When I teach beginning sewing, like I am this semester, the first thing every student gets from me is a very long email with a supply list. The list I give them is determined by the department, and it’s pretty solid. But because I am who I am, I started thinking about how I might want to change the list and what things I’ve really used over the last few decades of sewing. And because I have my own blog and no one can stop me, below you’ll find my top 10 sewing tools for beginners (plus a few bonus items because I couldn’t choose)!
This list is aimed at beginner garment sewists. So, anyone looking to make clothing or costumes. Some of the items would be the same if you’re more into quilting or home decor, and some will be different. If you feel like your sewing journey involves lots of machine embroidery or if you want to learn how to sew entirely by hand, adjust as needed. And, while these are my essentials, there’s nothing wrong with improvising, borrowing, and making do with what you have on hand.
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1. Shears and Other Cutting Tools
Don’t feel like you need to spend a lot on your first pair of shears. Get a moderately priced pair, like these Mudial Red Dot shears. I got these for my first college level sewing class and they’ve been with me ever since!
Once you’ve had a chance to use them for a few projects you can start thinking about how you’d like to upgrade them. I found I wanted a bigger, heavier pair, so I asked for a pair of Gingher 10″ knife edge shears for my next birthday. Some people prefer to move to a rotary cutter or a pair of light weight spring-loaded shears. It will take you some time to figure out what you like best, so experiment and test out different cutting tools until you form a solid preference.
You’ll still get a lot of use out of your beginner shears even after you replace them. My Mudial Red Dots became my paper shears. They’re still my go-to’s for pattern making. Some people also will keep their old shears on hand to use if they need to send their good pair out for sharpening or if they’re cutting something they worry might damage their good shears, such as a heavily beaded fabric.
You can use your shears for just about everything, but I like to have a pair of snips and/or embroidery scissors on hand for cutting little threads. If you get embroidery scissors, don’t skimp on quality. A very sharp and pointy pair is great for clipping into seam allowances on curves.
2. Marking Tools
When starting out, you need at least two different types of marking tools because you need something that will shop up on light colored fabric and dark colored fabric. My go-to marking tool for light colored fabrics is a mark-be-gone water erasable pen. For dark colored fabrics I like a white Chacoliner (which also has refills!). These two together should give you the ability to make clear enough marks on the majority of fabrics so that you can cut out your pieces and transfer any pattern markings.
However, every fabric is different. Sometimes I go through three or four different marking tools before I find one that works for me on any given project. So, I wrote a very long post explaining and comparing all the different fabric marking options I keep on hand.
3. Measuring Tools
A basic sewing kit should have a flexible measuring tape and a 2″ x 18″ clear plastic ruler. If you decide to learn pattern making you’ll end up with a few additional specialized rulers, but when I’m sewing I can do everything I need to with just those two.
There aren’t huge variations in quality when it comes to flexible measuring tapes, so get whatever color makes you the most happy. If you find yourself having difficulty with fraction, get one that has them marked out for you, like this one. Check your flexible measuring tape for accuracy every few months. Over time, these can get a little stretched out.
When looking for a 2″ x 18″ clear plastic ruler, I prefer them to be thinner and a little bit flexible like this Westcott ruler. These are less durable than the thicker, acrylic ones made for quilting, but I find it easier to be accurate when marking with them.
If you still have a few dollars, I also like having a sewing gauge on hand. These are great for quickly measuring when turning up a hem. They also can be used to fold bias tape!
4. Iron (and Ironing Pad)
Once you start sewing, you’ll quickly find that you spend almost as much time pressing as doing anything else. The good news is, you don’t need a fancy iron. I’ve used the same iron since I was in design school, so about two decades and it still does everything I need it to. The exact model I have is discontinued, but the Black+Decker F976 Quickpress seems to be an updated version.
When looking for an iron you want a few simple features. It should have both a seam and a spray function, so that you can use water to get the worst of the wrinkles out. If it has a horizontal steam function, that’s great but not a requirement. You may also want a to keep a spray bottle on hand for particularly stubborn wrinkles. You could buy a new one, but I just reuse an old bottle that used to hold my favorite rose water spray.
Ideally, I like to use an iron that can use tap water, as buying distilled water is a pain. Most irons these days can, but it’s worth checking the manual to be safe.
Other things to look for are an auto shut off (so that if you forget about it the iron will turn off on it’s own) and reviews that don’t have a lot of complaints regarding dripping.
Having surface to iron on is also important. I recommend getting an ironing pad over an ironing board because they take up so much less space to store, but also give you a nice size surface for ironing. I have this one, which I bought in 2019 and is still going strong. But if I needed a new one, I’d probably buy a wool ironing mat like this one. They’re great for pinning into and also made of a natural material. If you’re short on money, fold an old towel over at least twice and work on a surface that isn’t too heat or water sensitive. It’s not a perfect solution, but it will work until you can get something better.
There are a lot of other tools you can use to improve your ironing technique (I’d start with a tailor’s ham!). But when you first start out, just keep an old towel around. You can roll it up to use as a makeshift tailors ham or seam roll, or really any other shape you need to improve your pressing.
5. Glass Head Pins
A good set of pins should last you for years, so this is a place I like to be picky. My go-to pins are these glass head pins from Dritz.
When finding your own pins, there are three things to consider: head type, length, and width. I like glass head pins because the heads won’t melt even if I need to iron over them or heavily steam them. Granted, this doesn’t happen often, but I like not having to worry. Whatever type of pins you get, make sure you know exactly how heat proof they are.
You’ll also want to make sure that the pin head is easy for you to grasp. I have some straight pins with just a small metal disk at the top, but I find them a little difficult to grasp when working quickly, so they’re not my favorite. Small ball head pins are generally easy for me to manipulate, but if you find them awkward, look at other pin head types. Flat-head pins are great if you find things tend to roll away from you and larger ball-head pins are perfect if you just need a bit more to grasp.
As for pin width, find that 0.5mm or 0.55mm (~0.02″ to 0.022″) wide pins are good for most applications. They’re just nice, all-purpose pins. They can get bent if you sew directly on one with your needle, but otherwise they don’t bend too easily. If you need heavy duty pins for a thick project, look for quilters pins. These are usually about 0.6mm or 0.7mm (0.026″). There are thinner pins available, but I find they bend too easily to be of use. Also, most pins labeled as “silk pins” are actually still 0.5mm wide, so either the same or similar to general sewing pins.
Pin length is something it took me a while to find the sweet spot on. For garment sewing 1 and 3/8″ (~35mm) is generally perfect. Any longer, and they get in the way. Any shorter, and there’s too much danger of the pins falling out.
6. Hand Needles
Even if you plan to sew everything you can by machine, eventually you will need to use a hand needle. Sewing on buttons, finishing tasks, and many hem variations need to be hand sewn. There are many, many different types of hand needle, so it can be a bit overwhelming to shop for them if you’re new to sewing.
Needles are sized according to number, with smaller numbers being the largest and higher numbers being the smallest. So a size 3 needle will be longer and thicker than a size 9 needle. Needles for garment sewing are usually labeled as “sharps” or “betweens.” Sharps are slightly longer than between, which lets you pick up multiple stitches at a time more easily. Bewettens are shorter, which can make stitches that need to be sewn one at a time go faster. Both are intended for use with sewing thread, so the eyes are small. If you find them too hard to thread, you may want to look at embroidery needles, which usually have a bit larger of an eye.
For basic hand sewing you’ll want a pack of sharps in a range of sizes, about 3-9. This pack by John James is a great place to start. You’ll want to use larger needles for heavier fabrics and smaller needles for lighter fabrics.
Hand needles also dull over time. If you have the classic tomato pincushion, you can sharpen them a bit by pushing them in and out of the little attached strawberry. It’s filled with emery (a powder made from corundum with iron oxide impurities), which is an abrasive. Eventually, however, you will need to replace them. So if you can keep track of which needles you like, it will be easier in the long run.
7. Seam Ripper
This is not the place to try and save money. You want the best possible seam ripper you can find, and I’d even recommend getting a couple in different sizes. A good seam ripper has a sharp blade at the base and a comfortable to hold handle. You do need to replace your seam ripper every so often, but I find that if I start off with a nice one, they last longer. My go-to is the Clover White Seam Ripper, as I like the way the handle feels in my hand. I’m also a fan of the Clover 463 as I always feel it has the sharpest blade.
If you find yourself in a position where you do a lot of seam ripping, you may want to start using a razor blade instead of a seam ripper. I used razor blades a lot while working as a bridal seamstress. They’re the best for removing lace appliqués, or quickly undoing large hems. It is very easy to injure yourself with them or to slice right through the fabric you’re trying to save, so this isn’t for beginners. But if you find that your seam ripper is always too dull, a razor blade may be a good option for you.
8. Sewing Machine
I’ve already written a full post about how to buy a beginner sewing machine, but the TLDR is: keep it simple. Most garment sewists only need a few stitch types (straight, zig-zag, and buttonhole), so getting a machine with a million stitch varieties isn’t necessary. It’s better to spend that money on additional sewing machine feet, which can help you do things like sew neat tucks, cleanly attach piping, and overcast an edge with zig-zag stitches.
I also advocate for fully mechanical sewing machines, rather than digital ones, because they’re easier to learn how to service and repair on your own. I’ve had my Janome HD3000 for over nine years now and I’ve been able to maintain it myself because it’s such a simple machine.
And if you can, try to get a machine that is mostly metal parts inside. These are usually marketed as “heavy duty” machines. I recommend this because most garment sewists end up wanting to do a project with thick fabric at some point. This may be a pair of jeans, a corset, or even leather. A heavy duty machine won’t handle these fabrics as well as an industrial machine would, but it will do a much better job than a standard sewing machine. If the Janome model I have is out of your budget, look at the Singer Heavy Duty line or the Brother Strong and Tough machines.
9. Screw Drivers
Your sewing machine likely comes with a screw driver for changing the needle and other small adjustments. You may need an additional one if you want to be able to fully open up your machine to clean out lint and make small repairs. If you have the basic tools you need hanging out in your sewing kit, it will save you all sorts of frustration when something goes awry.
I do most of my machine repairs with a set I got so long ago I honestly don’t remember where I bought it from. It consists of four screwdrivers of various sizes that nest inside a hammer.
Also, if you use a machine that has a separate bobbin case (like the Juki TL-2000Qi), you’ll want to have on hand a tiny screw driver so that you can adjust the bobbin case tension. This is an often overlooked adjustment that can make the difference between smooth stitches and a tangled mess. If you buy one of these sets so you have a screwdriver small enough to make this adjustment, make sure the smallest screwdriver in the set is a flat head (not a Philip’s head. This set looks to be correct.
10. Tweezers
Tweezers aren’t a standard part of most sewing kits, but they come in handy frequently. I usually have a few pairs hanging about my sewing kit. I use them to help me thread the needle in my machine, pick small pieces of thread out of seams I’ve ripped, and pull bits of lint from the dark corners of my sewing machine. I also have a pair on hand specifically for doing burn tests on mystery fibers. They just really come in handy!
Bonus: Pliers
If you find yourself doing any significant amount of hand sewing, do yourself a favor and add a pair of pliers to your sewing kit. Seriously, these can be a lifesaver if you find yourself trying to pull a needle through several layers of thick cloth. I’ve also used them to pull out bits of broken needle and thread clumps that have gotten stuck in a machine. Trust me, you’ll be happy you have them on hand at some point!
I got my pair as part of a kit when I took a jewelry making class in undergrad. You can find similar ones here.
Bonus: Sharps Bin
As a sewist, you’re going to end up with a lot of sharp objects that need to be disposed of. Broken needles, bent pins, worn out seam rippers, etc.
These things shouldn’t just be thrown in with the normal trash, as they pose a danger to garbage collectors. They also are typically too small for recycling or require special processes.
So, you need something to collect all the broken sharp bits in. This should be a solid, preferably metal container with a tight fitting lid. Personally, I use an old Harney and Son’s metal tea canister.
It’s big enough that I haven’t actually had to bother figuring out how to dispose of the sharps for years. But I know that when the time comes, I’ll check the local recycling and disposal services in my area and get rid of them safely.
Bonus: Sewing Box
You’ll want to find something to organize all your supplies in. What works best varies from person to person. Think about how often you’ll be traveling with your kit, how many things you need, and how it will look in your sewing space.
I’ve tried a lot of things over the years, but my favorite is this thrifted and repurposed jewelry box. The ring holders are great for sticking pins and needles into and it has some nice little compartments for all my things. I could probably use something a little larger, but it makes me happy, so it stays.
Do you have any sewing tools you think I missed? Or things that newbies don’t need now, but might want in the futures? Let me know in the comments below!