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Wish you had paid attention in Home Economics?
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items For years I wished I knew how to sew. I though I was too old to learn and maybe because I was 45 years old and had never tried it I never would. Boy was I wrong. I'm going to pay forward a little secret….you can learn new things at any age if you hav...
Sections
3
Sewing Supply Basics
Sewing Machines
Best Tutorials for Beginners
Sewing Supply Basics
This section is dedicated to everything but the sewing machine. All the little things that make your crafting project a little easier. I've found several of my favorite items at thrift stores, garage stores, on marketplace or even discount stores. A ...
The first thing you will reach for with any project that involves fabric is a cutter. I prefer a rotary cutter vs. scissors. This is an excellent and affordable option and easy to replace the blades when they get dull.
Missouri Star 45mm Rotary Cutter
Keep a few refills on hand for when your cutting seems to slow down. You can tell the difference. This is a standard size.
Rotary Cutter Blades - Missouri Star Quilt Company
If you are using a rotary cutter you will need a safe cutting surface. I don't have a permeant space set up for cutting so I like this 18x24 size. It fits on my desk, island or kitchen table and works for most fabric cuts that I'm using.
Self-Healing Cutting Mat 18 x 24 inch | Double-Sided Green/Black
I started with black, ivory, white and grey thread. With quilting it rarely shows and you don't need many options. But you will want a quality thread on a large spool so you are not changing it all the time. I try to find multi packs when possible.
Missouri Star Sewing Thread | Buy Quality Quilting Thread
I use plastic more than the metal ones. Keep several filled up so its an easy swap when you run out. Some people even buy the pre-filled. Regardless you will need them for any project you work on.
Bobbins in Notions & Sewing Accessories - Walmart.com
Pins are necessary for most sewing projects. Even if I use clips too, a flat headed pin always comes in clutch for most projects.
Magic Pins™ Flat Head Regular - 100 count
These mini clips are so useful and quick when working on sewing projects. I use them for quilting, hemming pants, apron making and more.
Missouri Star Colorful Quilting Clips - Pack of 50
Since the majority of my cutting is with a rotary cutter I like smaller scissors for threads, small cuts and trims. Just keep them for fabric only or they will dull quick.
Westcott Sewing Scissors, Titanium, 7", Micro-tip, for Craft, Light Blue, 1-Count
I keep a small pair of embroidery scissors on my sewing machine at all times. They are perfect for snipping threads in the moment.
Embroidery Scissors
By far the most used items on my crafting table. You will thank me later. This little desktop trash can is amazing for keeping threads and small pieces from getting everywhere.
Desktop Trash Can
This ruler is a great size for most projects. I use this and my 2.5" x 6" all the time. They don't bow, hold a nice straight edge and very easy to read.
Missouri Star 5" x 15" Ruler
This is a super handy size ruler when working with fabric pre-cuts or smaller projects. The 2.5" is the width of a common quilting pre-cut know as the Jelly Roll.
Missouri Star 2.5" x 8" Ruler
She's cute, heats up hot and I use her almost every day. You need a great iron to press when you sew. Whether you are making quilts or smaller projects an iron is required. My preference is smaller, but the full size Oliso is awesome too.
Missouri Star + Oliso M3Pro Mini Iron
If you are an amazon shopper several retailers carry Oliso irons. Great brand that will last you a very long time. And they stand behind their products.
Oliso M3Pro Project Steam Iron with Solemate
Sewing Machines
Unless you only plan on hand sewing, find yourself a nice basic machine to get started. I had to watch a YouTube video on how to thread my machine many times before it stuck. You have to take your time and embrace the process. And you don't have to b...
This is my everyday sewing machine. It's very beginner friendly, large neck and can handle almost every project. It is manual, not digital but has tons of stitch options.
Jazz II
This was my first sewing machine and I made several quilts on it. It helped me get started before I invested in a more powerful model.
Brother Sm1704 Lightweight, Full Size Sewing Machine With 17 Stitches And 4 Sewing Feet
This is an investment on a lifetime machine. And relative, its still not as expensive as some middle of the road offerings. Sewing machines range from $100 to $10,000+ but remember some people use these daily for their jobs. Find what is best for you...
Bernina 485 - Sewing and Quilting Machine
Best Tutorials for Beginners
It might be an 11 year old tutorial, but the the contents are so good! I reference this all the time when finishing a quilt, pillow or anything with a binding.
The Ultimate Quilt Binding Tutorial with Jenny Doan of Missouri Star (Instructional Video)
This is one of the first quilts I made myself. All you need is a layer cake and your basic supplies and you can do this quilt in one day! I gifted it to my sons kindergarten teacher. Try it with prints or solids. Makes a great gift.
Double Slice Layer Cake Quilt Along Video 1
Missouri Star Quilt company has been making free quilting education videos for 17 years. Check out all the awesome inspiration for your first or next project.
Missouri Star