Sewing tools: names, pictures and what each one is used for

Cutting and pressing, which matter more than the machine

People assume a better machine makes better clothes. It mostly makes faster ones. What actually shows in the finished piece is whether the pieces were cut accurately and whether every seam was pressed before the next one crossed it.

Cutting error compounds. A couple of millimetres off on four pieces becomes a garment that will not close, and no amount of careful stitching recovers it. Pressing is the other half: an unpressed seam is bulky, and once a second seam crosses it you can never press it flat again.

Keep fabric shears for fabric only

Cutting paper with them blunts the edge quickly, and blunt shears chew fabric rather than cutting it. Label them if anyone else uses your scissors.

Cut with the blades resting on the table

Lifting the fabric to cut distorts it. Long smooth strokes, and never the very tip of the blades.

Press every seam before crossing it

This is the single biggest difference between homemade and handmade. Set the stitches, then press the seam open or to one side.

Press, do not iron

Ironing slides and stretches. Pressing is lift, place, hold. On a bias edge, sliding an iron can add an inch you cannot remove.

Test the iron on a scrap first

Synthetics melt, and the mark is permanent. Ten seconds on an offcut saves the project.

Needles and thread, the cheap things that ruin work

Almost every skipped stitch, puckered seam and snapped thread traces back to a needle that is blunt, the wrong size, or the wrong type for the fabric. Needles are consumables and cost very little, and people treat them as permanent.

Change the machine needle roughly every eight hours of sewing, and always when starting a new project in a different fabric. A needle that has hit a pin once is finished, even if it looks fine.

Match the needle type to the fabric

Sharp for woven, ball point for knits, and specific needles for denim, leather and stretch. A sharp needle cuts a knit and causes laddering.

Match the size to the weight

Fine needles for fine fabric, heavy for heavy. Too big leaves visible holes, too small bends and skips stitches.

Use the same thread top and bottom

Mismatched threads have different tension behaviour, which shows as an uneven seam that no dial setting fixes.

Polyester thread for almost everything

It has a little give, which is what clothes need. Cotton thread suits quilting and can snap in a seam under strain.

Throw away old thread

Thread degrades and cheap thread sheds lint into the machine. A cotton reel from a jumble sale is a false economy.

How much machine you actually need

A machine that sews a straight stitch and a zigzag well can make almost anything. Two hundred decorative stitches sound like value and get used once.

What is worth paying for is a solid feed, adjustable tension you can actually reach, a buttonhole that works, and enough weight that the machine does not walk across the table on heavy fabric.

Straight, zigzag and buttonhole cover it

Everything else is decoration. Judge a machine on how well it does these three, not on the stitch count.

Weight is a feature

A heavier machine stays put and feeds evenly. Very light plastic machines struggle the moment fabric gets thick.

An overlocker is a second machine, not a first

It finishes edges beautifully and cannot do a normal seam, a zip or a buttonhole. Useful once you sew a lot of knits.

Check the presser feet are cheap and available

Zip, buttonhole and walking feet transform what a machine can do. On an unusual fitting, they become hard to find.

Learn to clean and oil it

Lint under the feed dogs causes most tension complaints. Five minutes with a brush fixes what a service would charge for.

What to buy first, in order

Stage one: hand sewing and repair

Hand needles, a thimble, pins, a pin cushion, a tape measure, fabric shears, small snips, a seam ripper, tailor's chalk and a few reels of polyester thread. That is a full repair kit and it fits in a biscuit tin.

Stage two: making things

A machine, machine needles in two or three sizes, bobbins, a seam gauge, a long ruler, pattern paper and an iron with a decent sole plate. A sleeve board if you sew clothes.

Stage three: speed and accuracy

A rotary cutter, a self healing mat and a quilting ruler, which together cut straight lines far faster than shears. Clips instead of pins for anything thick or coated.

Stage four: specialist

An overlocker, a walking foot, a bias tape maker, a tailor's ham and a dress form. Each one solves a problem you will recognise when you meet it.

Mistakes that show in the finished piece

Cutting with blunt shears

They push the fabric ahead of the blade, so the line wanders and the edge frays. Sharpening or replacing is overdue long before most people do it.

Sewing over pins

It bends or breaks the needle, and a broken needle throws a fragment at your face. Pull each pin as you reach it.

Not pressing as you go

The seams look acceptable flat on the table and lumpy on a body. Once crossed, they cannot be fixed.

Ignoring the grain line

A piece cut off grain twists on the body, and it will keep twisting after every wash. The arrow on the pattern is not a suggestion.

Skipping the toile

A rough version in cheap fabric costs an hour and saves the expensive fabric. Nobody who has ruined good cloth skips it twice.

Using the wrong needle on a knit

A sharp needle cuts the loops and the fabric ladders along the seam weeks later. A ball point pushes between them instead.

Trusting the pattern size

Pattern sizing has no relationship to shop sizing. Measure yourself and use the measurement chart, every time.

Looking after sewing tools

Never cut paper with fabric shears

The most repeated rule in sewing, because paper dulls an edge in a way fabric does not. Keep a separate cheap pair for patterns.

Brush the machine out after every project

Lint packs under the feed dogs and around the bobbin case, and that is the cause of most mystery tension problems.

Change the needle far more often than feels necessary

About every eight hours of sewing. They cost pennies and a blunt one damages fabric with every stitch.

Keep pins out of the pin cushion long term

They rust in a stuffed cushion and a rusty pin marks fabric. A tin or a magnetic dish is kinder to them.

Clean the iron sole plate

Melted synthetic and starch build up and transfer to the next thing you press. A cold plate and a damp cloth, regularly.

Store shears closed and dry

The pivot is what wears, and a drop of oil once a year keeps a good pair working for a lifetime.

Frequently asked questions

What sewing tools do I need to start?

Hand needles, pins, a pin cushion, a tape measure, fabric shears, small thread snips, a seam ripper, tailor's chalk and polyester thread. That covers repairs and alterations. Add a machine, bobbins and machine needles when you want to make things from scratch.

Why can't I cut paper with fabric scissors?

Paper is abrasive and dulls the blade edge much faster than fabric does. Blunt shears push fabric ahead of the blade instead of cutting it, so the line wanders and the edge frays. Keep a cheap separate pair for patterns.

What is the difference between shears and scissors?

Shears are longer, with an offset handle so the lower blade rests flat on the table while you cut. That keeps the fabric from lifting and distorting. Scissors are shorter, symmetrical, and better for trimming and detail work.

How often should I change my sewing machine needle?

Roughly every eight hours of sewing, and always after it has hit a pin. Needles cost pennies and a blunt one causes skipped stitches, puckered seams and small holes in the fabric with every stitch.

What is a ball point needle for?

Knits and jersey. It has a rounded tip that pushes between the loops of the fabric rather than piercing them. A sharp needle cuts the loops, and the seam ladders weeks later.

Do I need an overlocker?

Not to start. An overlocker trims and finishes an edge in one pass, which is excellent on knits and makes seams look shop finished, but it cannot sew a normal seam, insert a zip or make a buttonhole. It is a second machine rather than a first.

What is a seam ripper and do I really need one?

A small hooked blade for cutting stitches out without damaging the fabric. Yes, you need one, because unpicking with scissors cuts the cloth eventually. Everybody unpicks, including people who sew for a living.

What is the difference between pressing and ironing?

Ironing slides the iron across the fabric, which stretches and distorts it. Pressing is lift, place, hold, lift. On a curved or bias edge, sliding an iron can add an inch of length that cannot be taken out again.

Are rotary cutters better than scissors?

For long straight lines and multiple layers, much better and faster, especially with a ruler and a self healing mat. For curves, notches and detail, shears still win. Most people who sew a lot own both.

What is a tailor's ham for?

Pressing curved seams such as darts, sleeve heads and princess seams. Pressing a curve flat on a board flattens shape you deliberately built in. The ham gives the curve something to sit on.

What thread should I use?

Polyester for almost everything, because it has a slight stretch that clothes need. Cotton thread suits quilting and non stretch work. Match the top and bobbin thread, since two different threads behave differently under tension.

Why does my seam pucker?

Usually tension, a blunt or wrong needle, or the wrong thread for the fabric, in that order of likelihood. Clean the lint out of the machine, fit a fresh needle in the right type, and test on a doubled scrap of the same fabric.