Use elmers washable glue instead of pins.

I agree! Don't sew over pins! Years ago I broke a pin and it hit my glasses. I would have been blinded if not for my glasses.

The only problem I've had with sewing over pins has been broken needles and bent or dinged pins. But I have never had a fancy machine that would be bothered by such things. Love my Featherweight!!!

About 40 years ago, I had an Elna. One of the advertised advantages of this machine was that it was built to sew over pins. I was taught to never sew over pins and did not take advantage of that feature. Now, I am glad that I do not sew over pins as that could be a real problem with my current machine. I, too, noticed that the Craftsy instructor sewed over pins when making the April BOM. In the Quilting Quickly Craftsy class, Jenny Doan sewed over pins. I've noticed that now she always removes her pins.

I move the pins because I tend to hit them and break needles

What I learned was IF you sew over pins, go slow and the needle slips right over them. If you are going fast and the needle hits a pin, it will break the needle. I try to remove the pins but sometimes I have to have one there until the end :)

Thought I was the only one with pins like that. I hate it when I do that.

Most machines are made to sew over pins but sometimes the needle hits the pin wrong and totally destroys that pin and can possibly damage your machine

I, too, was taught to sew over pins when I first started sewing many years ago. I no longer do that since a needle broke and hit me and part of it embedded itself in my cheek near my eye. It could have blinded me had I moved a bit.

I think sewing over pins is not a good or safe practice to keep, plus I don't want to damage my machines. I sew on everything from antique machines to some of Janome's most recent machines. Slowing down to remove a pin also aids in precision sewing. I teach my students not to sew over pins.

As much as I've paid for my Berninas (4 of them) I will not sew over a pin and take a chance at having to pay a big price to get it fixed. My cousin has Janome and she sews over pins all the time. She and I had a discussion about it and she said it hasn't hurt it so far. About a month later she suddenly had a problem with her machine. Guess what!!!! She took it to the dealer to have it worked on and she had messed up the timing. I'd rather us my money for my addiction....FABRIC.

I try not to sew over pins, but sometimes I need the pin to hold "whatever" in an exact place. I slow way down when I am going over a pin. If you break a pin or a needle, it can leave a hole in your seam, ask me how I know. I have sewing machines that are expensive and some antique ones, including a FW. None of them like to go over pins. As far as not pinning in the seam line, you risk the chance of not getting your seam edges straight. If you are not pinning in the seam line there really is no point in pinning the seam. Just my thoughts and this is the way I teach.

I saw this episode as well and was surprised....but sometimes I mistakenly go over pins, and I don't think that is the problem, but the problem would be if you hit the pin, as others said, shards flying and messing the timing in your machine

I used to sew over pins till I drove one into the bobbin case area, what a mess that was! I pull my pins now as I approach them.

I agree with this. I do the same thing.

May I ask you a stupid question? How did you know it threw the timing off? I've run over pins by accident and my machine made a bad noise, and I worried at the time if I did something to the machine. How would I know if the timing was off? It seems to run OK.

On that BOM, though she did sew over pins - one thing she did that I had never thought of before was HOW she pinned. Instead of having the pins sticking out over the edge, she had the pins coming from the inside out - meaning she started pinning maybe 1 1/2 - 2 inches on the inside with the "point" aimed at the to be seam of the fabric. Don't know how to explain it but it was quite neat. She said it gave her more stability in keeping the fabrics from shifting.

Marysewfun

Back in the day when we were sewing double knits, and there were no electronic machines, we were told it was OK to sew over the pins, as the knit material had enough stretch to move out of the way.

But I'm told with today's modern electronic machines, you can throw the timing out if your needle hits the pin. Can be a costly repair, so I pull 'em out.

I do not sew over pins intentionally. I did once and a piece of the needle hit my glasses. I know it can knock the machine out of time if you are using a new machine. I just think it is safer to remove pins. I just wouldn't do it on purpose for any reason.

I was told that with the needle at 90* to the sewing line you would slide over the pin. I never understood this comment and as I had been taught on a treadle machine by relatives to remove pins. Hey were too expensive to break or put a blur on or do the same to needle . money soon stopped me sewing over.

I never sew over pins. That could knock out your calibration and throw your sewing off. I think that years ago we did not know better but would never intentionally sew over them. I love my machine too much to abuse it!

I sew over the pins all the time and even when I hit one with my needle it doesn't usually mess anything up. I just go slow over them that's all.

This isn't a stupid question. Lots of people will blame timing for things that aren't. It's a good thing to know!
Yes, pins can throw timing on a machine, so can overly dense stitches (think an embroidery pattern sized too small, and the thread builds up, or satin stitching, same problem) It's way more common to throw timing on a "newer" machine if only because they have rubber or plastic gears that can flex, or crack. The older machines were metal gears, so they are harder to flex out of the way, or force apart.

a machine with a timing can skip stitches - but so can a needle in the wrong way. Sometimes it'll do it only on some fabrics and not others, which can be hard to figure out.
it can not pick up the bobbin thread or only does it sometimes
it can, if the timing is far enough out, smash needles on parts of the hook

I'd say if your machine is working OK, it's probably not out of time.

If you want to know more about timing, and how to check it, in layman's terms, I wrote a series of articles on it in January, they start here: http://www.archaicarcane.com/2013/01...have-the-time/

Ugh. I meant a machine with a timing problem can skip stitches

Haha, not sure if I have interpreted correctly but it sounds like you are describing how I always put pins in because I am left handed! Lol. Mine are put in the opposite of right handers. Guess that's one advantage of being left handed.

When I bought my Viking (1998) the dealer told me never to sew over pins as it could cause a problem with the computerized board in the machine. So I either pin back from the seam line or remove them as I come to them.

Try one of the decorative stitches and you will probably see what happens when the timing is off.

You don't need a new sewing machine to do this, I rarely pin and when I do I remove them before the needle, I butt up, make sure the stretchy (off bias part) is on the bottom and let the feet dogs eaise it in. Most of my quilt piecing and quilting is done with my 1934 White Rotary and Singer Featherweight, both of them do a far better straight seam and more dependable then my new sewing machine.

Yes, that's how I found a small timing issue a couple of weeks ago. The machine would straight stitch like a dream, but even a zig zag stitch would skip all of the right side stitches.