Well, yes, I am pretty good, but that wall is HUGE! It has TONS of different things on it. Then I start calculating everything up in my head and I could EASILY spend a couple hundred dollars on all of that "stuff" The problem is....Do I really need all that stuff?
Nope.
Do you really need all that stuff?
Nope.
So here is a list of things that I like to have, that I think EVERYONE that wants to sew should have. (There are affiliate links to amazon in this post :)
1. A small pair of scissors to clip thread.
I don't know about you, but when I am sewing along and I get to the end of the piece I am sewing, I definitely don't want to pull out my regular ol pair of scissors that I cut fabric with and clip that itty bitty piece of thread. Heck NO! That is ridiculous. Its a pain {literally}. Its just not very comfortable to constantly be picking up a large pair of scissors and then sitting them down, sewing a little bit, and then picking them right back up.
Nope. Just buy that little pair of scissors. Fiskars has a nice pair that I like. Honestly, little kids paper scissors might be sufficient for a bit (but seriously, only for a bit causes those things are dull). My favorite pair that I have are a small pair made by Olfa. They are a little spendier, but I love them.
2. Straight Pins
I wrote a post last week about ways to get around using straight pins, but in reality, they are needed. They have their place. They are definitely not in my top 10 favorite sewing tools, but they are in my top 10 essential tools. Any straight pins will work, just make sure they are sharp. On that note...having a place for those pins, my favorite is a magnet, is really helpful. Promise...your feet will thank you later, when you don't poke your foot with stray pins that fell to the ground.
3. Wonder Clips
Last week in that post about avoiding pinning sewing projects, I wrote about this handy, dandy sewing clips. I love them. You could use little hair clips instead if you want. The wonder clip are not expensive at all. You will love them. Promise!
4. Extra Bobbins
In my opinion, you can never have enough bobbins. Especially when you are doing a big project it is so nice to load up a bunch of bobbins in the same color and not have to stop mid project and refill. If you don't want a bunch of extra ones laying around make sure to have 1 bobbin for each of the basic colors (white, black, pink {at least in my house it is }etc).5. Rotary Cutter, Cutting Mat, and Ruler
There are some pretty inexpensive rotary cutters out there. Fiskars is on that comes to mind. Definitely a must!Cutting boards come in all sizes. Just make sure to get a self healing mat. They last way longer. If you plan on doing a lot of projects then I recommend getting the 24"x36".
Along those same lines, get the matching ruler for the size of mat you get. The one that goes with the 24"x36" is 5" wide and 24" long.
6. Fabric Scissors
My absolutely favorite fabric cutting scissors are Ginghers. (update: Kai Scissors are my new favorite with Ginghers being a close second They are nice. They are also expensive. But oh so worth it if you have the money to splurge. If you don't, get a nice pair of fiskars. Even better, wait til your favorite craft store has them on sale for 50% off. Just make sure that your good fabric scissors only get used to cut fabric. Promise. Its uber important! It'll keep them nice and sharp and not have to get them sharpened very often.
7. Seam Ripper - Heavy Duty
Or an unpicker as we call it in our house. These are cheap little buggers, and once again I hate them. But they are a necessary evil. I'm far from perfect and I make mistakes and thankfully a seam ripper can help me mend my imperfections. (BAHAHAHA) All I have to say is get one. You're gonna need it8. Fabric measuring tape
This type of measuring tape is great for measuring sewing projects. If you are going to do any type of clothing I definitely recommend getting one.9. Tweezers
Its not to pick your nose hairs while you're sewing. Nope, its to pick out all those stupid strings that get caught and make your machine throw a fit. It's for picking your machines nose hairs. Gah! Hate that I need this tool, but SOOO worth having one around. I like to get the medical looking ones that are long and have a skinny point on it to get in all those nooks and crannysI also like using my tweezers when I am threading my serger. Sometimes getting around all those staionary parts is really hard so those tweezers come in handy in those situations
10. Machine Oil and Brush
If you plan on using your sewing machine at all, and want your machine to last, then I HIGHLY recommend getting some sewing machine oil and a little lint cleaning brush. Your machine will need to be oiled (check your owners manual for exactly where to oil it). Also, when you are oiling it, you are going to want to clean out all the lint, so a little sewing machine brush is really helpful
I hope this list helps you make sure you are well stocked with all the essentials for your sewing needs. What tools have you found helpful to have when you are sewing?
PS Stayed tuned for more beginner sewing tricks this week. Then next week it'll be all about the intermediate seamstress.
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