Pin when sewing?

Pinning your seams ensures you can move pieces around your sewing area without having them move, and pinning prevents pieces shifting as you sew. You want to pin your fabric perpendicular, or at a right angle, to the fabric. This means the pins hang off the edge of the fabric.

You can then stitch really close to the pin before removing it, and it is easy to see, so it’s unlikely you’ll accidentally stitch over it!

If you are pinning your pattern pieces for cutting, you do not want them hanging over in the same way because you may end up cutting through them. In this case, pin parallel to the edge of your pattern pieces and save your blades from damage.

If you are pinning fabric together to sew though your overlocker or serger, avoid pinning perpendicular to each other, like you would on a sewing machine. The reason for this is that you tend to sew super fast with an overlocker, and it is very easy to forget about your pin until you sew over it, cutting it and probably blunting/destroying your blade! Pin as you would for cutting and remove them carefully after you having finished your sewing.

When pinning a straight edge, use as many pins as you need to hold your layers together. However, when you pin curves, you will be pinning two pieces of fabric that want to move in opposite directions. This is where you will need lots more pins.

This block is a fun one to use, but many people are put off by the intricacies of stitching it together. The solution is surprisingly simple – use plenty of pins. Start by marking the centre points of the curves and the quarter points (halfway between the edge and the newly marked centre). You can easily mark these points by folding each piece in half and fingerpressing a seam.

Start by marking the centre points of the curves and the quarter points (halfway between the edge and the newly marked centre). You can easily mark these points by folding each piece in half and fingerpressing a seam. Pin the centre points of the pieces, fabric side together, then pin the ends and the quarter segments

Gently ease the edges together until they match up and pin between the quarter segment and then between each of these pins too, just to be safe. You are then ready to stitch slowly around the fabric, removing the pins as you go.

When you have a beautiful collection of pins, you want to look after them. The best way to do this is with a pincushion. You can make pincushions designed to keep your pins sharp by stuffing them with wire wool. Discard any of your pins if they get bent, unless you are keeping them separate to create a gorgeous display. A damaged pin can lead to damaged fabric. Look after your pins and they will look after you!

Shop all pin cushions at CraftStash

You can sew over pins most of the time, but you should really avoid hitting the pin for a number of reasons:

You can remove the pin a stitch or two before you reach it. This way your presser foot is on top of the fabric and is holding it in place on its own, therefore you can remove the pin without the fabric sliding.

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Any sewist will tell you pins are a must-have sewing tool. You can count on these tough little guys to help with so many tasks, from holding the pattern to the fabric, to keeping materials together while you stitch. But pins work best when you use the right kind for the job and fabric at hand. So long as you have these types of sewing pins nearby, you should always be prepared.

These are one of the most widely used pins among sewers. Made out of nickel-plated steel, they’re strong but not overly flexible. (Pins with softer metal shafts can be bendy, making it that much harder to pin back up through fabric layers.) The 1⅜” length is the perfect size, too. If it were longer it would be too bendy, and if it were shorter it would have trouble pinning through thick layers of wool or other heavyweight garment materials.

The extra-fine 0.5 mm metal shaft also means it’ll only leave teeny-tiny holes in the fabric, and the glass head won’t melt under the heat of the iron. Translation: use these pins when you need to hold materials down during pressing.

There are a lot of glass head pins on the market, so don’t be afraid to shop around. Just keep in mind that thin pins are best for lightweight fabrics, whereas heavy pins are better for thicker materials.

When sewing with stretch knits or jersey fabrics, you know to use a ball-point needle in your sewing machine, as the slightly rounded point can slide between the threads without breaking them. (Since all the threads are held together in continuous loops, breaking any can lead to major unraveling.) That same idea holds true for ball-point pins.

These pins also have nickel-plated 0.5 mm metal shafts, so they’re just as strong and rigid as glass head versions. But they have plastic rather than glass heads, so it’s best to skip them when pressing — or at least be very aware of where the heads are so you don’t accidentally melt them.

You can buy ball-point pins in a variety of lengths and thicknesses, so judge the weight of your project against the weight of the pins.

Some fabrics are self-repairing, meaning the fibers of the weave spread apart to accommodate the pin, then bounce back to where they were once you remove it. Silk is not one of those fabrics, thanks to the delicacy of the threads, which is why you need these extra-fine pins if you want to work with the material.

Classic silk pins are all metal, with no glass or plastic balls. (Sometimes these are called dressmaking pins or satin pins, both of which have their own slight variations.) They come in a range of weights, so like all other pins, you want to match the shaft thickness to your silk.

Pro Tip: always test your pin on scraps to see how the fabric recovers, and keep pins within your seam allowance to help avoid unwanted holes.

Because quilting involves many layers of fabric and batting, you want pins that are stronger and longer so they can work through all the layers of a quilt. Ones that have brightly-colored heads (usually yellow or multi-colored) make them easy to spot wherever they are in your project.

Traditionally, quilting pins have plastic ball heads, but melting isn’t usually a concern — most ironing happens before and after pinning. And because quilts are usually made with a sturdy cotton, your fabric should be able to handle the heavier weight of these pins. (That said, if you choose to use a thinner or less traditional fabric for your quilt, consider a different pin choice to match.)

If you’re making craft projects with a material like felt, you may want plastic head craft pins. Usually they have big multi-colored plastic ends, sometimes in novelty shapes like hearts and flowers. They don’t have to be super high-quality (meaning you don’t have to spend a lot of money on them), and they’re a nice addition to round out your pin stash.

Today we are going to learn about different types of sewing pins and their uses.

A few years ago I walked into Michael’s store (it was in Canada) to buy some pins for sewing and was surprised to find an entire aisle full of different types. Which kind do I need? It was a daunting experience, to say the least. And I left without buying anything because I truly couldn’t decide in the store and wanted to go online to read about different types of sewing pins.

But the next day I was in a dollar store and they had pins for sewing – only ONE type! So it was easy to decide and I happily bought these nice sparkling pins that had large bright heads. I thought they would be great for my projects and their big heads would make it easy for me to pull them out as I was sewing.

But soon I learned the hard way that there are different types of sewing pins for a reason. Those dollar store pins were too thick for most of my projects, and they had very blunt tips.

If you ask any sewist about sewing pins, you’ll find out they are a must-have tool for sewing as they perform many crucial tasks. While it is possible to sew without using pins for every single project, they help tremendously with:

With the responsibility of all these jobs sitting on their figurative shoulders, it makes sense that no one-kind-fits-all approach will work. So we have different kinds of pins to do different jobs.

You’ll find sewing pins that come in different thicknesses and lengths, pins that have different tips, or pinheads that are made of different materials. Each style has a specific purpose, and I’m going to share that with you in this post because (as with any project) using the right tool for the job at hand will yield the best results.

Keep reading to learn about the different types of sewing pins, the part of sewing pins and how they vary, and how to choose the best pin for your project.

Note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means I will receive a commission if you order a product through one of my links. I only recommend products I believe in and use myself.

Straight pins are the most commonly used pin for sewing, also known as basting pins or hemming pins. You’ll choose which option to use based on:

When you factor in different ways to combine those options, you end up with a lot of possible combinations. And that’s why you have so many different types of sewing pins for purchase at the sewing store.

Here’s how to tackle this potentially daunting situation: Before you start your project, decide what qualities you need for each of the pin parts. Then, put them together and go find the pin that fits your needs.

The head of the pin is the piece at the end that you can grab and hold onto. Heads can vary in shape, size, color, and materials. Just like everything with sewing pins, there are reasons for this. Let’s dive in.

Pins can have plastic heads, glass heads, or flat metal heads. Each one has a different purpose. In order to know which head you need, you need to know the pros and cons of each style.

Pros: This common style comes in a large variety, easy for grabbing and seeing the pins against your fabric.

Cons: These heads can melt from the heat of the iron, and potentially ruin both your fabric and your iron.

Notes: These are a good all-around pin as long as you don’t need to iron your project. You can also find the heads in different shapes (such as a heart), which can help make them easier to grab.

Recently they made NOVELTY pins with plastic heads that are heat resistant. In stores, they are called magic pins. These heads have a cylindrical shape. They are called magic pins I guess because they are heat resistant and easy to grab.

Pros: Glass head pins are practically identical to plastic heads except that the glass head won’t melt when ironed. This style is often a thinner pin, making them good for use with fussier fabrics that show holes more easily – like silk.

Cons: They can bend more easily, making them harder to use for beginners. Also, they were more expensive.

Notes: These pins offer the best of both the plastic head and flat head pins.

Pros: Flat head pins have been around the longest and are good for hand sewing and for use when ironing your project.

Cons: They can be difficult to spot when used on textured or patterned fabrics.

Notes: These pins are usually made of stainless steel and should be rust-proof. Plus, they are strong but thin enough that they will hold most fabrics together without creating large holes.

20 years ago I used mostly this type of pins but now I don’t even have them and prefer glass head pins.

The metal head can also resemble a nail head. Extra-fine silk pins have this kind of head. So if you sew a lot with natural silk fabric it makes sense to use them.

The shaft of a sewing pin is that skinny metal part that extends from the head of the pin to the tip of the pin, and it can vary in length.

Some sewing projects need long pins while others require short pins.

How do you know which pin length to use for what project? Basically, for most projects using light to medium-weight fabrics, you’ll likely use medium-length pins that are between 1 and 1½ inches long.

Quilting and other multi-layered projects require longer pins in order to pin through several layers of fabric without being concerned that the pins will fall out. Common quilting pin lengths are 1½ to 2 inches.

Short pins are best for very small projects or attaching appliqués, sequins, or trims. They are even called applique pins sometimes.

You can use them to position and hold appliques in place. Their short length is great for close pinning of small appliques. They are small but secure the layers well and are tough enough to go through the appliqué, the stabilizer, and the fabric.

But basically, any project where you need pins very close together and long pins may overlap awkwardly is a good one for short pins.

I like to mark my fabric with short pins and transfer pattern lines to my fabric because sometimes you just can’t mark fleece or fur with a regular marker because they don’t leave any visible lines, so I use short pins instead with big heads. I don’t use longer pins because they scratch me easily. So pin exactly in the dart’s point and afterward mark the point on both pattern pieces.

✅ Related tutorial: How To Sew Darts: Tips And Techniques For Different Types Of Darts

The goal is to use the thinnest pin you can to accomplish the project you are working on to avoid leaving unsightly holes. The type of fabric you are using as well as the project you are doing will determine your pin thickness.

Use “regular” pins for most projects; those pins will measure 0.6mm in thickness.

When working with less forgiving fabrics, like silk, use thinner silk pins that measure 0.4 or 0.5mm in thickness.

✅ Related tutorial: How to sew silk/tips/ types of stitches and seams / how to hem silk fabric

Finally, when working with heavy fabrics, you may need to use pins that measure 0.7 or 0.8mm thick.

Make sure to test the pins in your fabric first before committing to a thickness.

Thicker pins will leave holes in delicate silk fabric, for example.

But if you use thin pins for the heavy fabric they will bend easily. Look what happens to a thin pin if I use it for a quilt project. Heavier fabrics require thicker pins.

Just as the head, length, and width of pins can vary, so can the tip. You can find sharp, extra-sharp, or ballpoint (rounded, blunt).

Sharp tips are the most common kind, which you will use for the majority of your projects. You’ll only need different tips for a few projects.

Extra-sharp (or extra-fine) points are usually on very thin pins and are meant to be used on projects using satin, silk, and other delicate projects.

Ballpoint tips are more rounded or blunt, and these tips are used for stretchy fabrics and knits so that the tips don’t snag the fabric. These tips push the fibers aside instead of piercing them.

They are like ballpoint sewing needles. These pins are great for very delicate knit fabric, they will leave no holes.

✅ Related tutorial: How to sew knit fabric | 23 expert tips for beginners

You have to remember that a pin can become blunt in time. Dull pins are no good to use, they can pierce the fabric, break the fibers, and leave big holes. So from time to time, you will need to change your pins and buy new ones.

How can you determine that the pin became dull? I usually hear a punching sound when the bad pin enters the fabric. I usually throw away pins like this so they don’t break my fabric. And the good sharp pin doesn’t make any sound.

It’s important to be aware of the metal content of sewing pins in case you are allergic to certain metals or live in a humid area. Sewing pins can be made of stainless steel, nickel-plated, chrome-plated, or brass.

Nickel is a common allergen, Nickel is one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis: a skin rash or irritation caused by touching nickel. So make sure you are not allergic to nickel if you use nickel-plated pins.

But if you are not the pins that contain nickel as nickel-plated pins are the most rust resistant.

Most pins that I have are nickel-plated steel.

The confusing thing about sewing pins is that when you walk into an aisle in the store, you see dozens of different names for pins. However, when you break it down into simple terms, those varieties are just variations of straight pins.

And now that you know about the parts of the pin, I can break down the different types of sewing pins in a way that makes sense.

Quilting pins are longer and stronger than normal plastic head pins so that they can hold multiple layers of a quilt together. They have big, brightly colored heads to make them easy to spot. As these pins are longer and thicker than other pins, take care to only use them with fabric that can handle them

Since ironing usually occurs before or after pinning, melting the plastic heads isn’t normally a problem or concern.

Pearl head pins are shaped similar to plastic head pins but look nice.

Let me tell you a fun story. Once I bought a box of pearlized pins but in the description, it was a typo and it was written “paralized“. And I am not the only one. I found this question on Amazon

The last detail in the description says pins are paralized. How are pins “paralized”?

And the seller wrote the answer: “Paralyzed” is just an unfortunate typo for “pearlized” referring to the heads. We’ll contact Amazon to help get that fixed, thanks for pointing it out!

Silk isn’t a self-repairing fabric, so you’ll want to use extra-fine pins when working with SILK to prevent large, noticeable holes in your finished product. Most of the time silk pins are all metal and come in a variety of weights.

But I have silk pins with small glass heads. They are easier to grasp and don’t leave holes in silk fabric so I prefer to use them.

Featuring a T-shaped head, these heavy-duty pins are great to use with upholstery, tough fabrics or pinning through buttonholes.

If you pin the t-pin like this in the image below the layers will stay put and the buttonhole can’t be open, you need it sometimes, right?

But I use t-pins in my embroidery projects, especially with big hoops. Let me show you. So, you take a big hoop, not like this, but bigger. Hoop an embroidery stabilizer. And now I pin like this, very close to the hoop sides, so during embroidery, the stabilizer doesn’t SHRINK especially when the embroidery design is very dense.

If you would like to see how I use these pins for my embroidery projects check out this tutorial

In The Hoop Embroidery Designs: Halloween Treat Bags

Usually, have bigger heads to make it even easier to see them. Plus, they’re just fun to use.

Let me show you also these pins called tidy pins. What are these? Do you know? They are used for holding different covers in place: arm covers on a couch or chair, slipcovers, and bed skirts. So if you sew these kinds of covers you can use these pins.

Dollar store pins – they are not suitable for sewing, they are very BAD quality, and they break the fabric.

I like Dollar Store products as much as the next person – except when it comes to sewing. I have found that Dollar Store pins are not of good quality and tend to break the fabric.

Instead, it’s worth paying a little more for truly good quality. I recommend these brands:

✅ Related post: Types of Hand Sewing Needles and Their Uses: A Guide for Modern Sewists

To safely use pins while sewing, use these tips:

To safely discard pins, wrap the tip in a piece of tape and throw it away. Or, you could put the pins in an old, empty medicine bottle and throw it away when it’s full.

Well, 20 years ago I would say definitely yes. You see when I learned to sew I was told that it’s perfectly fine to sew over pins because they are thin. And I did it all the time and liked it.

But now, after so many sewing projects, I will say – don’t do it, don’t sew over pins, it’s quite dangerous.

Look what happens to pins and the sewing machine needle when the needle steps on a pin.  At the same time, the fabric goes in the hole in the needle plate under the presser foot and you can’t take it out of there without cutting your project. Yes, it doesn’t happen very often, only once in a while, but it does happen. So no, don’t sew over pins. Take them out as soon as your presser foot reaches them.

Sewing pins, while not an absolute necessity, are a vital tool for sewists. By knowing the qualities of the fabric you’re using in your project, you can determine the type of sewing pin you’ll need to use. It all seems very complicated from the beginning, but with a little practice, you’ll soon be practically an expert.

If you’d like to watch the video version, hit the Play button below.

Using sewing pins is the time-tested standard, but we also have sewing clips that many sewists now prefer over pins. You might be interested in my article Sewing Clips vs Pins | Which To Choose?

Did you find this tutorial helpful? If so, save this pin (see below) on your sewing board so you can come to this tutorial later when you need to know the types of sewing pins and follow me on Pinterest for more tips, tutorials, and inspiration!