Sewing accessories for beginners - 13 important parts for the basic equipment

With the right basic equipment, you can enjoy the sewing pleasure undisturbed!
You would like to start sewing soon or as a beginner you are still looking for input that can help you get started ">

However, the right workplace and the best equipment do not use much, if you do not know what to sew. What is suitable for beginners? What can I trust and where can I get the appropriate patterns and instructions? Where can I get help if I do not understand something? How can I acquire special techniques? We answer all this in this post!

The right sewing equipment

1. Workplace (area, light, things can be left)

One of the key points is a suitable job. If you are well-organized, a small space is enough, but having your own hobby room makes sewing much easier. Especially if you have small children, it is easier, if you can just lay everything and leave it, just leave the room and close the door.

For drawing or transferring patterns, for cutting, laying and adjusting, a large table is suitable. If this is not possible due to lack of space, you can also use your floor.

Sufficient light is another criterion for enjoyment of work. Ideally, you have a window seat and additional bright artificial light for the evening hours. Always face with your face towards the window so you do not shadow yourself.

Substances - especially natural products - are sensitive to light. Even if they are not directly exposed to sunlight, the colors may change. If you store your fabrics folded, this can lead to an ugly streak at the front of the bow. Therefore, keep your fabrics ideally protected from light in a box that you can close.

Also, think about how you want to store your patterns and where to put them.

2. Iron

Yes, it is true: very few like ironing, but when sewing, ironing is often half the battle and simplifies a lot of things immensely. Of course, a matching ironing board must not be missing and the inveterate seamstresses also swear by a mini-iron for "smaller" work.

3. Sewing machine

Which sewing machine you choose is a matter of need and taste. But it pays to rely on quality. Although that has its price, but it would be a shame if the joy of the new hobby fails directly because the sewing machine is not working properly: the thread breaks, it "eats" the fabric, it leaves stitches - better from the beginning proven model!

4. Overlock

Many think an overlock machine is optional. In fact, it can even be an alternative to the classic sewing machine. The classic overlock sews four threads at once, whereby on the one hand, the fabric cuts straight (the knife can also be folded away), while the cloth serged / finishes and at the same time attaches the main seam. So she does three steps in one and shortens the working time.

5. Needles for the sewing machine

Depending on the fabric type and technique, the matching needles should also be used. By default, most sewing machines come with universal needles. Some manufacturers also add a package with a small selection of different strengths. If you have never dealt with the different materials and needles, it can happen that the machine suddenly no longer sews well, that it omits stitches, that the bobbin threads are tangled or suddenly there are holes in the fabric. All of this may be due to the use of the wrong needle.

Here is a short summary:

Basically, there are two types of cones according to the structure: round-bottomed and flat-piston needles. Special needles stay out of here. Sewing machines for private use are mostly equipped with flat-piston needles. You can not do much wrong, because the needle fits in one orientation only in the holder and therefore can not be used the wrong way round.

The needles are also referred to in terms of strength with "Nm". This means numbering metric, so that the diameter corresponds to a 100th of a millimeter. For example, a fine needle with the designation Nm 70 is provided, and a thick one with the designation Nm 120. For cotton and jersey fabrics, mainly needles in the range of Nm 70 to Nm 90 are used.

Furthermore, one differentiates between round and Schneidspitzennadeln. Round tips are especially suitable for knitwear. To prevent holes and runs, thicker rounded needles are used, which push individual threads in the fabric aside as they are being cut, rather than severing them. For weaving, thinner, sharper needles are suitable. Correct cutting needles are used for materials such as leather, foils and coated fabrics. They really cut into the material, which is why special accuracy is required in leather processing. If you have sewn wrong and split again, unfortunately visible holes remain behind.

I would like to mention a special sewing machine needle at the end, as it is used in the "normal" sewing machine: the twin needle. Since the two needles are fastened together on only one piston, it can be used on all common sewing machines. However, you need the matching presser foot and a second spool holder for it. With this needle you can attach two parallel seams at once. Thus, the finished seam then looks like the clothes from the trade. The big advantage: from above, you sew two straight seams, the bobbin thread runs in zig-zag. Thus, on the one hand, the seam looks professional and, on the other hand, it is also stretchy, making it ideal for working with stretchy fabrics. However, the use of the twin needle will be practiced and ideally you will sew some samples before you try your first stitch directly on your new favorite shirt.

6. Needles for hand sewing

As with the sewing machine needles, the needle needles also differ in purpose, and here too there are finer, thicker, sharper, and rounder needle heads, as well as triangular cutting needles for leather processing. However, sewing a lot with the machine does not automatically mean you do not need hand sewing needles. Apart from the fact that hand-stitched garments are particularly appreciated in professional circles - provided that they are sewn together of course. And you will only achieve this with the right tool. Therefore, a short digression, which needles you need and what you can sew with it:

For example, I simply draw the remaining "braid" of an overlock seam between the two fabric layers in the seam allowance using a thick, round woolen needle with a large eyelet.

For a turning opening in a beanie or a pad I use a fine (depending on the material pointed or rounded) sewing needle.

Hand sewing needles are relatively cheap to buy, so pay attention to quality and create yourself several sets. You can always need good needles.

7. Needles and clips for pinning

Whether for the transfer of the pattern to the fabric when cutting, the fixing of different pieces of fabric together before sewing or marking important places: needles and clips are versatile.

Pins are available in many variations, so you can - just like the sewing needles - adapt to the respective material. Particularly useful is a pincushion (possibly with a loop for your wrist), which you can order in the trade very cheap in a variety of designs. Or you just sew one yourself.

For special works there are also special needles. For example, if you like to patchwork, it pays off to get the patchwork needles as well. These are a bit more expensive, but they make your job much easier. On the one hand, they are very fine and can be attached very easily, without damaging the fabrics, on the other hand, they are particularly flat and easily recognizable by the large head on each patterned fabric, this facilitates the work on the sewing machine.

For some time, the so-called "Wonderclips" are also becoming increasingly popular. These are small plastic clips with a metal spring, which are flattened on one side. The areas of application are largely identical to those of normal pins.

In addition, safety pins are very convenient to feed rubber bands and cords.

Tip: If the pin does not fit easily into the pincushion, dispose of it immediately, as it may damage the fabric on your workpiece.

8. Sewing threads

Sewing threads are also available in many colors and designs. Decisive here is the material - this should always match the processed fabric. Especially if the thread often tangles and forms loops this may be due to the yarn. Therefore, pay attention to quality, then your sewing pleasure remains unclouded. Unfortunately, it is true that one recognizes quality sewing threads at their higher price.

9. Tape measures and rulers

Depending on how far your selection track has progressed, you will also need different measuring tools. For the beginning often a tape measure is enough. But if you sew a lot and often, you will also appreciate other tape measures and rulers, such as bendable rulers for curves, metal rulers for cutting tools, and curve rulers for cutting. For circular cuts such as simple cut-outs or a circle skirt, you may also be pleased with a rollmeter and a circle.

10. Pens and chalks

Which marking aids you use is of course a matter of taste. For the sake of completeness, I list you all here: tailor's chalk in the piece, tailor's chalk in pen form, tailor's chalk as powder (for hem marking), washable and permanent marking pens (transfer pattern, size marking), ironing pattern pens (transfer embroidery motifs), trick marker and copy wheel (with tracing paper) are the most common.

11. Paper and transparencies for cutting

Here, too, decides your own preference. You are welcome to use tracing paper or tissue paper, but the current trend is towards translucent foils available in rolls or folded.

12. scissors (cloth - paper) (including special scissors like zig-zag)

With scissors there is a very important rule: cut with your scissors only substances. For the cutting of the pattern, you should definitely prepare a separate pair of scissors, with which you should not cut your fabrics. I also like to have a small pair of scissors to cut off yarns or to cut over protruding yarn ends. Optionally, you can also use a so-called thread cutter.

13. seam separator

There is not much to say about the seam divider except that he is your best friend! Do not choose the cheap version here either! If the seam breaker is not well worked or dull, you can ruin your fabrics!

optional

If you sew more often, the following terms will come up again and again in sewing forums and sewing groups. However, these sewing utensils are no longer part of the basic equipment for beginners: embroidery machine, coverlock, cutting plotter, rotary cutter and cutting mats (incl. Metal ruler, cutting mat).

The twisted pirate