Essential Beginner Sewing Tools

Are you just starting to sew and are wondering what essential sewing tools and equipment in sewing you really need? Well here are the best ideas of tools for sewing that you should have as a beginner.

Essential Beginner Sewing Tools 

It can be very easy to get carried away buying a whole load of fancy sewing equipment and tools when you first start sewing. But before you outlay a load of money buying expensive sewing materials and sewing supplies, read this guide to the essential sewing tools that you really cannot do without.

Whether you plan to be using a sewing machine, hand sewing or embroidering, these sewing tools and materials will be the most commonly used and thus most cost effective items in your sewing kit.

Good Fabric Scissors

No sewing kit would be complete without a pair or several pairs of good fabric scissors. There are a lot of different types out there but my own personal brand preference are the ones made by Fiskars. They are reasonably inexpensive, but are good quality and mine have lasted well. I have a pair of left handed fabric scissors, that are used only for fabrics.

*Don’t ever use your fabric / sewing scissors for anything else as they will go blunt quicker!

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I also have a smaller embroidery pair for more intricate cutting, and a pair of tiny stork snips for cutting thread. And finally I use a separate pair of paper scissors for cutting out paper when pattern sewing.

Pinking Shears

The next of the basic sewing tools I would recommend you buy is pinking shears. These are a special type of fabric scissors that cut a zigzag pattern out from the fabric as you use them. They are perfect as a beginner way to finish seam allowances as when used on woven fabrics this zig zag edge prevents the fabric edges from fraying. So they are definitely one of the essentials to shop for when you start sewing.

Pins and Pin Cushion

The next essential sewing tool that you need is a pin cushion and pins. When you start sewing, you will probably require lots of pins or clips to hold your pieces stable as you sew a seam for instance.

Initially, when you are a beginner, I would recommend a magnetic pin cushion and glass headed pins as you can iron over these pins without the heads melting! But as you get more advanced, or if you are sewing more challenging materials such as vinyl and stretch, then you may prefer clips.

Hand Sewing Needles

Next, whether you plan to use a sewing machine or not, you do need a hand sewing needle set. You will be using these for finishing items or adding trim, and for mending. I also have some curved needles as part of my kit. You may also wish to include a sewing needle threader in with these, as sometimes the eyes can be very small for the thread. I have this pretty pink bird. 

Tape Measure

A good tape measure is definitely one of those essential tools and equipment for sewing. You will need this to measure fabric, measure seam allowances and measure yourself if you wish to make garments. I have a couple, and always carry one with me in my handbag!

Once you get past the beginning stages and have more projects in mind, you may want to progress onto more advanced seam guide instruments and rulers. But a tape measure and maybe a standard 12 inch straight ruler are great for beginners.

Seam Ripper

It is all very well having a load of stitching tools, but sometimes sadly you will find that you have made a mistake and need to remove all your stitches. And then it is important to have a seam ripper or ripping tool.

A simple one will do at first, but I bought one recently from Etsy that folds away, and also has a stiletto (used for pushing close to the needle) at the other end.

Bodkin

A bodkin is one of those really handy dressmaking tools to have, and they aren’t very expensive. You use one for inserting drawstrings and elastic when making waistbands (such as for a simple skirt) or for making drawstring bags. So I would definitely recommend having one in your sewing room.

A Way To Mark Cloth

Depending on what you are making, you may need to mark darts, pivot points or other landmarks to help you sew. So you need something too make these marks.

One of the tailoring tools my mum used to use was tailor’s chalk, and this is good, but you can also get pencils and pens these days that can be so much more accurate! I would advise starting with pencils, as these come in sets of colours.

Rotary Cutters And Board

Once you get more adept, you may wish to get some different cutting tools. I prefer scissors, but some people really love using a rotary cutter. If you do get a cutter, do be aware that you will probably need a large cutting mat to protect your table surfaces

Iron And Ironing Board

The one thing that people don’t tell you about sewing is that you have to be good at ironing too! It is wise to press all your stages when sewing certain projects. So on this list of basic tools for sewing and one thing I would definitely recommend is to get a really good steam iron and ironing board.

Once you have been sewing a while, you may also wish to get other ironing aids such as tailor’s hams and mini ironing board but a standard domestic iron and board are fine for beginners.

Sewing Machine and Sewing Machine Needles

Lastly, I would recommend getting a sewing machine. A machine will always make light work of some of the general sewing jobs and is a great tool to have. New sewing machines will normally come with a small selection of sewing machine tools that may include a couple of the other tools I have mentioned above.

Which sewing machine would I recommend? See my post on how to choose a good machine.

Have You Enjoyed This Post About Essential Beginner Sewing Tools? Why Not Read Some Of My Other Sewing And Craft Posts?

I hope this has helped you choose which basic tools you need when you start to sew. I love to show you free easy sewing projects ideas that you can make. Some of these also include free sewing patterns. So why not read these other posts I have written?

• Easy Beginner Sewing Projects
• Zero Waste Project Ideas For Your Home
• Fabric Scraps – How To use Every Last Piece
• Sewing Projects That You Can Sell

I would love to hear how you get on! Let me know in the comments, or find me on social media

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