Simple techniques

Sewing Woven Cotton and Lightweight Denim

How to set up and sew stable woven fabrics, from quilting cotton to lightweight denim, without skipped stitches or broken needles.

Confident Beginner30 minMachine

What you will learn

Cotton: fit a universal needle 80/12, stitch length 2.5 mm. Sew a test seam and check for even stitches.
Denim: switch off and unplug, then fit a new jeans needle in size 90/14. Set stitch length to 3 mm.
For a real project, pre-wash the fabric before cutting, as you will wash the finished item, because cotton and denim can shrink. Press before cutting. Scraps for this practice do not need it.
Sew a plain seam in each fabric, using the 5/8 in (15 mm) guide. Sew slowly and let the machine feed.
For thick joins, such as where seams cross, slow down and turn the handwheel by hand. Sew a few stitches at a time. A needle that hits thick layers at speed can bend or break.
Press seams open with a hot iron and steam, within the fabric's care label limits.
Finish the edges with zigzag, since denim frays heavily.
Check the stitches. They should be even, with no skipped stitches or loops.

Fold a small piece of cardboard the same thickness as the seam and put it under the back of the presser foot when you reach a thick join. This keeps the foot level. Check your manual to see if your foot has a levelling tool.
Use clips instead of pins on thick denim.

Skipped stitches on denim.

The needle is the wrong type or dull. Fit a new jeans needle.

The machine stalls at a thick seam.

The foot is tilted. Level the foot with cardboard or a levelling shim and go slowly.

The needle breaks.

The fabric was pulled or the needle is too fine. Use 90/14 or 100/16 and let the machine feed.

Safety and fabric care

Wear no loose items near the needle. Do not force the fabric. If the machine labors, stop and rethink.

When to use a professionalHeavy denim, leather and many layers can strain a basic machine. Check the maximum thickness in your manual.