The Beginners Sewing Kit

Getting into sewing does not need to be hard. While the sewing tool kits you might see online can be extensive and expensive, the basics you need to get started shouldn’t be. So I wanted to go through the tools that are the most helpful to have when you start learning how to sew. Of course there are many more that can be fun to have and you might find yourself collecting a whole menagerie of sewing bits, but here you will find the absolute necessities. None of these have to be top of the line, fancy versions either, get the ones that are in your budget and they will work just fine. If you have these, you will be able to start and that is the fun part.

Scissors

A pair for fabric and a pair for paper. Once you have fabric scissors, you must guard them with your life – they should never touch paper again. That might seem dramatic, but paper dulls scissors very quickly and you want them SHARP for cutting fabric. Quickly you will notice the difference when you cut out your projects. You will also find that you are now in a battle with your family who will remember exactly where your fabric scissors are and try regularly to use them for paper crafts.

Seam Ripper

This is a new fancy one that I have just got, but anything with this kind of head on it.

They are very cheap from craft stores (multipacks for only a few dollars) and will be your friend for life. It is the best tool for undoing mistakes. That makes them the friend of beginners and seasoned crafters alike.

Pins or Clips

If we are talking true basics get the pins. They will help you in more places. I like the ones with bigger heads (like in the picture), but really any will do. Here though, if you have the budget and some flexibility – get the fabric clips too. I firmly believe that projects with stretch fabric (think t-shirt, summer dresses, hoodies, etc.) are an excellent place for beginners to start. They are very easy to sew, forgiving when fitting them to your body and more likely to be something you want to make/wear. Fabric clips are way easier to use on stretch than pins (and a bit better for the fabric too). So if you can get both, great! If you can’t – go for the pins.

Soft Measuring Tape

I now own many different types of rulers and measuring devices for sewing, but the one that is absolutely necessary is a soft measuring tape. You will need to measure yourself or the people you are sewing things for and a flexible measuring tape is needed for this. You can also use it for measuring fabric, seams, and many other things. There are other tools that can be helpful to measure, but this one is necessary. And as long as its accurate, it doesn’t matter how cheap it was to buy!

Ironing board and iron

Possibly controversial here, but I will call this an option. It does depend on what you want to make. Here again this is why I love stretch – it does not need to be ironed to cut out or put together! I will never iron unless I have to.

If you want to sew woven fabric or your project needs things like interfacing, you will find an iron helpful very quickly. It is a great thing to buy second hand though. The one in the picture I just got from my mum to replace the one I left in Scotland. It is the same iron I used as a teen when sewing at home – I believe it is older than I am. It works just fine. The ironing board is also at least 20 years old. Check out your local thrift store or even ask around your family or friends – it can be an easy thing to find cheap. Mine does not make steam anymore and that is an easy solve – I just use a spray bottle filled with water.

Extra Kit

In my opinion the stuff listed above is all you need (plus your sewing machine).

You will find as you get further into sewing that you will want to expand your kit. Very quickly I would say a rotary cutter and self healing mat (the green thing in all my pictures) are great investments – but here is the thing, THEY ARE NOT NECESSARY!

I really think there is an odd almost gate keeping around crafting and the things you need to get started. People who are years into their making and know they love the process will recommend amazing tools. I think though, that sometimes it gets forgotten that we were all beginners once too and our tools kits did not look the way they look now. We have built and curated them based on what we love to make and how we love to make it. What sits in the many drawers in my sewing room is not what sits in others. A tool kit that would cost hundreds of dollars to even start sewing, is not practical. While I now have favourite scissors, what is most important is that they are sharp – and I will kill my family if they try to use them to cut paper.

If you do lessons with me in Ladysmith, all of these supplies are provided. It means you can play around with things and get a feel for them if you haven’t got your own yet. You are always welcome to bring along your own supplies too!