Essential sewing accessories: what you really need!

Before you can really get started with sewing, you need a few sewing essentials. In this post, I'll tell you which sewing accessories you really need!

The most important things at a glance

• In this post, you'll learn which materials you need for sewing
• By the way, I have also already listed the 10 most popular sewing helpers
• This sewing equipment can be interesting for both sewing beginners and advanced sewing fans

Sewing accessories: What you really need!

There is sewing equipment that is indispensable. In this post, I'll tell you what you really need to successfully master your next sewing project.

Scissors

A good fabric scissors is the be-all and end-all of sewing. You can start with an inexpensive one and maybe buy a higher-quality one later. But I recommend using a good pair of scissors from the beginning. It makes it much more fun and brings significantly better sewing results. You can get particularly good (and totally pretty!) fabric scissors at Stoffe-Hemmers. Here is the link to the cool fabric scissors^*.

If you are just starting out and don't know yet whether you will stick with the hobby, a rather simple pair of scissors will also suffice. I have, among others, the one from Paul^* in use. It is such a middle thing. It is affordable, very handy and cuts very accurately.

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However, my favorite scissors are of a slightly different caliber: The Superfection by Zwilling, which I like mainly because it has such an enormous lever effect due to its length and cuts super sharp all the way to the tip.

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It is also clever to buy a pinked scissors^*. They prevent fabric edges from fraying. You might know this from Charm Packs^* - these fabric cutouts for patchwork projects. The fabric stacks are also cut in a zigzag and are therefore really safe from fraying.

In addition, you can use pinked scissors to cut the seam allowances of curves (carefully!) down to the seam - this way the seam allowance lies nicely and the seam becomes smooth.

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Because I now use the zigzag scissors very often to trim seam allowances (instead of finishing them), I bought a good one from Prym^*. My old one was from Ikea, I really cannot recommend it. The one from Prym is in a completely different league: finishing is no longer done, only zigzagging. ;) About 20 euros more expensive than the one from Ikea, but definitely a purchase for life.

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Alternatively, you can also use a sharp small embroidery scissors^* - this allows you to work very precisely. I always have it in my sewing kit (one of the few things I actually sewed for myself) and use it not only for sewing but also for embroidery or cutting loose threads when knitting socks.

Cutter/Rotary Cutter

Even if you are not yet a professional, it is worth buying a proper cutter, i.e. a rotary cutter. Especially for patchwork and jersey, it is indispensable because it guarantees clean edges. But it is also great for woven cotton fabrics because you can work exactly with it, especially in combination with a patchwork ruler. For large pieces of fabric, a rotary cutter with a large blade is suitable.

I have now tried several rotary cutters (not by choice - strangely enough, the parts occasionally disappear on me...) and always come back to the Olfa cutters. They really look like nothing, but they are simply the most handy for me. I even manage perfectly fine with changing the blades. I don't want to have to call the fire department every time just because the blade of the rotary cutter needs to be replaced... ;)

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I have the Olfa in supermini^* (for patchwork fiddling and tight curves), medium^* (that is usually in use by me because it is so handy) and large^*.

By the way, there are also rotary cutters with zigzag blades. This is supposed to prevent the fabric from fraying during processing. I have tried this with the rotary cutter from Tchibo, but unfortunately I cannot recommend it.

Patchwork Ruler

Without exact measuring, there are no good sewing results. That is why a good patchwork ruler is necessary from the beginning. If you also want to sew bags and clothes, I recommend a longer one, because you don't have to break off (or at least: not as often!).

I am perfectly fine with the patchwork ruler from Prym^* and have now also reordered it, because I once drove into the ruler edge too often with the rotary cutter. If it gets too jagged, it eventually becomes annoying... ;)

In addition, you should also have a smaller, more handy ruler. It is not as bulky as the large one. I have been using the one from Omnigrid^* daily for 3 years now. And I am really satisfied with it.

If you want to sew clothes, you cannot avoid buying a measuring tape. It is good if the measuring tape shows centimeters on one side and inches on the other. This way you can also make good use of American patterns!

I am always totally annoyed when rolled-up measuring tapes are flying around in my sewing room. That is why I glued my measuring tapes to the edge of the cutting table and the sewing machine table. This way I can quickly measure again without having to search first. And the parts no longer curl up.

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For mobile use, I ordered the cute roll-up measuring tape^* from Prym Love. By the way, I really like the whole series of sewing helpers!

For advanced clothing sewers, it is worth buying a curve ruler^*. With this, you can precisely measure curves (for example for rounded hems, which I personally really like), armholes, necklines & Co.

Straight pins

My tip: Buy high-quality straight pins right at the beginning of your sewing career. Cheap imitations are often very thick, do not slide well and do more harm than good because they leave holes in the fabric.

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Second tip: Buy LONG straight pins. Everything from 4 cm is great - you can grip them better than the short pins, they are great for sewing bags and other projects reinforced with interfacing because they do not get lost in the interfacing fluff. I have (among others) these here^*
They have a glass head. What means that I can iron over them without worry, without the little heads melting. They are sufficiently bend-resistant and stay sharp for a long time. I think you always notice whether a straight pin is good when it falls down. If it sounds melodious on impact, then it is poorly made.

I also really like the straight pins from Prym^*, because they are wonderfully long and fit great in the hand.

In addition, I now notice the quality of a straight pin at the first contact with fabric. If it glides into the fabric like butter. Then it is perfect. ;)

Wonderclips/Fabric clips

It is recommended to also buy a few fabric clips. You need them, for example, if you like working with SnapPap or leather. Also for fixing bias tape, marking a seam allowance or for multi-layer sewing projects like cosmetic bags, these little helpers are ideal.

However, you don't necessarily have to buy the most expensive ones. I have fabric clips in several sizes from different manufacturers and I manage perfectly fine with all of them. The important thing is that you choose the size that is best suited for your sewing projects.

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I ordered this set^* because I don't need that many of the large clips. But if I do, they come in handy for patchwork blankets, pillows and quilts. By the way, I also really like using the large clips when I process leather, Releda or SnapPap.

Narrow fabric clips: Recently, you can also get fabric clips with a narrow tip^*, which allow for much finer work than the large or medium ones. I like using them for corners and edges, for example when I sew table runners or napkins. The tips (or whatever the parts at the front are called) are only 4 millimeters wide.

For comparison: The tips of the medium clips^* are 1 centimeter wide.

The narrow ones come in handy for me when I have to "maneuver" a lot around the presser foot. They are by no means as much in the way as the large clips. And I can get much closer to the fixed area when sewing.

Pin cushion

A magnetic pin cushion is absolutely part of the basic equipment in my opinion. One made of fabric is nice to have - but the magnetic one can do more: if your sewing pins fall out, you simply run the magnet over them and collect them effortlessly.

And if you are in a hurry or in the creative flow: Just pepper the sewing pins towards the magnetic pin cushion - the magnet takes care of the rest! ;)

I got this very simple pin cushion^* pretty early on in my sewing career:

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I am very satisfied with it. Unfortunately, it has no grip in the middle, through which you can more easily reach the sewing pins. I think the recessed pin cushion^* is even better, to be honest.

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Unfortunately, my pin cushion seems to be indestructible. Otherwise, I would have replaced it with the light blue one a long time ago. :)

Cutting mat

Of course you need a proper cutting mat. Don't make the mistake of buying a tiny one to save money. You will quickly regret it. Buy the largest one that fits on your sewing table. There are several reasons for this: You can measure very precisely with the grid lines and markings on the mat. It protects your table. And with a large mat, even larger sewing projects are no problem. This is great, for example, when you want to make your own bias tape.

The cutting mat from Prym^* is very good, for example:

I like it for several reasons. First, because it is well made. And because it works perfectly for me.

Sewing thread

Discount stores now also regularly offer sewing ranges, but unfortunately they mostly contain inferior threads, scissors, velcro cutters and rubber bands. I would advise against the sewing thread ranges from Lidl & Co in particular. The thread is flimsy, unevenly made, poorly wound (on a cardboard spool that will start to wobble sooner or later when sewing) and breaks easily.

I recommend the threads from Gütermann as a basic equipment, with which I am really extremely satisfied. For starters, white and black are enough, and depending on the fabric color, you will need additional threads anyway. The Gütermann All-Purpose Thread^* is my favorite and most used.

For the overlocker, I think the Konen by Schnoschi^* are very good. At first, white was enough for me, but now I use many colors - since I found out that I don't always have to rethread, but just need to tie the thread ends together! :)

If you like to embroider, sew or quilt a lot, the threads from Madeira are a great thing! They are available, for example, in a fine wooden box. You can order the stylish Madeira sewing thread box here^*.

I love the Madeira threads especially for decorative stitching with the twin needle.

If you want it a little more affordable: The sewing thread from Troja^* is a real insider tip! :)

Sewing machine

A sewing machine is actually the most important thing when sewing, that's for sure. After a lot of thinking, I bought the Brother Innov-is 100 Prime Edition^*. It is a real all-rounder that is also easy for beginners to use and makes sewing a lot of fun.

In addition, I now have a Janome^* in use, with which I am very, very satisfied. My review of the Janome might help you. Feel free to also check out my post about buying a sewing machine!

Fabrics

You can easily order beautiful cotton fabrics for clothes, bags, cushions and much more, as well as jerseys, e.g. from Tula, online. Jersey is great for clothes - not just for children. See also my detailed article on sewing with jersey (and how to prevent it from puckering)!

If you have just started sewing, you might want to start with cheap fabrics first. The fabrics from IKEA are good for that. You pay about 6 euros for a meter of fabric there (only 2 euros for unbleached cotton). And you get a lot of fabric with which you can try out your first projects.

You can find my shopping tips for buying fabric in this blog post.

For the topic of fabric markets, you can take a look at these tips.

Seam ripper

You will need this little sewing helper again and again, the versatile seam ripper. Sometimes one is included with sewing machines.

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If you want to treat yourself, buy one with rubber nubs on the ends, so you can erase sewing thread scraps from the fabric. This saves time and nerves. I can really recommend the Seam Fix from Gütermann^*. This is what it looks like (mine is anthracite with yellow little nubs - no, that's not the technical term...). ;)
Do you already know Hannah's great post about seam rippers in a test?

Ironing board/Iron

Never underestimate the magic of ironing - that is one of our most important tips! If you like sewing, it is advisable to have an iron and an ironing board within reach. It really doesn't have to be anything expensive or fancy. A decent coated iron is perfectly fine. Because of occasional encounters with ironing fleece and other sticky things, most sewing enthusiasts replace the iron after some time (forcedly). ;)

If you have little space, a wooden board covered with Thermolam^* and cotton fabric and a mini-iron^* also works. Both are parked next to the sewing machine on a silicone pad for me. This way I always have it at hand when needed. It doesn't get more practical!

In this guide I show you how you can easily build an ironing board yourself.

Even more tips on the topic of "Sewing for Beginners" can be found in our posts Sewing Happiness - Tips & Tricks and Ideas for Sewing Beginners. I also have links to my sewing patterns for beginners and great freebook collections for you.

Do you like my tips or have questions?

Then feel free to comment on this post :)

Happy simple sewing

your Sabine