-
Sewing Tips and Techniques
Must-have sewing tools you’ll use on every project!
Read the article
Your Cart
Your cart is currently empty.
Continue shoppingRecommended for you
Subtotal £0.00
Delivery Calculated at checkout.
Total £0.00
Shipping, taxes and discount codes are calculated at checkout
Or express checkout
The right sewing tools and gadgets can transform your sewing experience - helping you achieve more professional results, sew with greater confidence and enjoy the process with less stress. That’s why we’ve carefully selected a range of truly useful, tried-and-tested tools to support you every step of the way.
Shop by category
797 items
Sew Easy
£14.50
Sew Easy
£8.00
Dritz
£18.98
Milward
£19.00
Sew Easy
£12.50
Hemline
£3.40
Sew Essential
£12.49
Sew Essential
£29.50
Clover
£8.70
Clover
£14.00
Clover
£45.00
Prym
£7.70
Prym
£13.50
Prym
£7.70
Prym
£25.00
Prym
£16.50
Prym
£14.50
Prym
£30.00
Prym
£37.00
Prym
£10.10
Discover the sewing tools and gadgets our sewing community loves most. These best-selling favourites are tried and tested in real sewing rooms and trusted by sewists again and again.
Sew Easy
£14.50
Sew Easy
£8.00
Dritz
£18.98
Milward
£19.00
Sew Easy
£12.50
Hemline
£3.40
Sew Essential
£12.49
Sew Essential
£29.50
Clover
£8.70
Clover
£14.00
Clover
£45.00
Prym
£7.70
A good set of basic sewing tools includes pins, needles, cutting and measuring tools, marker pens or pencils and an all-important seam ripper for undoing the inevitable mistakes! For sewists who want to trace, alter or create their own sewing patterns our range of pattern drafting tools is helpful and if you’re aiming for a neat, professional finish our range of pressing aids are a must.
As with all aspects of sewing the best way to understand your preferences and what suits you best when it comes to tools and gadgets is to experiment over time. Start with the basics and build your collection up from there. If there’s something you find difficult to use or just don’t get on with try an alternative option and see how it goes.
The brilliant thing about sewing tools and gadgets is that some of the most useful ones are also the most affordable. You don’t always need to spend a fortune to see a big improvement in your sewing.
That said, there are a few items worth investing in. A high-quality pair of dressmaking scissors, for example, will stay sharp for longer and make cutting fabric smoother and far less frustrating.
A tailors ham is one of the most useful tools or gadgets for pressing. They are, unsurprisingly, shaped like a ham and are usually covered in fabric and stuffed with sawdust to make them firm. They allow you to create curves when pressing things like darts in areas like the bust or waist of a garment so you can create and maintain the intended shape in the fabric. It is much easier to achieve this when you have a curved surface to position your fabric over than on a flat ironing board.
A dressmaker’s dummy is a matter of personal preference. Some sewists absolutely love them and would not be without one. By adding padding to a dressform you can make them replicate your body and use them to fit garments rather than constantly getting dressed and undressed to try things on. However, other people prefer to try things on, and these are the same people you will often find sat at the sewing machine in a state of semi undress!
This is definitely a matter of opinion. Some people hate to mark their fabric and prefer to use thread to create tailors tacks by hand sewing a little cross at the relevant point. Most sewists use tools like tailors chalk or chaco pens and there are also a wide range of pens where the marks wash away or disappear over time. You can find an extensive range of options on our site and we are always very happy to help by offering advice based on our own experience.
The best way to avoid damaging your fabric when pressing is to use a pressing cloth. You can find pressing cloths on our site and if you want the best option we highly recommend our silk organza, available to purchase by the half metre. Silk organza can withstand high temperatures and is also sheer so you have full visibility of the area you are pressing. Our top tip is to finish the edges of your cloth with your overlocker to make it last longer.
