Learning how to sew can be really intimidating at first. Worrying about how well you’ll be able to pick up this new skill is stressful enough. Add picking out the equipment you need to get started on your sewing journey, and watch the analysis paralysis kick in!
Not everyone has a sewist friend or family member to help them get started on their way. That’s why I’m here!
Worried about how much you should spend on supplies? What supplies are best for a beginner? Are there particular sewing brands you should buy? If you’re wanting to learn to sew but have no idea what supplies you need to get started, then look no further. I’ve put together a comprehensive list of must-have sewing supplies for beginners.
This post contains affiliate links which won’t cost you anything extra, but may provide me with a small commission.
Whether you’re new to sewing, or an experienced seamstress, having the right sewing supplies can make all the difference.
These are my favorite sewing supplies I recommend for beginners.
1. Sewing Machine
This is probably the scariest decision a beginning sewist has to make (and the priciest).
There are so flipping many sewing machines out there, ranging in price from uber cheap to crazy expensive.
While I sew on a fancy Pfaff that retails in the $1k range, don’t worry (It was payment for some promo work I did for them a while back)! You don’t need to spend that much, and I actually don’t advise doing so when you’re just starting out.
You do, however, want to make sure your new machine is made by a trustworthy brand and that it will hold up to whatever sewing challenge you put before it.
You can read why I don’t advise learning how to sew on a cheap mini sewing machine here.
My top pick for a beginner sewing machine is the Brother XM2701 Lightweight Sewing Machine.
I’m a huge fan of Brother sewing machines. My first sewing machine was an older version of this model and it checked a lot of boxes.
It’s lightweight, which is super important if you’re not going to have a dedicated sewing area right away. Mine lived on top of my fridge between uses for over a year, and it was never a problem lugging it out for my next project.
This sewing machine is also sturdy and well-built. It can handle sewing through thick layers of fabric and extensive use. I’ve tried using super cheap machines (think $60 and under), and they just feel cheap. This machine feels more high end than its price tag indicates.
You get a lot of good basic features with machine as well, including multiple presser feet and an array of different stitches.
The price is right. The features are decent (especially for this price point). The construction is solid. I don’t think sewing beginners can go wrong with this one.
If this sewing machine doesn’t quite strike your fancy, here are a few others by reputable brands that consistently get positive reviews:
Janome Arctic Crystal Easy-to-Use Sewing Machine
Brother CS6oooi
SINGER Start 1304
Brother Project Runway CS5055PRW Electric Sewing Machine
2. Fabric Scissors
The only cutting supply you really need to get started are some good fabric scissors.
Some will say you need cutting mats and rotary cutters, but these aren’t necessities (I can’t remember the last time I used mine).
Make sure to keep your fabric scissors away from your other household scissors and to ONLY use them for the sole purpose of cutting fabric, or they’ll become dull very quickly.
Gingher 8″ Dressmaker’s Shears
Havel’s 8″ Fabric Scissors
Fiskars 8″ Fabric Scissors
3. Pinking Shears
I also recommend investing in a pair of Pinking Shears. These funky scissors have saw-toothed blades instead of straight, which lets you cut a zig-zagged line.
If you’re working with a fabric with unfinished edges, cutting the fabric will result in a lot of fraying. While pinking shears can’t prevent the fabric from fraying, the zig-zag pattern limits the length of the frayed thread, resulting in a cleaner finish.
Fiskars 8″ Pinking Shears
JISTL 9.5″ Comfort Grip Pinking Shears
Gingher 7.5″ Pinking Shears
4. Small Scissors for Snipping Threads
These little guys are helpful for keeping your sewing projects looking tidy by snipping off threads, cutting corners, and more precise cutting work that your larger fabric scissors might struggle with.
Fiskars Ultra-Sharp Thread Snips
Fiskars Thread Snips
Singer Pro Series Thread Snips
Havel’s Snip-Eze Embroidery Snips
5. Seam Ripper
I keep a few of these on hand (they always seem to wander off when I need one) for my refashioning projects. You just can’t beat them for ripping off sleeves, shoulder pads, or whatever else is getting between you and the awesome design you’ve envisioned. They’re also helpful for helping fix the occasional sewing mistake!
I prefer flat seam rippers to round ones as they’re less likely to roll off your work surface and get lost!
Dritz Deluxe Seam Ripper
Dritz Large Seam Ripper
Singer Seam Ripper Pair
6. Measuring Tape
Measure twice, cut once! Accurate measurements are extremely important in sewing, regardless of the scale of your project. Because these are on the cheap side, I recommend having at least a couple (they tend to wander off when you need them!).
Singer Measuring Tape & fabric marking pencil combo
Singer Extra Long Tape Measure
Retractable Tape Measure 3 Pack
7. Sewing Gauge
Whether you’re hemming, making bias binding, or measuring pleats, you won’t want to be without this terrific tool!
Dritz Sewing Gauge
Singer Sewing Gauge
Clover 5-in-1 Sewing Gauge
8. Steam Iron
A huge part of making your sewing projects/refashions look professional is pressing them. Fortunately, you don’t need a crazy expensive iron to do this. As long as it heats up quickly and is reliable, you’re all set to press! Inexpensive models do the trick just fine.
Sunbeam Steam Iron
Rowenta Professional Steam Iron
Black & Decker Steam Iron with Retractable Cord
9. Ironing Board
Some sewing practitioners recommend tabletop ironing boards, but I prefer their larger fold-out counterparts. I think they’re easier to work with, plus you get the added bonus of a fold-out work space for non-ironing projects as well.
I use my fold-out ironing board as a makeshift cutting table all the time, as it sits at a perfect height to not strain my back. And when I’m done with it, I can tuck it neatly away in a closet or or the corner of my sewing area.
Steel Top Ironing Board with Blue Lattice Cover
Sunbeam Ironing Board with Rest Holder Stand
Compact Ironing Board
10. Sewing Machine Needles
Needles wear out and break fairly frequently. Unless you want to take an unwelcome pause in your creative project while you run to the craft store to pick up a new pack, it’s a good idea to have some on hand. Just make sure to replace them when they start to snag your fabric!
For most sewing, all you need a universal 80/12 needle. But when you’re sewing with knits you’ll want a ballpoint needle. Heavier fabrics (Think: Denim) will require a jeans needle.
Don’t worry! These are all usually color-coded and easy to tell apart.
Schmetz Universal Needles 10 pack
Schmetz Stretch Needles 5 pack
Schmetz Heavy Duty Jeans Needles 5 pack
11. Hand Sewing Needles
While the vast majority of your sewing will done on your machine, you’ll still need to complete some projects by hand. Bummer, I know. 😉
Singer Hand Sewing Needles Multipack
Dritz Hand Sewing Needles 50 Pack
Singer Self-Threading Hand Sewing Needles Multipack
12. Straight Pins
Straight pins are used to pin fabric together prior to sewing. I prefer pins with colorful heads to the all-metal variety, as they’re much easier to find when you drop one (which you will), and they’re just more visible in general.
Glass Head Straight Quilting Pins
Clover Flat Head Pins
Dritz Dressmaker Pins
13. Pin Cushion
All of these pins and needles will need a place to call home! I like the classic Tomato model as it comes with a pin-sharpening attachment (Bet you wondered what that little strawberry thingy was for).
DIY Pin Cushion
Dritz Tomato Pin Cushion with Sharpener
Magnetic Pin Cushion
Singer Slap-on Wrist Pin Cushion
14. Thread
You don’t need a rainbow of thread colors to start your sewing journey. As long as you have black thread for dark colors and white thread for light colors, you’ll pretty much be okay. Of course, it’s better to match your thread color with your fabric color, but very few people will notice the difference. Guterman and Coates & Clark are two great thread brands I use.
Guterman Sew-All Thread
Coats & Clark Dual Duty All-Purpose Thread
15. Fabric Chalk or Fabric Marking Pencil
Sometimes you’ll need to make temporary guide marks on something you’re altering. Tailors Chalk is great for this purpose, and comes in multiple colors.
Dritz Tailor’s Chalk
Dritz Tailor’s Chalk Pencil
Dritz Marking Chalk Wheel Kit
16. Money-Saving Multipacks/Kits
If you’re buying sewing supplies for the first time, you can save money by bundling your supplies, rather than buying them individually. There are lots of great multipack/kit options available.
Dritz Start to Sew Kit
Singer Fabric Scissor Multipack
I hope this list is helpful for those of you who are just getting started on your sewing journey!
Are there any other sewing supplies you have questions about? If so, let me know in the comments below!
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Nice blog! Buy sewing supplies online at The Golden Rule and have fun sewing!
I have been sewing for a while, but now I am trying the refashioned way. Thank you so much.
This is a great list! I’ve been seeing for 50+ years and have never seen a sewing gauge until I started following your posts-mine will be here tomorrow! Would love to hear your thoughts on Sergers, I’m on the fence as to wether it’s worth the $$ and space. Until a few years ago I sewed for my house-pillows, window treatments etc. but since I found you I am enjoying thrifting and refashioning.
My sister enjoys teaching young people to sew-she offers classes and they make pajama pants/shorts. It’s a great beginners project!
When I finally learned how to thread and use my Brother serger (Costco on sale), I got my Sharpies out and just started writing notes on the machine. Once you get the hang of your machine, get a cheap piece of fabric and practice, practice, practice! I find that getting the tension just right is the biggest pain in the rear with a serger.
Hi Jillian, I’m soooo excited you are back!!!!! I have been following you from the very beginning.
What I recommend to all newbies out there is to do what Jillian and I do, find cheap (no more than a dollar) clothes from the thrift store (the bigger the dress, the better=more fabric) and just practice! If you mess it up, oh well you spent a dollar or less! I have even bought dresses just for the buttons on it. Nowhere are you ever going to find nice buttons, zippers, etc. for a dollar or less! My family teases me that I have my own Goodwill/thrift store in my sewing room from all the years of finding beautiful fabric for less than a dollar. Some of the fabric I also use to make different crafts with, like Christmas ornaments.
I have a Kenmore serger, and was very frustrated with it. I took a serger class, and the instructor informed me that the manual actually had the threading order wrong (two of them were reversed). Take a look on line or maybe on Youtube and see if there are any on threading a serger.
I love this post! I have been wanting to get into sewing but have been a little intimidated – a friend’s professional seamstress mom gifted me her sewing machine and it’s a little daunting to get started. But I am always so impressed by your creative refashions and with all this quarantine business, I’m inspired to start learning again! Thanks for the motivation! Cheers to new hobbies ☺️
I enjoyed this post . I have a singer machine and a singer serger. I am very intimidated by the serger. I was practicing a year ago the thread messed up. I can not figure out retreading. Any help would be appreciated.
Great list! I encourage everyone to just jump in, even if you simply sew a doll dress or make a place mat. I did pick up a couple of extra notions from your excellent lists, thank you very much. Any links to spare machine bulbs or those wonderful sticky things you put on your machine for a seam guide would be useful, too.
I love teaching the little kids in our family to sew. They go so slow at first and are so proud of their creations. Anyone can do this, just go for it!
Great post! You got me back into sewing a few years ago – thank you!! I would love to hear about basic equipment and process for dyeing – flat Color as well as the funku designs. Thanks!
I would appreciate knowing more about your dress form & its features. I am a lazy refashioned, & it has occurred to me a dress form might be easier than the hassle of removing my clothes, trying on my new fashion, putting back on my clothes, sewing the adjustment, removing my clothes, trying on the adjusted refashion, putting back on my clothes . . .
I love that you care about passing on skills to others. Enjoying you posts for quit a while and so glad you have and special person in your life and the boys.
I hope you post for a longtime you and hubby are so cute and I enjoy seeing what’s coming next.
What kind of dress form do you use? Do you like it? Thanks!
-Lisa
This is really helpful to me. I would really benefit from more things for beginning sewists. For example, I see you do a lot of hemming when you shorten a dress, but I always struggle being able to cut the bottom of the dress evenly. How do you do this in a way that is both quick and only somewhat perfectionist? Even the proper way to pin, because I’m always questioning if I should go horizontally or vertically. I would love a couple more small tutorials like that for beginners. Thank you so much for your blog, I’ve been reading it for years, and I always greatly enjoy it!
I think this post is a great idea. Thank you for thinking of this and posting it all. I have sewed for years but there are lots who would like to learn and this is a great starting point!!
You and this post are so awesome, encouraging! Such a great service to people to jump in to sewing.
One good pointer I learned after sewing for decades is to buy a few shades of gray thread, in addition to definitely buying black and white. It is amazing how well they blend with so many colors. A couple of shades of taupes would be my next priority. You don’t have to buy a lot of other colors. I wish I knew that sooner!!
Your sewing area is so neat, mine looks like a bomb went off! Great post
Hi there! I have been following your blog for about 2 years now and I love what you are doing. I have decided I want to take up sewing and just the other day I ordered the very same Brother machine you recommended on today’s post! I’m so excited to get started and knowing that you recommend this machine makes me feel better! Please keep posting new things! I really enjoy seeing your transformations, especially these days! Take care and stay safe!
Great post for beginners, and frankly, even veteran sewists benefit from this refresher, too!
This was meant as a reply to Cheryl Shipman. Not quite sure what happened…
Just dive in and do something… turn up a hem, make an apron (??) You might be overthinking this and preventing yourself from gaining a lot of pleasure. I should know – I have a smartphone and can just about make calls and send texts with it. I’m ridiculously inhibited about learning to use it to the full.
What a great post, I am a sewer, I have an old turquoise colored sewing machine that will sew through a belt, that is when motors were made to last.
I have two sergers which I use often.
I think everyone should own a seem ripper even if they are not a sewing kind of person.
I hope you are staying well have a great week.
Catherine
I have an “entry level” Bernina, and I mostly look at it wistfully wishing I knew how to use it. About 3 years ago, a kind person helped me use it to make curtains, and I should have kept going with it because now I’m intimidated by it again! But, this quarantine time has me determined to get it going again! I will conquer it!
Oh Brother Where Art Thou? I also now have an expensive fancy smancy quilting Bernina, (only because I got a huge retro paycheck from a class action type union suit)….(i also got my husband a Kegerator))..anyways…My 1st machine that I shared with my sister was a Brother. 1960 something. Lol. And when I got married 1977 my husband got me another brother (besides my bro-in law). I still have both, er all 3 brothers. And they all still work! I also recommend a soft lead pencil for making little ticks when marking. I like this better than an actual marking pencil. It is easier for me to see and washes out.
I’ve been sewing since 8th grade also- must be a magical time for learning to sew! I am thankful to have had the chance to do Home Ec. I have a weird mix of trinkets in my notions drawer: I keep a grease pencil to go back and make small pattern marks I might have forgotten to trace while on the cutting table; I use an old plastic chopstick to square off or flatten edges after turning (like facings); I keep a presscloth handy for fabrics that can’t take alot of heat from the iron (just a length of silk organza); rubber fingertips (from office supply) to help grip fabric. I also search estate sales for all the fun sewing notions from the old days.
Thanks Jillian! Hey, do you recommend a sewing mat? A crafty friend of mine uses hers all the time.
A very handy thing to have in your sewing equipment is a retractable extension magnet, like mechanics use to pick up nuts and bolts. You can sweep the floor for those dropped pins and needles, reach behind furniture, and never miss a one of the little buggers. You can get one from Amazon for less than $10 and never have to crawl around on the floor again. Unless you want to, of course!
I’m so excited to see that your top pick is the one I ordered to replace my machine that was lost in the recent tornado. I used it at school and kept forgetting to bring it home. Of course I could kick myself! I seriously thought about asking you for a recommendation and voila you read my mind.
P.S. I love your refashions!
There are You tube videos for beginner sewing, love this, I also been sewing since I was in 8th grade,. They used to have Home economics classes back in my day at school. Also in my 60, I have been repurposing some of her Moms clothes and mine for her.
A serger is great for hemming things you chop off. A rolled hem on a top that was once a dress….wonderful. Most newer sewing machines have an overlock stitch so if you aren’t ready to spend money on a serger that will work almost as well.You can sometimes score an older machine for not a lot of money. People trade up machines all the time. Members of quilt guilds and sewing clubs could be a good resource. I have a Brother Innivis 85e and love it. It was around 600. I also have a Bernina 830 embroidery machine and it cost a bit, well a lot more. I’m a very experienced sewer.
This is an excellent post. So thorough and helpful for a newbie. I know since I’ve been sewing since 8th grade and I’m in my 60s now. It’s message comes at the right time during this stressful time. Thanks for providing an alternative.
I used to sew ALL my clothes, but with thrift stores and garage sales, I have found them to be more economical and time saving. I would appreciate a tutorial on sergers: are they worth it, what brand, best uses for them, tip and tricks? I have wondered if they are worth it if one is doing mostly mending, altering, and refashioning. Thanks, I always love your efforts!
Thank you so much for this post! Are there any tutorials on using a sewing machine that you recommend for absolute beginners?
I think it’s useful to have a spare sewing machine light bulb as they have a habit of suddenly dying just when needed. As for threads, I think a light shade of grey is very versatile especially in the bobbin.
Ah, it looks like auto-correct doesn’t like the word serger. I have one, too, but have never used it as I bought it second hand and it is thread-bound. Will have to clean that up and see if I can figure out how to serge. Would love some tutorials on that, please.
This is a very useful post–thank you!
Loved the sewing suggestions. I saw in pic that you have a server, can you give some tips that we could follow for using it. Also can you give us advice on simple mistakes to avoid. Thanks. Been enjoying your ideas for years!