Dust off your sewing machines friends, we are about to get busy sewing. Not today but very soon and I want you all to be ready. If you are new to sewing, great, me too. If you are a sewing expert, we’re gonna need your help.
One Christmas my very practical gift giving mother-in-law gave me (and my sisters-in-law too) a fully kitted out sewing basket. I have mentally thanked her every time something needed sewing.
In readiness for all the sewing projects we are going to do together I thought I’d show you which gadgets I use when sewing. Most of these items are only a few dollars, some are a bigger investment.
My sewing basket and cutting mat.
You don’t need a pretty basket to start but if they happen to be on sale at the fabric store go ahead and indulge. It is very handy to have everything in one spot but an old plastic container would work too. The green cutting mat with ruler is an expense but I use it every time I cut fabric. The mats come in all sizes, I recommend getting as big as you can comfortably afford but not smaller than 24″ x 18″.
Nice and orderly. Ish.
The advantage to a sewing specific basket is that it has specialized compartments for all your notions and a pin cushion.
Fancy fabric scissors.
Special fabric scissors are a must, and again buy what you can comfortably afford. DO NOT let anyone use them for anything other than fabric EVER.
My beloved thread snips.
These little thread snips are the newest addition to my sewing basket and I am having a love affair with them. Much easier to handle than the fabric scissors but they aren’t a necessity. I survived many years using my rather large and dull kitchen scissors for thread snipping.
Rotary cutter.
If you choose to invest in a cutting mat and ruler you will also need a rotary cutter. They are extremely sharp and I recommend getting one with a locking feature (see that little read dot, that’s the lock) or a cover or both. Rotary cutters are not children friendly. Also a good idea to get a cutter with a replaceable blade, they get dull and goopy after use.
Magnetic pin cushion in happy pink.
Here’s something that is kid friendly- a magnetic pin cushion. Mine has entertained my girls for many an hour while I measure, sew, rip out and sew again. The pins will sculpt into a shape, so you could build a log cabin for Snow White and her Prince, until it is ravaged by fire and pins scatter all over the table.
A magnetic pin cushion is also handy for picking up errant pins, either from sewing or playing.
Straight pins and a pin cushion of some kind, handy to have. Especially if you aren’t a natural straight sewer, like myself.
A seam ripper!
Many a seam needs ripping out and redoing, sad but true. Longer handled ones are more comfortable to hold.
Mini slide ruler thingy.
I don’t know what this little ruler is officially called but I love it. It’s great for measuring little distances, like seam allowances. I use it all the time. It’s like $2.00, get one.
What sewing notions to do use most and which do you use least?
Get yourself to the fabric store and spend your allowance on some pretty fabric. Cotton is good, about 2 metres or so. And thread, don’t forgot thread, you can’t sew without thread.
I cannot cut a straight line to save my life! When I’ve tried to do scarves, they end up all wonky. Are the cutting mat and rotary cutter what I’ve been missing?
It does help, of course you have to take the time to measure and cut straight. Something I am still working on.
Check, check! Believe it or not, thanks to my talented and practical mother, I have all of the above
Except a sewing machine, that is at my mother’s house 
She might not let me use it…I have a tendency to jam things up 
Off you go for a lesson, we’ll wait for you.
I need one of those little ruler things and a seam ripper. Definitely need a seam ripper. And to tune up my machine. I think I jammed it last time I used it. Oops.
You need more than one seam ripper. They are like fingernail clippers and chapstick tubes. You can never find one when you need one.