Gift Ideas for Sewing Beginners

Since your sewist is just starting out, they're going to need a container of some sort to store their new sewing supplies in.

There are all kinds of fabric covered baskets in a variety of prints available. Most have a removable plastic tray in the top.

There are also solid wood fold out sewing bins or opaque plastic sewing boxes with a single tray in the top. In fact, I kept a wooden one and a plastic one for several years for sentimental reasons. But neither was very practical.

Once our children came along, the wooden one proved too enticing for little hands. There was no way of locking it and it was too big to easily store on a shelf.

The solid plastic one had a plastic tray in the top that helped to organize a few items but the bottom half was always a tangled mess to sort through.

What I think would be much more practical are these stacked clear plastic storage bins with adjustable compartments. The clear sides make it easy to see at a glance what's inside and the adjustable dividers would make it easy to keep things organized.

Trust me, nothing is more frustrating than trying to cut fabric with a dull pair of scissors or ones that aren't designed for cutting fabric. A pair of good quality scissors is essential!

You can't go wrong with a pair of Gingher dressmaking shears. They'll last a lifetime.

This falls under the category of nice to have. The Gingher's listed above will cut most clothing, quilting and home decor fabrics but if you think your beginner is going to quickly be moving on to cutting heavier materials, you might want to include this set of heavy duty tailor's scissors. In fact, I'm so impressed with the reviews that I've ordered a set for myself.

You may be tempted to think that since your sewist will be spending most of their time sewing by machine, that hand sewing needles are a thing of the past. Not so!

From hand basting to closing seams in lining; from sewing on buttons to adding decorative stitches, needles in a variety of sizes are a must in every sewing basket.

Again, you may think of this as an old fashioned item that wouldn't get used. But just as with needles, these will come in handy for a variety of tasks.

I've listed the ones that I use on a regular basis.

Pins and clips to hold fabric pieces together to prep them for sewing.

This is a tool that even the most advanced sewist finds herself using. Your beginner will become well acquainted with theirs.

There are all kinds to choose from.

And as one of my Facebook followers put it, buy more than one because they have a habit of disappearing just when you need it.

Sewing gauges are useful little tools for measuring hems and pleats, marking buttonholes placement and checking for accurate seam allowances.

In order to get accurate measurements to determine sizing for clothing patterns, a cloth measuring tape is another sewing essential.

It's a good idea to buy one with inches and centimeters.

There are all sorts of resources online available for beginners and advanced alike but having a physical book to browse through, mark up and make notes in the margins will stand any sewer in good stead.