If you’re new to hand sewing, slow stitching or hand quilting, and not sure what tools you need; don’t worry! The supplies needed are easy to find and don’t cost a lot. You can start with a few different things, and slowly add over time as you discover what you like using.

It can depend on what you’re sewing, what fabric or thread you’re using, and the intended outcome of the stitching piece. What stitches you’re doing will make a difference as well.

There are many types of hand stitching projects, and when you spend more time with the process I know you’ll work out which needles and threads you like best. But I wanted to share some of the ones that I like using.

Needles:

While it may seem intimidating when you first start, it’s really not too hard. I suggest using embroidery or Sashiko needles. Find something that has a medium size eye (too small and it makes threading the needle hard), a thin-ish and long shaft. I do often say use what you have, experiment, see what you like; but it’s also important to have fresh and sharp needles as this does make stitching more easy.

In essence if you’re using a finer fabric such as silk or wool, you’ll need a thinner needle so as to make sure it doesn’t leave holes in your fabric. This will generally mean it has a thinner eye, which subsequently means thinner thread is needed. If your thread is too thick to easily pass through the needle eye then it means you’re putting pressure on the fabric as well as stressing the thread at each stitch. If you can get the thread through the needle eye then it’s ok to use, if it’s a real struggle then try a different thread.

Thicker fabric, such as denim or weightier linen or hemp can withstand a larger needle, so you can use a thicker thread as well. You’ll need to test if the needle has a sharp enough point to piece the fabric. Often embroidery needles are best for this.

Needles have different size names depending on the size of the eye. 2, 3 and 4 are good for heavier weight fabric, 5 - 10 for medium weight, and 11 - 12 for finer fabric (these have a very small eye and I wouldn’t recommend unless you’re using machine-sewing thread, and have great eye-sight for threading). Keep in mind that a larger number is a smaller needle, named due to the gauge size of the wire they’re made with. The reason they seem ‘backwards’ is because the diameter of the wire is named determined on how many passes through a machine to get the final size.

This is a really interesting video about how needles and pins are made.

Here’s a list of my favourite needles:

• These Olympus brand Sashiko needles are a good price-point and perfect to use for slow stitching, hand embroidery or large large stitch quilting. The 2-pack comes with a long shaft needle, which is suitable for most stitches and the shorter shaft is good for backstitch.

• Clover brand has a great Sashiko needle set with a few different sizes. When you do an online search they are called Sashico , so don’t be tripped up by that. This is a good way to see what size you prefer using.

• Tulip needles are truly beautiful to use. They’re made in Japan and have 3 different needle sizes.

• Darners or Milliners straws are long needles with a decent size eye. If you get a mixed pack you’ll find there’s different options depending on the project.

• Regular embroidery needles work well too. I particularly like Clover gold eye needles.

• Make sure if you’re going to get quilters betweens you check the size of them, as these are often very short with a small eye and don’t suit the threads that I prefer. But they are great for regular fine sewing machine thread and doing almost-invisible stitching on (for example) a quilt.

Other sewing notions and tools:

Pins:

These come in more sizes and thicknesses than one might think necessary. But, as with everything sewing related, don’t stress too much. For me, I often use what I have. I love these sweet pattern-topped pins, and also use glass headed pins. But I didn’t go out and spend a lot of money all at once.

• You’ll find finer, sharper thinner, longer ones for working with silk fabric. The this sharp point makes less of a hole. If you’re worried about this, test with a piece of scrap fabric before you ruin your beautiful fabric.

• Some have flat flat tops, so their heads can lay flat against your fabric, which is good when machine sewing. This also makes it easier for ironing and pressing, so there’s no bumps.

• Glass head vs plastic headed pins. While I’ve never personally had an issue with this, do keep in mind that plastic headed pins might melt under your hot iron. Most glassed pins are sharper and thinner as well as being better quality than plastic headed pins.

• You will need a thicker pin if you’re using denim or heavier fabrics. Those fine silk pins will have a hard time doing the job.

• And for quilting, look for longer pins to get through all the layers. I also use curved safety pins for basting. These work perfectly for this job, as the curve means as soon as you’ve pushed the pin through the layers it automatically wants to push back up again. I find the longer ones much easier to use than smaller ones.

• Pins with coloured heads - glass, plastic, pretty shapes - are much easier to see than regular small metal ones. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dropped that container of metal headed pins, and find them stuck between the cracks in the floor boards.

Scissors:

I have quite a few, so that I know I’ll always have a pair as needed. You’ll need, for starters:

• A good pair of regular fabric scissors. These can range in price from $35 to hundreds of dollars. My $35 ones have lasted and lasted. So did my mother’s. Unless you’re a dressmaker, I wouldn’t suggest you need to invest in an expensive pair of scissors. Though I know someone who swears by hers. Keep in mind that you can sharpen these; might be best to find a local knife sharpener person to do this.

• I have multiple pairs of the same embroidery scissors everywhere. In little sewing pouches. I love love these ones so much. They’re hand made in England, and truly are beautiful to use. Over the years, before I found these ones, I used these golden rooster ones. They’re not as fine or sharp as the black ones, but more easy to find at a regular sewing shop.

• I know a lot of people love thread snippers, and they definitely have their purpose. They work opposite to scissors, that you close them to snip, and they snap back again. It’s a bit quicker. But I’ve never found a pair that I truly love. There are some beautiful ones from Japan, but any I’ve tried just don’t “cut it” for me. (haha).

• Pinking shears can be handy. I don’t use them them, but if you’re sewing woven fabrics or fine fabrics they are great to help slow the fray. They are great if you don’t like finishing your edges, and want to minimise how much the fabric will fray; keep in mind they won’t stop it from fraying fully.

• Paper scissors. Here’s a warning - never ever use your fabric scissors to cut paper. Yes, I’ve been known to do it, but it can blunt the blades. So it’s a good idea to have a regular pair of comfortable, reasonable quality scissors for cutting any patterns you want.

• Rotary cutter. I know a lot of slow stitchers and hand stitching people don’t use one of these, and I don’t think you need to. I use mine when I’m cutting for quilts, as you can cut a lot of fabric at once, with more ease and precision than scissors. You will need a self-healing cutting mat with it. I use a 45cm and 60cm size. The smaller one is good for curves and such.

Tape measure and rulers:

• I have been using the same ones for years, with no complaint. These are regular simple cheap ones that you can roll up into a spiral, and simply unroll. They are 150cm / 60inches. I also have this fun one that retracts back into itself. I’ve never found one to be better than another. The self-retracting one is slightly less prone to being a bit curly, whereas the blue ones I have can hold their curl shape.

• When I’m measuring larger pieces of fabric for quilting, then I use plastic quilting rulers. These come in different sizes, and shapes. If you really get into quilting then you can find fancy ones for all styles of quilt pieces - triangles, half circles and such. I only have two - a long thin one and a square one. Sometimes I wish I had a smaller one, but not often enough to go and get one.

Ironing:

• I use a regular iron. Mine does have a steam function, but I don’t use this. If you need to steam fabric, I suggest getting a spray bottle as you have more control than a burst of water. I would like one of those fancy cordless irons I’ve seen people using online, but I’m fine with using what I have for now.

• My ironing board is a fabulous piece of thick wool. I love it so much. It’s super portable, a great size for my needs. You do need to lay it on a table, as it’s not a a regular ironing board with legs. I don’t have space for one of those permanently set up; but if you do then I suggest go with that. But look into the felt board as it does make it easy for smaller jobs at you table.

Fabric:

Ok, here really is where you get the fun of deciding what you like best. Though, I must admit, that this can sometimes lead to decision paralysis! I always suggest to use what you have, but you want to start with something that isn’t too thick (denim takes a while to get used to using), and nothing too fine or flimsy - stitching with silk on it’s own is a little hard for beginners.

If you’re looking at new fabric (especially buying online and not knowing what the weight means), gsm refers to grams per square meter and oz refers to ounces per square yard.

A medium-weight (approx 170-220gsm / 5-6.5oz) fabric is nice to start with. Think something like a tea towel as a starting point, or a little finer. I then layer up on top of that, perhaps with some thiner fabrics (you can use silk here if you’d like). But the medium-weight is good for your base layer of slow stitching pieces, or for a quilt top.

I mostly always use natural fibres, such as linen, cotton, hemp, silk, wool. You can also use bamboo or Tencel / Lyocell / rayon (which are all made with wood pulp). If you are using second hand fabrics you might find synthetics that have a natural feel and can be hard to tell the difference, and you generally can’t do a burn test in a shop. When you do a burn test on a little corner, synthetics melt whereas natural fibres actually burn.

It can take a little while, practice of learning the textures, to better work out natural fibres from synthetic fibres is a second-hand item doesn’t have it’s label. Unless you’re going to naturally dye the fabric, then it doesn’t matter too much. Some synthetic fibres can be a little harder to sew through, so use your fingers to test the weight and feel of the fabric. If the weave is too fine, or too shiny it might be synthetic. Some synthetic silks are scarily close, but I often notice an almost unnatural shimmer to them. I often err on the side of caution if I’m really not sure; but if I love a fabric, then it doesn’t matter too much.

I use new and second-hand fabrics. So, please don’t think you only have to use what you can find at op-shops / thrift stores. Though we do know that the clothing and fabric industry is one of the most environmentally destructive, and shops are overflowing with fabrics we can use again (sadly many are synthetic as that’s what fast-fashion is currently about). Using clothes from your or family’s wardrobe are a great way to use what you have around you, as well as adding the memories into your stitching work.

When using fabric there’s a few things to think about. Second hand fabric or clothes can have different chemicals on them, from the washing detergent or deodorants, while a lot of new fabrics can have a finishing on them. This often makes them look shiny in the shop; but you’ll need to wash this ‘sizing’ off. It’s a bit like the way shops coat apples for that shimmer.

Washing second-hand fabrics is always a good idea. In terms of washing new fabrics, there’s often mixed feelings about this. They’ll all have a shrinkage rate - often you can find this when purchasing. Larger weaves can be up to 5% shrinkage. These are often things like hemp or linen. Whereas a quilting cotton won’t be as much. It depends on what you’re making, as to if you want to pre-wash this fabric.

It might be a good idea to pre-wash for making clothing, so it fits as intended. A lot of people love utilising the shrink fabric when they’re making quilts, as this gives those lovely crinkles once washed and shrunk.

If you’re working with different weights, weaves and fabrics you’ll want to really consider this. Wool shrinks a lot more than silk, for instance. When using these together in a natural dye pot, this can be an amazing way to create designs - work with what you have (especially when they’re already stitched). Wet felters often add silk to wool tops, and then the wool will shrink into the silk.

You might like to read these blog posts for more information: