Essential sewing Supplies for beginners

So you want to start sewing - amazing news, welcome to a wonderful world of creativity and expressionism! There are only a few supplies you need in order to get started, and those supplies will see you through 99% of all projects you’re likely to start off with as a beginner sewist. 

After you acquire the sewing supplies for beginners listed below, you’re ready to begin your journey. Once you’ve become familiar with your sewing supplies and equipment, the world truly is your oyster. Free beginner projects, such as our Start To Stitch Bunting, Start To Stitch Free Twist Headband, or the ever practical Start To Stitch free Face Covering pattern are all great for sewists who are just starting out and wanting to create something practical and pretty.

As your confidence grows and your love for sewing blossoms, you may wish to take your sewing to the next step. Here at Start To Stitch, we are proud to offer excellent valued courses for Beginners and Intermediate sewists. In each course, you’ll learn new techniques and troubleshoot common issues, as well as create wonderful handmade items. Both courses are held through a dedicated Facebook Group, with detailed video tutorials. Live video support and weekly tutoring calls are also included as part of the course, meaning that support and encouragement is always only a click away. Head to our Online Courses page for more information.

Sewing Supplies For Beginners

If you’ve landed on this page, you’re likely here for one reason, and one reason only: to find out exactly what tools and equipment you need in order to start sewing. Below is a list of the basic, yet essential, sewing supplies you’ll need as a beginner. There are obviously many more sewing tools that can be added to your collection as your confidence grows, however the list below will enable you to get started as soon as possible. So if you want to know what sewing supplies you should be looking out for as a total beginner, keep reading!

SEWING MACHINE

A sewing machine is an absolute must have if you want to start sewing! Sewing machines enable you to create amazing handmade items and garments with excellent precision, durability, and professionalism. Your sewing machine will be a great investment, so make sure to do your research before purchasing. We’ve written a comprehensive guide to buying the right sewing machine for you - read it here: 6 Things To Look For When Buying A New Sewing Machine.

Needles

You’re going to need needles for your sewing machine. Picking up some spare needles is a great idea as sometimes needles do break, and you should change your needle after every project  - if this happens to you, here’s a great YouTube video tutorial on How To Change A Needle On Your Sewing Machine. You may also want to purchase some needles for hand stitching as well. 

Bobbins

Bobbins pass the bottom thread up in your sewing machine. These need to be wound up and inserted properly into the machine. Here’s a video tutorial on How To Wind A Bobbin On Your Sewing Machine. Bobbins are cheap to buy and come in a variety of materials, including clear plastic and metal.  Check what type your machine uses - some brands use a different design.

Good Quality Thread

Thread is what’s going to hold your hairbands, garments, cushion covers, or even your mug warmers together, so it’s important to get a good quality collection of thread in a variety of colours. Gutermann is the best quality - a strong polyester thread that won’t snap or break.  Moon is a good alternative but some machines don’t respond to it well.

Scissors

Fabric scissors are sharp! In order to cut through a variety of fabrics, they’re much sharper than your everyday scissors. It’s a good idea to have both ordinary scissors on hand for cutting templates out, and also fabric scissors for your fabrics. Keep in mind that using your fabric scissors on anything but fabric will dull them very easily and quickly.

Marking Tools

A marking tool is always handy for marking out patterns onto your fabric. There’s lots of choice, so it’s whatever tool you feel most comfortable using. Some sewists use good old fashioned chalk, some use heat erase marking pens, and some use disappearing ink that vanishes after washing the fabric.

Pins

Pins are a sewist's best friend! Do you have two pieces of fabric that need to be sewn together? Use pins to hold them in place. Need to trace or cut around a pattern? Secure the pattern to your fabric by using pins. There are so many uses for pins and, again, there’s a variety of choice.

Tape Measure

A pretty self explanatory tool - used for measuring your fabrics. They’re nice and flexible, easy to store, and cheap to buy. re

​Clear Rulers

Clear rulers are a definite must have for any beginner sewist. Clear rulers allow you to see exactly what you’re doing, where you’re marking and what you’ll eventually end up cutting and sewing. If you can get one with a metal edge you can use it with your rotary cutter too!

Cutting Mat

Save your desk for being destroyed when cutting fabrics with either scissors or a cutting tool by investing in a good cutting mat. Some cutting mats are self healing, which is a huge bonus. They come with measurements up the sides, and basically just make your life when sewing so much easier. ​

Seam Ripper

It’s not just beginners who need a good seam ripper, even the most experienced garment makers make mistakes. Not only can the seam ripper be used to rip out stitches that were sown by mistake, but it can also be used to open up button holes, cut threads and remove stitches. In our Start To Stitch store we sell beautiful handmade seam rippers made from reclaimed, sustainably sourced wood.

Iron & Ironing Board

It’s essential to iron your fabric and get all those wrinkles out before you get to work. Wrinkles will affect the shape of your fabric, so make sure it’s lovely and smooth before you start cutting and sewing.  You should press every seam as you stitch it too - it will level up your making game! 

Fabric

Obviously you’ll need a selection of fabrics to start off with! A lot of beginner sewists tend to use old garments or old bedding sets that are no longer needed. It’s great to create new items of clothing from upcycled fabric, however if that’s not possible, there are plenty of stores and online shops that stock gorgeous fabrics. ​

If you have any questions don't forget you can hop on over into my free sewing group Kernow Sewcial and ask away! Its a hot line to me and many other very experienced sewists and is a wonderful community to be a part of!