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Health & Fitness

What You'll Need to Start Sewing

Interested in sewing, but don't know where to start?

That's ok because we're here to help you with the basics!

First off, you'll need a sewing machine obviously. I learned how to sew on my mom’s old school Singer machine which was a great machine to learn on. But I now do my sewing on an awesome Brother machine. It has really great options to sew with different kinds of fabrics, I can make button holes, decorative stitching and even embroider!

Once you have your machine, you'll need thread. Different types of fabric might require different types of thread. But starting with a basic cotton thread will get you far as you're learning.

You'll also need some special scissors. You'll need a regular pair that's able to cut through fabric. But you'll really want to invest in a good pair of pinking shears. The difference between them? Pinking shears have teeth, so to say. So when you cut, your fabric will have a triangular pattern instead of a straight line. This is important and helpful because it keeps your fabric from fraying in the long run. Fabric that frays a lot has the potential to pop out your stitches.

Next, you're going to need some needles, pins and a pin cushion. Pins & needles are a key element in sewing. What's the difference? You can thread needles but pins you can't. I have needles to do some hand stitching & always have extra needles for my machine (heavy duty and regular). As for pins, I prefer the ones without a pearl head, simpler works for me. Pearl heads have an extra-large circular piece at the top of the pin. They can be helpful when you're removing the pins because they're so visible you shouldn't miss any.

Measure twice, sew once! It's a great tip to avoid making major mistakes. I counted how many measuring tapes I have....the final number is....4! It's important to have at least one measuring tapes. I'll admit, 4 might be a little excessive!

Lastly, the one major thing you can't sew without... fabric! Start off with a basic cotton fabric so you can get used to your machine, your tension, etc. Practice making straight lines and working with different speeds before jumping in to start your first project!

Those were just the bare basics you'll need to sew. You shoould be able to get any of these items at your local craft store (your sewing machine you might have to get elsewhere). Check out stores like Joanne Fabric for great deals too! There are lots of other tools that will come in handy when sewing and I'll let you know what they are in future posts.

Stay tuned for more blog posts. You'll get some quick tips on sewing in straight lines, pinning, cutting, ironing and more. I'll even let you in on some tips on how to make button holes, drawstrings, sewing circles and tips for scrapbooking or using a Cricut machine!

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The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?