Thread and Needle
For any one who has patience and a basic sewing skill. Even though sewing by hand is cheap and might look simple, it is extremely time consuming and difficult. Normally I would not suggest this because it will probably make you hate sewing pretty soon. I’ve hand sewn a simple outfit before and it took a good 10 hours. By the time I finished, I swore I’d never do that again. If you are not into cross stitching, you are probably not going to enjoy sewing every stitch with your own hand. It is also extremely hard to make it look professional, unless you are very skillful and very experienced.
A Basic Sewing Machine
A sewing machine is a solution for the people that don’t know or want to sew by hand. A cheap, simple sewing machine will do just fine for beginners. I do not suggest anyone buy a hand held, mini, or pocket size sewing machine. I purchased one in college and hoping to save some money, and it turn out to be total waste of time and money. It never worked, every stitch was a problem and I gave up after 10 minutes. You don’t need to spend over 100 dollars to get a sewing machine. You might end up using it only a couple times a year, but at lease invest in a decent basic machine. It will make sewing easier and more enjoyable. If you are not into DIY fashion after a while, just simply re-sell it or give it away. Second hand or borrowed sewing machine are also encouraged when getting started. This is a wonderful way to test your interest without spending or committing to anything.
Where & what to buy
If you feel like it is time to pick up your first sewing machine, try Walmart, you can buy the cheapest Brother sewing machine for around 70 dollars with 1 year warranty. Singer is another reliable brand with affordable start up machines. You really don’t need those fancy stitch functions in the beginning. As long as the machines provides basic functions including sewing back and forth, button holes, zigzag, it should be okay. Believe me, you will only be using these three functions most of the time anyway.
Threading the machine
The hardest part of sewing is not how to use the sewing machine, but it is how to thread the machine. Read the instructions carefully, they’re there for a reason. If the threading is wrong, your machine is not going to work properly or at least not for long. Every stitch will get stuck and that is really really frustrating. Get it right the first time and try to remember it. It’ll save you time and money in the long run.
Other Useful Tools:
