TOP 10 SEWING TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT IN MY SEWING KIT I WOULDN'T WANT SEW WITHOUT!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2024
- These are my personal sewing tools and equipment that are so essential to me, that I just wouldn't want to sew without. I hope these might give you inspiration for you to build your personal sewing kit.
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While I recommend you use second hand where ever you can, it's not always possible.
I have found the same or similar items to mine to give you at least a guide in stocking up your own personal sewing kit.
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Now you know mine, I want to hear YOUR top 3 to 5 sewing tools that you just wouldn't sew without?
✂
Want to learn how to use all these cool sewing tools like a pro? Join me at VINTAGE SEWING SCHOOL www.vintagesewingschool.com
I think these are similar to the embroidery scissors u have. I like them. www.amazon.com/dp/B01MUEUVJP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabt1_cOjUFbJ495JAC
I was able to find the scissors that you mention at 7:23
kaiscissors.com/kai-5100b-4-inch-bent-handle-scissors/
Hi Evelyn, I hope you read this, cause I truly have great news for you. I found your favorite embroidery scissors online, exactly the same one. If you google "prym 611516" you will find them right away. Prym is the brandname and 611516 is the specific article number. I usually never comment, but I like your personality and informative videos so very much, that I had to share and give this information to you. Good luck :-)
I just bought the bent handle scissors today :D Yours are Kai, mine are Prym, both very reliable and quality brands. I'm not sure if you have Prym in the US, because it's a German brand, but Kai is Japanese and might be available in your part of the world.
As for my top sewing tools, it's very similar to yours. Tape measure, good tailor shears (Kai), long wooden tailor ruler, quality pins (I use extra thin "silk" pins). Also a seam allowance marker gadget, and I love my rotary cutter :D
I love rotary cutters which I had to learn to use when my right thumb got injured. I have 3 sizes for different uses. Also, if you use your ring finger when you use shears, you'll have much better control, as your thumb guides the shear and the ring finger stabilizes it.
Other favorites are curved rulers, Ott lights on sewing table and cutting surface, steam generator iron as well as the little Clover iron, and different sized loop turner tubes.
A large, sticky lint roller. I have three very "helpful" cats and inevitably I get cat hair on everything I sew!
I use the lint roller to deposit thread bits, instead of casting them on the floor :)
When I worked in bridal, our uniform was black and the dresses white... we used to tear off bits of packing tape and 'de-fluff' each other with that! 😂
I have a helpful cat too. His job is to run off with little bits of fabric that drop and also to re-house paper pattern scraps that drop as I cut.
Yes! But for me it’s more for cleaning up the loose threads or fabric cut offs because my dog likes to lick the carpet for some reason and I’d like to keep him from eating synthetic thread or fabric bits. So any time I’m sewing with something that’s fraying or linty I roll my clothes and work area before I stand up ha.
I bought a Hydrea London 3-Way Clothes Brush, Shoehorn and Lint Remover. It works well.
My one luxury in sewing is to have a dedicated room always ready to sew. It doesn't have to be big, once it was just a walk in closet. But setting up a project, then having to put it all away to use the dining room table, that takes the joy out of sewing. It also leads to mistakes and lost pieces. So a room I can just shut the door and enter to only enjoy sewing is a must in my list!
A agree! I would never sew if I had to un-pack it all first, and then after too!
My husband was about to get a 6mx4m shed built many years ago so I convinced he he needed to get a 9mx4m shed instead so I could have 1/3 of it for a sewing craft room. Best thing ever. It is fully lined, insulated &Even has reverse cycle air con for when we are having up to 40degree days over here in Kalgoorlie. Have added to shed over the years & now have twice the space. This is my lady cave LOL.
this is so true!!! my poor living room is in disarray as we speak! 😂
Jobelle - why not buy a folding 6 foot long, heavy plastic table from Bunnings? The table folds in half and the curved legs fold under it. I had one of those, it is very solid and inexpensive. So when you finished sewing, you just fold your table away. No need to sew on the dining table.
Hello, I hope by now you have your dedicated sewing room. I know exactly what you meant. Dining room table is my go-to space, and when i need to sew or pain and craft I have to bring everything from garage and set it up. Then my table is busy, and I try to do as much sewing as possible which can take a few weeks. And dinner is served in the den's coffee table while we watch tv. Right now, my sewing machine is at the head of the table with 1 project completed, yay! Wishing you happy sewing!!!
Such a gorgeous sewing box. I love a good notions video, it gives me so many ideas of what's out there to use. Something that occurred to me while I was watching is that it would be interesting to have a video on sewing tool maintenance. Like how does one keep their scissors in working condition for years? Do you need to clean the iron inside and out? Do tailor's hams ever need to be washed? Things like that I think would be very interesting. Not necessarily the actual steps even but just a list of things about our tools that we should know to keep them in shape.
Great ideas, hope she reads you!
Ooo yes I second that, a video on sewing tool maintenance would be really helpful!
Great idea!
Yesss
1. Mindset / Mood Be ready and in the mood to sew 2. Clean table to set up my sewing space 3. Seam ripper.
Hmmm... I might habe to re do the whole video now to add mindset to the list! 😂 You're so right!
Yes. Seam ripper. That one is definitely an essential! Especially, if you skip number one ;-)
😂😂😂
@@raraavis7782 Or if you are a little distractible. I said to my parents and grandparents that I have lost sooooo many seam rippers and my dad wondered what one would need a seam ripper for, ha.
@@mjbe
Tell him to imagine, he could never take out a screw or remove a nail, once it's hammered in. He'll understand 😉
My mom was a master seamstress, she always said that “you can tell how good a seamstress is by the quality of her seam ripper”. My absolute favorites are a good seam ripper, good shears, double sided tape, my cricket press/ mini press, and my tv in my sewing room.
😂😂😂 I like that saying!
When you sew with birds around you learn that good quality, expensive seam rippers arent really worth it cuz well... They're gonna be gonne in a minute 🤣 either broken by a giant colorful chicken, or hidden by that same criminal 🤣 (as much as they make my life hard and chaotic, they really help with frustrating pieces hehe, also helps them with problem solving and exploring, while loosing the fear of silly things)
My favorite moment working in a bridal shop as a seamstress was when a stylist came in our room picked up a pair of scissors and asked to use them for something and we all jumped up and said for what? all panicky and wanting to snatch them out of her hand. Don't touch our scissors! Love these items!
Once my grand-father use my grand-mother's sewing scissors to cut his finger nails, we still heard about it 20 years later, when he had been dead for over 10 years.
as a newbie 66 year old sewing beginner, your videos are invaluable. I'm learning so much! thank you so very much for being so cheerful and engaging. Thank you for these learning sessions. I'm using my husbands computer site, I suppose I had better get my own if I keep uploading all this great information. Cheers!
Thanks for posting that Tom because I've wanted to sew my whole life but I never had the time to learn until now and I was worried I waited too long but it's never too late, i hope. And you were a complete beginner.?
I would add a large safety pin, to get elastic through tunnels (or to reinsert the string into your sweater's hood, after your 5 year old nephew pulled it out, nearly strangling you in the process).
A homemade 'thimble', made from a scrap piece of leather - much easier to use for beginners, than the real thing. Bees wax, so your thread doesn't twist and knot, when you hand sew.
A fullspektrum lightbulb...makes such a difference, when sewing a lot by lamplight in winter. A piece of really thin cotton, you can use as ironing cloth, to protect heat sensitive fabrics/trims.
One of those spraybottles, that produce an ultrafine mist, if you don't have a fancy iron. Also helps with static electricity. A handheld vacuum, to keep the mess under control. Well ok, I'm not sure, if that would actually make my personal top 10 (lol), but it does come in handy.
Wow, Rara! Good ones! Beeswax, large safety pin, smaller leather thimble, good light...didn’t think of a handheld vacuum!
I’d add a 6” hem gauge and a simple wire needle threader.
😍 I know there's so many neat sewing to use right!!
Beeswax, definitely. I use beeswax when I hand sew or thread my machine.
I have a tool that clamps the elastic, tape, or cord -- you slide a ring up the tool to hold the jaws closed. It's easy to keep the elastic or tape flat, and it doesn't catch.
@@maryjackson1194 binder clips are wonderful too for holding things together. You can get colorful ones too.
1. Sharp shears, I have multiple ones, just in case one goes bonkers on me.
2. My Rowenta steam iron. It has 400 holes underneath, compared to the 33 on my old, back up one. (I was watching QVC one night, and was totally impressed.)
3. Heat erasable pens. Awesome idea.
4. Good quality thread.
5. My newest addition is the strip of led lights I added to my sewing machine. Older eyes need a little help.
And thank you Evelyn for all your wonderful videos. You're an inspiration to lots of sewist.
Aww thankyou for watching 😄
I love having a 400-hole steam iron. I could not believe I put up with hissing and spitting irons for so many years (decades, ha ha).
@@user-mv9tt4st9k I know what you mean.
@@user-mv9tt4st9k
Wow, what brand?
With the heat disappearing pens do you know is you accidentally iron them out just put the piece in the freezer and the lines will come back.
I inherited my Great-Grandmothers cantilever sewing box. Still full of 1920's to 1950's items. I bought a smaller one for my granddaughter. I lined hers with velvet as well. I am filling it with jewelry, not sewing supplies. She is only 3 years old, so when she is 18, she will have a lovely collection of pretty baubles. Sewing is such a relaxing hobby. One I won't give up to even with Parkinson's tremor hands!
Great idea!!
Wow, didn't know I had a loop turner until now! I was wondering what that was!
😂😂 Well I'm glad you know what it does now!
Thank you for your reply! I love your box. I have one too, and now I myself very tempted to line it.
You should! 😍
This video helps
I just used the sewing machine my sister gave me 3 yrs ago & successfully made 3 sets of two small pillow cases.
Now need to buy gadgets to get into this new hobby. Got 6 yrs to retire & I'm finding something to when I retire. Thanks for all the tips
I loved seeing your favorite tools! Those are so important. I have another few that I keep near my sewing machine:
My levelers for sewing over thick seams with the sewing machine. I have one that came with my machine, and it is useful, but my two favorites come from left over straps from purse making , one is leather, one is cloth. I find I can usually quickly find the right height between the two of them, either folded or single layer. As I approach the thick seam, I raise the foot with the needle in the fabric, and put the leveler under the back of the foot as close to the needle as I can get it, lower the foot and sew. The machine sails right over the seam, no skipped stitches, no funny too short or too long stitches.
Tissue paper. I keep tissue paper handy to use as a temporary stabilizer while sewing delicate or slippery fabrics; I also use it under any fabrics that tend to shift or change shape as they go under the presser foot. It’s great for stay-stitching and for sewing delicate rolled hems. Once I’ve got that first line of stitching, the paper is easy to remove, and the line of stitching becomes the stabilizer!
Great tip. Thankyou!
Such a cute sewing box!
Quilting pins are a lifesaver for arthritic hands! They are longer. I can no longer grip the regular sewing straight pins. I've been using pipe cleaners for loop turners. I did not know they made them specifically for sewing
How do you use pipe cleaners as a loop turner?
I've had the pointy "grabber" part of the loop turner hook the wrong part of the fabric, before you got to the end. They were like fish hooks or porcupine quills, difficult to get out. I always just used small safety pins instead.
The box is fantastic!!! What a treasure 😍
A leather and a metal thimble for hand sewing! A pair of needle-nose pliers for those projects with many layers that you can't just 'push' thru.
Yes! I've made my own leather timble from an old glove that I used for scraps. Cut of the top of one of the fingers and re-sewed the seam. It's a little thin, but works pretty decently.
Very helpful as usual and your sewing box is gorgeous!
Good video Evelyn ! Think I have everything, all I need to do is use them...Thanks for sharing, and for showing your lovely sewing box.
Great tools, you gave me ideas
It would be interesting to see a basic, better, best sort of video.
For example, I recently upgraded and went from a seam ripper (which I swear blunts so so fast) to a scalpel handle with suture cutter blades. Oh my goodness, it glides like butter.
I now use glass headed silk pins. They are so fine and I adore them.
My scissors went from ordinary dressmaking scissors to Fiskar’s spring loaded ones, they don’t lift the fabric so much (a bit like your embroidery scissors angle) so they cut down on distortion and they are so so comfy.
This is a really great idea Sarah! Thankyou for the suggestion I think you will see this one in the future! ❤
Love my binding clips, rotary cutter, mat and rulers.
You have really inspired me to just get started with sewing, and I am actually able to make something wearable now! I started with just fixing my old clothes and shorten a hem on a skirt and things like that. Thank you 🥰
Aww this lovley, thankyou for letting me know! Happy sewing 😄
Love my Rowena iron, my Ott lights, and my magnifying light!
Side note- I actually have my great grandmother's tailor shears. They are made in U.S.A. ( which this company is no longer here) and they are over 100 yrs old!
Now that is really neat! Do you use them?
@@Evelyn__Wood, no I don't. I did have them sharpened. But I usually use my rotary cutter now. I have trouble with my hands using scissors.
Since my sewing machine is broken for the moment. I cannot live without my thimble ring for hand sewing. Love it!!
Top 5 Tools:
1. A *sharp* seam ripper. I buy a new one as soon as there's any resistance on the current one. A dull seam ripper is a ripped garment waiting to happen. You can theoretically sharpen them, at least the better ones. I've just never bothered. And since I can't get through a single garment without having to pick out at least one mis-stitched seam, and there are so many times where you need to slice open pre-basted areas after final stitching, this one gets a regular workout.
2. Self-winding tape measure. I like and use the type of tape measure you do, but not nearly as much as I use the cased versions that automatically roll back up into their little cases when you click the button, since they take up much less room in the sewing box and don't get tangled around other stuff like my regular ribbon-type does. I've always got one sitting nearby for a quick measure-check.
3. Extra-fine mechanical chalk pencil (www.amazon.com/Bohin-Extra-Fine-Chalk-Pencil-91473/dp/B004M5BGD4). This is a new one for me, and I am in love. Tailor's chalk is great for most uses, but sometimes for precision sewing I need a consistently finer line than I can get with a standard chalk, which tends to 'unsharpen' fairly quickly as you use it and leaves an increasingly thicker line. This product is amazing for that!
4. Pinking shears. Along with regular shears and snips, a pair of pinking shears is a must have for quick seam finishes and other applications where you need to stop fabric fraying in its tracks.
5. Fray-Check. Speaking of fraying, I don't know how I'd function without this product. Not sure if this counts as a "tool" or not, but I certainly use it enough to consider it one. Buttonholes, rips and tears that I'm mending or patching, the edges of fray-happy fabric, knots that are at risk of unknotting...the number of times I reach for this during a project makes it a key part of sewing kit.
Bonus tool: Metal hem/turning gauges, both the odd-looking ones that have a variety of pre-measured "tabs" on them (like Clover's Seams Right gauge) for quick turn-over measuring and seam allowance checking, and the larger 'ez-hem' style you can iron over to create crisp, perfectly straight and perfectly even hems, folds and casings. I *could* get by without these (and did for years). But once you have them on hand to use, it's really hard to go back to turning hems and measuring seams the old way.
Absolutely on the pinking shears. I’ve used fabric that would have fallen apart before I finished the garment if I hadn’t cut the pieces out with pinking shears.
I LOVE my Mundial scissors!! I have more pairs than I can count, but these are my go-to faves.
Your box is gorgeous and obviously restored with much love!
Yes it was! ❤
Everyone has picked the most usual useful things. So I’ll add some left of field ideas.
A comfortable but supportive chair with adjustable heights on castors so you can glide from machine to overlocker and back
A blue tooth speaker for busting out some tunes, an audio book or podcast.
A tv to watch those TH-cam tutorials while you sew along.
Two small artery clamps (mosquito), one curved and one straight, great for manipulating things like zipper pulls while the object is on the machine.
Non slip thin yoga mat. Cut into sizes to fit under your machines and foot pedals. Reduces noise and vibration, helps protect your table surface, and stops that chase the pedal game that ruins posture at the machine.
Bonus: surge-protected power board to enable plugging in of all machines, light and iron from the one cord. I put mine in the middle of my table. Four machines and my iron rotate out of it, and only one cord goes to the power point. I sew in the dining room so safety for passerby traffic is important.
Yup. Back in days of yore, foot pedals were heavier. You didn't have to chase them.
So SO glad I found you! You are a delight!!!!
I've always admired your sewing box. It looks like a jewlery box inside. I never realized that it was your sewing box.
I just found your channel. Even though I've been sewing since I was a young girl about 1965, I now know what the difference between shears and scissors. It just shows that we can always learn something new.
Ikr I have my rowanta huge set up got mine years ago. Love it
Loving your top ten. I have a lot of them.
I love Your sewing bracelet! I'm gotta make one!!
I love my magnetic pin dish, pinking shears, and leather thimble! I am new to tracing, and now an absolute convert, so I enjoy using Swedish tracing paper.
I love the sewing basket. I had to sell mine several years ago.
Now hoping to find one.
Great top ten and bought loop turners after you suggested them long ago.... game changer!!!! Oh and that sewing box....speechless!!!
I know! Who knew that a simple stick with a hook on the end could be so useful!
Seam ripper, good quilting pins and I love my magnetic pin “cushion”.
Sewing tools I can’t sew without: point board, clapper, a 1/2 inch round wooden stick for pressing seam open in straps or belts, stiletto for helping fabric lay flat while it’s going under the pressure foot when sewing heavy fabrics, and a small snips or scissors at each machine and near the ironing station so there no looking for them.
Love the one on having scissors handy wherever you work, makes total sense!
I 💖💖💖my awl. I can get in close and get the precision I need to match point and make perfect corners in my quilts.
1. My sewing room! Don’t think I would ever sew if I had to take out my machine and supplies every time I wanted to sew.
2. My walking foot. It has been a game changer for knits and stretchy fabrics!
3. My iPad. So I can watch sewing tutorials while I sew!
Thanks for all your helpful information!!🥰
Your so right!! I would never sew if I had pull everything out each time 😂
I just came from watching your top 5 tools you don’t use and man after seeing this video I really need to level up my game! I do have a measuring tape and shears but I need chalk because I use soap ( it’s free and tons of it in my bathroom) , the turning/pushing thing ( chop sticks, again free), the ham & sausage iron ( I use the towel, guess my bathroom is a big supplier for my sewing lol). I cheered when you talked about the pattern paper (I used wrapping paper till one day I really needed to see through the paper) because I have that 🎉. Been using the clips because I read that different fabrics need different pins so I took the path of least resistance. Your box is gorgeous and what a very special gift!
Oh the box is so pretty... 🤗🤗🤗🤗
Right!!! I'm so lucky to have it custom made for me!
@@Evelyn__Wood Indeed.. :)
Fascinating video! My absolute must-haves which are always next to my machine are glass headed pins in a magnetic pin holder (game changer!), small scissors for snipping threads, and a seam ripper, which has a variety of uses aside from the obvious ones, including prising pins out of fabric before the presser foot gets to them, and pulling threads to the inside of seams. I also have some very useful clear plastic storage boxes with compartments, including a bobbin holder which holds about 25 bobbins - great to be able to see at a glance what threads you've already got on your bobbins, and keeping them from getting into a tangled mess! A purple "thang" is also useful, although not perhaps in the top ten essentials...
Thank you for the reply! I am hooked up to your content !
Great list! I can do 100% of my sewing with these. I also find good, strong lighting essential so I fitted my sewing machine with an array of LED lights. I also have clamp lights on my work table and the sewing machine table.
Which led lights do you use? I’d love to know.
Craig your right! I've noticed lately that poor lighting has made me struggle!
@@magnoliaweathershield443 I found the light at the online retailer - name rhymes with Glamazon. First I tried the tape of LED lights marketed for sewing machines. It allows you to clip off the length of the tap to better fit the machine. Once on the machine I discovered I had clipped off so many lights, it provided poor illumination. Then I went back to Glamazon and found a light where the array of LED's is shaped like a box. It worked out perfectly and it has a dimmer. It is more expensive than the tape style but, worth it.
Thank you very much, Craig. It’s really kind of you to share. And if you have any other lighting or magnifying solutions, Evelyn, please let us know! I have gained a lot from watching you videos so thank you very much indeed!
I love my tailor's ham, french curve and seam guide. I picked them up at an estate sale and use them a lot. I also have oodles of tracing paper. I've always traced out patterns so I can alter them without destroying the actual pattern... everyone I know thinks I'm nuts for doing that.
Excellent video!!
Thanks for watching Maribel, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I've tried so many different fabric pens and pencils, but I always go back to the 40-year old pack of broken tailor's chalk that has been in my mother's sewing kit since before I was born. Wish I knew what brand they were but the name wore of the case so long ago, haha.
I love my little thread snips that I got from my grandmother as well, so handy - they have a flat base so you can put the base on the table and run them along just snipping at a level.
Love your videos!
Thanks for watching! You were first! ❤
You had me at #2! My must-have is my home-made wrist pin cushion made from cotton belt, Velcro, and pad. Then, large, heavy fabric shears, and then my favorite steam iron-not commercial, but carefully chosen for shots of steam. 😊
I’ve always admired your vintage sewing box and wondered what you stored in there! ❤️ Your hair today especially reminds me of Snow White! Lovely!
Pinking shears!! I got mine at a garage sale for only $10, then saw the same ones at the fabric shop for $80, so I was very pleased - and I can’t imagine cutting fabric without them, especially when I know I’ll be handling & manipulating the fabric quite a lot, which could mean frayed edges if I hadn’t used the pinking shears.
I'm interested in learning more about that kind of iron. My snippers are my favorite tool. I also like my magnetic pin holder. Seam gauge.
I got my favourite sewing scissors from an unusual source - Snap-on. Yes, the mechanics tool supply company. Hubby is a diesel mechanic and got them. I borrowed them and they've since stayed in my sewing room. They're always sharp but what I like it that the loopy bit where you put your fingers through, the top of that is silicon. Comes in handy for me especially as I broke my index and middle fingers badly in the 80s
1. My Fiskars Easy Action spring-loaded shears and snips, due to chronic RSI I can't use a normal pair of shears, and these have made it possible for me to even sew at all! I've got an entire set of them by now, one is extra angled, making it much easier for me to cut fabric on the floor.
2. Water-erasable pens for marking, super easy and cheap to get and I love them.
3. A magnet (hot-glued to a stick)! Gotta find those stray pins and needles that tend to run away on the floor!
4. A seam gauge, the one with the little slider. I only got this recently and holy smokes, how did I even work without the thing before this?!
5. Probably my clips, complete chinese knock-off of the true quilting clips, but I got a jar of 100 and they're great for holding weird folded corners or hard-to-pin trims etc in place. Still use a bazillion pins though...
Bingo wand is great as stick magnet
I found that using a rotary cutter was easier than those shears which I also own. I use the shears on the “tricky bits” but I use the rotary cutter on the long/straight seams and outside curves. I also saw a woman who had added padding to the handle of her shears and that looked so nice and comfortable.
I enjoyed watching your favorites, some are mine as well. I can quickly add 2 that I would add. Like the tape measure, I fashioned my embroidery scissors to hang around my neck. They are always there while I sew for cutting threads. If I sit down to do something quick and don’t put them on, I am inevitably reaching for them.
But a little “tool” I have used for many years and could not live without is a porcupine quill. It’s perfect while I sew to help ease fabric under the needle. It’s very stiff, yet a little flexible. It always is right there in front of my machine for easy pick up when I need it.
I didn’t know about the tailor ham. I’ve been using a leather juggling ball. (Made with sawdust so that they don’t bounce) incredible box, btw.
Love the way red color always poops up in your tutorial,and that gorgeous smile,you just make me wanna learn even when am dosing,they v really helped me in a lot of ways.God continue blessing you.😊
great video :) I would add small paper clips, as I make a lot of zipper pouches and they are so simple to use for that purpouse. I also use a tweezer to pull out threads after seamripping!
also thank you so much for this channel! a few years ago I inherited my grandmothers Husqvarna Practica from the 1950s, and I wanted to learn to sew, mostly redesigning my clothes. for a long time I haven't had the space or time to sew, but recently I picked it up again, now that I finally have the space to have a room dedicated to sewing.
your videos are so fun and inspiring to watch and I learn so much! my sewing has improved so much over the past weeks, and a lot of that is because of these videos. sewing can sometimes feel overwhelming when starting out, but it really helps to learn from more experienced sewers. If I have a problem or make a mistake I search for the answer here on youtube, and 80% of the time your videos pops up, and I click on them. so thank you for sharing your knowledge and making these videos.
I have a pair of scissors that my grandma gave me, that are like those little embroidery scissors just with a long handle. I've never seen any others like them, but I've never looked lol but they're really cool!
Hello Evelyn. Another wonderful video, thank you.
Personally I wouldn't be without "Dolly", my tailors dummy. Makes life so easy for pinning and checking fit, especially in awkward areas that I can't see usually. Makes hems a breeze too.
My other must have, that I use on every single project is my "Isomars pattern curve". It is the only curve tool I own, and the only one I need. It also has a straight edge and seam guide. I use it for pattern tracing and grading all the time.
Like you, pins are my favourite item 😃. I just can't get by without them, especially as I am a beginner, only on my fifth garment now 😃
I just ❤️ pins 😃
💋
Oh my! Your partner is very talented. His talent with wood and your talent with sewing, such a perfect pair. Thank you for your videos. I enjoy them so much. I hope to take you sewing school in the near future.
😀😀 I'd lo e too have you in class!!
Fabric shears, paper scissors, thread nippers, best quality pins & needles I can afford, properly sized machine needle for current project, tape measures & rulers AND good lighting! I love your sewing box (would love one like it or similar)
Great work🐦🐦🐦
I Love your Sew Box
You and I shop at the same shops, but mine are in Canada. I've a sausage and ham from a second hand store, I found a little box of millinery pins (hat pins.) and so many other things. I have a collection of darning eggs and mushrooms. My great grandfather was a tailor and furrier, so my grandmother had his great big shears, They had shaped handles, just lovely. I love my Ginger shears, a little rubber circle used for pulling needles through heavy fabric in quilting, glass headed pins that do not melt, and little pin cushions, separate for the different sizes of pins.
Many thanks for sharing all of your information 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👌👌👌👌👌👌😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃
I also would add a seam gauge. I use mine all of the time ☺️
I use magnifyer glasses, they clip onto my regular glasses. It helps me to see everything properly, especially for handsewing, this is a must for me.
Oh wow you are the best !
Katrina ate my house and sewing nook, so finally restarting. First rate shears. A ham. Chalk. Silk and ball point pins. There’s a few favorite How To books I finally replaced. A thimble that fits well to hop on basting/ tailor tacks and hand sewing oddments. And I need a big table top to work on, that’s a challenge.
What you sew determines what you need. I stay pretty basic, but ball point needles and pins for knits were utterly liberating for me. Let me really exploit my machines stretch stitch.
I have Mundial shears just like yours but I probably bought them 15+ years before you, so I second your comment that they will last for life. I absolutely love them 💗💝
Right!!! They are great and so comfy to ude!
I have a favorite seam ripper, with a long and ergonomic handle. I do more quilting than clothes sewing, so my mat, rotary cutter are a must, and my favorite ruler is my 6"x12" Olfa Frost. My spray bottle for starching, specially when I am going to cut repurposed shirt's fabric into small pieces: it reduces distortion and fraying. Long straight pins and sturdy safety pins. Washable glue for temporary help.
My very favourite tool is my thimble. I was browsing for something else and came across the Taylor Seville Wonder Grip and Thimble. I have never got on with thimbles and any hand sewing made my fingers so sore but now, though I still don't like hand sewing much, I find this thimble is perfect for me. It is a silicon thimble with a metal tip joined with a strip of the silicon to a thumb cover which acts, along with the sides of the thimble, as a needle gripper. I can wear the thimble on my index finger and my fingers don't get sore any more.
Something you have probably never thought of as being a a sewing tool, is a pair of curved end hemostats. I use these daily, (a 5.5" pair with a curved end) I use them for grabbing threads, pulling thread loops when bringing up bobbin thread and threading needles, and for holding down material while feeding under the presser foot. This is an unbelievable little tool that everyone should try. Honestly, it's something I grab a lot, and will always be with my machine along with my seam ripper, thread trimming scissors, etc. I am a beginning sewer, and I am always looking for helpful tools. This is my most used. By the way, I love your videos. Your experience shows, and is appreciated.
In school we had to make our own pressing ham, still have it 40 years later. Still use it too!
Many years ago at a fair I bought some medieval bone knitting needles. I use those to push out corners as they are very fine, not too long and strong. I also find some sort of needle book indispensible to keep my hand sewing needles in. Mine were both made by my mum many years ago. My seam ripper and thimble.
I'm new to sewing. But I have learned that I like my needles even for quilting, but rarely use them. That I couldn't live without my 28mm rotary cutter. And that the right light above my machine and the right chair make all the difference. I'm trying to figure out my marking method and am too scared to sew clothes yet.
My mom made most of my clothes and play items growing up. I've never known a woman who could see such beautiful doll and Barbie clothes! Anyway, she tried my whole life to get me to sew. I hated it. Christmas of '19 my husband got me a sweet little Brother machine to make costumes and things for all of our kids (4) and then Covid hit. I had never put needle to fabric before. In the last 12 months I've made hundreds of masks and a total of 4 quilts with more on the way.
I like your videos and watch you while I sew. Someday I'll make a beautiful vintage dress of my dreams. Till then, masks and straight lines for me 😆
I love a good tailor's ham, they're so useful! I have a full chest so I found most hams aren't quite round enough so I made my own which I have dubbed the seamstress' breast. I basically made it a very full oval shape and filled it with sawdust (thanks to my dad who always has wood projects going on) and it's worked wonders especially with garments that have princess seams.
That's the best idea I've hard this week! Brilliant! 😀
Genius! I could use an old bra for the pattern....
I hear your advice about the sawdust, Evelyn. I’ll have to do some research before I take this idea any further...
@@magnoliaweathershield443 ya, I got fine dust because my dad happened to have just sanded down a ton of projects at once and used a vaccum system to sort out the even finer dust so I could use it. Otherwise i would have just made do with purchased ones
@@nat6098 thanks! Glad to get your advice!
I made a ham out of sand. It's really heavy, but it doubles as a massive pin cushion. And I had a lot of sand left over from another project, lol. Currently making a sausage stuffed with wool roving that has felted slightly so is not good for spinning yarn with. Yes, I have too many hobbies.
My favorite ham is an old one filled with sawdust. They don’t make those anymore. Too bad as they are nice and firm.
Careful, the sand will dull your pins and the remaining moisture from the steam can make them rust
@@NinaKeilin I bought a saw shavings at the farm store, they make great filling
@@Sehara wow great idea!
I had never seen those loop pull things before and will definitely be looking for them! I would add my seam ripper. I have opened button holes with it and use it as an awl occasionally (and carefully!).
A buttonhole chisel is best for cutting buttonholes, you can buy them at a good haberdashery shop. I find those long loop turners useless actually. I'd prefer to sew a narrow strap, then top stitch the seam bcz that loop turner sometimes just frays the end of the fabric and leaves a hole in the fabric. The long loop turner still makes it hard to turn a narrow strap inside out.
I have got both of the pressing hams they are the same as yours, (good taste) also I have got a Philips generator iron, I have had it about 7 years love 💕 it. But for my quilting I have got an Oslo steam iron it’s amazing, when you stand it back down on the board it rises up so as not to burn the ironing board. It is from the USA and have just done a plug we can use her in the 🇬🇧 UK. Looking forward to your next video happy sewing
I think I have seen this kind of 'pop up' iron! I was amazed! And of course we have good taste! 😉
Seriously, you're awesome 😁👍 Your Amazon list was very useful seeing everything together like that. There are a few things I was looking for and either overlooked or didn't know what they were called
It may sound stupid, but when I bought a legit thread-nipper (the kind that looks strange 😋) it felt like i was doing a "real thing" if that makes sense. It was largely psychological, but 🤷♂️
Also, well done with the box Evelyn's partner! 🙂✌️
I've passed on the message! 😄
While not a tool, I love my sewing table. It's a drafting table that I can comfortably stand at or use a chair that is high up to sit on. Hubby got them at his work many years ago. Tools - seam ripper, seam gauge. I don't like using pin cushions, so I have some small pretty vintage dishes for my pins and generic Wonder clips..
I have a Laurastar steam generator and I love it
In addition to the other notions mentioned, I love using a glue stick to "glue baste." When I'm making face masks and need to sew the ends of the elastic together before putting the sewn ear loop into the mask, I glue baste the ends of the elastic overlapping together and that helps keep them lined up together to sew them permanently.
Returning to clothing sewing after many years, I have 3 new favorite tools: 1) thread snips for my slightly arthritic fingers - and they would have been great when I was younger for snipping curved seams and opening buttonholes. 2) green painters' frog tape- now that I draft my own patterns this tape is just like old drafting tape - releases from paper very easily - even tracing paper. 3) MOST IMPORTANT -BEESWAX! Newer sewing thread - even the "good stuff" is so highly twisted it knots like crazy when hand sewing. Tailors have used waxed thread for hand sewing for years. Pull the thread thru the wax and then press with a dry iron between a folded paper towel to remove the excess. Hand sewing is then a dream. I bought a beeswax votive candle at a health food store for $3.50 rather than pay $10 or more for a pound online. It will probably last me a decade. If I don't finish my project right away, I wrap the waxed threads on an empty toilet tissue roll and secure the ends with a small strip of the frog tape. The frog tape can be reused several times.
You aren't kidding about the fabric scissors being only for fabric. My grandmother was a seamstress and I still remember the ONE time I used her fabric scissors to cut something that was not fabric...
Also I'm super excited that you just showed me how I can now fix the missing drawstrings in all my hoodies, pajamas, and shorts. Yay! Totally ordering that loop thing as soon as I'm done watching this.
As for tools, I'm very new/rusty at sewing so I'm not sure what's my favorite when it comes to sewing, but I already have a lot of these tools from other non related projects. Those clear rulers are the best for everything. They are great for wood projects, clay, electronics design, painting, drawing, and so much more. I actually have a bunch of them in different sizes including a square one, two 6" ones, an 18" one with a flat edge on the bottom which helps keep projects straight. I even have one 6" clear ruler that I cut into pieces that are excellent for fitting into small places for drawing, marking wood and other projects. They would probably work great for sewing as well. I cut it in half making one piece which is now 1"x3". Then I cut the other half in half again giving me two 1.5" x 1" pieces. Then I cut one of those lengthwise giving me two 1.5" x 0.5" pieces which I have used for so many different projects ranging from jewelry box making, electronics blueprint making/marking, painting, measuring small pieces of felt. They are hands down one of my favorite tools.
I bet grandma was not happy! 🙃
I made my own pressing hams out of heavy calico for the lining and a cotton and wool upholstery fabric for a cover, and stuffed them with hamster sawdust from the pet shop. I used the same cotton to make pyramid pattern weights, filled with aquarium gravel, a mat for my sewing machine and a couple of fabric bowls for throwing in scraps and holding bits and pieces. I should have got more of the fabric because I would have liked to make a matching pressing mat and cloth. My most used tool is probably a seam ripper, but I never sew anything without my sewing gauge/point turner/button gauge by my machine. How could I forget, I made a matching sewing book for my machine needles and a couple of pincushions, I use these things without thinking about them.
I now use chalk wheels. Dritz chalk wheel works for me; other brands may be good too. I bought bags of pounce powder, blue and white, to refill the chalk containers.
I may have more than I need to sew and have not sewn anything yet. I have a new Singer model 2277 machine which I got new months ago and have had problems setting it up. I recently purchased a new Singer model 44S Heavy duty machine this past week from an area store and still have yet to try it out. As for supplies I have plenty of thread I purchased along with almost everything else used to sew with. I can't say what my favorite tools for sewing is as I have not done any yet, but I love all the items I have and there is plenty of thread to use and a variety of both machine and manual sewing needles for my machiness.
I bought new shears and they cut so well! This isn't an accessory, but my 45-year-old Bernina machine and table are indispensible. It is hard for me to do things digitally, so I won't replace it. I refused to loan it even to my (now ex) sister-in-law!
I learned from my mother never to loan out or let anyone use your sewing machine. Somewhere else in my life I was told never to waste money on cheap notions.
I lost my 1984 White Machine in Katrina. Finally found an exact replacement in amazing shape, it’s on the way. You do not need a computer to run a sewing machine. And, when sitting at the imposter I keep reaching for a control and it’s not there.
YES ME TOO!! But I’ve only had my Bernina for 38 years. 😁 It is a Model 930 Record. It was the last mechanical machine that Bernina made before they started using computer components. I LOVE it.
I loved my mechanical White machine too. My husband bought it for me the first Christmas we were married in 1965. The store used a brilliant marketing idea. They offered a FREE SHOTGUN with the purchase of every White sewing machine!! Can you imagine a sale like that these days? No way. But it was perfect for a young couple in Oklahoma in the 60s!
I have a pair of little scissors like yours! I was looking for some scissors, one for embroidery and one for making small cuts in paper at the time. I actually got mine from ebay under beauty and healthcare, where they were advertised as for trimming eyebrows and false eyelashes to shape. They came with a removeable plastic comb that fit on one blade, but just slips off. It was cheap (even free postage) and I didnt expect much, but they are extremely sharp and work well (I'm using a tiny craft blade for the paperwork)
Excellent!! I will have a look at those! Thankuyou for sharing your find!
The scissors to cut hair also need to be very very sharp. Just like dressmakers, hairdressers are also very protective of their scissors. A nice haircut starts with very sharp scissors ;)
I remember there was a time when i was little, i was being told ALL the time: if you start cutting 1 type of item with the scissors, NEVER EVER cut something else with that thing. So there was a pair of scissors for everything in the house.
@@Evelyn__Wood Alternatively I've got a pair similar but sold as nail sissors.
I made my sewing ham probably 30 years ago and still use them!
Excellent videos, very informative. Thank you.
After seeing for many years, for myself and also bespoke for others, I have come to value the basics most of all.
1. Seeing Machine. I have six machines, all at least 50 years old. They are made of metal, inside and out, and they can sew anything. They are all also entirely mechanical....No electronics! For general garment sewing the electronics are an unnecessary point of failure. (BTW, my wife sees on a century old treadle powered Singer.)
2. LIGHT. You can't have too much light on your needle and foot. Flexible lamps are a must for me, especially when sewing dark fabrics.
3. Scissors. Sturdy, sharp scissors are a must. I use Mundial or Gingher brand, the models that are all metal. Plastic handles always get loose for me.
ALlso,my #1 sewing tip: Precise cutting, both the pattern and the fabric. (This is where the sharp scissors come in.) Take your time and cut very carefully so that at the machine the pieces for together properly. It makes sewing much easier, faster, and more enjoyable.
Cheers!
I use a housewife to hold all my necessary sewing tools. It’s mostly for hand sewing (as that’s what I do most of), and I’ve made it myself out of some cabbage and a bit of lace, and designed it to meet my needs. I’d say to Google sewing housewife or hussif to get a basic idea, but it’s basically a roll up sewing kit that I’ve customised.
So instead of only pockets, I have one pocket that holds my quick unpick, whatever thread I need for my current project, my thimble, some measuring tape, tailors chalk, and then I have a home-made pin cushion, then a triangular embroidery scissors pocket, that has a loop of lace that snaps, to keep the scissors in even upside down, and then a have a couple of woolen “pages” that hold my hand needles, some silk pins (separate form my other pins), and some safety pins. Then I roll it all up, and tie it with some attached ribbon. And it goes everywhere with me.
Edited to add a link to my Instagram, that has pictures of my housewife. instagram.com/p/CE_ou8GBnen/?igshid=gccqlfwg51si
Hopefully that link works, not sure if my Instagram is set to super private or not. I should probably check that.
I've been using a little Tupperware container but I have a self drafted housewife pattern on my cutting table right now. So much cuter than a plastic box!
My first husband was in the navy (UK) and was issued with a 'housewife' for mending and keeping their uniforms tip top. Yes, it was called a housewife. and a very good kit it was. He still got me to do his mending and sewing on of badges if he was home though!
I have a tiny vintage sewing box I bought in Korea that I use for sewing at home, and a zipper pouch with a small sewing kit I assembled inside, that stays in my bag. A housewife might be a fun project for the new year.
@@sophiesong8937 is it such a fun little project! Fully customisable, and it uses up some old fabric scraps! It doesn’t get better than that.
@@katherinemorelle7115 I just looked at yours. So pretty!!
All the other comments have listed my favorites except Hemostat locking tweezers. Perfect for removing tangled threads in the bobbin area. It has saved me numerous times!