Sewing Safety Tips

Sewing Safety Tips: Staying Safe in the Sewing Room

Sewing isn’t a hazardous activity. In fact, it is one of the best ways you can express your creativity in a relaxing manner. However, since you have to work with sharp objects like needles and shears which can be dangerous, you need to take some safety precautions while in the sewing room.

Here are safety tips to help you stay safe in the sewing room. Remember, while these tips might be geared towards novices, even experienced sewers can use them as a reminder from time to time.

  1. Know Where to Put and How to Handle Sharp Objects

Most people will think that stitching pins out of the mouth is a convenient way to hold them when sewing. In fact, that’s what you will see when you visit most sewers at their workplaces. But using your mouth as a holding area for pins, needles, pencils, and other sharp objects can be dangerous. What if you fall with those pins or needles in your mouth?

The best holding area for sharp objects like these is on cushions. Therefore, buy a pin cushion so that you can put all your pins and needles there for the sake of convenience.

  1. Be Attentive to What You are Doing

All your eyes should be on your work. Sometimes people engage their eyes on other things while sewing. You may think, “Let me read the text” or “let me answer the call” while at the same time you are sewing. Please do not do it. The only time you should look away is when you have set down the iron or taken your foot off the pedal.

“Just as diverted driving can be disastrous the same can be for distracted sewing as well”, says Sheila Richards, a sewing expert and the author of the sewing help.

Doing that could make you sew your hand or even burn yourself on the hot iron. Therefore, keep your eyes on your work and stay safe while in the sewing room.

  1. Turn off or Unplug Your Sewing Machine

Sometimes you may want to make some adjustments to your sewing machine; you may want to change the needles or other maintenance. Well, all this is meant to keep your machine in a good working condition but before you do that, unplug the machine. It sounds easy but forgetting this step is easy as well. Think about what could happen, if you accidentally put your foot on the pedal while changing the needle.

Just turn off or unplug the machine, change the needle or adjust your sewing machine and then get back to work. It takes a few minutes to save a situation that could have been worse.

  1. Do Not Clutter Outlets

Whether you know much about electricity and wiring or not at all, you need to know that the outlets in your house are meant to supply a certain voltage. Attaching too many things to one outlet could lead to power breakups or even cause electric fires. Remember some equipment will draw too much electricity than others. Try to ensure you have enough outlets so that each equipment goes to a separate outlet.

  1. Store Cutting Tool in Safe Places

Different places have different areas where cutting tools are stored safely. For instance, in the kitchen, knives are kept in knife blocks. The sewing room is a place that looks like an armory. You work with many sharp tools including the shears, thread nippers, needles and more. All these tools can be dangerous if not stored and handled properly.

You should, therefore, have storage locations for your scissors, rotary cutters and other sharp tools.

  1. Investing in the Right Tools

Working with the best tools and supplies will not only make your sewing better but the tools will also last longer and there will be fewer chances of getting injured in the sewing room.

For instance, buying a cheap pair of scissors will give you a hard time when cutting your fabric. You will need to apply too much force which could end up hurting you.

Also, you need to use the right tools for every task. For instance, using a safety pin to thread elastic through a waistband could be dangerous. It may pop open and stab you in the finger which could hurt you.

A good rule of thumb is to use the right tools for every task to prevent disaster. In any case, there are tools for every task.

  1. Keep Children Safe in the Sewing Room

Most women prefer having their kids in the sewing room while working on a project. Although you may be keeping an eye on them, ensure to put away all the potentially hazardous equipment. For instance, keep all the power cords away from reach by your children. Also, ensure there are no pins, needles or buttons scattered on the floor. Kids can reach them fast that you can imagine. So keep them away from reach.

Final Words

There you have it: Sewing safety tips to help you stay safe in the sewing room. Let us hear other precautions you take in your sewing room to keep you and other people safe in the comments section.

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