The beginner sewing kit at £, ££ and £££
What to buy first, at three budgets. We list the kinds of things to get rather than prices, because prices change weekly.
Bobbin's checklist
Start with £. Every item in ££ and £££ is an upgrade you can add later, once you know what you enjoy sewing.
Start with £. Every item in ££ and £££ is an upgrade you can add later, once you know what you enjoy sewing.
£Just starting
- Fabric scissors: a pair kept only for fabric; paper blunts them.
- Small snips: for trimming threads.
- Glass-head pins and a pincushion: glass heads survive a hot iron.
- Tape measure: a soft one, with centimetres.
- Seam ripper: everyone unpicks; it is part of sewing.
- Universal machine needles (size 80/12): right for most medium cottons. Change them every project or two.
- General-purpose polyester thread: in white, black and one colour to match your project.
- Tailor's chalk or a washable marker: to mark lines and dots.
££Sewing most weeks
- Rotary cutter, ruler and cutting mat: quicker, straighter cutting, great for quilting.
- Sewing clips: hold thick layers where pins struggle.
- Point turner: crisp corners on collars and bags.
- Seam gauge: quick measuring for hems.
- Invisible zip foot: check it fits your machine model.
£££Ready to invest
- A steam iron you keep for sewing: good pressing makes the biggest visible difference.
- Tailor's ham: for pressing curved seams.
- Overlocker: for shop-style seams, especially on knits. Not needed to start.
- Dressmaker's dummy: for fitting, if you make lots of clothes.
Skip for now
- Big "100-piece" kits: lots of filler you will not use.
- Pinking shears at the start: zigzag does the same job on your machine.
Sources
All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.