Do You Know Your Tools?

Sewing is a rewarding and fun hobby that helps develop creativity and relief stress.  Even a person who has never sewn a stitch can learn basic sewing skills to make a simple project.  It’s important that the right tools are used to help make sewing easy.  Below are easy to use tools to start you on your sewing journey:

Scissors – A great pair of scissors are essentials for any sewing project.  You want to make sure to use them just for cutting fabric so they won’t get dull.  I recommend Fiskars® 9'' Bent Scissors.

Dressmaker Pins – I like Dritz® Extra Long Pearlized Pins because they are sharp and long enough so you won’t need to use a lot of them while pinning the pattern to the fabric.

Seam Ripper – Seam rippers are very handy when you have to take down hems and seams.  I prefer one with a longer handle such as Simplicity® Comfort Gel Seam Ripper.

Seam Gauge – Using a seam gauge is great especially when you are a beginner sewer.  You can use it to mark all of the seams for precise sewing lines.  Try Dritz® Sewing Gauge. 

Tracing Paper – Marking your pattern pieces is very important so you will know where you need to place a pocket or sew seams together.  I find the Dritz® Double Face Tracing Paper is great and easy to use.

Tracing Wheel –Of course if you use tracing paper you need a tracing wheel!  This tool is used to trace seam stitching lines, dart outlines or anything that needs to be marked for the construction of the garment.  Dritz® Tracing Wheel works well.

Tailor’s Chalk – This is another tool used to mark important areas on the garment.  Be sure to select chalk that easily washes out and won’t stain the fabric.  I prefer Dritz® Tailor Chalk or Tailor Pencils.

Hand Sewing Needles- Sometimes you will need hand sewing needles to put the finishing touches on your project.  You want to select a package that has various sizes to use with the weight of the fabric.

Also, a few other important tools to get are a yard stick and a measuring tape.

You can find most of these items in inexpensive sewing kits that you can purchase at Joann Fabrics, Walmart or several websites such as Amazon.com, Ebay, Createforless.com  etc.  Remember using the correct sewing tools will help make your project fun and easy!