Essential Items Needed For Machine Sewing
When you enter the exciting world of sewing, the incredible amount of information available can be a little overwhelming. The choices of tools, notions, fabric, books, and sewing machines are endless. When I began learning to sew, I had no idea what tools I needed or the purpose of those tools. The amount of choices left me feeling overwhelmed and confused. It is important to have the proper tools needed for stress free sewing, but without buying more than needed.
If you have been wanting to learn how to sew, today is day #1 of your sewing journey. In this 3 part blog series, you will learn the following:
- 1: Essential Items Needed For Machine Sewing
- 2: How to Prepare For Your First Sewing Project
- 3: Making Your First Sewing Project
Today, I am going to cover the essential items needed to begin machine sewing.
#1: Sewing Machine
First an foremost, you will need a sewing machine. This will be your biggest expense, but as a beginner, you don’t need a fancy, expensive machine. I recommend investing in a very basic sewing machine. You can always upgrade later if you feel it is necessary. The Brother CS7000i is a wonderful beginner sewing machine. In fact, I own its predecessor, the Brother CS6000i.
Sewingmastery.com has a playlist of 42 video tutorials using the Brother CS6000i. If you decide to invest in the Brother machine, I highly recommend watching the YouTube video tutorials here.
#2: Presser Feet & Bobbins
Presser feet shouldn’t be an extra expense initially. Most sewing machines will include the standard presser feet for your basic sewing needs. You will discover that as your sewing knowledge grows, you will want to invest in more presser feet for your specific sewing needs.
Your new sewing machine should include a few bobbins to get you started. I wouldn’t worry about purchasing additional bobbins until you start working with a variety of thread colors. Each machine is different, so refer to your sewing machine manual for your bobbin model and type before purchasing additional bobbins.
#3: Sewing Machine Needles
The sewing machine needles you will need depend on the fabric you are working with. Normally, your new sewing machine will include a few needles to get you started. The needles included are usually for medium weight woven fabrics such as cotton. I use Organ 75/11 sewing needles for general sewing of woven fabrics. If you plan to sew knit fabric, mainly for garment sewing, you will need stretch needles.
For the purpose of this 3 part series, the needles that are included with your machine will work fine. For your future projects, make sure to refer to your sewing machine manual to determine the type of needle needed for your project.
#4: Thread
I cannot stress enough the importance of investing in a decent quality thread. For most projects, I use Gutermann or Coats & Clark all purpose polyester thread. To keep within a reasonable beginner budget, I recommend only investing in white thread or a few basic colors at the most. White, gray, and black are good choices to start with. When not in use, store your thread in a drawer or container to keep it dust free. If dust accumulates on your thread, it will end up inside your sewing machine.
#5: Pins/Wonder Clips & Pin Cushion
Pins or Wonder Clips are a necessity for holding your seams together while you sew. To be honest, I love my Wonder Clips and use them most of the time. Pins vs. Wonder Clips are a personal preference, but pins are the most economical choice.
My first pin cushion was the classic tomato pincushion. Another option for holding your pins is a “Magnetic Sewing Pincushion”, which includes 50 plastic head pins.
#6: Sewing Shears and Rotary Cutter
It is essential to invest in a decent pair of sewing shears. I highly recommend the Gingher 8-Inch Knife Edge Dressmaker’s Shears or the Kai 8-inch Dressmaking Shears. I own and love both pair of the shears mentioned. To retain sharpness, it is very important that you DO NOT use any of your sewing scissors for anything except cutting fabric.
In addition to your sewing shears, having a rotary cutter really comes in handy. I use my Olfa 45 mm rotary cutter for cutting fabric to a specific size with my ruler and also when cutting fabric from a pattern. You can get by with only sewing shears for garment sewing, but owning a rotary cutter will make life much easier when cutting precise measurements required for quilting projects.
#7: Rulers and Measuring Tape
When I first started sewing, I bought the cheapest rulers I could find. While those rulers were the most cost efficient, they slid around while cutting, causing inaccurate sized fabric. Fabric is not cheap so I feel a quality ruler is well worth the initial investment to prevent wasted fabric.
The 6-1/2″ x 12-1/2″ Creative Grid Ruler is a nice size to start with. Creative Grid is my favorite brand of ruler for many different reasons. Most importantly, I feel they are the best quality ruler I have ever owned and will make your fabric cutting and measuring so much easier. Creative Grid rulers are also made in the USA and have little round grips on the underside of the ruler to prevent the ruler from sliding around on your fabric while cutting. I find the measurements very easy to read compared to all other rulers I have tried.
A measuring tape comes in handy for measuring your fabric, especially when you need to take measurements before cutting your fabric to size.
#8: Cutting Mat
A cutting mat protects your surface from damage from the rotary cutter blade, in addition to providing measurements to ensure accurate cutting. Many sizes of cutting mats are available. I recommend one of two options. The 18 x 24″ self healing cutting mat by Fiskar is a great size for a beginner. Alternatively, if you are working in a small space or on a tight budget, you may want to consider the Omnigrid Fold-Away Cutting & Pressing Station. While serving the purpose as a space saver, this option consolidates a cutting mat and ironing mat into one, making it a budget friendly option. The only disadvantage is this option provides a smaller cutting and ironing surface of 12″ x 18″ each.
#9: Ironing Board & Iron
You will need an ironing surface and iron to press your fabric and your seams when you sew. Most of the time, when first learning to sew, you will not have a dedicated space for sewing. The dining room table is a popular sewing spot for beginners, so my recommendations are geared toward economical and space saving options. With that said, I recommend the Omnigrid Fold-Away Cutting & Pressing Station I referenced above, or a tabletop ironing board.
Purchasing a fancy iron is not necessary for sewing. However, you will want to make sure to purchase a steam iron. An economical choice is the Shark 1500 watt steam iron.
#10: Seam Ripper
A seam ripper is another essential tool that is often included with your sewing machine. However, if your model does not include a seam ripper, you can purchase a small seam ripper here.
#11: Fabric
Yes, you do need fabric, but don’t make the same mistake I did as a beginner. It is not necessary to purchase fabric without first having a purpose for it. My recommendation is to have a sewing project planned in advance, then purchase the fabric required for your specific project. This method of buying fabric will save you money and storage space.
#12: Patience
One thing sewing has taught me is that you must have patience. Sewing has also taught me to be more patient in everyday life. If you want your sewing journey to be an enjoyable experience, you must have patience with yourself. You will make mistakes and that is perfectly normal. I make mistakes all the time when working on a sewing project, hence the reason I have plenty of seam rippers. Sewists of all skill levels make mistakes. Just remember to take a deep breath, be patient, and have fun.
Stay tuned for “Part 2: How to Prepare For Your First Sewing Project”.
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