yes, I have hit pins. But I don't remember if that ever broke a needle. Not too often, I don't think.
I think the lesson here is to wear glasses when sewing, I never knew sewing was so dangerous. LOL

Love that rule! Close to my own!

I think that might be the reason I do sew over pins from time to time. On the treadle machine Mom had, there was no sewing over pins. When I discovered later on another machine that I could--------I DID!

I guess it never occurred to me to pin any way BUT horizontally. And I put my pins in from the right to the left. My sis in law does the opposite, and it drives me crazy to sew something she's pinned.

I'm with you, BellaBoo! froggyintexas

Mrs. Duke in Home Ec during the early 50s (can't find the apostrophe on this dang keyboard) taught us to sew over pins on treadle sewing machines--still I have never done it--one trip to the repairman would be enough to break me of the habit, so I just didn't go there.....

I was told that with the new computerized machines, hitting a pin can throw the timing in your machine off thus incurring an expensive visit to the Sewing Machine Repair guy. I did it once and after $$$ decided it wasn't worth it, easier to remove the pins as I get to them

My answer is don't worry about what other people do. It makes life ever so much calmer and more pleasant.

For the safety of your eyesight and for the safety of your machine, just DON'T sew over pins. The damage might irreversible.

Like said above.. sewing over pins is not worth the risk of paying for damage to the machine. When I first started, it was with my moms old Necchi sewing machine...went forward and backward. Period! But never hit a pin! But when I got my Singer 30 some years later...I did hit some, and although it didn't damage the machine, but bent the pin and bent/broke the needle so what I have been doing since...once I get close to the pin, if it is such that I can take the pin out and continue sewing without anything moving, I will..but if it is critical that no movement.. I'll pull the pin out just until the tip comes out of the front, thereby if the needle does hit it..it only hits the tip...and the pin is moveable so the pin moves away enough that the needle tdoesn't hit/break.

Sewing over pins was how my home economics teacher taught me almost 40 years ago...I've really never had a problem sewing over them as long as they were placed straight..if not staight then it will cause breakage...

Way back in the early 70's when I got my first sewing machine, a Kenmore, we were all sewing double knits. I was told we could sew right over the pins and I did with no problem. The knits were just stretchy enough so that the pins just kinda moved out of the way of the needle. I had straight and zig-zag stitiches. These machines were mechanical in nature and a lot tougher than modern machines.

I was told with today's electronic machines and their many decorative stitches it requires precision timing of the machine so definitely do NOT sew over pins. When a needle hits a pin it can through off the timing, which can cost a pretty penny to fix. Not to mention the safety hazards of broken needles flying about. Besides, most of us use woven (cotton) fabrics for quilting, and they do not give the way those old double knits did. Sometimes when I have seam matches pinned together, with all the seam allowances, that's several layers of fabric. Those pins are not going anywhere unless I remove them, so I do.

I agree with you whole heartedly!!! Its too easy to break a needle and the end flies off wherever it wants to. I have not broken a needle in that way for a long long time. I did sew through my finger once when I was trying to use it to guide the fabric. Now I use a stylus

I have a friend that used to sew over pins until she bent the shaft and it costed her plenty to have it replaced. I DO NOT sew over pins, EVER.

Also, it is a saftey hazard as I am always afraid the broken pieces will hit me in the eye or face.

I have been doing some curved piecing lately and lots of pins get involved.

Sewing real slow is my only tip to help the missed pin syndrome. SEW SLOW and save pins, machines and sanity!

I have been sewing over pins for years without a problem. As long as you let the machine do the feeding of the fabric ad don't pull or push the fabric things are fine. When you pull or push is when you break needles. If the needle hits the edge of the pin it just moves it out of the way.

My reply would be my mom sewed over pins all the time and spent at least $150.00 and more a year for machine repairs. I never sew over pins and have not had to have a machine repaired only cleaned. I also sewed a lot more than she did. You want to pay for machine repairs which are much more costly now, go ahead sew over those pins your service technician will appreciate your business. Me I can't afford those repairs and can not stand to be with out a machine, so I take care of what I have.

Yes I agree. well said.

Guess I should sew with your SIL because I pin from left to right and I try to leave more than 1/4" from the end of my pin so my needle can't sew over them if I forget to pull the pins out before I get there. I have broken pins and needles by sewing over them. I don't go really slow when I piece and I do use lots of pins...never hurt my machine or myself, but the "THUNK" of the needle hitting the pin was a wake-up call for sure!! I really try not to sew over pins...I would rather spend my money on material and tools and not have to spend a chunk to repair/replace my sewing machine.

I purchased special patch work pins just so I could so over them and follow this method.

When I took Home Ec. It was taught that we did sew over pins. As the needle would slide right over. Well many needles later and well...

Deep down in my heart, I know that. But I forget sometimes. Thanks for the reminder!

For me, it just feels sooooooooo awkward to pull pins from the left. Old habits die hard.

I sewed over pins for probably 45 yrs. I continued this practice until I bought a computerized machine which warned about doing this and why. I had to retrain myself to mostly NOT using pins unless it was absolutely necessary in which case I just sewed slowly and cautiously Have never had my machine in a shop or damaged. That said, I now have the Brother PQ1500S and it occurred to me the other day that this machine is strictly for piecing and quilting, no computer chip here, so I am allowing myself to use pins again, not racing along and taking them out as I come to them and if necessary, yes, sewing over them. As stated by others, if you use very thin quilting pins and go slowly, there is no reason NOT to use pins.

On set in sleeves, I use the old fashioned method--basting.

I used to sew over pins with my older machines. i think they wer designed so you could do that. I was told never to sew over an uncovered pin. As long as it's under the material it's okay. Since I have electronic machines I don't do that. I'm afraid of messing up my machines.

I always used to sew over pins when using my old basic Kenmore. When I first got my new Horizon I continued with my old ways, hit a pin and had pieces of the needle fly apart. That was enough to convince me to retrain myself to pull the pins rather than going over them.

When I have to use pins, usually for binding or sashing or something requiring more than a 4" seam, I place the pins so that they are not close to the seam. I sew, no pins in the way, then remove the pins afterwards. Sometimes a bit of a pain, but it works.

unfortunately, I have to pin before I can baste-----------so we're back to pins. And I'm too lazy to do both.

If you use your walking foot for these tough-to-match seams, the walking foot will do all the work for you! I still use pins but put them in so that their tips are 1/4" from the seam line.

Some of the manuals for the old machines actually tell you to sew over pins. I learned to sew by sewing over pins when setting sleeves. I pull them as I go for my own convenience and don't even think about it now. More likely to break a needle pulling on the fabric.

Eleanor Burns is another one who sews over pins--makes me shutter whenever I see her do that.

Never sew over pins. Very dangerous and ruins your sewing buddy.

Beside the chance of a broken needle flying at you and hitting you........You do LOTS of damage to your machine that can result in very costly repairs........replacing your machine hook and needle plates gets rather pricey. I stopped sewing over pins a long time ago.