Sewing pins are thin metal pins with a sharp point and a head, used to hold fabric layers and pattern pieces together temporarily before you stitch. The main types are dressmaker's (straight) pins, glass-head, ballpoint, quilting, T-pins, flower-head, silk and safety pins. The right one depends on your fabric: fine pins for delicate cloth, ballpoints for knits, long pins for thick layers.
Sewing pins may appear to be small and unassuming, but they play a crucial role in sewing and crafting. These tiny tools come in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs, each serving a specific purpose. This guide covers each type, the sizes to buy, which pin suits which fabric and how to pin safely. If you are building a kit from scratch, see the haberdashery essentials you actually need.
What Are Pins in Sewing?
Sewing pins are slender tools with a head on one end and a sharp point on the other. The head makes them easy to grip and prevents them from slipping through the fabric. The sharp point pierces through fabric layers, holding them together temporarily.
Most pins are made from nickel-plated steel or stainless steel. Some fine pins are brass. Stainless steel and brass resist rust, which matters if you pin damp fabric or keep your sewing box somewhere humid.
What Are Pins Used for in Sewing?
Pins are essential tools that hold fabric layers together during sewing. They prevent shifting, help maintain accurate seam lines, and allow you to test the fit of garments. From simple repairs to intricate creations, pins play a foundational role in various sewing tasks.
Typical jobs include pinning a paper pattern to fabric before cutting, holding two pieces right sides together along a seam, matching seams and notches, marking a hem or a dart, and pinning a garment on the body during a fitting.
Different Types of Sewing Pins and Their Uses
Straight Pins
These are the workhorses of sewing pins. They have a sharp point and a flat head, making them suitable for a wide range of sewing tasks. Use them to secure fabric layers, attach pattern pieces, and mark seam lines.
Dressmaker's pins and tailor's pins
Dressmaker's pins are the everyday straight pin. They are usually nickel-plated steel or stainless steel, fine enough for most cottons, polycottons and dress fabrics, and long enough to hold two or three layers. If you only buy one box, buy these.
Tailor's pins are longer and slightly stronger. They are made for heavier suiting, wool coating and other thick cloth, where a standard dressmaker's pin can bend or fail to reach through all the layers. Stainless steel and brass versions resist rust, so they stay smooth for longer.
Ballpoint Pins
Designed with a rounded tip, ballpoint pins are perfect for knit fabrics. The rounded tip gently slips between the threads of knits without snagging, ensuring your fabric remains intact. A sharp pin can cut a knitted loop, which may later run into a ladder or a small hole, so use ballpoints whenever you sew jersey fabric, ponte, rib or other stretch knits.
Quilting Pins
Longer than standard straight pins, quilting pins are designed for quilting and piecing. They hold multiple layers of fabric together without distorting the fabric, allowing for accurate and precise stitching. The extra length lets them pass through the top, wadding and backing of a quilt sandwich, and many have a large flat or ball head so they are easy to find and grip.
Glass-Head Pins
Combining style with functionality, glass-head pins feature a heat-resistant glass head. They're easy to spot and can be ironed over without melting, making them versatile for general sewing tasks.
Plastic ball-head pins look similar but can melt under an iron and leave a mark on the fabric or the soleplate. If you will press with pins in place, choose glass heads.
T-Pins
With a distinctive T-shaped head, these pins offer a strong grip, making them ideal for heavyweight and bulky fabrics like wool, upholstery materials, and multiple layers of fabric.
T-pins are long and strong, and the bar-shaped head is easy to push with your thumb. They are used for blocking knitting and crochet, pinning fabric into foam, cork boards or upholstery, holding cords in macramé, and fixing wigs to a wig head. They also suit thick layers where a small round head would push straight through the fabric.
Flower Pins
Flower-head pins are long, fine pins with a flat, flower-shaped plastic head. Because the head lies flat, you can press over them (with a pressing cloth and a moderate iron) without the pin rolling or lifting the fabric. The large, colourful head is easy to see and to remove, which helps on lace, sheers and fine fabrics where a small pin gets lost. They are also useful for fittings.
Silk pins, sequin pins and appliqué pins
Silk pins are extra-fine, so they slip through closely woven cloth without leaving visible holes. Use them on silk, satin, chiffon, organza and other delicate fabrics, and keep them inside the seam allowance. Our guide to what satin is made of has more on handling it.
Sequin pins and appliqué pins are very short. They hold small pieces in place for appliqué, sequin and bead work, and crafts where a long pin would get in the way or poke out the other side.
Safety pins
Safety pins close over their own point, so they stay put and do not scratch. Curved safety pins are made for basting a quilt: the bend makes it easier to bring the point back up through the layers while the quilt lies flat. Larger safety pins are also handy for threading elastic or cord through a casing, and for temporary fastening during fittings.
Sewing pin sizes explained
Pins are sold by length and thickness (sometimes called the gauge or diameter). Thinner pins leave smaller holes, so they suit fine and delicate fabrics. Longer pins hold more layers and thicker cloth. The ranges below are typical, but packs vary between brands, so check the pack before you buy.
| Pin type | Typical length | Typical thickness | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sequin and appliqué pins | About 10 to 13mm | Fine | Appliqué, sequins, beading, small crafts |
| Dressmaker's pins | About 26 to 32mm | About 0.6 to 0.7mm | Everyday dressmaking on cotton and dress fabrics |
| Fine or silk pins | Similar to dressmaker's pins | About 0.5mm or finer | Silk, satin, chiffon, lightweight fabrics |
| Tailor's pins | Longer than dressmaker's pins | Slightly thicker | Suiting, wool coating, heavier cloth |
| Quilting pins | About 45 to 50mm | Medium | Quilt sandwiches, several layers, wadding |
| T-pins | About 25 to 50mm | Thick | Blocking, foam and cork, upholstery, macramé |
Which sewing pins should you use for each fabric?
Match the pin to the fabric first, then to the job. As a rule, the finer or more delicate the cloth, the finer the pin, and the thicker the layers, the longer the pin.
| Fabric | Best pin | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton, poplin and quilting cotton | Dressmaker's or glass-head pins | Glass heads let you press seams with pins still in |
| Silk, satin and chiffon | Silk pins | Pin in the seam allowance only, as holes can show |
| Jersey and stretch knits | Ballpoint pins | Avoid stretching the fabric as you pin |
| Denim, wool coating and suiting | Long tailor's pins or clips | Clips are easier on very thick seams |
| Quilt sandwich with wadding | Long quilting pins or curved safety pins | Safety pins stay in while you machine quilt |
| Lace and sheers | Flower-head pins | The large head is easy to see on open fabric |
| Faux leather, PVC, vinyl and waterproof fabric | Clips, not pins | Pin holes are permanent and can let water through |
| Velvet | Fine pins in the seam allowance, or clips | Avoids marking or flattening the pile |
Pins or sewing clips?
Sewing clips are small spring clips that grip the edge of the fabric without piercing it. They are better than pins for thick layers, binding, bag making, leatherette and coated fabrics. On waterproof fabric, faux leather and PVC, every pin hole stays visible and can let water in, so clips are the safer choice. Our guide to whether polyester is waterproof explains why stitched seams leak.
Pins are better for curves, matching seams accurately, easing in sleeves and holding a paper pattern to fabric, because they hold the fabric away from the edge as well as at it. Most sewists keep both. For pins and other basics, browse our Milward haberdashery range.
How to Use Sewing Pins
To use sewing pins effectively, you need to place them properly and handle them with care. First, align the fabric layers. For most seams, pin at right angles to the seam line, with the heads towards the raw edge and the points pointing into the fabric. This way the heads sit where you can grab them, and the pins are easy to pull out as you sew.
On delicate fabric such as silk or satin, pin parallel to the edge inside the seam allowance instead, so any marks end up hidden in the seam. Leave enough of each pin exposed to grip easily. As you sew, remove each pin before the needle reaches it rather than sewing over it.
Can you sew over pins?
It is best not to. If the machine needle strikes a pin, the needle can bend or break, the pin can snap and fly off, and a hard hit can knock the machine's timing out. A bent needle can also damage the fabric and the needle plate.
The simple habit is to pull each pin out as it approaches the presser foot. If you have hit a pin, change the needle before you carry on. Our machine needles come in sizes for most fabrics.
How many pins do you need and how to pin a pattern
A box of 100 or so dressmaker's pins is plenty for most home sewing. How many you use at once depends on the fabric and the shape of the piece. To pin a paper pattern:
- Lay the fabric flat and place the pattern on grain, measuring from the grainline arrow to the selvedge at both ends.
- Pin the corners and the notches first.
- Add pins every 10 to 15cm along straight edges, and closer together on curves.
- Keep the pins inside the cutting line, so your scissors do not hit them.
- Transfer darts, dots and notches with marking tools before you unpin.
On slippery or delicate fabric, pattern weights and a rotary cutter are a good alternative to pinning at all. They hold the pattern without piercing the cloth. Whichever method you use, sharp scissors and seam rippers make cutting and unpicking cleaner.
How to Store Sewing Pins
Organising and storing sewing pins is essential for a clutter-free and safe sewing environment. Consider using a pincushion, magnetic pin holder, or a small container to keep pins within reach while sewing. To prevent accidental pricks, always store pins with the pointed ends facing downward.
Keep different types apart, for example ballpoints in a labelled tin, so you do not grab a sharp pin for jersey by mistake. Keep pins away from children and pets.
When to throw pins away
Bent, blunt or rusty pins snag fabric, leave larger holes and can stain light colours. If a pin does not glide through the fabric, retire it. Dispose of old pins safely in a closed container or an old jar with a lid, not loose in the bin. A magnetic pin dish or tray is the quickest way to pick up dropped pins from the floor.
Sewing pins are small, but they make a real difference to how accurately your projects go together. By understanding the different types of sewing pins and how to use them, you can choose the right pins for each fabric and project. A practical starter set is one box of glass-head dressmaker's pins, a few ballpoints for knits and a pack of sewing clips for thick or coated fabrics. Add quilting pins or curved safety pins if you quilt, and silk pins if you sew delicate fabrics.
Shop all haberdashery supplies
Frequently asked questions
What are the best pins for sewing?
For most home sewing, glass-head dressmaker's pins are the best all-rounder. They are sharp, fine enough for cotton and dress fabrics, easy to see, and the glass head will not melt under an iron. Add ballpoint pins for jersey and knits, silk pins for delicate fabrics and sewing clips for thick or coated fabrics where pin holes would show.
What are T-pins used for?
T-pins are long, strong pins with a T-shaped head. They are used for blocking knitting and crochet, pinning fabric into foam or cork, upholstery work, macramé and wig making. The bar-shaped head is easy to push with your thumb and will not pull through thick or loosely woven layers, which makes them useful for heavy fabrics too.
What are tailor's pins?
Tailor's pins are longer and slightly stronger than standard dressmaker's pins. They are made for heavier fabrics such as suiting, wool coating and tweed, where a shorter pin can bend or fail to hold all the layers. Stainless steel or brass versions resist rust. For very bulky seams, sewing clips are a good alternative.
Which pins should you use for jersey and stretch fabric?
Use ballpoint pins. Their rounded tip slides between the knitted loops instead of piercing them, so the fabric is less likely to snag or ladder. Pin without stretching the fabric, keep pins in the seam allowance where you can, and pair them with a ballpoint or stretch machine needle. Our guide on how to sew stretch fabrics covers the rest.
Can you iron over sewing pins?
You can iron over pins with glass heads, flat metal heads or flat flower heads, ideally with a pressing cloth. Avoid ironing over plastic ball-head pins, because the heads can melt onto the fabric or the iron. Do not press hard over any pin on delicate fabrics or velvet, as the pin can leave an impression.
How long are standard sewing pins?
Standard dressmaker's pins are typically about 26 to 32mm long and about 0.6 to 0.7mm thick. Quilting pins are longer, usually about 45 to 50mm, while sequin and appliqué pins can be as short as 10 to 13mm. Sizes vary between brands, so check the pack for the exact length and thickness.
