My Top 11 Sewing Tools

Hey ghouls and creeps! I’m super excited for this deeper dive into a specific crafting or sewing subject! I try to include tips and tricks as well as information that supplements the project posts I do here on Britni Jade DIY. However, I’m incredibly happy to oblige in taking the time to concentrate on the questions you have inquired about the most!

I’ve been sewing now for 24+ years, beginning with sewing lessons at age 10. I then continued to sew sporadically as a hobby until the pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design eight years later. Since graduating, I’ve dabbled in garment construction for fashion shows, small-scale ensembles, wearable art, and small business product manufacturing to name a few. I’ve sewn quilts, curtains, throw pillows, costumes, wedding dresses, plushies, handbags, and so much more over the years providing me varied sewing experience. I’m telling you all this to demonstrate that these recommendations are coming from an experienced source and should be compatible with a variety of sewing projects. Let’s get started!

1. Sewing Machine: Although obvious, this one typically has the most questions surrounding it. This will be a small introduction into the world of sewing machines, because there is a lot to consider when purchasing a machine. To begin sewing, you don’t need a ton of fancy novelty stitches like many of the advanced sewing machine models have. All you need really is a straight stitch, and possibly a buttonhole stitch. This will adequately take care of nearly all your sewing projects!

Another thing to consider is like most things, you get what you pay for. When shopping brands like Singer, Brother, and Janome I specifically look for the models listed as heavy duty. This usually means that all or most of the internal parts are made of metal and not plastic. Plastic parts on the inside of your machine will more quickly fail, personally I’d rather invest the money into a higher quality machine upfront, than machine servicing later to troubleshoot repairs.

Brands like Viking, Pfaff, Juki, and Bernina fall into the digital and in some cases industrial machine category. These brands will be more costly, and not a necessary investment for a first-time machine owner. If you are fortunate enough to receive one of these as a gift or have the money to splurge, then that’s great! However, do not feel obligated in purchasing a digital/specialized/industrial machine as your first machine purchase.

Another interesting piece of knowledge involving sewing machines is most vintage machines are typically more reliable than present-day machines. Machines manufactured approximately 40+ years ago were built to withstand wear and tear for generations. The average life for sewing machines manufactured today is roughly 10-25 years. Now there are exceptions to this, like the initial condition of the vintage machine and if the issues are repairable. If you do happen to land a vintage machine that isn’t just an “oldie” but also a “goodie,” then your machine will have components built to last exempting plastic and digital parts that will more easily break and become obsolete.

2. Seam Ripper: Although we’d all like to think that we won’t make mistakes while sewing, the truth is it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. My seam ripper is probably one of my most frequently used sewing tools, and I can’t recommend it enough! I would recommend getting one with a larger handle, rather than the smaller varieties for tiny sewing kits.

3. Fabric Shears/Thread Snips: You will be cutting fabric and thread often, so buying a pair of sharp fabric shears and convenient fabric snips will be a great investment long term. I have both Gingher and Fiskar shears for my fabric cutting and can confirm that the cut quality is pretty much the same. I’ve heard rumors that Ginghers can withstand more sharpenings than Fiskars, justifying the higher purchase amount, but I haven’t been able to verify this. So I would recommend purchasing a set of the 8 in. bent original Fiskar shears. My Fiskar shears have reliably cut fabric for me for years, fit my hand well, aren’t heavy, and can conveniently be sharpened with the sharpening tool Fiskar also sells.

Thread snips are sold in a couple different styles. Some of these styles include thread snips/clips, embroidery shears, or folding scissors. All work great, and your decision just comes down to preference. I personally own a set of thread snips and embroidery shears(or scissors with a shorter blade length) and find myself using the embroidery shears most often.

4. Iron: Pressing your projects as you work is so important, it will make the sewing process easier and the end product better! I’ve owned a Rowenta Effective for five years, use it pretty frequently, and don’t have any real complaints.

5. Rotary Cutter/ Cutting Mat: These tools are especially important if you plan on making a quilt or projects with a bunch of straight cuts. I’ve found most rotary cutter brands perform pretty comparable to each other. Like the fabric cutting shears, finding a cutter that comfortably fits your hand is a must. Also taking into account the accessibility of the mechanism that retracts the blade is key. I have a couple of different Fiskar rotary cutters, which perform nicely. The replacement blades can be a little costly(always buy them on sale), but they usually last a while, even with frequent cutting.

When purchasing a cutting mat look for the ones that are self healing. Self healing mats will last longer than the ones that don’t offer this feature. I own one that is 18″X24″ and love it!

6. Fabric Marking Utensil: There are so many options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed! Everything from tailor’s chalk, chalk wheels, disappearing ink pens, water-soluble ink pencils/pens, and pencils there’s a lot to choose from! My go to for marking utensils is most often a chalk wheel or a basic ink pen. Just a disclaimer, I only use the ink pen when the marks won’t be visible.

7. Specialized Sewing Machine Needles: Sewing machine needles will either have a recommended fabric type, stitch type, or preferred use listed on the packaging. Depending on where the needles are manufactured, the European metric measurements are 60 to 110 and the American sizing system is 8 to 18. For both size ranges the smaller the number correlates with the finer the needle, and the higher the number signifies the larger the needle. Buy a multi-pack of needles with a variety of different sizes to start!

8. Transparent Ruler: Transparent rulers come in a variety of different sizes and shapes. My go-to is the 3″X18″ Omnigrid ruler. I’ve found this size in most circumstances doesn’t feel limiting, but isn’t cumbersome to move and rotate around the cutting mat. Transparent rulers are great for assisting the rotary cutter for straight cuts, pattern alterations, or almost any measuring task!

9. Assorted Hand Sewing Needles: There will be the occasional need for a hand sewing needle to slipstitch a pillow opening closed, blind hem a skirt, or attach a button. Purchase an assorted hand sewing needle pack and have most of the needles you’ll need for these sewing tasks!

10. Pins/ Pincushion: Since becoming employed in a production sewing role, I try not to use pins whenever possible to save time. I do still occasionally use pins though for curved seams, easing sleeves into armholes, or easing mismatched seam lengths. If you are new to sewing, use those pins! When you are getting comfortable with sewing it’s important to focus on operating the machine and maintaining a straight stitch line, not keeping your layers of fabric evenly together. I typically use the long pins with larger pearlized heads. You can purchase pins without heads, I just prefer the ones with them for easy visibility. There are some pins specific to fabric type, such as satin pins, that are finer and sharper to avoid material snags.

I have so many pincushions! I have a magnetic, wrist, and some decorative pin cushions, but if I had to choose I would go with the decorative variety. “Is there a reason for this?” you may be asking. The truth is, not really, I just really adore my cactus and skull pincushions. When buying your first pincushion go for the style you think you will like most, if you find out otherwise, pivot and purchase a different style.

11. Great Lighting: I can not recommend this enough! More lighting is better than less lighting when focusing on small details for extended periods. In addition to the light on my sewing machine, I have a separate sewing machine light and lighting above my sewing desk. While hand sewing, or doing other crafting, I have a ring light to light up my work. There are so many affordable ring light options for purchase online. If you don’t mind spending more, OttLite has a whole line of great lighting solutions. So don’t strain those eyes, improve the lighting in and around your workspace!

There it is! My top 11 sewing tools that I use every time I sew! I hope this information was informative and not overwhelming! Let me know in the comments if there were tools that I missed, or you had more to say about the tools I mentioned!

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Ready for your next project? Here are some tutorials on the blog I think you’ll like! Frame Flip tutorial: https://britnijade.com/frame-flip/, Macrame Wall Hanging: https://britnijade.com/macrame-wall-hanging-w-bones/, or the Spider Web Macrame: https://britnijade.com/spider-web-macrame/. Enjoy!