When pinning your pieces
#22
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Western Catskills
Posts: 136
I sometimes do both in one seam. Pinning parallel to the cut edge at 1/4 inch lets me see that previous seams will match up; it's especially helpful when a diagonal seam meets a right-angle seam and I'm sewing the patches together. (is this making sense?) I always have the head of the pin toward me, and pull out slowly as I stitch toward it. But in general, pinning perpendicular to the cut edge is recommended because the wiggle of fabric along the seam line is less.
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Illinois/Wisconsin
Posts: 878
Jan, Are you left handed? If not, why is this a better way than with the head to the right for easy removal? Just interested in your thoughts. Not being critical. Yolanda Wood River
#27
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: East Tennessee
Posts: 1,053
I pin across the seam line but I pin very little when I'm piecing. I hate pulling the pins out as I sew and I find that the pins tend to distort if I'm not careful. Generally, I'll use a pin to "match" points. Pinning is very much a matter of personal preference though. I've watched members of my quilt group work at the machine when we're doing quilts for donation and the pinning is all over the map. Whatever works for you is probably the best approach here.
#28
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 221
If I pin (not very often except for matching seams), I pin perpendicular with heads to the left. I'm right-handed so right hand is guiding the fabric, left hand removing any pins after the needle hits them and wakes me up .... LOL
Oh, sometimes for a border or other long piece or for a big applique I do pin parallel, seems to give me more hold per pin. Heads toward me, remove pins as I get to them.
Oh, sometimes for a border or other long piece or for a big applique I do pin parallel, seems to give me more hold per pin. Heads toward me, remove pins as I get to them.
#29
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 3,827
When I first learned to sew, I followed the teacher's directions and pinned perpendicular to the seam line. (And sewed over the pin-I'm still a rebel.)
Then came THE SERGER! Yep! Ran right into the sucker! The pin flew in bits all over the place, really scared me. Put a damper on my using the serger until I had it cleaned, retimed and the cutter replaced.
Not wanting to repeat the error. I started putting pins parrallel to the seam, to the left, so they didn't need to be removed.
Eventually I realized it's the seam that needs to match, not the edge of the fabric. So now I pin baste the seam line. When the machine gets close to a pin, I hold the head with my finger nail and let the machine pull the fabric off of the pin. This way, I don't have to stop the machine to pull out those perpendicular pins.
So, my vote is parrallel.
Then came THE SERGER! Yep! Ran right into the sucker! The pin flew in bits all over the place, really scared me. Put a damper on my using the serger until I had it cleaned, retimed and the cutter replaced.
Not wanting to repeat the error. I started putting pins parrallel to the seam, to the left, so they didn't need to be removed.
Eventually I realized it's the seam that needs to match, not the edge of the fabric. So now I pin baste the seam line. When the machine gets close to a pin, I hold the head with my finger nail and let the machine pull the fabric off of the pin. This way, I don't have to stop the machine to pull out those perpendicular pins.
So, my vote is parrallel.
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