Do you remember when you first started quilting and all the notions and tools you realized you needed to pick up to dive into the making?! I’ve been going down a similar path as I dive more into sewing garments. And thought I’d share some of the sewing notions I picked up for Me Made May.
My approach to notions is to keep things as minimal as possible! I live in the city and space is at a premium. Which means, I need my sewing tools to do double duty if I’m going to bring them into the studio.
I already shared the biggest purchase with you here, but there’s lots of other little things that I realized I needed to have on hand too.
Whether you’re tight on space like me or just want to keep your notions to the basics, here are some sewing notions I picked up for Me Made May to make my journey easier and more enjoyable!
*This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.
TRACING PAPER
You know my love for trees (see the Little Forest BOM!), so I’m all for purchasing digital sewing and quilting patterns whenever possible to minimize the paper used. This still means I need to print out any pattern templates. Plus, I have a couple of books on hand with templates that I didn’t want to cut into.
Enter tracing paper! Or, rather, medical exam table paper! Tracing paper created and intended for sewing tends to be quite expensive. I did some research and found this paper recommended regularly for tracing sewing patterns. It might not be as thin as the tracing paper sold at your local fabric shop, but it seems to do the trick.
I opted to pick up this roll* so that I don’t have to worry about whether I have any in stock when the mood to stitch strikes, I’ll know I do 😉
TEAR-AWAY VILENE
I’d never heard of tear-away Vilene* before. I’ve been doing a deep dive on different indie patterns and some of them have recommended using this product.
Since I always like to understand why a product or notion is being used, I dug in and found this handy blog post by Tessuti.
Basically, tear-away Vilene is a paper-like product that replaces the need to do a stay stitch around the armholes, necklines, and any other area that tends to stretch while you’re sewing. This helps prevent bias edges from stretching until you’ve got your garment sewn together. Once sewn, you can easily tear out the stabilizer.
Nifty, right?!
THREAD
When I got my serger, I shared that I reached out to my friends at Aurifil for assistance in picking out the right thread weights for my serger. There were a few thread weights that they suggested I try out, so I picked up a selection of neutral threads in light gray*, dark gray*, beige* and white* to kick off my me-made exploration. Once I’ve had a chance to play, I’ll circle back and share how each of the different thread weights performed.
TAILOR’S CHALK
This one I didn’t have to buy! I already had this in my sewing kit, but it’s been a while since I busted it out. Tailor’s chalk* isn’t something I use often in quilting, but for marking notches and tracing darts and such, I find it super practical.
METAL ZIPPERS
I’ve been on the hunt for metal zippers for the longest time. They’re such a challenge to find in Canada. Thankfully, Jane from Zipperloft is making our metal zipper purchasing easier than ever! Most of my zippers are intended for home sewing projects (namely pillows like this one and this one 😉), but I also picked up a few for sewing into garments. Which garments? Haven’t a clue yet – ha! I’m just in prep mode and this tape color card will make future zipper purchases a cinch.
NEEDLES
You know I love buying my needles by the box, but since I’m just getting into sewing garments, I wanted to dip my toe in first before shelling out for the big box. I picked up a couple of packs of sewing needles specifically meant for jersey and knit fabrics*.
ELASTIC
Right off the bat, I found this free skirt pattern with the deepest pockets and an easy elastic waistband. I was instantly smitten and figured this was a great place to start with stitching up my own basic wardrobe. To avoid ordering elastic piecemeal, I picked up this roll of non-folding 1 1/2″ elastic*.
PATTERN WEIGHTS
Way back when I remember watching Mimi G and she loves using metal washers that you get at your local hardware store as pattern weights. This was my plan until I found this tutorial to make your own. I’m swimming in scraps, so I figured DIYing my own pattern weights was the most sustainable and practical option. It’s a free pattern for Grainline Studio newsletter subscribers.
I have a few other items on my radar (namely this*, this* and this set* or possibly DIYing my own), but for now, I think I’ll start with these notions and evaluate what I’m missing as I get further into my me-made fashion journey.
For more quilty inspiration, check out:
- Dive into Me Made Fashion with the Etched Diamond Quilt x Hovea Coat Pattern Extension
- How to Insert a Metal Zipper in a Pillow
- Kicking Off Me Made May with a new Serger
That’s a wrap on the sewing notions I picked up for me made May. I’d love to know what notions you love stocking for your sewing expeditions! Share them in the comments below 😊
Happy stitching!
xo
Shannon
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