Oilcloth fabric is easy to cut and will not fray. The edges don’t need to be finished, but if you prefer you can cut with pinking shears instead of scissors or serge the edges for a more decorative look.
Pinning oilcloth will leave permanent holes in the fabric. If you do want to pin oilcloth, only pin in the seam allowances so the holes will not be noticeable on the outside. Instead of pins, you may want to use clips so you don’t make holes in the fabric. You can use sewing clips, laundry pins, binder clips, or paper clips.
You can cut oilcloth and not worry about fraying
Use clips instead of pins
Oilcloth can easily be wiped clean with a cloth and warm, soapy water. Machine washing is not recommended.
It’s pretty easy to work with oilcloth when sewing, but it can be pretty slippery so use a teflon or roller presser foot if you have one. A regular sewing foot will also work, but it may help to put masking tape on the foot to prevent slippage. You’ll want to use a medium to heavy needle like a size 16 denim needle.
For curves, a regular stitch length is fine, but you’ll want a longer stitch length for straight edges. This prevents the fabric from tearing because of too many holes in close proximity of each other.
Use a longer stitch length on straight edges
Use a regular stitch length on curves
If you do a lot of sewing with oilcloth, you’ll probably want to clean the needle off every so often because the fabric can leave a sticky residue on the needle.
Oilcloth cannot be ironed. You can press it down with your fingers to crease it, or use something heavy like big books to make creases overnight.
If your oilcloth has been folded and you want to remove creases, lay it flat in a warm place to make it more pliable and press it with your hands.