The best beginner sewing kit is going to vary depending on what type of sewing you plan to do and of course, your budget. This is what I would call an upgraded beginning sewing kit because while all these items are basic, they go beyond the pre-made sewing kits you find in big box stores and from the big brands. I included the total cost below and while it costs more than ready made kits, you'll get more value and long term use by custom picking what goes in your sewing kit.
A relative of mine has been mending her husband's clothes by hand with a basic big brand sewing kit and wanted to upgrade her sewing kit, so I decided to individually hand pick the items in this sewing mending kit with items that will last her a long time.
Here's what I included in this sewing kit. I ordered most everything from Wawak (which is an amazing sewing supply shop if you don't already shop there) and a few additional items on Amazon.
Just the list with links (scroll down for why I chose each item)
- A zippered multi-tiered sewing supply organizer
- Plastic sewing clips or Clover Wonder Clips
- Glass head pins
- Tomato pin cushion
- The Clover Open Sided Thimble
- Thread snips
- Retractable seam ripper
- Assorted hand sewing needles
- Assorted household sewing/repair needles
- Clover Macaron Magnetic Needle Sharpener
- A cake of beeswax
- A compact retractable measuring tape
- Assorted safety pins
- Assorted size and color replacement shirt buttons
- Assorted sizes of sew on snaps
- High quality Gutermann sewing thread in 25 colors or a smaller pack here
Why I chose each item:
- A zippered multi-tiered sewing supply organizer that's about the size of an insulated lunch box to easily carry it around the house to work on projects as needed
- Plastic sewing clips - these will change your life. I got her the 100pc box from Wawak since it's such a good deal and the metal tin is nice, though I personally have been using the Clover Wonder Clips for years and love them.
- Glass head pins - some mending projects just need pins and the glass head means you don't have to worry about melting the head when ironing
- Tomato pin cushion - storing pins with the heads up makes it easier to grab rather than fishing them out of a box.
- A thimble - I'm team thimble when it comes to hand sewing. I sew so much faster with one. I personally use a closed thimble, but the Clover Open Sided Thimble is great for anyone with longer nails.
- Thread snips - I like that this one has a cap so you don't have worry about sharp ends of scissors
- Retractable seam ripper - it retracts so it fits into small spaces easily without having to worry about sharp ends
- Assorted hand sewing needles - you can choose any brand. I just personally love using Bohin millinery needles. I also have John James needles in my own hand sewing kit.
- Assorted household sewing/repair needles - this pack has a curved needle if you're repairing anything upholstered and a canvas needle for getting through thick fabrics like heavy duty work jackets etc.
- Clover Macaron Magnetic Needle Sharpener - ok I admit this one isn't an essential, but it's so cute and it's functional too. The needle sharpener acts as a small pin cushion and there's a magnet on one side of the macaron, so this is a great on-the-go tool.
- A cake of beeswax - if you do any hand sewing, I recommend keeping beeswax around to keep your thread smoother and less likely to tangle. Working with shorter lengths of thread also keeps tangling to a minimum.
- A compact retractable measuring tape - no need to roll it back up each time
- Assorted safety pins - keep mending projects together while they wait in the queue or use them as a quick fix before getting to the mending
- Assorted size and color replacement shirt buttons - since my relative's main goal for this sewing kit was mending her husband's clothes, I figured having an assortment of buttons ready to go would be useful
- Assorted sizes of sew on snaps - snaps are another great way to fix gaping clothes without needing to add a button hole
- High quality sewing thread in various colors - I chose the Gutermann Mara 100 All-Purpose Best Seller Colors Thread Pack that has 25 colors so this sewing kit gift would be set for a variety of mending projects. It's also the most expensive component so I would consider this an upgrade, not an essential. That being said, I get frustrated sewing with the fuzzy, breakable quality of threads that are included in many basic sewing kits, so I choose to invest in quality thread that will last a long time. Each of these Gutermann spools has 1,093 yards but you can also get a set of 20 colors in 100m spools for $35. If you sew a lot, Wawak's spools are a better value at more than 4 times cheaper per yard.
All together this hand picked sewing kit cost $214. If you don't include the 25 color thread pack, this would come in at $114. Compare it to Singer's Sew It Goes All-In-One Sewing Kit which retails for $75 and includes fewer tools (and the reviews says the thread is poor quality).
You'll notice I don't have fabric scissors or rotary cutter or other common sewing tools included because I only picked tools for mending clothes. Let me know if you'd like a list of sewing tools I use for sewing costumes and cosplays!
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