Sewing Kits 

Sewing Kits

Tools are an important part of any hobby or profession. Especially when sewing.  Sewing kits are a necessary part of sewing.  Here's a  complete list of what you'll need.

Sewing Kits

The Box

 Find a beautiful box that you've been saving  just because you love it. You'll be using it a lot, so make sure it's practical. Small enough to move around your sewing table comfortably, but large enough to fit all your supplies. Something the size of a shoe box or a bit larger would work. Use your longest tool to determine exactly.

Sewing Kits

What goes in the sewing kit

Scissors - Medium size is good (Fiskar Brand). Make sure your sewing scissors never cut anything but fabric. Not even paper. Write your name on the scissors, along with "Sewing Only". Hide them from families and friends. They will not last long at all if you use them for anything else.

Pins -Your fabric will determine the right pins for the job. If you're using a fine fabric, small sharp pins are ideal, to minimize the hole size, and make it much easier to push pins through. If your fabric is fleece, wool, or something heavy or thick, then you'll need pins extra long to get through the thickness of the fabric.

I like the pins with the colored little pearl tip at the top. There easier to see, and don't slip out of the fabric so easy. I like the pins without the colored pearl tip when i'm draping or redesigning on the mannequin because i'm trying to imagine what the design will look like, and a lot of pins with colored tips are distracting.

If you have a lot of old hand me down sewing pins, or have kept the same pins for yrs, then check them and make sure they're still sharp. When in the middle of a project, and could use 3 hands, the last thing you need is to struggle with a pin that won't go through the fabric because it's rusty, dull, or bent. Worse yet, you don't want to creat an unnecessary pin hole or tear in your fabric.

Seam Ripper or small scissors are a must.

Marking Pen (washes out)

Measuring Tape (cloth)

Sewing gauge 

You'll also need a few items that don't fit in the kit.

A thread organizer is not a must have but if you have a lot of thread it sure helps. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some hang on the wall and some spin.  Many choices.  

Sewing Kits

More items you'll need that don't fit in the box.

Iron

Ironing Board

Sewing Table

Sewing Machines

Sewing Machine-Hand Me Down Sewing Machine If you have a hand me down sewing machine that you've never used, then the first thing you want to do is get a lesson from the person you received it from. If that's not possible, go online and find the manual for the machine if possible, so that you can operate it and look up the threading directions among other things.

If you are familiar with the machine, and it's working well, then move on. If it's not working well, meaning the stitches are a mess or it's not operating smoothly for any reason, you may need to call a sewing machine repair shop. Get a few estimates on cleaning, check up and repair. 

If you plan to sew with light to medium fabrics, most machines will probably do, but for anything heavy like fleece, leather, etc, get a machine with metal parts vs plastic, or you may be replacing it soon.

Buy New One If this is your first sewing machine , look at all the options. It's best to go to a sewing machine store, or a fabric store that sells sewing machines. Get a salesperson that can give you an education on what's on todays market. If you buy a machine this way, you'll have a friend in the sewing business. Someone you can call and ask a question or get help. As a beginner it's reassuring to have someone to call on, that knows what their doing. Usually lessons on how to get started are available as well. 

Just going down to your nearest discount store for the cheapest machine in the place can be a mistake. I bought 3 machines in a year doing it that way, so do the homework and research the market. Much of it depends on what type of sewing you plan to do.

Sewing Kits

Dress FOrms

Dress Form -Optional but really nice when sewing for yourself. Learn how to make a dressform below. Optional but recommended - 

Sewing table or cardboard table cover (see below)

Sewing Room - Sewing can be done anywhere. In an attic, basement, kitchen table, the corner of the family room, on the pool table, even on your bedroom floor.

Obviously it would be ideal to have lots of space, with large tables and rolling organizers, servers, and all the fancy sewing equipment out there. If you're just starting out, that may not be practical right away, but if you love sewing and designing clothes, you can find a way. I've done most all of the above.

Sewing Kits