TEN ESSENTIAL SEWING TOOLS EVERY BEGINNER SHOULD HAVE
Ten essential sewing tools e very beginner should have. When you start sewing, it can be overwhelming to explore all the different concepts. These 10 essential tools are essential for sewing most projects. Once you have the basics down, you can purchase the tools you’ll need for more advanced, specific projects.
But when you start sewing, you can fill a great sewing starter box for under $100. If you are just starting to sew, you may not be familiar with all the different tools that people usually use when they take up this hobby. While there are many different types of equipment available to the sewing enthusiast, these 10 pieces are definitely the most important.
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TEN ESSENTIAL SEWING TOOLS EVERY BEGINNER SHOULD HAVE
Ten essential sewing tools e very beginner should have. Whether you’re a hobbyist or a seasoned professional, the following are the most important tools in any sewing kit:
- Needle boxes full of pins
A pin box is nothing more than a container that you can stick pins and needles into when you’re in the middle of a project. Many times it is shaped like a tomato with a tiny strawberry hanging from the top. However, pillows can be any shape, size or color. The classic variety is filled with a combination of wool weft, which contains lanolin to keep embedded pins from rusting, and sawdust and/or crushed walnut shells. Strawberry, if available, contains fine sand
- Sewing scissors
The sewing scissors are ergonomically designed to prevent hand fatigue as well as ensure accurate and precise cutting of fabric. You just have to remember to only use them on fabric as any other material will dull the blade. It’s important to spend a little extra money to make sure you have great sewing scissors and keep them away from other family members who might accidentally misuse them. Also, remember to oil your shears and clean the blades after every few uses. This maximizes their lifespan.
- Needle threaders
Threading needles during a large project can be difficult, whether you have vision problems or are just tired. It’s much easier with a needle threader. Using the threading wire, you can easily thread the needle through the eyelet. It should open up and make a big hole for the thread and then pull the wire through and thread right through. If the needle has a large enough eye for the thread you are using you shouldn’t have a problem, but if the eye is too small you will put too much pressure on the wire and it could break.
- Tape measure
You definitely need a tape measure or more to sew properly. Retractable types also come in handy, so you may want to consider investing in one. Try getting a standard tape measure with metric units on one side, such as centimeters and millimeters, and US units on the other, especially inches, feet, and yards. They can be used to measure the body, but are more often used for everyday tasks such as measuring fabric from patterns.
- Bodkins
Although not necessary, a bodkin can be useful. It is simply a tool used to thread rubber bands, drawstrings, and other items that are encased or enclosed. They tend to look like oversized needles and come in several sizes and shapes for use with different fabrics. If the case is quite tight, tweezers are used to pull the object through instead. Both are still considered bodkins even though they are designed differently.
- Seam rippers
They feature a fine tip on one side that allows you to pull out a single thread if needed, and a round tip on the opposite side that rips and removes tight seams while protecting the fabric.
- Tools for pressing
While the simplest pressing tool is of course an iron, there are actually a plethora of items that keep fabrics crisp and crease-free. They are as follows:
Ironing Boards – Better than just ironing on the table, this board can be placed anywhere, is thinner and much more affordable.
Pressing Cloths – This will prevent the material from burning if you accidentally use too much heat. There are also pure press fabrics and press fabrics of different weights to match different fabrics.
Sleeve Rolls – These roll items allow you to press seams and curves without wrinkling the rest of your item.
- Seam guides
Most sewing machine models have a seam guide printed on the neck. They are here to help you sew consistent seams. Along with the machine foot, you should be able to sew accurate seams no matter how narrow the allowance may be. You can also purchase an attachable leash, usually adjustable, that is raised and prevents you from accidentally wandering behind it. However, these work much better with straight seams than curved ones.
- Hand sewing needles
Hand sewing needles are needed in certain situations where a machine is not only unnecessary but not really useful. With a choice of tips and an assortment of sizes, hand sewing needles are very versatile. “Sharp” or medium-length needles with rounded eyes are most often used. However, you should use heavier needles for heavy or thick fabrics. Remember that the smaller the number, the larger the needle will actually be.
- Rotary cutters
The rotary cutter can cut fabric accurately and quickly. However, if you decide to use this tool, you also need to get a cutting mat; otherwise you can destroy the surface you are cutting on. Remember that the rotary cutter is very sharp and must be covered when the tool is not in use. After all, if the tool falls, it can easily break, which means that it will not be able to cut properly and will have to be replaced. The blade also needs to be sharpened regularly and refrain from using it on any material other than fabric, not unlike scissors.
WHAT TEN ESSENTIAL SEWING TOOLS ARE USED
Ten essential sewing tools e very beginner should have. No more panic every kind of sewing. Sewing is a type of needlework that includes all crafts using a needle. Sewing requires thread and a sewing machine or hand sewing needle.
- Tape measure
It is a narrow one meter long piece of cloth covered with plastic. It has markings along the entire length – mostly in centimeters and inches – and is used for many tasks such as measuring the figure in tailoring, measuring the length of pieces of fabric when sewing home furnishings and many others.
- Ruler
A ruler provides a straight edge that a tape measure cannot. Longer is better when you need to trim or mark long straight lines, but as long as the edge is solid and not flexible, you’re fine.
- Fabric scissors
We have a rule that we only cut fabric with special fabric scissors that help keep the blades pretty sharp. Tailor’s scissors have a longer blade to cut more fabric in one cut, while scissors with a shorter blade are better for cutting curves. But remember – we always cut the fabric only with our fabric scissors.
- Paper scissors
Which brings us nicely to paper scissors? Paper dulls the blade, so we recommend having separate scissors for cutting paper. You will need paper scissors to cut paper patterns that are commonly used for tailoring.
- Seam ripper
Even the pros have a seam ripper in their sewing kit in case the seams pucker and need to be redone.
- Presser feet
This is a small “foot” attached to the presser bar of your sewing machine. Holds the substance against feeding the dog. A sewing machine will always come with a standard presser foot and usually a few specialized feet such as a zipper foot or a blind hem foot. As a beginner, you’ll probably only need the general one to start with, but the others are good to know about as they can speed up sewing later when you’re more experienced.
- Sewing machine
While we here at The Good life Center are firm believers in good slow sewing, we also recognize that a sewing machine is an essential tool for many sewing makers. Start with a basic sewing machine that will sew a straight stitch and a zigzag stitch, which is all you really need to get started. And remember, a used sewing machine is just as good as a new one when starting a new hobby.
- Iron
A steam iron is best, but any iron will work if it’s hot. It is used to set the stitches when sewing the stitch line, but also to press the fabric down before sewing and sometimes on our paper patterns if they are a bit wrinkled.
- Sewing needles
There is no sewing without sewing needles! And just like machine presser feet, there are many different types of sewing needles to help you sew different types of fabric, whether by hand or with a sewing machine.
- Threads
Threads are also a very important tool used in sewing. Finally, we need thread to create the stitch, and there are many types of thread that can be used.
HOW TO SEW USING TEN ESSENTIAL SEWING TOOLS
Ten essential sewing tools e very beginner should have. Sewing allows you to express yourself through your creations. From choosing the pattern and fabric to the finishing touches, every aspect of this activity allows you to be creative in designing your own clothes. It also gives you something to be proud of as your creations can set you apart from others.
There is no sewing without sewing needles! And just like machine presser feet, there are many different types of sewing needles to help you sew different types of fabric, whether by hand or with a sewing machine.
Now you know what sewing tools you really need for a beginner, but what to learn to sew. Luckily here at The Good life Center we have some great sewing workshops and can help you get started and feel confident before investing time and money in the various tools you need.
Learning as a complete beginner can be done online, but attending an in-person workshop is one of the best ways to get advice when you need it and ask burning questions as they arise.
Our Intro To Machine Sewing workshop is best for beginners and you will leave with confidence in using a sewing machine and an idea of what type of sewing machine you should buy to further your skills.
By far our most popular sewing workshops, the home furnishing workshops we offer range from sewing a hose cushion to more advanced curtain and Roman blind workshops.
Many people start sewing because they want to make their own clothes, and our tailoring workshops are perfect for that. For the slightly more experienced, we offer a series of garment making workshops or an alteration and sewing workshop.
Finally, we also offer a hand machine embroidery workshop, which is more creative and great for those who know a sewing machine and want to expand their skills and creativity.
TEN USEFUL SEWING TOOLS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER
- SEWING MACHINE
Ten essential sewing tools e very beginner should have. This one goes without saying. First of all; you do not need an expensive sewing machine to sew adorable things. This affordable sewing machine has helped build a pattern design business from the ground up and has also spawned hundreds of tutorials on this site.
- QUALITY THREAD
Make sure it’s a high quality thread, especially Gütermann and Coats Moon, it’s cheap and available in all the colors I’ve ever needed!). You’re safe if you start with generic thread and buy more, but don’t stock up on any specialty threads to begin with, or you may never use them.
- SCISSORS
Sewing scissors that you will only use on fabric. While there are certainly some special and rare models out there, you don’t need expensive scissors. Just make sure you get a pair just for the fabric. These popular Fiskars classics do the job absolutely perfectly. And these Ginghers are a better price on Amazon than locally if you’re looking for high performance (and beautiful.
- THE STEAM NARRATOR
This little thing takes more getting used to than I’d like, but when it does, it’s always on a rescue mission. If it feels like a love-hate relationship when you see your seam ripper, that’s totally normal. But be careful! The cheapest $1 ones don’t last long, get dull quickly and can leave holes in the fabric. You might want to invest a few $ to get the job done right.
- SEWING CLIPS
Sewing clips make sewing your projects easier and faster. Unless you need to mark an exact, specific point on your project (in this case I use pins!), use staples to prevent the layers from shifting as you sew. They work like a charm.
- IRON
You most likely already have an ironing board, but if not, invest in a big one. It makes a big difference for me to go from a compact to a large ironing board. This is an approximate size that makes pressing faster with less moving objects. Pay attention to the correct dimensions – a good one will help a lot with pressing.
- CUTTING MAT
Cutting mat enables quick and easy cutting and trimming of fabric. It comes in several sizes and it’s a good idea to have the largest one that fits on your craft table. If you don’t have enough storage space, get a folding mat (great idea for small spaces!) One more thing: some cutting mats are labeled as “self-healing”.
- ROTARY CUTTER
But I’ll be honest: I’ve spent years sewing and crafting without a rotary cutter and a mat, using just scissors, and that’s totally fine too. But once I got my first rotary cutter, I can’t imagine living without it. Seriously, such perfectly straight lines and so effortless. Cutting will go super-fast if you use a rotary cutter. Olfa rotary cutters are my favorite. The blade lasts a long time and this is very important because you will spend money on replacement blades, the handle is only a one time purchase.
- MACHINE NEEDLES AND HAND SEWING NEEDLES
Machine Needles – Every sewist loves Schmetz and uses them all the time – for all sewing tutorials and beginner sewing projects! Schmetz Universal sewing needles are the ones you’re looking for if you’re a beginner and sew mostly cotton. Hand sewing needles – make sure you get them in a set of different sizes. If they don’t come in a plastic organizer or container, make a DIY book to store them properly.
- SEAM ROLLER
Press well to achieve that neat look. It makes press bags and pouches a breeze every time.
CONCLUSION
Ten essential sewing tools e very beginner should have. In conclusion, the best way to get started as an avid seamstress is to equip you with the right tools. And with the right tools and great advice, you can start your new hobby with confidence.