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Sewing Room Basics

We demand that you keep the following basic equipment in your sewing room, because we don't want to type "thread" 800 times in the next five years. Oh, shut up. You love it.

• A working sewing machine, with straight and zigzag stitches
• Sewing machine needles appropriate to the fabric being sewn
• Bobbins appropriate to the sewing machine - your sewing machine manual will tell you what kind to buy
• Sharp scissors*
• Sewing pins
• Hand sewing needles, commonly called "sharps"
• A pin cushion, preferably with a small emery bag attached for sharpening pins
• A seam ripper
• A steam iron
• An ironing board, with padding and cover
• A measuring tape, at least 60" long
• A large flat area for laying out and cutting fabric. This can be your dining table, your floor (though this is hard on your knees and back), or a specially designed craft table.
• Something with which to mark fabric (There are specially designed tailor chalks and pens, but colored chalkboard chalk works fine for most sewing applications.)
• Good lighting

*A note on scissors for sewing: It is important that your sewing scissors be sharp, as dull or nicked scissors can cause irreparable damage to some fabrics. Never cut paper (or anything else) with your sewing scissors, nor allow anyone else to do so. You may wish to mark your sewing scissors in some obvious way (like a short ribbon tied to the handle), and make sure all housemates understand that they are not to use them for anything other than fabric or thread. Threaten them with bodily harm, if necessary. When your scissors do become dull, have them professionally sharpened, or replace them, depending on their replacement cost vs. the cost of sharpening them.

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