Argument over sewing over pins!
 

I NEVER EVER sew over pins, and impress upon my pupils to do the same then I had a visit yesterday from my gentleman volunteer for Project Linus quilts, and we started discussing needle breakages, I had just broken 5 in one evening, don't ask, and he said he rarely breaks needles just on the odd occasion when he sewed over a pin and hit it!

I was horrified, his wife agreed with me, but his reply was, what is the difference in hitting a pin and hitting a foot or the sewing plate, you know when you have the wrong one in!

I didn't have an answer, do you?

All the needles I have are the right ones for all 3 of my machines. I used to sew over pins, but the damage to the machine isn't worth it. One problem with sewing over pins is sometimes the needle isn't broken just bent. That could upset the timing on your machine. I have had the needle and the pin break and go into the hole in the sole plate. Lucky not to have any damage but a terrible time getting the pieces out. Not worth it, IMHO.
Sue

I used to sew over them all the time and rarely had a problem. Then I got my Kenmore and if I sewed over a pin it would break the thread at the very least. I got tired of rethreading the machine so I started taking them out. I had a teacher who said no, you are not supposed to sew over them but also said if you put them in at an angle they won't hit the needle. I try to put my pins in now at an angle just in case I forget to take one out. The only time I can't put them in at an angle is when I'm piecing and I need for two seams to match up. The biggest difference in hitting a pin, or foot or the sewing plate is that the last two cost more to fix or replace. Hitting a pin can cause your needle to bend and then ruin your plate; it's just not worth it.

Well, when you hit the foot or plate you know something is not right. You've got the wrong part in, have it in wrong, something's not lined up properly. When you hit the pin you've deliberately left something in the way. I occassionally leave a pin in and usually don't have a problem. But, honestly, it's usually because I'm being lazy. If I really want to leave the pin in to make sure I get the stitch in the correct place I sew really slowly and take the pin out immediately before the needle goes in the fabric. Many years ago I sewed over a pin and it broke the needle and thread. I tiny part of the needle flew up and into my eye. It stayed down in the pink part of my eye-where you pull the skin down under the eye (if that make sense). I wore contact lenses and was used to putting my fingers in my eyes so I was fortunately able to get it out without too much trouble. I still prefer to wear my glasses when I sew, just in case!

I use very long (and thin) pins so I can insert them so the tip of the pin falls short of where the needle will hit. That said, sometimes I insert one a bit too far and it's far enough that the needle may glance off of it. I've never broken a pin or needle from hitting a pin.

On the Sally Collins video she sews over pins all the time and said that machine speed is the difference between sewing "over" pins and breaking/bending them. I noticed she uses the same long thin pins I use.

So possibly just slowing the machine down is the answer, coupled with very thin pins.

I typically run my machine at a fairly slow speed unless I'm FMQ'ing. I think that is a product from my 7th grade Home Ed teacher yelling "quit racing those machines!!".

I sewed over a pin ONCE, needle broke in two and hit my glasses....it I had not been wearing glasses at the time, the broken needle would have gone into my eye. Since that day I have never sewn over a pin, it is not the damage to the needle, or sewing machine or whatever, what about your own personal safety !!!!!!!

My Mom would shutter if she knew how many times I have sewn over pins. Its my single worst habit. But I do at least slow down when approaching a pin.
In my defense , there are times when matching up a really tough area.. its just seems like the best method to keep it all exactly in place till its stitched.

My rule for sewing over pins is sometimes I sew over pins, sometimes I take them out. I never break my rule. LOL

I would think possible cost would be the difference. If you mess the timing up there you go. Now if you break a pin and it flies in your eye I would think that could cost you a fair amount too.I guess it's like this. Why do something that could cost you when it's easy,and no skin off your tail to avoid. You are going to have to take them out at some point anyway,why not then?

I only leave the pins in when I can't get it to stay in the right place any other way. In those instances, I slowly sew a stitch length away from the pin/pins, then hand crank the machine over it that way if it does hit a pin it's barely touching it and can be moved enough to sew past it.

A lot of times I will pin to the left of the needle so that I can pull the pins back some without totally removing them.

The only time I broke a needle was when I was free motion quilting and ran over a safety pin. I took the machine apart and did a good cleaning and oiling. Then started relying more on spray basting rather than pin basting.

Sometimes hitting the presser foot or needle plate is BECAUSE the needle has previously hit a pin and bent.

I find I pin quite a bit when I am lining up seams and I don't pull out the pins. I have never bent nor broken a needle or pin. I think it must be because I go slow. I always forget to pull the pins out before I reach them. I've been doing this for years.

He asked what is the difference, and I would say none - both are to be avoided!

That said, I sometimes leave in the pin and sew VERY slowly, so slowly that if the needle starts to hit the pin I can tell whether it's going to hit head-on or slide to the side. And I'm glad that my old eyes need glasses, because they have provided protection more than once when I hit the needle plate. (Usually that happens right after I clean the machine. During cleaning I accidentally change the machine's setting to zigzag. I hate it when that happens!)

lol lol

I have the same rule as Bella Boo - when garment sewing and easing in a sleeve, where there might be a pin every quarter inch, then I sew over it. Verrrry slowly. When I'm piecing a quilt, I rarely pin at all.

You're so cute!! :D
That's my rule too, and I also never break it. :p

Jan in VA

Even when quilting, there are times when I need to ease in a little, especially when attaching borders. Not able to keep that precise 1/4" after all these years. Even if those long pieces start at exactly the same size, the feed dogs have a tendency to feed the lower fabric at a slightly quicker pace. Not enough to matter, except over five feet it does make a difference. I'm with Dunster's--slow down approaching the pin and see if it will hit it or not. Take it out if you must.

My machine doesn't act up if I sew over pins. I try not to, depends on the item. On a set in sleeve------believe me, I'll sew over the pin, don't have enough hands NOT to.

i don't really see an *argument* situation here- simply a difference of opinion- but i would state that SAFETY should always come first- and to deliberatly leave pins in (hoping) that you will never hit one is not practicing safety.
I hit a pin once that broke my needle- one piece of the needle flew up & hit the center of my glasses- and actually stuck in the lens! if i had not had my glasses on i may have lost that eye...scared the crap out of me! i never ever leave in pins now--and teach everyone i am helping to never ever leave them in (& for some people i recommend safty glasses :D)
it's bad enough to break needles because of a mechanical problem- its just plain unsafe to leave things in the way on purpose risking injury---it's all fun til someone gets hurt!

I like your rule!!! I admit I sew over my pins. Occasionaly, I will hit one and bend it. I've had to get my pliers out to remove it from the bobbin area. I think speed and pin placement has a lot to do with it. I waver back and forth and sometimes I do remove the pins as I am sewing to it. I have a friend in Florida that is a new quilter and when he was here in August, I was helping him work on finishing his first quilt. I did stress to him that he shouldn't sew over the pins, that he should remove them. (Do as I say, not as I do!!) Old habits are very hard to break!

I never sew over pins. Why ask for trouble?

IMO there is an art to pinning, and I chose to use a complete lesson, what is to me, the correct way to pin. This is of course just "my" way but it works. When piecing I pin frequently but at about 1/2" or a tad more from the edge, that way the newbies can concentrate on sewing and not worry about the pins as the presser foot will miss them, as they get a bit more practise they do as I do and remove the pins as they come to them or just ignore them :) As far as bindings or something similar, like appliqué, I use the long flower head pins and put them in at right angles which makes them so easy to remove as you come to them,

A tip when a needle breaks and you can't find all the bits, turn your machine on it's side, unscrew and take off the bottom plate and with a torch explore all the parts underneath the bobbin workings, you will find a pair of tweezers will help get the pesky bit out. It's worth the effort as twice I have found it lodged in one of the gears!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I encourage my students to remove the pins, but I saw how frustrating it was for the beginners to remove the pin and have the fabric slip out of place so decided to invest in the sharp, thin silk pins and leave it up to their discretion. As they get better at sewing, I notice they frequently remove the pins. We've only had one broken needle in 5 years. The silk pins bend easily and we end up tossing a lot of them, but it's worth it.

I have to admit, I sew over my pins more often than not, but I use the silk pins as well. I do rely on the thicker pins when sewing on a thicker fabric, then I absolutely do remove my pins.

I broke one of my machines when I accidentally sewed over a pin I didn't remove. I didn't see the pin but I heard it when my needle hit it. The machine had to be repaired, luckily it was still under warranty.

Why risk damage to your machine? I just take them out because I feel it is better to be safe than sorry.

I used to sew over pins but broke needles that way. Never had anything fly into my eyes, thank goodness!! But it seemed to me that if I'm breaking needles doing it, it's probably the "wrong" way. So now I pull the pin out just before it goes under the foot. And now that y'all have taught me about the wonders of washable glue I see even less reason to ever "need" to sew over a pin! Next time I'm dealing with anything that fussy, I'll just GLUE it!

I try to not sew over pins, but, I have done it. I am not a fan of pins unless they are a must in the first place. I have also had one glaze off my glasses and that scared the beegeebers out of me.
I totally agree about the risk of throwing the timing off is not worth it. They think that a service job is worth a small fourtune, so I try and be very careful with them.

OMG.. Guilty of this too! I forgot.

I've spent way too much $$$ on my machine to not take care with things that I can control. I can control running over pins, I pin horizontally and as I approach the pin it is nothing to just pull it enough out of the way. It's not an extra step as it's all part of the process of feeding the fabric. For those seams that you need to leave the pin in until the last possible moment to keep the match, I just slow down those last two stitches and pull it out at the last moment.

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.