Basic Sewing Machine Supplies For Beginners

Today it’s all about having some basic sewing machine supplies for beginners or experts for that matter. I have been sewing my entire life, or at least when my foot could reach the sewing machine pedal. My mom started out by teaching my sisters and me how to make an apron. You know the kind with a waistband, the skirt part was ruffled and we made the ties to keep the apron on our waist.

Oh, I can still remember how excited I was to learn how to make an apron of my very own. I also remember that I had to make two rows of longer stitches in order to carefully pull the “gathers” on the skirt section of the apron. If you can teach your kids or grandkids to sew, it’s such a needed skill, that would be so awesome. If you have the money pay for lessons.

Sewing Machine Ruffler

We’ve come a long way baby with sewing machine parts like a “ruffler,” it does the ruffling for you! WooHoo! My sister usually teaches me all the computer stuff and one day she said she wanted to make a ruffle on a handmade quilt. I asked her if she had a “ruffler.” She said, “What’s that? I took my ruffler over to her house and taught her how to attach it to her sewing machine and we started ruffling yard after yard of fabric.

The rest is history, she’s been making ruffles on quilts for years now. I used my ruffler mine when I made twirly skirts for my granddaughters and dresses for my daughters when they were growing up. I have had a few different machines to sew on over the years. I grew up using a Singer brand, so when I got married I bought a Singer Sewing Machine to sew on.

It worked fine for many years. Then I purchased a BabyLock machine, it was a nice machine as well. One thing to consider when purchasing a sewing machine is what plans you have for using it.

Sewing Machine for Mending or Sewing

Is it just for mending or making napkins, or for making things that just need a straight stitch and maybe a zigzag stitch? Now, remember, you can sew by hand, you do not have to have a sewing machine. But it will take more time and patience.

Today, I’m talking about supplies you may need to learn how to sew with a sewing machine. Trust me, if you have a good machine, I did not say the top-of-the-line crazy money machine, you can sew. And you will love it!

Sewing Machine Supplies

If you have a store near you that sells fabric, they typically sell sewing notions too. Here’s a PRINTABLE list: Sewing

1. A sewing machine with a case or cover is critical to keep the dust off of it.
2. Bobbins that work with YOUR machine, bobbins may look the same, but they are not.
3. Bobbin holder, this is what I use, I have two of them: Blue Feather Bobbinsaver, Red
4. The thread gets old and brittle, please discard thread that could be 8-10 years old, it shreds.
5. Good scissors (please do not use these for crafts since that will dull the blades). I have several sizes for different projects.
6. Needles, both for machines and for sewing by hand. Typically the needles for machines have numbers for different uses. My favorite sewing machine needles are Schmetz Needles.
7. Rotary cutter
8. Rotary cutting board
9. Pins-quilter pins are the best because they are easy to pick up.
10. Pin magnet holder: Blue Feather Grabbit Pincushion Assorted Colors
11. Tape measure
12. Chalk pencil to mark things on your fabric.
13. Beginner’s guide to sewing book. The Sewing Book: An Encyclopedic Resource of Step-by-Step Techniques
14. A good seam ripper that cushions your hand.
15. Painters tape for sewing a straight line or use the measuring guide on the machine.
16. Container to hold your thread and the tools you sew with.
17. A small container to collect the threads you cut: Gypsy Quilter TGQ007 The Bitty Buddy.
18. A good iron and ironing board. I have a small ironing board, just big enough to iron small pieces of fabric. I have a larger ironing board for bigger projects.
19. Magnet pin collector, this will pick up the pins or needles you drop so much easier.
20. Oil designed for your machine.
21. Threader: Clover Desk Needle Threader, Purple
22. Sewing gauge: Dritz Sewing Gauge
23. Six-inch or so squares of fabric (scraps) to test the new bobbin after inserting it in the machine BEFORE you start sewing the item you are about to sew.
24. A sturdy table for your sewing machine, it must not wobble.
25. Patience: it takes time and patience to learn how to sew, but once you do learn to sew, there’s no going back. Have fun!

Keep Your Sewing Machine Oiled/Serviced

One really important tip is to keep your sewing machine oiled and serviced. Please use the correct oil for your machine. I remember being asked to help sew a project at a church function and people brought their machines from home.

It was crazy, one didn’t have the bobbin holder and none of them had decent needles or thread. Needless to say, we all ended up sewing the baby blankets by hand. They had eight sewing machines and only one worked. Good grief!

Here’s the deal, if that machine was Aunt Mary’s and you have never taken it out of the case for 10 years, it needs to be cleaned, oiled, and serviced by a qualified technician that services that brand.

So, please do not donate that machine to charity if it doesn’t work because you usually can have it repaired for a fraction of the cost of a new one. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a used machine, depending on the brand. It needs to be a brand where you can still get the machine parts in case it does need repairs in the future.

I Recommend These Brands

Now keep in mind I can only recommend those sewing machines I have purchased or sewn on myself. I’m sure there are other great machines. I love to sew and so will you if you have a good machine. Be sure when you’re shopping for a sewing machine that it has a feature to thread the needle. I can no longer see the little eye of the needle. Just giving you the heads-up here.

• Bernina
• Singer
• Janome
• BabyLock

Sewing Machine Items

Here are some things I looked for when I purchased sewing machines.

• Easy to thread
• Easy to make the bobbin
• Simple instructions in the book
• Built-in thread cutter
• Built-in threader
• Zigzag stitch
• A straight stitch (is always the main stitch)
• Fabric, check out my friend Tiffany’s Best Online Fabric Stores

Keep in mind things improve every year, but the Bernina machine I have today I will have the rest of my life, if I keep it serviced, which I do twice a year or more depending on how many projects I have going. My Bernina was a gift to myself from some money I inherited from my mother in 2006 after she died. It’s 13 years old and going strong. I know my mom is looking down from heaven smiling every time I sew with it.

Final Word

Keep in mind when you purchase your sewing machine at a store where they teach classes on how to use it. They are usually included in the price of the machine. I have seen a Janome for less than $200.00 that I would buy in a heartbeat for a beginner learning how to sew.

I used to sew crayon bags for gifts for my daughters to have ready for birthday parties when the granddaughters were younger. I would make 200 of these and all my daughters used them as gifts for birthday parties.  Coloring Book Bags

As a prepper, I highly recommend you learn how to sew. You may say, what if we lose electricity? I bet you have a neighbor with a solar generator that can help you with that. You can trade mending for eggs or some bacon. Who doesn’t love bacon, right? Thanks again for being prepared for the unexpected. May God bless this world, Linda