It's expensive these days to get the timing fixed on a sewing machine, and hitting a pin can do that to a machine. Plus I have had a broken needle hit my eyeglasses also.

It's simply not worth the potential damage. Even if it's fine 9,999 out of 10,000 times!

I knocked my sewing out of time from sewing over pins, first time I have ever messed my machine up but it was a $65.00 lesson ....well worth the money because that is a no-no to me now...
Hugs, Louise
In Arkansas

Bellaboo, I like your rule, it is just like mine! Sometimes I do and then other times , I don't!

I have the same rule LOL! Well except that I almost always sew over pins, whether it is with my Bernina 440, my Featherweight, or my Singer 99 handcrank. I think some machines just aren't picky about it, and the ones I use are tanks. I have never had to have a machine re-timed, and I don't remember breaking a needle on a pin, though it might have happened (I am getting over after all!). I do know I have bent pins though.


Pam

I sew over them all the time. I started out sewing garments and there's really no way you can avoid sewing over pins when you are easing in a sleeve. When I got my new machine and went to the overview class the instructor said not to do it, so I try and remove them as I go, but still seem to sew over them about half the time. I sew very slowly.

I have always sewed.over pins. But I use a very thin pin and not so much anymore now that I am quilting instead of dressmaking. Never had a problem. Maybe it depends on ones machine.

I used to sew over pins...until I hit a pin and completely ruined a really nice sewing machine. It couldn't even be repaired. Taught me a VERY expensive lesson!! :(

I seldom sew over pins in my quilting life. However, in my garment sewing life, I've sewn over a lot of them. In my "youth" when I learned garment sewing, there was no issue made about sewing over pins, so we just did. Now in my quilting, I'll often not pin at all unless matching seams. I just "finger pin" it as I go along.

I pin parallel to the seam most of the time to avoid running over them. Sometimes on curves and with "Y" seams, I do pin perpendicular to the seam. I always take them out because, as many have said, I've had broken pieces fly around, too.

When one pays so much for a machine, it seems ludicrous to lose the use of it over a pin. I actually use pins very sparingly and never attempt to sew over them.