I have had quite a few requests for resources from my friends who sew, but aren’t involved in the extensive social media sewing collective. The tools are not necessarily the ones I use the most, but are the ones that help greatly improve the overall sewing experience for me.
Top 5 Sewing Tools
If you plan on batch sewing and cutting 6+ layers of fabric or if you sew with a lot of heavier weight fabrics, this is hands down my most fun tool! And an absolute hand saver for cutting multiples or hacking through a home decor weight ottoman chenille fabric. I did find out that it’s limit is a smidge before carpet tiles!
A quality iron is a must for all sewing projects. I am solidly on team “Iron-As-You-Go” for the best end result, with the more professional looking finish. I’ve tried a few other brands, but so far Oliso is by far the one I would recommend.
One of the biggest things I have learned with sewing, and it took me a good, long while to learn this, is to invest in quality tools. There will be less injuries and frustrations if you go ahead and fork over the money. The Kai scissors are superior to any of the other high end scissors and make cutting any type of fabric feel like cutting through softened butter — no resistance or hand pinching.
I specifically linked a set of seam rippers because I am ALWAYS losing mine or breaking them. My favorite style is this ergonomic on with a larger silicone grip handle to help minimize the hand cramps that will accompany a very bad sewing day, no need to add pain to the misery!
Lastly, buy the biggest cutting mat you can afford. I have been using this one for a few years now and it is holding up better than the more common gray ones. Look for a mat with measurements and at least a 45 degree line to help with making bias tape.
Top 5 Fabric Websites for Beginners
These 5 stores are by no means an exclusive list from which I shop. I picked these five because I think they are the best suited to beginners and provide a wide variety in one location. There are so many small stores that offer such a great curated experience that this list would quickly be overwhelming for someone starting their fabric search.
Fabricmart Fabrics
Fabric Mart Fabrics is probably the number one place I shop for my fabric. The descriptions are very thorough and accurate. Pictures of the fabric is provided flat and draped so you can see how the fabric will behave. I also love their matching thread service! When you go to check out, there will be a check box to select to add however many spools of matching thread. I usually keep a few colors on hand, but this extra touch is very helpful in project planning.
Mood Fabrics
If I am looking for a specific type of fabric, Mood is where it’s at! Mood curates luxury options and unique textiles, as well as a video to demonstrate the hand of the fabric. They have also recently started offering Mood Exclusive prints in different substrates that are very on trend. Oh and they provide a plethora of free patterns!
Nature’s Fabrics
For all the natural fibers, I start at Nature’s Fabrics. They offer a wide selection of cotton and sustainable fiber fabrics by the yard. I originally found them when I was seeking out absorbent materials for cloth diapers and cloth pads.
Spoonflower
Around Christmas every year, I order bookoos of yardage from Spoonflower to create my kiddos some one-of-a-kind Christmas morning pajamas. The options on Spoonflower are limitless, which is great for curating prints for a specific look! Spoonflower prints the pattern you selected on the substrate of your choice. To date, I have ordered the knit, minky, cotton, faille, and linen canvas. All the fabrics have washed and held up well, the only fabric that has faded is the cotton. Full disclosure, the cotton was used to make a crib sheet and after 3 kiddos, it was bound to show some wear!
Fabric.com
Fabric.com is a great place to start for cheap fabric. I have found some gems in the clearance section. The second reason to shop here, is the shipping speed is phenomenal. Most of my orders are filled and shipped within a matter of days! A word of caution, the fabric descriptions on this site are not reliable. If there are any reviews, make sure to read them before purchasing.
This site really has all the information and facts I wanted
about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Thank you! I’m so glad you found it helpful!