School is now in session... Sewing School 101!

It's back to school time so we thought we would put some lessons together to take the mystery out of sewing.  The first lesson is fathering your supplies for your sewing kit.  These are just some general items, but as you get more confident you will be surprised how fast it grows.

A basic sewing kit should include:

Shears. 
As you look at the wall of scissors, there are many to choose from.  Shears and scissors are two different things.  Shears have differently sized handles which make it easier to hold when cutting out your fabrics.  Also they have handles that are bent upwards so that fabrics can stay flat on the table during cutting.  Never use your fabric shears to cut paper as this will dull them. 

Tape measure.
Most tape measures come in 60" measurements.  Two styles, fabric or fiberglass, are avaliable.  It is a matter of preference as to which tape measure is better however over time the fabric tape measure can stretch slightly so you'll need to replace it every year or so.

Hand needles
Make it easy on yourself and buy an assortment pack of needles.  Most sewers find they latch onto one or two needles and stay with that one. 

Machine needles
Pick a universal needle to start.  This is the easiest selection and works on most fabrics.  When you see numbers on the needles they refer to the size of the needle.  For the most part, the top number is the European measurement while the bottom number is the American measurement.  The smaller the number the finer the needle.  Don't be fooled some needles have the European number on the bottom.  The best rule of thumb is the American scale goes from 8 to 19 whereas the European scale goes from 60 to 120.   

Seam ripper
Everyone makes mistakes now and then so the seam ripper becomes your best friend.  Find out that you think will be easy for you to handle and go with that.

Thread
Remember when picking a thread you want only the best.  Cotton wrapped polyester is the most common type of thread.  This works for most sewing projects.  When selecting thread look for a smooth finish if it is not smooth it may have weak spots and it will not be consistent when you stitich it out.

Fabric marking pens
This is for marking seam allowances, darts, or where you will place a pocket or applique.  Don't worry though these marking will wear or wash out so they won't be seen on your final product.

Straight pins
All purpose pins are made of stainless steel that is rust proof.  They come with different heads such as plastic, glass, flat or round.  Like the hand needles, this is merely a matter of preference.  For most sewers, they chose their straight pins based on the ones that they can see the best.

Rotary cutter
This tool is used to cut fabrics for quilts and crafts.  Several layers of material can be but at the same time making it easy to cut out a lot of the same designs quickly.  Most have retractable blades that can be locked to avoid injuries.  With a rotary cutter, make sure to also buy a clear ruler or square and a self healing mat.

Some sewers put these items all in a basket but we prefer a desktop organizer that is close to the machine.  Just have fun with the gathering process and it will feel like the first day of school.