The 21 Sewing Tools I regularly use

Sewing has turned from my hobby into my little side business over the last year. Over time, I have worked out which tools really work for me. You certainly do not need every single tool in this blog post if you are just starting out, but these are the tools I use and love.

I was first thinking about including links to where you can buy the tools that I have included in the list. My readers are spread all over the world. It does not make sense to my American and European readers if I link shops here in Australia. The only company I could think of that makes their sewing tools easily accessible from most parts of the world was Amazon. I really do not want to support Amazon, so I did not include any links. You should be able to find most of the things that I have mentioned at your local craft and sewing store. Support small and local businesses! :)

Sewing Machine: Janome JR1012

Janome JR1012 is the sewing machine I use for all my projects. It is not my machine, it is the machine of my very generous sister-in-law who kindly lent it to me for the time we live in Australia.

It is a very basic mechanical machine that has never failed on me so far. She is a workhorse with 14 stitch options and a button hole setting.

Overlocker: Bernina Funlock b44

I have been sewing for a long time before I bought an overlocker. Last month, when lockdown here in Australia really started, I finally bought myself a Bernette Funlock b44 to make my isolation that little bit sweeter.

I decided to go with a Bernina overlocker because it is a Swiss brand that holds nostalgic value for me:).

So far, I am more than happy with how the machine works.

Dress Form

This dress form was an absolute game changer for me.

It makes it so easy to fit garments that you have sewn. It is very hard to fit on yourself when you are wearing the garment as you are moving around.

I got my dress form from Tinnafashion in Melbourne. I got an Australian size 6 according to my waist measurement. My bust and my hips are slightly larger than the doll’s. I recommend getting a smaller doll as you can always add fullness by wrapping around fabrics but you can never take fullness away.

Fabric Basket

My fabric storage is messy, not very practical, unorganised but very cute:)

I bought this basket at IKEA when we first moved into our South Melbourne flat. Whenever it is overflowing I know I have to do a scrap busting project.

Fabric Scissors: KAI 7230

I got these fabric scissors from my wonderful grandparents for Christmas two years ago. They are made by the Japanese brand KAI and I own the model 7230. They cut through light to heavy weight fabrics like butter. I’ve had them for 1.5 years now, I have not yet sharpened them and they still cut very smoothly.

They are an investment, but I can guarantee you that they won’t disappoint.

Measuring Tape

This measuring tape hangs around my neck whenever I am sewing. Sometimes I forget it is there and walk out the front door with it.

I love the ones that show imperial measurements on one side and metric mearurements on the other.

Hand Sewing Needles

I do not use them often, but for more advanced sewing projects, I find myself grabbing my hand sewing needles.

I would like to get into tailoring in the future. I know tailoring involves a lot of hand stitching, so I better get used to it.

Sewing Pins

Sewing, draping, basting, fitting all require sewing pins, lots of them. My favourite ones I have ever owned are these pearl head pins. I like them so much that I ended up buying a 1000 pin box.

I should be good for sewing pins for the next 10 years.

Wrist Sewing Pin Cushion

My mother-in-law bought me this one and it is such a game changer. To have pins at your wrist, always ready to go, makes sewing so much faster.

The only issue I have with this pin cushion is, that I sometimes pin myself into my wrist when I am not wearing it. I am so used to it always being there. Very painful when it is not.

Sewing Clips

I have to say, I do not use these sewing clips as much as I thought I would.

They can replace sewing pins in certain projects. I mostly use them when I am sewing with multiple layers or with very thick fabric like wools.

Rotary Cutter

This is definitely a nice-to-have and not a must-have if you ask me. Mine is from the brand OLFA and I am very happy with it so far.

If you work with very fine fabrics like chiffons, tulles, silk satins or crepes, then a rotary cutter can come in handy. It cuts the fabrics very precisely as you can lay them out flat with the pattern piece on top. There is no movement which makes cutting very exact and easy.

You need a cutting mat when using a rotary cutter (see below).

Cutting Mat

Like the rotary cutter, this is definitely a nice-to-have and not a must-have if you ask me.

To use your rotary cutter, you will need a good cutting mat. Mine is from Birch and is 45cm/17” x 60cm/23” which is probably a bit too small for most of the pattern pieces I want to cut out. I would definitely recommend a bigger cutting mat if you are serious about rotary cutting.

Tailor’s Chalk

To draw pattern markings directly onto fabric, I use tailor’s chalk or fabric pens. They make everything go chalky so I store them in a little Pipa the Pouch, free pattern available here.

Loop Turner

This is a loop turner. When sewing something with skinny straps, this will be your best friend. This tool makes it very easy to turn skinny straps right side out.

Mine has lost a little part at the front, but it still works.

Thread Clipper

This tool is also nice-to-have but not a must. It is a thread clipper. You can obviously also trim your threads back with a normal pair of scissors but this little guy makes it a bit faster and easier.

Seam Ripper

Most of the time when I grab this little tool, I am in a bad mood. I still really appreciate it.

If you sew a lot, you will make lots of mistakes. The beautiful thing about sewing is, that you can fix most mistakes by unpicking the seams.

Embroidery Scissors

I am not going to lie, I bought these because they look so cute, not because I really needed them.

Embroidery scissors are used to cut into small areas where you can’t get to with your normal sewing scissors.

Lint Brush

It is very important to look after your machine if you want to use it for a long time. Clean it, oil it and love it!

This lint brush makes it easy to get into all small areas of your machine and get rid of the lint.

Tweezers to thread Overlocker

Everyone who owns an overlocker knows how painful it is to thread them. Using long tweezers makes it much easier and less likely for you to have a breakdown in the process.

Printer

This one is very obvious when sewing PDF patterns from indie sewing pattern designers. I print most sewing patterns at home, so a well-working printer is extremely important. Nothing drives me more crazy than a sh** printer!

Folders for Paper Patterns

I keep all my PDF sewing patterns and sewing instructions in A4 folders in case I want to use them again later.

I hope this blog post helps people who are just starting out on their sewing journey and sewists who want to extend their tool kit. The countless options can be overwhelming, but you will work out what works for you and what doesn’t pretty quickly.

Happy sewing!