– A sewing machine is a quite powerful piece of equipment that most households cannot survive without. Just imagine trying to make a king-sized blanket or trying to sew a Halloween costume for your children completely by hand. Sewing machines are fast, convenient, and efficient.
Source: Selco Foundation
– It might not be the most dangerous machine that you have ever used, but that does not mean that you should be carefree while using it. To be safe and sound while working on your project, here are 8 tips on how to be safe while using a sewing machine:
- Keep your fingers at the right distance – one of the most important things to do is to keep your fingers safe from the sewing machine needle. This is one of the most obvious risks if you do not know or if you do not learn what the right distance is. Always keep your fingers in a safe distance from the needle and it is recommended by professionals to keep your fingers at least one inch away at all times. However, it is not always possible to keep them an inch away, since some fabrics and materials need extra guidance. To keep your fingers safe, you can look for some safety tools in online or local shops.
- Keep your hair out of the way – for ladies, this is one tip that is for you. While you work with a sewing machine, always make sure that your hair is tied. Sometimes, long hair enters into the machine and give you one real-life nightmare. For this not to happen, always keep your hair tied when working on something on a sewing machine.
- Do not lose your focus – if you are focused on what you are doing, the chances of facing an injury are quite low. Injuries and accidents often happen when there is a lack of concentration on what we are doing. If you want to avoid unwanted and unnecessary injuries, try always to be concentrated when working on your sewing project.
Source: marthastewart.com
- Take care of your pins and needles – you should take care of the pins and needles you use for sewing. When starting a new project, double check all your needles and pins. They need to be whole and undamaged, or otherwise the injury or incident is one step ahead of you.
- Never sew over pins – when stitching, you need to make sure that the pins are all out of the fabric. If you accidentally sew over pins, it can break and fly out at you. This could result in severe damage to you and also, the machine you are using.
- Use the proper machine for a specific project – people tend to use the wrong sewing machine for the wrong fabric. If you are planning on sewing strong and thick fabrics, you will need to use an industrial sewing machine, instead of the regular one you have at home. If you use the regular machine for strong and thick fabrics, it can lead to the machine breaking which might result in a number of dangerous situations. It is crucial for you to use the right machine with the right fabric.
- Be aware of the electricity – we are all thankful for electricity and we consider it a blessing of our time. However, you should keep in mind that it is quite dangerous as well. While you operate a machine, electricity is required for it to work. Hence, some simple precautions can keep you safe from an accident that involves electricity. Never overload the outlet and do not use broken cords.
Source: Material Girl Fabric Shop
- Turn it off when you are done working on it – we often forget to turn the machine off once we are done for the day. Even if you need to use the bathroom and you will be gone for several minutes, do not leave it on. Especially if you have children around, it needs always to be off.
Conclusion
– Just like any other appliance, you will need to maintain your sewing machine often. Once a year, you need to bring your machine to the service center for maintenance. If you maintain it correctly and if you remember these tips, you will probably never face injuries related to a sewing machine.
