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Getting Started

Basic Equipment

Marking, measuring

and pinning

If you sew as a hobby, the chances are

you already have most of the essential

equipment for bag making. As with

most things you get what you pay for,

so buy the best you can afford and

you’ll need to replace items less often.

Cutting

Rotary cutter – a rotary cutter greatly increases

the speed and accuracy of fabric cutting. Also

look out for rotary blade sharpeners, which will

save you money on replacing dull blades.

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Cutting mat – for use with a rotary cutter.

Choose one that has both imperial and metric

gridlines (inches and centimetres). The gridlines

are also really helpful when drafting your own

bag patterns.

Dressmaking scissors – choose scissors that cut

all the way through to the tip, are as heavy as is

comfortable (as the weight aids cutting stability),

and are angled with the handles raised upwards.

Embroidery scissors – small, fine-pointed

scissors are essential for precision snipping.

Seam ripper – for unpicking seams and perfect

for making tiny incisions for magnetic snaps and

buttonholes. Always replace dull seam rippers to

prevent you from having to push too hard, which

could result in slipping and tearing the fabric.

Disappearing marker – this is my favourite

type of marker because it is more precise than

chalk. Make your marks as desired and they will

disappear within 48 hours. Always do a test on a

small swatch of fabric to check suitability first.

Hera marker (or bone folder) – this useful tool

makes an indent in your fabric from pressure

only, so it’s perfect if your fabric is unsuitable for

a disappearing marker. It is also great for pre-

creasing fabric when making folds or pleats.

Tape measure – to make measurement

conversions easier, choose a tape measure with

both metric and imperial measurements printed

on the same side.

Sewing pins – I love flower flathead pins because

they are pretty and they prevent sore fingertips,

sometimes caused by pushing pins through lots

of layers.

Hand-sewing needle – although you will be

mostly sewing by machine, there are times when

hand sewing is unavoidable – such as when the

sewing machine can’t reach the areas you need

to stitch, or when sewing on buttons for example.

Getting Started

Sharpen up ...

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Keep blades on all cutting

equipment sharp for safer and

more precise cutting.