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Materials, Supplies, and Tools

Materials

Your main fabric is not the only material you might need when sewing! From interfacing to batting (wadding), there are several other materials you might need in addition to your fabric of choice.

Cotton Fabric

All the projects in this book are made from cotton. It is the easiest of fabrics to work with, so it’s just right for a beginner. The variety of printed cotton fabric is vast, inexpensive, and widely available. Check your local fabric store or shop online. Many cotton fabrics are produced for patchwork and quilting purposes, and it’s these kinds of fabrics that have been used for most of the projects in this book. You can easily complement the prints by using coordinating, pattern-free cottons. Heavier-weight cottons are suitable for simple cushions, aprons, and bags (such as the tote bag here). Most printed fabrics have a right and wrong side, and it’s usually quite obvious which is the right side. Most plain fabrics, woven stripes, and woven checkered fabrics do not have a wrong side; these are known as double-faced fabrics.

As it is a natural fiber, cotton may shrink. To test for shrinkage, cut a 4" x 4" (10 x 10cm) square of fabric. Wash and press the square, then measure it again. If the square is now smaller than 4" x 4" (10 x 10cm), it has shrunk, and you should wash your fabric before cutting out the pieces for the project.

Interfacing

Stiffen fabric with interfacing to give it more body or to add strength. Nonwoven and woven varieties of interfacing come in different weights to suit particular purposes. Interfacing is sold in packs or by the yard (meter). Iron the shiny side of iron-on (fusible) interfacing, or baste (tack) sew-in interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric.

Fusible (bonding) web, which is similar to interfacing, is a double-sided adhesive web with a paper backing that is used to fuse layers of fabric together.

Batting (Wadding)

A layer of batting (wadding) is sandwiched between fabrics to pad them. It comes in various weights and is made from man-made fibers such as polyester or natural fibers such as cotton, wool, and eco-friendly bamboo. Use cotton batting (wadding) for items that will come in contact with heat. Batting (wadding) made from natural fibers is prone to shrink, whereas polyester isn’t, so if you are planning to wash an item frequently, it might be more practical to use polyester instead of cotton.

Use a layer of insulated lining in items that will come into contact with heat (such as the pot holder here or the oven mitt here). It reflects warmth back to the body and is breathable, letting moisture escape. Just remember: insulated lining is heat resistant but not heat proof.

Supplies

Find a nice selection of supplies at department stores and sewing shops. Don’t be afraid to collect a large stash of buttons, ribbons, and other trimmings—they will come in handy for lots of applications!

Threads

For machine and hand sewing, choose sewing thread to match the fabric colors of your project. The thread should be strong and durable with a bit of give in it; an all-purpose polyester thread is a good choice, and it has more give in it than an all-purpose cotton thread.

Topstitching is machine stitching on the right side of the fabric, both for decoration and to hold fabric layers in place. Topstitched projects in this book use regular sewing thread, but you can also find thick topstitching thread in a small range of colors. Use thick topstitching thread with a topstitching needle and ordinary sewing thread in the bobbin.

Embroidery floss (stranded cotton) is a versatile embroidery thread made up of six strands that can be separated for use in any quantity desired (1 strand to 6 strands), which allows you to precisely control the thickness of your embroidery lines. It’s inexpensive and comes in a huge variety of colors.

Buttons

Use buttons for practical purposes as well as for decoration. As you can imagine, there is a huge variety available out there, in every shape and color. Flat buttons have flat backs with two or four holes to sew through. Shank buttons have a loop underneath to sew through. Self-cover buttons allow you to cover the button with a fabric of your choice; they are available in different sizes and are easy to assemble, so rest assured if you want the buttons on a project to match perfectly, you can do that!

Ribbons

Use ribbons for decoration or for fastenings. They come in various widths and finishes and in lots of colors.

Cotton Twill Tape

Usually a utility tape for binding edges or reinforcing seams, cotton twill tape comes in a small range of widths and colors. It is cheap to buy and, in this book, is perfect for making apron ties (see the half apron here).

Zippers

For a professional finish on a bag or other item, close two edges of fabric temporarily with a zipper. It’s easiest to stitch a zipper with a zipper foot on a sewing machine.

Bias Binding

This is a strip of bias cut fabric (see here) with the long edges pressed under for binding curved and straight edges. The binding is available in different widths and a limited color range, plus a small choice of printed bindings. Buy bias binding by the yard (meter) or in packs of 3 yd. (2.5m), or make your own bias binding with a bias binding maker (see here).

Metal Hardware

Use round, square, rectangular, and D-shaped metal rings to link straps to bags and to hang items on a wall. A swivel bolt snap is a trigger-style fastener to join a strap or handle and metal ring together, allowing the strap to be removed. A key ring is a split ring that can be affixed securely through the hole in a key. Metal rings and swivel bolt snaps come in different finishes, such as chrome and antique bronze.

Metal eyelets are available in a few different sizes and have nickel, gold, and painted finishes. Most come with an installation kit or are applied with special pliers or a setting tool.

Hook and Loop Tape

This two-part tape, commonly known by the brand name Velcro®, is used to fasten bags and clothing. One tape has a looped mesh surface and the other a hooked surface. The two layers interlock when pressed together. Hook and loop tape can be sewn on or can have a self-adhesive backing for sticking. It is also available as circular disks.

Tools

Even if you are new to sewing, you probably already have some of the basic equipment you’ll need to get started. Keep your tools together and use them only for sewing activities; otherwise, they may become blunt and dirty. Keep sharp and swallowable tools beyond the reach of small children and pets.

Pattern-Making Papers

None of the templates in this book need paper larger than 11" x 17" (A3 size), and most only need standard printer paper size. Sewing shops supply special pattern-making paper, but ordinary printer paper is ideal to use. Brown kraft paper (parcel paper) is also suitable as it is durable and comes in large sheets. Thinner tracing paper is useful for making templates you will need to see through, such as for projects where you need to position motifs.

Pattern-Making Tools

Use a sharp #2 (HB) pencil or mechanical pencil for accurate drawing. Draw straight lines against a ruler and draw circles with a compass. Use a triangle ruler (set square) to make precise angles when drawing on paper and fabric.

Measuring Tools

A transparent 12" (30cm) ruler is a handy size for drawing straight lines on paper and fabric and for checking measurements. Use a yardstick (meter stick) for long lengths and to measure fabric quantities. A plastic-coated or cloth measuring tape is useful for measuring curves. A 6" (15cm)-long sewing gauge has a slider to set at different levels for marking hems and seams and to use as a quilting guide.

Fabric-Marking Tools

A sharp #2 (HB) pencil can be used on fabric if the marks will be hidden. Use an air-erasable pen if the marks will be visible; the marks will gradually fade away. Alternatively, use a water-soluble marker, which allows the marks to be removed with water. Tailor’s chalk comes in a range of colors and in pencil and wedge form; marks made with tailor’s chalk will brush off, although a slight mark may remain. Keep tailor’s chalk sharpened for accuracy. Test all methods of marking fabric on scrap fabric first to make sure you’ll get what you want.

Scissors

Cut paper with paper scissors, not sewing scissors. Bent-handled dressmaking shears are comfortable and accurate to use for cutting fabric because the angle of the lower blade allows the fabric to lie flat. Top-quality shears are expensive, but they will last a lifetime. The shears are available in different sizes, so test which ones you prefer before buying. A small pair of embroidery scissors is indispensable for snipping threads and seam allowances. Pinking shears cut a fray-resistant zigzag edge for finishing seams and to cut fabrics that are prone to fraying.

Needles

Needle sizes are identified by number. Sewing machine needles come in different thicknesses with points of different shapes. Sizes 9–14 (70–90 in the UK) are the most commonly used (the lower the number, the finer the point). A sharp-point needle is the most versatile for woven fabrics. Use a ballpoint needle on knit fabrics. Replace sewing machine needles regularly, as they soon become blunt and put strain on your sewing machine.

The number system is different for hand-sewing needles: the higher the number, the shorter and finer the needle. Use crewel embroidery needles for embroidery; they have a large eye to accommodate more than one strand and are easy to thread. They are also handy for general sewing; sizes 7–9 are useful sizes.

Pins

Dressmaking pins come in various thicknesses; household pins are the most versatile. Use lace or bridal pins on delicate fabrics, as other pins may mark the surface. Colored glass-headed pins show up well on a large expanse of fabric. Quilting pins are extra long to push through fabric layers, and they have large, colorful, shapely heads to make them easy to see.

Bodkin and Rouleau Turner

A bodkin is a needle-like tool that has a large eye and blunt tip. Fasten a bodkin to the end of a rouleau or other narrow tube of fabric to turn it right side out. Also known as a tube turner, a rouleau turner can be used instead of a bodkin to turn a tube of fabric through. You can also simply use a safety pin instead of a bodkin or rouleau turner, by working it through manually, but it will be a slow process.

Bias Binding Maker

When you pull a bias or a straight strip of fabric through this clever gadget, it will turn under the long edges for you; then you simply press with an iron to make a binding. Bias binding makers come in a range of widths and are a useful tool for a keen sewer.