Printable Basic Sewing Guidelines and Terms – a helpful reference/checklist for both teacher and student.
Sewing Guidelines/Terms
Good Sewing Habits: 
- Wash hands before sewing.
- Organize work area.
- Adjust lighting.
- Set up machine.
- Put items away promptly.
- Clean up your sewing area after each session.
Good Safety Habits:
- Pins – Keep in pincushion or in your fabric – No loose pins!
- Needles – Keep in your needle book or in your project.
- Shears and scissors – Keep closed and on the table when not in use.
- Seam ripper– Cut away from yourself when using – keep away from your eyes!
- Iron – Hold by handle only; keep face and fingers away from steam. Rest iron on its heel, not flat down on its sole plate. Turn off iron when you leave the sewing area.
- Sewing Machine -Use slow speed when first learning to operate. Keep your fingers away from the needle. Follow cleaning and maintenance schedules as noted in owner’s manual.
Good Terms to Know:
- Back stitch- the reverse stitch on the sewing machine used at the beginning and ending of a seam to secure it.
- Baste – a long temporary stitch done by hand or machine.
- Grain – the lengthwise and crosswise threads of a fabric.
- Guide sheet – the instruction sheet that explains how a sewing project is constructed.
- Marking – transferring pattern details to fabric from the pattern pieces.
- Notions – small items used in sewing, such as thread, buttons, elastic, snaps, etc.
- Pivot – to change the direction of the machine stitching by turning the fabric while the needle is still in the fabric.
- Seam allowance – the amount of fabric from the cut edge to the seam line.
- Seam line – the line on which the seam is stitched.
- Selvage – the finished edge of woven fabrics that runs parallel to the lengthwise grain.
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