Today’s blog, I am going to give you a sewing essentials list for beginners. Mainly aiming at the college student starting a fashion course, but also suitable for anybody wanting to take up sewing as a hobby. Depending on what you want to make, the list may vary from person to person. I will start off with the basic equipment which will help you with most projects.
I have seen a lot of blogs where people just give you the top 10 most popular tool or just simply leave out a lot off the list just to make their posts interesting enough to read, but it’s not like that when you are actually tackling a project for real.
Obviously the list is never ending. This is why in part 2, I will list more equipment for the intermediate to advance sewer.
SEWING Essentials:
Sewing Machine (Domestic)
The most essential equipment if you want to be a fashion student or make your own clothes. Without one, no one is going to take you seriously! Buy one that is most suited to your budget and how serious you are into your sewing.
♦ A student might go for the cheapest and basic model because she might only be using for 2 years max. Some students might go for a more upmarket model with extra features, but save the money for a better model when she goes to university. Some home sewers might fork out for the ultimate machine but end up still sitting in the box after 5 years of purchasing it!
♦ Ask for recommendation. See if you have a friend that will allow you to try their machine. You want it quite sturdy and weighty. You don’t want one that vibrates around the table as you sew.
♦ Some machines have suction cups underneath if it is very light. If you want to move it around from place to place, then you might want a slightly lighter machine.
♦ Don’t necessary buy the one with the most embroidery stitches. Most time you won’t use more that 20% of them. Believe me, I know!
♦ Go for 1 step button hole, for example. This will make making buttonholes a breeze. The more steps the more chance of you messing up.
♦ Some machines have auto and semi auto thread threading these days. If you have bad eye sight, then you might go for that feature.
♦ You can get machines with front bobbin loading, and a lot of the new style machines are top bobbin loading. I have both types. Both have pros and cons with front and top loading. Not forgetting to mention, some bobbins are plastic and easy to break but cheap to replace. Some machines have metal bobbins that are very sturdy, but much dearer.
♦ All new machines come with maintenance tools, cleaning brushes, un-pickers, and some basic machine foots.
I won’t recommend a brand because everyone has their own personal preferences. But word of advice, research the cost for extra parts if your machine breaks down, servicing, as well as the cost of feet and additional parts you might need in the future. It all adds up.
Always try before you buy. Pop into your local dealer and test drive a few before deciding.
Fabric Scissors
Sometimes they are called fabric shears. Just a fancy name for the same thing. They come in many fancy designs. As long as they are kept for cutting fabric and nothing else, you should be fine. You can use the fabric scissors for threads but I usually have a smaller pair or snips for this.
This will be down to personal choice. Whatever you do, please don’t use kitchen scissors for any pattern cutting or sewing projects!
Spare Scissors
A lot of people only suggest 1 pair of pattern cutting scissors and 1 pair of fabric scissors. I actually have around 5 pairs that I actually use frequently, but I own more than 90 pairs! I am not kidding you. I am one of those people that stops working if I can’t find the tool I need!
Imagine putting a pair of scissors down and not being able to find it to work with. Yes, that’s how I ended up with so many pairs of scissors!
No, seriously. You really need an extra pair of scissors just for cutting sequin or beaded fabric. You are not going to use your nice sharp fabric scissors or your paper scissors are you? Usually when I replace my fabric scissors, I use the old pair for cutting sequin, and beaded fabric.
Pinking Shears
Most people will know this as Zig Zag scissors. Commonly used for cutting fabric to help stop it from fraying. To be honest with you, I rarely use them on fabric because I have an overlocker/serger to finish the raw edges. In the industry, you will not see zig zag edges on garments. It is usually used by home sewers that don’t have access to an overlocker/serger. I do find them great for presenting fabric samples/swatches.
Pins (Steel)
Please, do not mistaken office pins for dressmaking pins! Office pins are much larger than dressmaking pins. If you try to use office pins on fine fabric, you will regret it. It will pucker the fabric, leave big holes and might even damage the fabric especially if it is fine fabric like chiffon or silk.
Depending if you live in a humid climate, steel pins will tarnish in time!
The pin on the left is an office pin. It is about twice the size of dressmaking pins. The one on the furthest right, I use for picking out collar corners if I can’t find my thick needle or awl to use.
Word of advice, bring a magnet when you buy pins! Make sure your pins are steel and not aluminium. They are stronger and magnetic. I have made the mistake of buying some non-magnetic pins once. I knocked over my tub of pins twice within minutes of each other. It took me forever to pick up. Those pins went straight into the bin! You can get pins with no heads, plastic, and glass heads. The first 2 are a lot cheaper than the glass headed pins. The good thing about glass headed pins is, you can iron over them since they won’t melt in the heat.
Pin Cushion or Pin Box
I like to store my pins in a little tub where my thimble and un-pickers live. My magnet attached on the underside of the outside to keep the pins down. I have a few handy pins in a pin cushion but I don’t like to keep them there for long. You can always use a little stuff toy as a substitute.
I sometimes use the Mc Donald’s Happy Meal toys.
Thimble
For pushing needles into thick fabric. You wouldn’t be using this frequently but when you need one you’ll be glad you got one. There are many times I have tried sewing Chinese knotted buttons and a thimble really saved my fingers from constant poking of the needle.
I didn’t even realise I had so many!
Magnet
To pick up the pins and anything that’s magnetic. Very handy to have next to your sewing machine. When you are sewing you can just pull the pins out of your project and throw it onto the magnet to keep it in place. Neodymuim (Silver) magnets are the strongest and you don’t need a big one.
You can turn your scissors into a spare magnet just by rubbing the outside blade with a magnet, 20 times.
Sewing Threads
The basic colours you will need are usually black, and white for sampling and basic sewing. Over time you will accumulate an assortment of coloured threads. Unless you decide to only make black, and white garments.
For making clothes to wear, always buy quality threads. The worse thing to happen is your clothes falling apart after a few wears and washes! I tend to keep the quality threads for sewing proper clothes. I use Gutermann Mara 120. Don’t mistake this to the small reels you get at department stores. These reels last ages. When buying thread always look at the quality of the strands. You will notice after a while of sewing which are best to use. The cheap threads are not even along the length. It sheds a lot of lint in your machines. The machine constantly needs rethreading because the threads break or gets jammed.
Tailors Chalk
You can get tailors chalk in many colours, shapes and forms. They come in powder form for you to refill into a tool which deposits the chalk powder onto the fabric. Chalk in pencil form is popular as it is less messy and don’t break that easily when dropped. I tend to use the flat biscuit/cookie type. There is a tool available to help you keep the edges sharp, though I tend to use the edge of a pair of scissors for that.
Some people use disappearing ink pens specially made for fabric (Far right). One end is colour and the other end is the eraser. I find them really unreliable because I have seen the ink reappearing when the fabric dries! The latest I have seen are special chalk pencils, once ironed the marks disappears.
Un-picker/Seam Ripper
Sometimes this is called a stitch un-picker, and that is what it is for. You cannot live without one. It will make your life a lot easy if you have one of these to help you unpick your stitching mistakes. Some people use these to cut open buttonholes. You might even want to pick up more than one while at the shop. These pesky things always go missing when you need one!
Hand Sewing Needles
You still need these to help sew on buttons if you don’t have a special foot on your sewing machine that does this. Sometimes you need it to mend odd jobs that the sewing machine will not reach.
Save the big, fat needles for pulling out collar and cuff corners.
Table for Pattern Cutting and Cutting out Patterns
At present I am using Ikea’s Norden gate leg table. Not by choice but I have no other choice. Living in such small apartments in Hong Kong, the only table is sometimes a desk, a pattern cutting table, a sewing table, and a dining table all in one!
Use some wood glue to glue the joints before putting it together. If you move it frequently, the parts will come loose eventually!
It is a good table since it has 6 drawers to store away junk. Before, back in the UK, I had separate table for sewing, pattern cutting, designing and desk top work, and one for crafts. So you can imagine what I have to do just to use the table space here in Hong Kong!
The ideal height of a table for pattern cutting is about 90cm high. A lot of people will have no choice, but to use whatever surface they have to work on. For pattern cutting you need at least a whole desks width. If you don’t have a desk that size, there’s always the dining room table. When I was at university, I used to put a plank of MDF on top of my single bed to make a table large enough for me to lay my fabric out to cut! Like most people, you could use the floor. Whatever you do, just make sure the surface is clean. You don’t want to ruin your patterns, even worse, your fabric! You could buy a cardboard cutting board to protect the dining room table. It is not necessary, but if you want to use a tracing wheel for larger surfaces, then you will have to find some cardboard to use. I used to use 3 large cutting mats stuck together with duct tape to protect my table surfaces.
Chalk Paper
If you haven’t got this in your Pattern Cutting inventory then you definitely need to have it on this list. Chalk paper is like carbon paper except it is covered in chalk. It helps transfer patterns onto paper and fabric. This is best to use with a tracing wheel.
Disposable Bamboo Chopstick
This is my tool for turning tubes inside out! It is a very handy tool to have. I tend to keep a pair of bamboo disposable ones for turning tubes and loops.
Lighter
Yes, a lighter. Great for burning those fray edges on synthetic fabric and straps.
Cleans off thread end and ends of boning.
Big Safety Pin
Great for turning loops. Even better for threading elastic into waistbands. If you don’t have an awl, you can use the safety pin to pick out corners of collars and cuffs.
Bias Binding Maker
Depends on how often you will make and use bias binding. This is a great gadget to have. You will have to purchase the correct size for the type of bias binding you want to make. They come in sizes from 6mm to humongous, around 2 inches wide!
It makes like easier when making bias binding so you don’t burn your fingers when ironing but not necessary to have. Sometimes when I feel lazy, I don’t even use it.
The following is a must in any sewing studio.
Steam Iron
Pressing the seams as you sew is the secret of making a great garment. My colleague once told me you sew with an iron!
Ironing Cleaner
You must invest into a good iron cleaner. I like this brand. It really cleans the iron from scorch marks and it smells nice. The ones that come in a cylindrical stick really smells and need to be used in a well ventilated area.
Ironing Board
The best ironing boards are the ones with a cover that reflects the heat and not absorb it. They are usually the silver type. Always cover the board with a sheet of cotton to absorb any stains and excess water coming off the iron. Changing the cotton sheet once it gets dirty.
I hope I haven’t scared you off before you have even started. This is just the basic equipment. If you want to find out what else you will need in your sewing studio after you have gone past the beginners stage, check out my next blog, Sewing Essentials for Intermediate to Advance Level.
Pattern cutting and sewing is not an easy task/hobby to just pick up and do. Be prepared. Have all necessary equipment and materials ready. There will be times you will be frustrated and annoyed. That’s when projects end up incomplete and machines are left to gather dust. I’ve been there before. I start a project with great enthusiasm. Half way through I start thinking to myself, “What have I got myself into”! Towards the end I just want to rush it to get it out of the way. Begin with the right equipment, then it will make a big difference to your pattern cutting and sewing experience.
Happy Sewing!
Shan x
Glad it has helped you, Sandra.
THank you! Excellent advice for a beginner. I am glad you explain what each item is needed for use.