Here's a bunch of tips:

Scotch tape

Regular old tape is probably my favorite notion.

• It's great for taping pattern instructions to the wall
• Marks the wrong side of fabrics (instead of using chalk)
• It makes a wonderful seam guide for putting in centered zippers

Another way to use Scotch tape: to hold down pleats. Many times I don't even baste them in. I press them really good and while at the sewing table, without disturbing the pleats I tape them down occasionally I have strayed into the seam line and sewn over it and haven't had a bit of trouble getting it off. I tape both right and wrong sides of the pleats and am very generous with the tape (the kind in the green box).

Another way I just remembered: When making buttonholes I make trial buttonholes until I get the right length. Then I take a piece of tape (say about 3 inches long), turn under about 1/4 inch on itself (so that I can remove it easily), lay it down lengthwise beside the buttonhole and take a sharpie and mark the length with the two end bartacks distinctly shown on the tape. Then I align the tape on my garment just to the left of the presser foot but with the bartack marking even with where I want my needle to begin. Then I proceed with making the buttonhole using the markings on the tape to let me know when to start and stop.

Another thing: I tape my buttons on my garment where I want them, then proceed to sew them on with my machine. (On my Bernina I drop the feed dogs and use the "Sew Button Foot", but most manufacturers have some way. My old Singer had a feed dog cover that I had to use.) The tape pulls out just fine, especially after its been sewn thru about a dozen time in a couples of holes!

Fellow fan of Scotch tape!

Oiling the machine

I never realized how important it was to oil my machine. My machine (an old kenmore) never has worked right. Nevertheless, I've discovered that feeding it usually takes care of annoying tension problems. Recently, I thought my machine was broken. The needle wouldn't go up and down! After a few days of letting lots of oil seep in, one would never guess that it ever had problems! It's good to oil your machine after every 8 hours of sewing, after every project, or if the machine's been inactive for a while.