Must-Have Sewing Machine Accessories

Sewing is not just any other basic household skill; it is a sophisticated and elegant skilled artistry. To carve out perfectly sewn fabrics, you need some basic sewing machine accessories.

A set of must-have sewing accessories helps you hone your sewing craft and provide great convenience in showcasing your creativity.

If you are new to sewing, you will find numerous sewing accessories available; however, you are not required to buy all of them. It would be best if you began with the necessary accessories to start sewing.

Sewing Scissors

It would be best if you had an advanced and high-quality pair of fabric scissors for performing your sewing tasks efficiently.

Ensure to use your scissors only for fabric and threads. Please avoid using this pair of scissors for cutting any other material as it will dull the blades.

You may also purchase a small scissor to cut only threads as you would need to rethread the machine repeatedly.

Chalks

Chalks are required for creating temporary marks on the fabrics. These marks help the sewers for seams, darts, and tracing various cloth patterns. These are called tailor’s chalks. These chalk marks can be easily brushed off by using a piece of fabric.

Alternatively, you can also use pencil crayons, soft pencils, or specially designed markers; that is washable.

Measuring Tape

A measuring tape is a must-have sewing accessory that should always be found in your sewing tool kit. It comes in the form of a flexible and efficient ruler that can be used for body measurement.

Ensure that your chosen measuring tape has metric measurement markings (in centimetres and millimetres) on one side and imperial markings (inches) on the other side.

This adds to the versatility of the measuring tape for working with different types of patterns. Some sewing patterns and guides use inches, while others use marking in centimetres.

Having both the marking systems on your measuring tape provides you with flexibility and avoids any confusion.

Sewing gauge

A sewing gauge helps you to mark distances between tucks, buttons, hems, and pleats easily. It provides exact measurements for accurate sewing.

Pins

You would need lots of pins in your sewing organizer. You require pins practically every other minute for keeping all your stuff organized in its place. Moreover, you can also use pins for maintaining the pattern on the top of the fabric.

There are wide varieties of sewing pins available, including straight pins, ball-point pins, silk pins, quilting pins, etc.

• Straight Pins are primarily designed for attaching the patterns to the fabric. These are used for holding a rolled edge on your sewing fabric before you start sewing.
• Ball-point pins are rounded at the point of a needle. This makes it easy for slipping the tip between the threads of the fabric. It saves you the trouble of penetrating each thread. These pins are meant for stretchy fabric like jerseys.

• Silk pins are extra thin needles that are suitable for fine fabrics such as satin and silk. The silk fibres are very fine and hence require these thinner pins. The silk pins are either standard metallic thin pins or fine pins with rust-proof nickel coating.

• Quilting pins are longer and strong needles with enhanced durability. These pins are suitable for working with many layers of fabric during quilting. The normal pins are not suitable for quilting as these may easily get lost inside the sewing project.

Choose the type of pins as per the fabric you are working with. Ensure to select the pins with strong colours so that you can quickly locate them whenever you need them.

Sewing Machine Needles

There are different sizes of sewing machine needles available. This needle can be replaced if it gets broken. It would help if you learned how to insert or remove the sewing machine needle in your machine.

Always keep the sewing machine needle handy with you as you may need it any moment during sewing.

Hand Sewing Needles

Similar to the sewing machine needle, the hand sewing needles come in different sizes and types. The hand sewing needles are required for cross-stitching, embroidery projects, and hemmings on your fabrics.

Iron and Ironing Board

An iron and an ironing board are essential components of your standard sewing workstation set-up. It would help if you had them at various stages of your sewing projects.

Before you start cutting your fabric, you should iron it for making it wrinkles-free and ensuring accurate cutting. Ensure to get an iron with good heat settings. An ideal sewing iron should be able to work in the range of 135 celsius-230 Celsius.

Your iron should be able to work at a low-temperature setting so that you can use it with thin types of fabric such as silk. In addition to the iron, you also need an ironing board with appropriate height and size.

With an iron board by your side, you can ensure that your sewing table always remains free for cutting and measuring activities.

Threads

The threads are essential for completing any sewing project.

They come in different types for meeting the needs of different types of sewing projects. Some of the commonly used threads include cotton, silk, and polyester threads.

Spool Huggers

The spool huggers refer to the small rubbery silicone or plastic parts used for mounting on a thread spool to keep track of the thread. These huggers help in keeping the thread tails under control and prevent the spools from unwinding.

The spool huggers are inexpensive sewing accessories that work for a lifetime.

These can be used for working with almost any type of spool other than the jumbo spools. It would be best if you bought spool huggers in different colours so that you can easily locate them.

Sewing Tool Kit

You need a sewing tool kit for keeping all your essential sewing accessories organized in one place. For this purpose, you can use a bag, a basket, or a plastic storage container for storing your sewing supplies.

Ensure that your sewing tool kit is portable and lightweight for easy carrying during travelling and outdoor trips.

Rotary Cutter and Rotary Mat

Rotary cutters are commonly employed during quilting, and these come in different sizes. The rotary cutters are suitable when you are dealing with different layers of fabric. You should learn the skill of cutting fabric with a rotary cutter.

Ensure that you have a rotary mat for laying out your fabric. The rotary mat has printed measurements that guide through alignment for accurately cutting the fabrics.

Tracing Wheel

A tracing wheel is used for transferring the pattern marks to the fabric by using extra tracing paper. It ensures accurate and convenient sewing.

It helps you to hone your sewing craft and makes it more manageable.

Thimbles

Thimbles are used for hand-sewing when you need to do stitching by hand. These are also used when you are working with heavy fabric like denim and leather.

You can conveniently pierce the needles across several layers of thick and thick fabric like canvas and denim with thimbles.

Seam Ripper

A seam ripper is an important component of your sewing machine tool kit. It helps in removing unwanted stitches from your sewing project. It does so without ruining your fabric.

It would be best if you had it every time for removing a seam or stitch. It comes in handy while working with the embroidery stitches. It helps you to remove complex and multi-looped stitches.

Rulers

A transparent ruler is used for making markings on the fabric. I

t comes in handy for measuring seam allowance, buttonholes, and parallel lines. You can also get a curved or fashion ruler that helps design patterns, neckline, and sleeve cap alterations.

Bobbins

Bobbins are essential components of sewing machines that are used for holding the thread. It feeds the thread through the sewing machine for securing a stitch. These are prepared from different materials, and they come in different styles.

Pin Cushion

A pin cushion is designed for keeping pins and needles neat and organized. It is a must-have sewing accessory for any sewing enthusiast as it helps in locating the pins easily.

It ensures that you never mess up or lose your pins or needles.

Sewing Machine Cover

A sewing machine cover is meant for protecting your machine from dirt and dust. It keeps your sewing machine clean and gives it a decorative look when not used.

With a robust set of sewing accessories by your side, you can begin sewing on your own. The sewing supplies help in completing various sewing tasks conveniently.

If you are a beginner at sewing, you would need these must-have sewing accessories to kick-start your sewing journey. Sewing with these accessories not only makes you confident but also develops your sewing skills like a pro.

A set of must-have sewing accessories keeps you in good stead while completing your sewing assignments on time. Grab yourself these sewing accessories and give new wings to your sewing creativity.