Afi Ruel There are a lot of moving parts in sewing. So, you need to make it as easy as possible for yourself! There are definitely things I have now that would have made the beginning of my sewing journey a lot easier. So I want to share with you 5 must-have tools for every sewist.
1: A wrist pin cushion
This changed my sewing life…literally. It’s a pain to move a garment around your sewing studio and then have to search for where you last put your pins. And if you have a pet like I do…you know that they are fascinated by the pins they find on the floor (scary!). So a wrist pin cusion allows you to help keep your pins organized and off the floor. And they save time so that you don’t have to go searching for them while you’re constructing your garment.
2: Space lighting (specifically for your desk area)
I know you have room lamps, but lamps designed for sewing desks are brighter. And you always want bright light when you’re working in the early evening or through the night. You need to be able to see what you’re sewing…trust me on that one.
3: A magnifier attached to a lamp
In sewing, you find out pretty quickly that the tools you work with are small. And no matter how great your eyesight is, you can spend a lot of time straining to see these tools. Magnifiers with lamps are lifesavers. They take the strain off your eyes and help you to thread through those pesky needles or place buttons and buttonholes.
4: A dressform
This is so helpful when you’re trying to fit fabric and/or your pattern to your body. When you’re sewing a garment for yourself it’s almost impossible to fit the pattern literally on your own body. A dress form makes that possible. And it’s a really great way to see what the garment will look like completed, like throughout the construction phase.
5: A serger
My mother bought me one for Christmas one year. I screamed with delight when I opened the box. Because sergers are one of those things in sewing that take your work to the next level. They not only make the insides of your garments look more professional. They help your garment stay constructed through wear, tear and washing. One of my favorite parts of garment construction is serging. It makes me feel confident about wearing the garment that I spent time, money and lots of effort on!
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