15 Common Stitching Catastrophes Every Sewist Should Avoid

Sewing is a wonderful skill that allows us to create beautiful garments, quilts, bags and purses, gifts, and home decor items. But even the most experienced seamstresses and quilters can run into sewing disasters and feel like their hard work has been ruined in an instant.

Let’s look at 15 common sewing mishaps, such as crooked seams and loose threads, and consider some tips on how to avoid and fix them.

Crooked Seams

Have you ever been happily sewing along, only to look down and realize that your seam is crooked? Crooked seams are a frustrating stitching disaster that can throw off the entire look of your sewing project. There are steps you can take to help you sew straight seams.

To avoid crooked seams, pin your fabric together before sewing to ensure everything is aligned properly. Be sure that there is no bunching while you’re sewing. If you end up with a crooked seam, carefully rip out the stitches and realign the fabric before sewing again.

Loose Threads

Loose threads can make your stitching look messy and unprofessional. To prevent loose threads, make sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of your seams to secure the stitches. Trim any excess thread after stitching to keep your work neat and tidy. That way, loose thread won’t be a problem, and your needlework should turn out beautifully!

Puckered Fabric

Puckered fabric occurs when one or both layers of fabric are pulled or stretched while sewing. If the tension on the sewing machine is too tight or you are trying to sew too quickly, unsightly gathers and puckers can occur in the stitching. Try pressing with steam to see if the puckers smooth out. If not, this is another sewing mishap that may have to be unpicked and restitched. One way to avoid puckered fabric is to use the correct tension on your sewing machine and guide the fabric smoothly through the machine as you sew. 

Skipped Stitches

Skipped stitches can create weak spots in your seams and compromise the integrity of your sewing. When your stitching isn’t uniform, you could have issues such as hems coming undone or seams pulling apart. To prevent skipped stitches, make sure you are using the correct needle and thread for your fabric. There may be an issue with your needle that you can’t see, so try changing your needle. Also check your machine for any issues that may be causing this to happen. 

Uneven Topstitching

Uneven topstitching happens when your stitching lines are crooked, inconsistent, or spaced unevenly. Topstitches are meant to be visible, so when they are uneven, they can ruin the look of the whole sewing project. Let’s see how to avoid this sewing mistake.

To ensure even topstitching, use a guide on your sewing machine or a foot that has a guide, such as an edge-stitching foot. This will help to keep your stitches straight and even. If you struggle with uneven topstitching, practice sewing in a straight line on scrap fabric before working on your project to improve your topstitching skills.

Pattern Matching Issues

Pattern matching can be challenging, but the key is to take your time and carefully align the pattern pieces before cutting and sewing. Match the pattern at the seams and use pins or basting stitches to secure the fabric in place before sewing. Be extra careful with patterns such as checkerboards, houndstooths, and stripes. The whole look of the fabric can be off if the seams don’t match up.

Tension Woes

Problems with your top tension will lead to uneven stitches and loops on the underside of your fabric. Loose bobbin tension may cause the bobbin stitches to show on the top. Weakened seams and hems could result, or the loops could hang on something and pull the stitches loose. The first thing to do when experiencing tension issues is always to rethread your sewing machine. Then adjust the upper tension gradually, testing as you go. Bobbin tension can also be adjusted, but this varies by machine. Check your sewing machine’s manual to see how. Your sewing machine may need an adjustment if you cannot achieve balanced tension by adjusting it yourself.

Fabric Snags

Fabric snags can happen when the fabric gets caught on rough edges or burrs on your sewing machine or table. Examine your needle plate to see if damage has occurred. Keep your machine well-maintained and free of any sharp edges and be sure that the surface of your sewing machine table is smooth. Also, make sure that you keep sharp objects away from the fabric when sewing to prevent fabric snags.

Buttonhole Blues

Buttonhole mishaps are another sewing crisis that can ruin even the most awesome sewing project. Buttonhole excellence is a matter of ‘practice makes perfect.’ Be sure to read the instructions for the buttonhole function on your sewing machine. If you have a newer model sewing machine, there may be videos online showing how the buttonhole pattern works. Make buttonholes on a scrap fabric for each project until you feel confident. Buttonholes often require reinforced fabric, such as fabric that has been folded over several times or has interfacing attached. With these tips, you’ll be able to sew buttonholes on your sewing project with no fear of disaster.

Hemming Mishaps

Hemming can be a tricky business, especially when working with delicate or slippery fabrics. Always press your hem before sewing it. When sewing a narrow or curved hem, it can be helpful to sew a line of stitching along the fold line before pressing. Be gentle with fragile fabrics and go slowly to create a pretty hem.

Fabric Fraying

Fabric fraying can make your stitching fall apart quickly. No matter how adept you are at stitching and sewing, if the fabric falls apart, the whole piece can be ruined. To prevent fabric fraying, finish the raw edges of your fabric with a serger or zigzag stitch before sewing your seams. If you see fabric starting to fray, apply a product such as Fray-Check or Fray Stop to help prevent further fraying.

Fabric Stretching

Fabric stretching happens when the fabric you are sewing with elongates as you sew. Knit (stretchy) fabrics often have this issue. Some knit fabrics only stretch horizontally and are called two-way stretch fabrics. Four-way stretch fabrics, like t-shirts and leggings, stretch both horizontally and vertically. Here are tips for sewing with knits.

To prevent fabric stretching on woven fabrics, adjust the presser foot pressure as needed. Try a walking foot attachment or hand basting with a running or whip stitch to help keep your fabric from stretching. Temporary adhesives such as glue sticks and spray adhesives can also help keep fabrics in place. Be sure that your needle tension and stitch length are set properly, using shorter stitches for delicate fabrics and longer stitches for fabrics that are heavier.

Zippers Gone Bad

Zipper mishaps can be a real headache to fix. Like buttonholes, the best way to perfect sewing a zipper is to practice, practice, practice. You can sew zippers on scrap fabric before tackling them on your project to gain confidence in this task and avoid zipper malfunctions. Here are 50 free zipper pouch patterns to help perfect your zipper skills!

Fabric Bleeding

Fabric bleeding occurs when the dye from one fabric transfers onto another. To prevent fabric bleeding disasters, test your fabric for colorfastness before sewing. Pre-wash hand dyed and red fabrics. Red dye can be more prone to bleeding in the wash than other colors. There is a product called Color Catcher that looks like a dryer sheet, but works well to prevent fabric bleeding. Always remember to wash dark or brightly colored fabrics separately.

It Can Happen To Anyone

Whether you’re a seasoned seamstress or just starting your sewing journey, mistakes do happen to everyone. Every mistake can be a learning opportunity. Just don’t give up!

More From SewCanShe

• 15 Professions That Are Far More Enjoyable Than Most People Realize

15 Reasons Employers are Reluctant to Hire Gen Z Workers

• 15 Reasons Employers are Reluctant to Hire Gen Z Workers

15 Lost Skills Our Parents Mastered, But Millennials Rarely Use

• 15 Lost Skills Our Parents Mastered, But Millennials Rarely Use

15 Useless Careers That Will Cease To Exist In The Next 10 Years

• 15 Useless Careers That Will Cease To Exist In The Next 10 Years