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One of the great things to come out of Covid is an increase in creativity! Maybe you’ve turned to online lessons to create art at home, you’re interested in making things yourself to save money, or you just need a new way to entertain your kids. Enter, Sewing Lessons!

I have begun offering 1 on 1 personally tailored beginner sewing lessons from my home. While in my studio you can use all of my supplies, but below is a list of supplies I recommend to get started sewing from home. I have decided the list into “Necessary Supplies” and “Optional Supplies”; if you are a more experience sewist, please add your suggestions in the comments!

Necessary Supplies:

1. Sewing Machine: I have been sewing with a Singer Stylist machine for the last 6 years, and it is a great machine! It comes with a standard accessory set, several needles, 76 decorative stitches, and a drop in bobbin, which is especially useful. I have linked a comparable Brother machine available on amazon.
2. Rotary Cutter: A rotary cutter is essential for getting precise cuts with your fabric.
3. Olipfa Ruler: A sewing ruler is used in tandem with your rotary cutter, it is very difficult to get straight cuts without it!
4. Self Healing Mat: You will cut your fabric on this mat, which has a hand ruler for measuring, and it will prevent you from damaging any surfaces in your home. I recommend purchasing as large a mat as possible. These are a expensive, but will also last forever. A good way to save money on this purchase is to use a coupon at Joanns, Michaels, or check out Tuesday Morning.
5. Iron: If you have an iron for home use, you can definitely use that, but it’s also a good idea to have a dedicated iron for sewing. I like to use this small travel size iron. Ironing your fabric means you get accurate cuts, and prevents any folds or wrinkles from getting caught in your seams.
6. Pinking Shears: These specialty scissors are necessary for finishing off the edges of seams and prevent fraying.
7. Pins: You can purchase straight pins just about anywhere, and you need them for holding your fabric together before stitching.
8. Basic Cotton Fabric: You can purchase cotton fabric from any craft store, and it is a great material for beginners.
9. All Purpose Thread: This is a great basic thread that will work well with cotton fabric. I recommend picking up black, white, and a color that coordinates with your fabric.
10. Seam Ripper: A seam ripper is the NUMBER ONE sewing item recommended by everyone I polled on my instagram! You will make mistakes when learning to sew, but they can be easily fixed with this tool. I have linked to this kit because it is a great value. It includes a seam ripper, measuring tape, and sewing shears.

Optional (but very helpful!) Supplies:

These are supplies that I have personally found very helpful while sewing.

1. Clover Clips: These function nearly the same as pins, but it you step on one, it’s not going to hurt. Plus the bright colors make them easy to find.
2. Chalk: You can buy sewing specific tailors chalk, but just use basic crayola chalk for marking cuts or seams. Pro: it’s cheaper!
3. Seam Ruler: This will help you make sure your seams are accurate, which is especially important for sewing clothing.
4. Extra Bobbins: You can never have enough bobbins, since you need at least one for each color of thread you use.
5. Machine Needles: Needles will break, or eventually dull, so having extras on hand means you don’t have to stop your project in the middle!
6. Rotating Cutting Mat: Especially for quilting, this type of cutting mat is very helpful!
7. Nylon Zippers: This is completely optional, but I love sewing little bags and pouches, and they make for cute beginner projects. Having a stock of colorful zippers on hand, is very useful, and this is a good value.
8. Fusible Fleece: Again, completely optional, but if you sew pouches, this will give them a great structure. The fusible side makes it very easy to use since it adheres to your fabric.
9. Walking Foot: A walking foot adds top feed dogs to pull your fabric through the machine. This is helpful for sewing through layers, quilting, and for use with slippery fabric. Check your sewing machines model number to make sure you purchase a compatible foot. I leave mine on my machine for all projects.

Alright, those are my recommendations for beginning sewists. Purchasing all this at once can be quite expensive, so prioritize what you believe you will use most and spread out the purchases. Remember, most of these supplies will last you a lifetime if you take care of them, so investing in quality tools will serve you well!

Contact me if you’d like to learn more about learning to sew, or other type of Maker Lessons! I also teach knitting, embroidery, cross stitch, and vinyl crafts. If you see a Pinterest project you want to do yourself, I can help you with that too. It’s nice to work in a studio that already has all the supplies and space you need to complete your crafty dreams!

all photos provided by unsplash.com for use with the creative commons license.