As someone who has been sewing for over 10 years, I have accumulated A LOT of supplies; some I use a lot and some I never touch. If you’re just getting into sewing and are curious what tools experienced sewists use to make their projects go just a little more smoothly, keep reading as I share my top 5 sewing supplies that I can’t live without!
Fabric Clips
I used to only use sewing pins for everything from holding patterns on my fabric as I cut, to securing seams as I sewed, but back when I used to work with leather a lot, I found that pins would damage the leather and leave permanent holes. I then switched to using clips and now I rarely use pins anymore. Clips are more secure, don’t damage fabric, and won’t draw blood if you accidentally bump into one while you’re sewing. Pro tip: don’t buy them at a fabric store where they’re marked up; get them online for a fraction of the price.
Top: DIY Heating Pad. Bottom: DIY Quilted Infinity Scarf
Rotary Cutter
A couple years ago a friend gifted me a rotary cutter and for the longest time, it sat unused because I wasn’t sure when to use it instead of my trusty fabric scissors. Eventually, I decided to give it a try and now I cut out most of my fabric with it, particularly when I need to make straight cuts. With my rotary cutter and a quilting ruler, I can get straight, precise cuts that are cleaner than anything I could get with scissors. While I have definitely cut directly on my tabletop before (sorry, table!) I would strongly recommend getting a cutting mat (like the one pictured below) to not only protect your work surface and your cutting blade, but it also serves as a super handy measuring guide!
Image from DIY Heating Pad tutorial
Rulers
Like I mentioned above, a good quilting ruler can be incredibly helpful when making precise straight cuts, but they’re just helpful in general for any sewing project where you’re not working with a pattern. Most of my projects these days are ones that I design myself so I don’t have the luxury of tracing a pattern. For these, I rely on rulers to ensure my fabric is cut exactly the way I want. The four that I use most often are my 9.5″ quilting square, a 4″ square, a 6″ x 24″ ruler, and my cutting mat.
Image from DIY Infinity Scarf tutorial
Extra bobbin spools
Sometimes when I’m loading up a new bobbin with thread, I’ll go ahead and load up 2 or 3 at a time just to get it out of the way, especially when I’m working with common thread colors like white or black. That way, the next time I’m in the middle of a project and my bobbin runs out, I have another one ready to go. Or, if I’m working with a more unique color and need a matching bobbin, I have some spares to use.
Mini iron
I initially got my mini iron to sew iron-on labels into my finished garments, but since then, I’ve found myself using it for basically every project. I use it to press seams, iron on patches, and crease hems before sewing and the small size makes it great for small details. Also, since it’s so small, it’s easy to store! I do plan to get myself a full-sized iron at some point to use on larger projects, but for now the mini is working great.
I also love using a wool ironing mat instead of an ironing board since it’s easier to store. The one I use even comes with a handy silicon mat for resting your iron on!
Image from DIY Plush Bunny tutorial
What are your must-have sewing supplies? Do any of these ones make your list?
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