ELLEN V.

BIESCAS BEED IIIB

Different Sewing Tools and its Uses

1. Scissors

You need them to cut your fabric and thread. I would suggest you buy tailor’s scissors if you
can afford them: they last nearly forever and can be sharpened when they start cutting less.
Dimensions matter! To cut fabrics, the longer the better. You should have a little scissor to, just to
cut thread tails and avoid to cut fabric too, in the meantime!

A Warning: never use your scissors for anything different from fabric (or thread): never with paper
(i.e. cutting patterns), plastic nor other materials, or they will lose their sharpening soon! Warn Your
Relatives Too…. (ask me why I’m telling you this!) … or: you can use a Scissors Lock like this:

2. Measuring Tape

Depending on your preferences, you can use a measuring tape with centimeters or inches (or

both, like my pink one, featuring cm on one side and inches on the other, while the yellow/white has
cm on both sides).

As you might guess, these sewing tools are used to take measurements, mostly on curvy lines (like
circumferences and any other body measurement).

3. Needles
 You’ll need needles for sewing by hand (the one with the pink and blue package) and for
the domestic sewing machine (the Schmetz ones are my absolute favorite brand: I just love them!).
You can recognize the sewing machine ones because the eye is near the tip of the needle and the
hand sewing kind has it on the other end of the shaft.

Tip.1: you need to change your sewing machine needle most often than you can think (or actually
do), at least every time you start a new project!

Tip.2: use a specific kind of sewing machine needle for every type of fabric: there

are denim needles, ballpoint needles for knits/stretch, twin or even triple needles and many more;
choose a proper size too, basing on your fabric thickness.

4. Pins and Pincushion(s)

Pins are meant to keep the fabric in place while cutting or sewing; you can buy the all metal
kind or the ones with the colored head: just pay attention to choose the glass head ones versus
the plastic head (that will melt into your fabric the first time you’ll press above or just next to them
with your iron!). There are different sized pins both in length and thickness, to start just choose the
regular ones: you can get the ballpoint (for knits) or the thinner ones (for sheers) once you will
master a yellow belt in sewing.

To collect your pins, you can use a repurposed box/can/jar, get a fancy magnetic pin bowl, create
a nice pincushion (better if it has a built-in sharpening feature) or refashion your daughter’s
wool tights and some DIY boiled wool into a one-of-a-kind wrist pincushion!

5. Iron and Water Sprayer

 Pressing while sewing makes the difference between homemade and handmade! Check my 
How-To Press list of tips, if you are still thinking that you can skip this step!. I would add to this
point: a press cloth (a simple white cotton fabric scrap to put between iron and fabric), a
regular iron board and, as soon as you can, add some Fancy Pressing Tool DIY: Tailor’s
Ham, Sausage Roll and Pressing Glove: easy to do, lifesaver and money saver!

Your next step will be heading for a point presser/tailor’s clapper, either DIY (a free pattern is
included, along with tips for using it) or storebought

6. Thimble and Threader

While they’re designed for hand sewing, these sewing tools are needful for sewing by machine
too! The thimble goes on your middle fingertip to protect it while you push your needle. I use it
while I am fixing thread tails left from sewing machine/serger.

The needle threader is useful for threading any kind of needle (for sewing by hand or by machine):
you put it in the eye of the needle, then thread it and pull it back, so it threads your needle.

I found it useless on the serger, where tweezers are way better, due to the reduced space (see n°10
below).

7. Threads
You can’t sew without threads! The most used are cotton (for woven fabrics) or polyester (better
for knits) threads, but you can find also nylon and wooly nylon (used in sergers), metallic, silk,
rayon… The other things to look at is the thickness of the thread; the most used are weight n°50,
that means that 50 km of this thread weighs 1 Kg!

Tip: Use the same thread kind on both spoon and bobbin, except when using
embroidery thread or denim hem thread; this will minimize hazard of thread breaking!

8. Rulers

You can use any rulers you like, they’re perfect for taking straight measurements (like while
adjusting your patterns). I have them from when I went school, they’re transparent so you can look
through and see what’s below.

I have a metallic one too (this is really long and it’s good to measure fabric from the bolt), this is
newer – no need to have one if you’re not a sewing gadget hoarder like me

Other measuring tools you might want to add to your wish list are quilters’ rulers, which are
extremely helpful when you need to add or subtract a consistent amount, let’s say, from the hem. I
have a 6×24″ bigger one and a tiny 1×6″ one.

9. Pattern weights
 Pattern weights are a huge timesaver when you have to cut your pattern shape, mostly on
knits, sheer or any fabrics you can’t pin (like leather or PUL).

The ones in the pic are clearly handmade (from hubby – thanks, Mr.P!), you can use also: canned
food, sandbags, heavyweight mugs… anything you have in hand!

I had fun putting together this list fo So Sew Easy: 11 ways to make your own pattern weights… I
hope you can find something interesting, there 

10. Seam Ripper and Tweezers

A Seam Ripper is your best friend, believe me, or not! His primary purpose is to cut seams,
both wrong seams (think when you sew together wrong sides instead Right Sides Facing… how
many times!!) or existing seams on garments to be refashioned; you’ll find it useful to open your
buttonholes if you’ve made them with a sewing machine: this is one of those versatile sewing
tools!

Tweezers come with your serger for a reason: you’ll find them essential to thread your needles
and loopers  unless you have really tiny fingers!!!

11. Frixion Pens
 They’re one of my favorite marking tools, useful for transferring pattern notches onto light
colored fabrics. Maybe you can find these ballpoint gel pens on your children’s pencil-case (I do).
Yes, ’cause they’re erasable pens that have a side feature: they disappear with heat too!

Tip: always check on scraps before using them on a place that you can see from the
outside of your garment… someone noticed that they tend to reappear with extreme
cold (put the test-scrap in your freezer after pressing it with hot iron… just to stay on
safe side!)

12. Chalk

This is one other marking tool I use a lot. There’s a specific tailor’s chalk you can use but I
often run out of it (or break it into one hundred tiny pieces… I hate it), so I always keep a couple of
boxes of plain chalk, the one you can use on regular chalkboard: it’s cheap, comes in many
colours and is good for most situations! The only fact against it is that his markings won’t last
long, so use it when you expect to finish your sewing project within the day, just to stay safe!

Remember: Check if it leaves traces, trying to brush it out before marking all your

fabric.

13. Lint Roller

 I love this (unusual) sewing tool! You can use it to keep your project clean from bits of
thread wandering after using your seam ripper…  or if you don’t have a thread catcher (or you
own it but still have to get in the habit of using it, like me – so your project acts as a thread
catcher itself!).

This one on the pic is from Ikea and is built to catch pet’s hair so it has really strong adhesive
power. Any other one will go, just double check you can separately buy the refills.

14. Sewing Gauge and Binder Clips

This Sewing Gauge is a multipurpose gadget that helps you:

a. measure and mark hem depth

b. draw scallops and circles

c. evenly space buttonholes, tucks, and pleats d. add seam allowances

Little binder clips can be used instead of pins for sewing leather/PUL and for keeping together

pattern pieces while already cut out. I have also bought a bag of these Wonder Clips and I love
them so much!

15. Masking Tape

 Yes, the masking tape you use when wall painting…

Place it on your sewing machine needle plate to mark the distance from the needle: you’ll only
have to align your edge to the masking tape… et voilà: a straight hem is done!  Plus: it leaves no
traces when you pull it off!

16. Rotary Cutter and Cutting Mat

Mostly used by quilters, but also useful for cutting sheer fabrics – they’re usually quite costly,
but really useful if you plan on cutting many straight lines. Getting the full set might grant you a
better price.

17. Tracing Wheel
  

A tracing wheel is used to transfer pattern markings to the fabric by leaving a fine imprint on
smooth fabrics that can be pressed away after sewing. You can use it paired with some wax or chalk
paper so your markings will be more obvious.

18. Presser Feet

There a several different types of presser feet. For general use, use the multi-purpose presser
foot. One of the most common feet that are used is zipper foot to install zippers by pressing only on
one side of the needle. It can also be used to insert piping, or a beaded trim, or whenever there is
more bulk on one side than the other.
19. Thread Nippers

Use these to nip the loose threads after you finish stitching. It’s faster to grab this tool than
reach for scissors. Thread nippers are optional, but if you think you need them, get the all-metal
ones by Gingher. Other cutting tools include embroidery scissors, appliqué scissors, and buttonhole
scissors.

20. Curve

When you must lengthen or shorten a pattern, you must blend-in the lines. Using a French curve
allows you to draw a perfectly smooth curve.