#1 - A needle and thread
Very basic but very important. And you’re going to want bobbins too if you are going to be using a sewing machine.
These tools are going to be the more important thing you have in your sewing kit and I even recommend making a few travel sized kits (perhaps by reusing old mint containers) that you can leave in your car, purse, wherever.
A needle and thread will help you out when sewing on a loose button to a quick fix when your pants split down the middle and you’re in a very public place.
Whatever the case, a few (not even nice looking) stitches can make a world of a difference in a pinch.
Needle, Thread, and Bobbins
#2 - Scissors
A good pair of scissors are really important. You want nice clean cuts so the fabric frays minimally.
And I know every people who has ever sewed says this but its really so essential and I can’t stress this enough
ONLY use your fabric scissors on fabric!
If you use them on anything else, including really abrasive fabrics like sequin, it will dull the blades and you will have a hard time cutting thorough fabrics.
Now, I think Gingher Scissors are totally worth the cost but there are a lot of options, especially if you are just going to be a very casual, by necessity only sewer. If you will be making clothes or any home decor though, you should take a leap of faith on these scissors. The slice through fabric like hot knife through butter.
Scissors
#3 - Fabric Markers and Chalk
A fabric marker and chalks are #3 for me because they are often overlooked and underappreciated. I find myself using them for nearly every project that I do though, even when they are no sew projects.
Fabric can be expensive and marking out your lines before hand can be a really useful tool before you make cuts that can’t be taken back.
I personally like to have chalk and an air soluble marker handy at all times. One for lighter fabrics and the other for dark. That way I have all my bases covered no matter the project.
Fabric Markers
#4 - Seam Ripper
This next product was my best friend when I began sewing and I still use it all the time.
Seam rippers are a small tool that pull out the seams when you make a mistake sewing. Instead of having to cut away the seam when you mess up and risk the size of your project getting messed up you can us a seam ripper to take out only the threads.
Its great if you accidentally sew the wrong sides of fabric together, mess up a fitted seam on a garment or just don’t like the way a seam came out.
They are super easy to use but we have tutorial on How to Use a Seam Ripper to get you started.
Seam Ripper
#5 - Pins
Pins are pretty essential to most projects because they keep pieces of material together as they are going through the sewing machine.
You are going to want a pretty decent stockpile of pins, but they are cheep and a pack of 500 is only about the size of a wallet. So they are easy to store and non expensive.
You should always get rid of broken or bent pins. They can put your fabric through unnecessary stress or allow the fabric to slip into the wrong place.
Pins
#6 - Rulers
And last, but certainty not least, are rulers.
I highly recommend the Omnigrid Quilters 6 x 24″ Ruler and the Omnigrid non slip 2.5 x 12.5″ ruler.
Between the two you are good for most any project. If you are only looking to get on I would recommend the first. The larger size is a bit more versatile.
Both rulers can help your make prefect right angles, are see through so you can see your fabric is being measured in the right place and have pre-marked angles for quilting.
Ruler
And that's it from me.
Do you have a sewing kit essential that I didn’t list here? Let me know what your favorite tools are!
Email me at makersmill@onlinefabricstore.net or post it to Instagram with the hashtag #ofsmakersmill #sewingkitessentials