Stocking Up and Getting Started

Half of the fun of sewing for me is going to the craft store to buy all the gadgets and notions. I love going to Jo-Ann Fabric or Michaels and just wandering the isles for inspiration.

In order to get started with my first sewing project, I bought some handy sewing tools that my teacher had recommended to me. Sewing is a fairly inexpensive hobby once you buy the basics. You can find most of these items at any craft or sewing store, and even at a store like Walmart. Here are some things that I recommend purchasing:

• A quilter's mat (in green in the picture) is really useful when cutting and measuring fabric. I really like the Omnigrid one I purchased from JoAnn's.
• A quilting ruler also helps with cutting and measuring.
• Scissors, and a rotary cutter (which makes it much easier to cut fabric than with scissors).
• Pins and a pin cushion
• Sewing machine replacement needles and needles for hand-sewing
• A measuring tape
• A seam ripper (used to undo stitches without ripping the fabric)
• Spools of thread to match your fabric
• An iron and ironing board
• A hobby kit to organize it all!

My Favorite Hand-Me-Down

About a year ago, my sister gave me one of her famous hand-me-downs. Ever since I was a kid, I've been on the receiving end of many wonderful items that my sister has either gotten tired of or given up on. Most recently, I've gotten her old furniture, camera, bike, and car! And this past year, I was lucky enough to receive my very own sewing machine.

At first, I was having buyer's remorse, even though I didn't technically buy it. I had a vision of it just collecting dust on my desk for years to come. But after a few months, I gave in and signed up for my first sewing class with Sarah, who I found on craigslist. She teaches classes out of her Park Slope (Brooklyn) apartment and I would highly recommend her to anyone who wants a private sewing tutor.

It's been a year since I took the class, and I'm just getting into the swing of sewing. I'm working on mostly small projects now like bags and zipper pouches, but the eventual goal is to make my own dresses. I thought this blog would be a good place to share with other novice seamstresses what I've learned, and also motivate myself to create new and interesting projects! So, please leave a comment to say hello, and I would love to hear about your projects as well.

Happy sewing.