I really wish I had this sewing guide for beginners when I started my sewing journey! This is a one-stop shop where you can learn everything you need to begin sewing.
Finding all the things you need to know about how to begin sewing was something I struggled with when I was just starting. There are a lot of great sewing resources out there, but I had wished everything I needed to at least start was in one place.
Low and behold the sewing guide for beginners! These are the basic sewing materials and essential information needed to begin your first sewing project.
I’ll walk you through what I think is ACTUALLY essential from hand sewing to sewing machines.
This post is all about the complete sewing guide for beginners.
The Complete Sewing Guide for Beginners
Essential Tools and Materials
Understanding Your Sewing Machine
Choosing Fabric for Beginners
Beginner Sewing Projects
Let’s first assume you are completely starting from scratch, or maybe if you inherited only some of your Grandma’s sewing equipment. Regardless, here is a sewing essentials guide to get you started.
Essential Tools and Materials
We can’t sew without any equipment. We also can’t learn the best on equipment that is too complicated, or with too many (but probably very nice!) sewing tools.
All these tools are widely available at most retailers like JoAnn, Michael’s, Walmart, Target, and Amazon. If you have a local sewing store to your location, check them out as well! Chances are the store workers will be able to help you pick out sewing tools and recommend equipment.
1. Needles
I remember being so overwhelmed at the craft store in awe over the WALL of sewing needles in front of me. Who knew there could be so many lengths, strengths, widths, and brands! Not only that, you have to ensure your needle is compatible with your sewing machine.
Lucky for you, I really only recommend one kind of needle for your typical sewing machine! The Schmetz Universal Sewing Needle is your best bet if you are a sewing beginner. This sewing machine needle is compatible with most machines (check your machine manual!), works with most beginner fabrics, and is widely available at many chain craft stores.
To learn to sew by hand you will need hand sewing needles recommend you buy a mending kit. As a beginner sewist, most sewing/mending kits have a variety of needle sizes. Hand-sewing needles are also just great to have on hand in a pinch so you don’t have to lug out a sewing machine.
2. Thread
I followed a lot of sewing guides and sewing machine tips for beginners when I first began sewing. NO ONE warned me that the thread you use makes a HUGE difference.
I was super frustrated at how much my cheap thread tangled and would continue to derail my process. I couldn’t figure out which sewing machine settings were causing all my issues. It turns out it was the thread!
A few high quality brands of thread are Coats & Clark (AKA Coats) and Gütermann The BEST and SMOOTHEST thread I have used is the Gütermann 100% cotton thread. I have had ZERO issues with this thread and is perfect for a beginner sewist.
A variety pack of threads I think is fun and a way to get excited with starting to sew! However, if you were to only buy one spool of thread, get a spool of white thread as this is the most versatile color. Whatever thread you get, just make sure it says 100% cotton.
3. Pins (+Pin Cushion)
Pins!! These are just as necessary as a needle and thread. Honestly, if you don’t know for sure if you’ll stick with sewing, use the pins and the pin cushion that comes with a generic sewing repair kit, such as those linked in the needles section.
However, if you want to go above the sewing basics to start off with, here are some cute pins and cushions to consider adding to your sewing tools:
Is Quilting Your Goal?
If you would ultimately like to start sewing because you would like to quilt, I would HIGHLY recommend clips in addition to pins. Clips make it way easier to hold all three layers of your quilt sandwich together. However you can use these to for other small sewing projects as well!
4. Fabric Scissors (+Optional Rotary Cutter)
A sewing guide for beginners would not be complete without me telling you to get a pair of scissors for ONLY fabric. Scissor blades dull easily on paper, so this is why you’ll want a pair of scissor dedicated to sewing. Fiskars is the best brand for your first pair of fabric scissors!
What Are You Planning to Cut?
As a beginner to sewing, you should have some idea on what you would like to try and make. If you are going to be quilting, you will be cutting MANY pieces of fabric that all need to be the same size.
This is where the rotary cutter comes in. This pizza cutter-looking tool makes cutting a lot of fabric at once faster and more accurately. You would stack fabric on top of each other, and use a guide to make a cut!
NOTE: If you would like to use a rotary cutter you will also need a mat to cut on. I primarily still use my kit I got off Amazon which includes a rotary cutter, extra blades, a mat, and a ruler to use as your cutting guide.
Ultimately, if you are not planning on cutting a ton of items, a fabric scissors will get you by perfectly fine! I use fabric scissors a lot, but I have since started to use my rotary cutter for cutting out clothes patterns as well. However, I only started doing that a year into my sewing journey!
5. Seam Ripper
You are a beginner. You need a seam ripper.
Things happen! You may be following step by step sewing tutorials, yet find yourself sewing something backwards. Maybe your sewing machine thread bunches up and messes up your seam. This all requires a seam ripper so you’re able to move the thread from your fabric and start that seam over.
5. Iron
Little known fact!
When people say that sewing is their hobby, they are lying to you because their hobby is actually ironing. I swear ironing and fabric preparation takes up more time than it takes to actually sew pieces together on the sewing machine.
You truly can’t get by without an iron and have high expectations of the product outcome at the same time.
I didn’t even have an ironing board when i started, I just used a stack of towels on a flat surface and that got me by until I started sewing so much that it just wasn’t as efficient anymore.
You don’t need anything fancy. Use the iron stuffed in the back of your cabinet. Don’t be tricked by the people saying that cordless irons are necessary (nice, but not a need).
If you don’t have an iron already, buy the heaviest one at the store. You need an iron for PRESSING down seams most of the time. Basically, you will be squashing things flat, heavier things tend to squash better. This will leave your seams nice and crisp and EASIER to manage as your project continues.
6. Measuring Tap and Rulers
You need to measure literally everything when you sew! There are a few different types of rulers I recommend.
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Fabric Measuring Tapes are the most useful for quick measurements or measuring something that’s not on a flat surface. You can get these separately or through any general sewing kit, as recommended above.
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Acrylic Rulers are great because they are see through and work well with a rotary cutter and cutting mat. These guarantee the cleanest cuts and they come in a TON of sizes and shapes.
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Rulers rule. If you already have a regular ruler on hand, it will work! You can always begin your sewing journey and add additional sewing tools later on.
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7. Sewing Machine
If the plan is to use a sewing machine, you’ll obviously need one! There is a TON of discourse about which is the best sewing machine and which is the best sewing machine for beginners. But honestly you can ignore all that as a beginner.
The best sewing machine for a beginner, in order, is one that either:
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- You already have access to
- You buy second-hand
- You have access to borrow via beginner sewing class (or even the library!)
- An entry level machine. Hands down the best machine from a beginner sewist to intermediate is the Brother CS7000X. I have a slightly fancier version of this model that I snagged off Facebook Marketplace for only $80!
Facebook Marketplace and other second hand stores are filled with sewing machines. I bought my machine for a fourth of the price of the retail cost and the person I purchased it from only used it a few times.
If you do inherit or purchase a second-hand sewing machine, be sure to figure out the brand and model. This information is usually printed on the machine or will have a sticker. Then, search “[Brand+Model Number] Manual” so you are able to find the applicable instructions for your machine.
This is really important so you can figure out (1) how to work your machine and how to troubleshoot, (2) bobbin size, (3) machine maintenance, and (4) which accessories you will eventually want to purchase in the future (e.g. walking foot for quilting).
Understanding Your Sewing Machine
Sewing seems very complicated, but I if I can figure it out, you can too! As mentioned above, check your sewing machine manual for the specific details relevant to your sewing machine. I’ll be walking through the different parts and the basic settings I used to get started.
1. Parts of a Sewing Machine
As mentioned in the above section, find the manual to YOUR specific sewing machine. I am using the Brother CS7000X as an example and outlining the general parts you should know about as a beginner.
In the graphic above, I’ve outlined what I think are the most important parts of your sewing machine. Here is everything that they do:
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Bobbin Winder – This is where you will place your bobbin. There are several different sizes of bobbins available, be sure to check your machine for which size. If you buy your machine new, it will likely come with a few, which is plenty to get started.
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Spool Pin – Remember my Gütermann thread recommendation? This is where you will place the spool.
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Tension Control Dial – This is how tight your upper thread (spool thread) will be pulled through the sewing machine in relation to the lower thread (bobbin thread). This is something to play around with if you notice your fabric is bunching or if there are loose thread loops, there’s something off with the tension.
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Thread Guide – Instructions are usually printed on the sewing machine on how to wrap your spool thread on this part to either wind a bobbin OR feed through thread take-up lever to sew normally.
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Thread Take-up Lever – This is where you’ll follow the instructions on your machine to wrap the spool thread appropriately to sew normally.
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Handwheel – This is how you will manually move your needle up and down as needed. Once your needle is down, you can use the presser foot (not pictured, it looks like a car gas pedal) to sew. Use the handwheel again to bring your needle up to release the fabric.
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Presser Foot Lever – This lowers the presser foot to push your fabric against the feed dogs. This is necessary, otherwise you’ll just be sewing in the same spot over and over on your fabric.
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Operation Panel – If you have an electronic machine like the one pictured, you can match the numbers to the stitches you want on the blue panel on the machine. You can also set how wide (i.e. zigzag stitch) you would like a stitch as well as the distance between each stitch. Play around with it on some scrap fabric!
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Presser Foot – This is the piece that presses fabric against the feed dogs. This part is interchangeable based on the project. Look at your manual to see if you need additional parts.
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Feed dogs – These are the teeth that grip your fabric to move it along. For some applications, you may have to lower them, but as a beginner sewist, I would just leave them up as that’s applicable for almost all sewing projects.
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Bobbin Case – This is where you will place the bobbin. Follow your manual or the pictures on the machine to make sure you place it the appropriate direction.
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2. Prepping the Bobbin and Thread
To start sewing, you will need a bobbin. As mentioned above, the exact way to wind the bobbin as well as the size of the bobbin will depend on your machine, so refer to your sewing machine manual.
Here is a quick video explaining how to wind the bobbin!
https://youtu.be/XMPx9aF5eg4?si=wzfrRS_XBRuzri1e
2. Prepping the Bobbin and Thread
You will then need to pull the thread through the sewing machine and thread it through the needle. Then, you need to also pull the bobbin thread up using the needle. To do this, you simply pull the thread towards you and hold, bring your needle down and up, and viola, your bobbin thread should be sticking out!
https://youtu.be/WfLep31Icz0?si=H9N9o8z6Xq0p6Tjn
There! Easy, right? There is a million videos out there, so if you are still confused, google your machine name and a threading tutorial. This should help a lot as there are a lot of machine variations!
3. Basic Sewing Machine Settings
There are a few setting you need to know about as a beginner sewist! These settings all depend on the type and the thickness of the fabric you choose. So get out some scrap fabric and let’s test out our machine!
Tension
There is one dial that is the most important as you begin sewing: the tension control dial. This affects how much your thread is pulling the bobbin thread through the fabric.
Here is a quick video explaining tension and some test you can perform! I would recommend to use two different color threads for your upper thread and your bobbin thread for this exercise.
https://youtu.be/b4JDAkByMlQ?si=zKIcegvgxtzDwLgs
For the beginner fabrics I will recommend, I usually stick to a tension setting of 4 and that seems to be very versatile.
Here is a quick summary on what to do if your tension is too high or low:
Low Tension
Key indicator: The top thread is visible from the underside of the fabric
What this means: The bobbin thread tension is greater than the upper thread tension and is pulling the thread to the underside of the fabric.
Why care: The stitch will be too loose and will not hold the stitch throughout time.
The fix: Increase the number on your tension dial.
High Tension
Key indicator: The bobbin thread is visible from the top of the fabric
What this means: The upper thread tension is greater than the bobbin thread tension and is pulling the thread to the top of the fabric.
Why care: The fabric will pucker and not lay flat. Item will look wrinkled at the seams and fabric measurements won’t be accurate.
The fix: Decrease the number on your tension dial.
Stitch Length
As a beginner, I never mess with the stitch length too much! If you have a computerized machine, it will often set 2.5mm as the stitch length automatically and that seems to get the job done for all beginner projects.
If you don’t have a computerized machine, there will be a dial on your machine that typically runs from 0 – 4mm. Play around with some scrap fabric to see what kind of stitch lengths you can make!
Here is a quick summary for when you may want to consider adjusting the stitch length:
Stitches Too Short
Key indicator: Fabric is puckering and/or not moving through the machine.
What this means: There is less flexibility in the seams and this can result in additional stress on the fabric.
Why care: The fabric will not sit properly and can rip more easily over time.
The fix: Increase the stitch length.
Stitches Too Long
Key indicator: Seams may seem loose or weak. The fabric might shift or gap.
What this means: There isn’t enough thread in enough places to bind the fabric together.
Why care: The seam may not hold up under stress and there could be gaps in the seam.
The fix: Decrease the stitch length.
Once you learn the basics, you’ll find you can use stitch length in all types of applications! From stretchy to stiff fabrics, to gathering fabric, you’ll find a lot of uses the more you get comfortable with the sewing basics.
Stitch Width
The stitch width on a sewing machine determines how wide a stitch is from one side to another. This only applies to certain stitches where the needle will move side to side, such as the zigzag, and other decorative stitches.
There are plenty of reasons to change your stitch width. The stitch width not only affects the appearance of the stitches, but also the functionality of the item. For instance, a zigzag stitch allows stretchy fabric to continue to stretch once assembled together. A larger width would allow for more stretch.
Here is a quick summary in which you would want to use certain widths:
Narrow Stitches
Application: Delicate fabrics, fine detailing, subtle effect for appearance.
Example: Zigzag stitch at 2mm or less
Wide Stitches
Application: Finishing raw edges (utilize zigzag in replace of overcast stitch), decoration, or stretchy fabrics.
Example: Zigzag at 4mm or more
I keep mentioning the zigzag stitch. If you are looking to make clothes as a beginner sewist, you will need to know this stitch in additional to the straight stitch.
The zigzag is #04 on the image below. You can see I utilized the zigzag stitch for my first garment I made (stitches in white) because I did not have the ability (presser foot part) to perform the overcast stitch (#06) in order to prevent the fabric from fraying.
After I got the correct part, I went over it with an overcast stitch (in black).
I mentioned that stitch width only applies for stitches in which the needle moves from side to side. The other beginner stitch you will utilize is the straight stitch (#01, #02, #37, #38 on the image above). In the straight stitch, the needle stays in place and you can use whatever width your machine defaults to.
Beginner Fabrics
This is a sewing guide for beginners, so we need some beginner fabric to get started with!
You need fabric that is EASY to work with. Do NOT start with whatever fancy fabric you want to work with in the future. Here are a couple of the best fabric choices for a beginner sewist.
1. Cotton
This is a staple fabric you have to work with! Cotton isn’t slippery or stretchy so it stays in place when sewing. There are TONS of different blends and weights, but don’t worry about that for now.
I’d strongly recommend using quilting cotton as it’s pretty stiff and it is widely available at Joann and Michael’s. There is always a huge selection so if something says cotton, you can bet that it’s probably quilting cotton, so don’t get overwhelmed.
Cotton muslin is a popular blend people generally use when making their first clothes pattern. This test garment is called a toile. This is usually the cheapest fabric option!
Again, don’t get overwhelmed! There are a ton of options, but the only thing you really need to look for is that the bolt of fabric (photo above) says “100% Cotton”.
2. Linen
Comfortable with cotton? Move to linen! Linen fabric can be tricky, so make sure you purchase IN PERSON.
I made the mistake of purchasing 100% linen online and it turned out to be scratchy and the fabric frayed a lot. Although intended for garments, I would not have chosen it in person.
However, another 100% linen fabric I bought was soft and had a really pretty movement to it.
The only way to really tell as a beginner is to touch and feel the fabric in person, to make sure it’s something you can and want to work with. Nothing is worse than spending money on a higher-end fabric and it turns out it isn’t even what you want.
Beginner Sewing Projects
For a beginner sewing project, you’ll want to start small! Depending on your goal, you may choose different projects. Either way, the skills you learn can be used in any sewing application!
All of the links below include either written follow-along instructions and/or a video tutorial! Even as an intermediate sewist, I find video tutorials the easiest to follow.
PIllow Case – The Go-To beginner sewing project
Beginner Quilting Patterns
Sew with Annie – Cute women’s clothing tutorials
When I first started sewing, I definitely needed a sewing guide for beginners with all the information I have linked above. Often times, I didn’t exactly know WHAT I was looking for to get started.
If this complete sewing guide for beginners was helpful, let me know! Let me know as well if you have any further suggestions or tips!
