Sewing is an extremely useful skill, easy to learn and practice, and insanely fun once you begin to reap the fruit of your efforts – even if you start with just securing a loose button! It’s amazing what you can do with some thread and fabric, but there’s more to it than that.
As you embark on your exciting sewing journey, you’ll need some trusty tools on your side. And while you should absolutely consult VeryCreate.com for some rich arts and crafts insights and tips, as well as tutorials on how to use your tools, this article will let you in on the eight basic necessities to start building your sewing kit.
1. Scissors / Shears
While there are several types of scissors and shears for experienced sewing, the basic variants to begin with are the bent handle shears and the regular scissors. The most important features for the bent handle kind include a sharp blade; a good fit for your hands; and a decent weight to the pair. These shears should be reserved exclusively for fabric, and never used to cut anything else.
On the other hand, you will need regular shaped scissors for general cutting tasks, like patterns and paper. While quality will not be as big of a concern as with the bent handle shears, it is still important to remember not to cut the plastic with these scissors for it can significantly dull the blades.
2. Needles
Essentially, you will need two types of needles; the sewing machine variant, and hand needles to complete any details that won’t be manageable with a machine. For a beginner, universal needles are a good investment, as they fit into almost any machine. When you have to work with thicker fabrics, though, invest in a set of needles made specifically for tougher fabrics to avoid breaking the regular ones.
3. Thread
Second to the needle, comes the thread; start by purchasing your basic large spools of black and white. Once you start working on various projects, you will be buying more colors as needed.
4. Straight Pins
I can’t stress on how important straight pins are for the success of any sewing project! Use them to hold the fabric in place as you cut and adjust to make sure that your garment will fit perfectly.
5. Pincushion
Since you will be working with straight pins, a pincushion is essential as it gives you a convenient place to store your pins, keeping them from falling loose onto the floor and injuring your feet.
6. Tape Measure
For sewing, you need a soft tape measure – one that can twist and bend around the body, taking measurements of the human form. Make sure you buy one that you can easily read, for an inaccurate measurement will only leave you with an unwearable garment.
7. Tailor’s Chalk
This long-trusted item is used to mark material throughout the project for cutting, sewing, and hemming.
This great invention helps you easily apply marks that show up clearly throughout the project, and is a breeze to remove without any residual stains.
You will want to purchase two contrasting colors – many people go for white and blue – for marking dark and light fabrics accordingly.
8. Seam Ripper
Whether you’re trying to fix a store-bought item, or made a mistake, these things happen – and that’s where seam rippers come in handy.
Many new sewing machines come with a seam ripper as an additional accessory, but if yours doesn’t, they are more than affordable to buy, and can save you tons of time.
Have Fun
Depending on how advanced you plan on becoming with your sewing skills, the tools and equipment may vary. In this article, we shed light on the most basic necessities you need in order to build a sewing kit.
Now you can practice your new skills, start fixing and creating, and most of all, having fun!
