10 Things You Need To Start Sewing
10 things you need to start sewing
You may be surprised at how few supplies you need to start sewing. As time goes on you may want to add to these items but these 10 simple things will stand you in good stead to start with.
Sewing Machine. If you don’t already own one or are looking to upgrade, consider a good quality second hand one from a reputable source or borrow one, rather than buy the cheapest new one, as you are likely to quickly outgrow it. Carefully consider what you need from a machine, do you really need 120 stitches or would an automatic needle threader be more useful? If you can, test drive a few 1st, either at a dealers or attend one of my classes where I have a few different ones that you can try & you can also chat to other people for their recommendations.
Iron & Ironing board. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but your sewing will look ‘sew’ much better with a bit of judicious pressing. You probably already own these & if you really don’t like ironing, call it pressing!
Dressmaking Scissors. Make sure they are used solely for cutting fabric & don’t let the family near them with paper or glue. You really don’t need to spend a fortune but sharp scissors are a must if you want to make cutting out easy & not look like the dog’s been at it! Good sewing starts with accurate cutting. You can add paper scissors & small snips too in time.
Good sharp Pins. Don’t use rusty pins, they will pierce holes & leave marks in delicate fabric. Pins are relatively cheap & come in a remarkable amount of types & sizes, use dressmakers or glass headed, so they don’t melt under the iron & you can see them on the floor when you’ve dropped them!
Seam Ripper. Your best friend & everyone needs one, as we all make mistakes! They come in multiple sizes & can blunt very easily, so ensure it’s sharp or you risk ripping your fabric.
Flexible Tape Measure. No dressmaker worth their salt has never left the house without one of these around their neck! Flexible are best but beware they can stretch out over time.
Sewing Gauge. Not strictly essential. however, it is one of the most commonly used items in my sewing classes & helps to get accurate seams & also cheap as chips
Marking Tools. For marking any elements of a pattern, such as pockets & darts from the pattern to the fabric. There’s many choices from tailors chalk, air/water erasable. My favourite are Frixion pens which are heat erasable. Always test on a scrap piece of fabric 1st!
A Selection of Machine Needles - Always choose the right needle for the job, you would be surprised at the variety available! Using a needle that doesn’t match the thread you’re using can cause the thread to shred (try saying that 10 times!) or cause skipped stitches. See my post on machine needle types. Hand sewing needles are also useful for basting & finishing jobs.
Thread-Use good quality, appropriate to the fabric & avoid old thread, as it can break - save it for basting.
So that’s it, you really don’t need much to get started & some of it you will have already & most of the items don’t cost much at all, so other than fabric & patterns, which I’ll cover in another post you’re all set to go!
