As part of our 30k member celebration and giveaway, which you can read all about here, we’re sharing our top 10 favorite sewing tools to have in your craft room! *This post contains affiliate links* So if you’re just planning your sewing room or are a seasoned seamstress, I recommend having all these in your toolbox!
- My number one tool I like to have is a LARGE cut mat. I love to be able to lay out my entire pattern piece on my mat! I currently have one that’s about 36×60. I plan on upgrading to a nicer Alvin one when we move! A self healing mat is perfect for using a rotary blade (which is my preferred method when cutting most things) and the grid makes cutting rectangles a breeze! We included this in the Amazon bundle the Grand Prize winner will receive!
- A good iron is almost as important as your sewing machine. The more you press as you construct the more professional your garment/anything will turn out. Even on knits! I know a lot of ladies skip pressing for knits, but the rule still applies—the more you press, the more professional it will look. I can’t wait to upgrade my iron when we move! I’ve been eyeing a Rowenta and hope it’s love when I get it! The winner will also get to try it out in the Amazon bundle included in the Grand Prize!
- My next is pins and pin alternatives (10 is a really small number guys! I had to combine a few 😉 )! I love to use nice pattern weights to hold my pattern pieces in place while I cut. I inherited a set from my mother that are hot pink and I love them. But, we have a set in our Grand Prize from an adorable little shop that is just starting out. She has all different styles to match your sewing space! I prefer pattern weights for many reasons— they’re quicker– they’re easier to not move/stretch your finicky fabrics while cutting– they never poke you or your kiddos 🙂 (My son also thinks they’re a great stacking toy!) Next up is wonder clips . These are nice to use when sewing. They’re quick to put on, won’t leave holes in any fabric, and they’re pretty impossible to forget to move and sew over. They’re also nicer to step on when you drop them onto the floor! But, I still love using traditional ole’ pins as well. I like these longer quilters pins best!
- Great scissors is next on the list. Cutting is such a big part of sewing that a great pair of sewing scissors will be loved. I like these kai scissors . They aren’t insanely expensive and they work wonderfully. I use snippers as well right next to my sewing machine. I like to use little, sharp embroidery scissors for precise trimming of seams, cutting notches into seam allowances, etc. I get pulled in by the gold peacock Gingher ones just for that classic look! I also love a pair of pinking shears for trimming seam allowances down. I have cheapy ones, but next time I need to buy I plan on trying out Kai’s pinking shears since I’ve been so happy with their other products.
- Bundling again 😉 Since they’re all rulers I think I can get away with it! I use rulers while sewing constantly! The clear quilters ruler is perfect for cutting those rectangle pieces with your rotary blade. The french curve is what you need if you’re having to alter any patterns. It will help you change a neckline or grade sizes with a smooth curve! I like this designer’s one here because it also has a straight section. So, you can just flip it easily for an all in one ruler as your marking/cutting. But, you can also grab a much less expensive one that is just the curves as well. You simple place your curve at your starting and stopping points (so if you’re grading sizes the smaller and larger size) and move your french curve until it meets your marks with the curve you’d like (concave, convex) and trace. Now you have a smooth curve without worry! Last is the hem gauge. This is an inexpensive little tool that is handy to have at your ironing table. You can move the little notch up and down to your hem allowance and move it along your hem line as you press giving you a nice even hem with ease. They also make ones that are more like a flat ruler you can fold your hem over and press onto, but I prefer this little dinky one personally! And lastly you need a soft measuring tape for measuring body measurements and if you need to measure a curve. I’m a sucker for the cute colors!
- A rotary cutter is another cutting tool I can’t live without these days. Although I learned with scissor cutting almost everything, I now use a rotary the majority of the time. I like the Kai one because the blades are nice and it doesn’t have a button to press open and close. Instead you just push the blade and the safety cover automatically moves out of the way. Just a teeny tiny time saver that I ended up really loving! I used to always forget to shut my blade in the other style and would worry about dropping it off my cutting table.
- I love using a wash away hem tape to help hold or stabilize a seam while sewing. It’s so quick and easy to use and really holds your garment exactly how you place it while stitching. I recommend it for hemming knits in almost all my patterns as well as an alternative to pinning carefully on certain steps where you need to sew from the right side but catch the underside. I prefer the wash away, especially on knits so that after a wash or two the knit will have it’s normal stretch.
- One of my most used tools in my room is a point and tube turner. I had a really difficult time tracking one down for sale though!! Apparently they aren’t very common and maybe aren’t made anymore? But, I love mine! So if you can get your hands on one you should snatch it up. It is the easiest tool for turning small tubes like straps, drawstrings, thin belts, ect. I love that one end is rounded and one is pointed. You slide your tube that needs turned onto the rounded side all the way down. Then clamp the ends shut on the very end of your tube and pull/push your tube onto itself turning it right sides out. You will end up with the tube right sides out on the pointed side which you use to press out the corners of your tube if the short end is sewn.
- Next up is my favorite marking tool– a Frixon pen. This pen is so neat. You can buy it in a few colors and mark right onto your fabric. The heat from the iron will make it disappear. With all marking tools, I recommend trying on a scrap piece first before marking your actual pieces. Every once in a while I meet a fabric that doesn’t like this ink and if you mark it and iron it there is a lighter mark left permanently. But, I still use it ALL the time! It’s easy to use, store and I like having the color variety for marking on different color fabrics.
- We all make mistakes… so every sewing room needs one, or maybe a few seam rippers. I prefer this bigger style. It’s a bit harder for me to misplace ;). I have yet to try out one of the pretty nicer ones, maybe one day!
We had a few more that were on some of our top 10 that didn’t make the final list, but here a few with honorable mention:
- Bobkin to guide through casings.
- Thread Snippers for quick thread cutting at the machine.
- Best Press spray for a starch alternative.
- Bamboo Point Turner to help turn out the perfect corners with the pointed end and rounded seams with the rounded side.
- Expandable Marking Guide use it anytime you need evenly spaced markings like button holes, pleats, trims, etc.
Don’t forget to enter our “Sew it, Win it, Build it” giveaway this week or the other posts coming soon!
Leave a Reply