A poll was taken in the Beginner Sewing group on Facebook, and what follows is a list of items needed to get started sewing, a list of “should haves” and “could haves” from group members:

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

*Sewing machine manual (most available free online; some older manuals at a small charge)
*High quality sewing thread (Mettler, Gutterman, Aurofil recommended)
* Scissors: Bent handle dressmakers shears; small, sharp, pointed scissors for clipping threads and notching seams; pinking shears (none of the aforementioned to EVER be used for anything but fabric!); craft scissors for cutting paper patterns and other non-fabric items
* Good quality sewing machine needles (ballpoint and sharp) in various sizes
* Various specialty sewing machine “feet” and attachments, such as walking foot, fabric guide, etc.
* Extra bobbins
* Glass head straight pins; clips; pattern weights
* Pincushion and/or magnetic pin dish
* Sewing gauge
* Seam ripper
* Rulers: Cloth tape measure; yardstick, 18” ruler, 6” ruler (preferably all three of metal); curved ruler set
* Rotary cutter (Olfa brand preferred by group members)
*Self-healing mat
*Clear wide ruler rotary cutter guide

MIGHT ALSO BE NICE:

* Fabric markers (depending on our project, these might not be a “rush” to get)
* That Purple Thang (a device for guiding your fabric under your presser foot — highly recommended but not necessary)
* Steam iron
* Good light source (Ott Light or LED light strips recommended)
* Comfortable chair
* A good sense of humor and a lot of patience

Joan Mantini

About Joan Mantini

After several years of being the Facebook page owner at Beginner Sewing, I noticed there was a desperate need to have a single go-to spot for members to be able to find answers to their common questions, get some useful tips & tricks, as well as find reputable places to purchase sewing products online. Taking my role as a trade publication editor by day, and combining it with my knowledge of frequently requested beginner sewing advice, I created www.https://beginner-sewing.com/. An outlet that gives new sewists a free digital magazine geared for entry level sewing as an extra bonus!

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