2019 Gift Guide: 10 Things Every Sewist Needs

Every. Single. Year. I struggle to come up with a list of sewing things I MUST HAVE. Thank goodness I have a lovely husband who totally gets me and finds me amazing things. If I struggle, I know others struggle as well. For this reason I’ve come up with all my favorite “big ticket” sewing items for you all to check out. Welcome to the 2019 Gift Guide: 10 Things Every Sewist Needs.

Let’s start at the very beginning… Assuming you already have a computer, the next thing is…

1- PRINTER

I used to use an HP Color Printer and was constantly buying more cartridges. I was spending a stupid amount of money and I hated it. After a little research and taking a good look at what I needed for my real life(homeschooling) and sewing life I decided I wanted a basic laser printer. I really don’t need a color printer as I NEVER print all the sizes so my husband ordered me this awesome laser printer from Brother. I love how quickly it prints and I really really really LOVE that I only replace the toner once or twice per year. Keep in mind that I homeschool two kids and I’m always testing, pretesting or shooting a Sewing it Up video or tutorial…. this means a lot of printing. Check it out:

FIND IT HERE

2- Sewing Machines

Up next is a basic sewing machine. If you’re new to sewing this is an obvious next step. I’ve gone through many sewing machines in the last lots of years. A few years ago I got the Brother CS-6000i and I loved it so much I wore it out. I used it for everything from clothing to handbags and loved every second. This machine is great for new and seasoned sewists. I have since tried a few other machines that just don’t fit my needs so I don’t want to recommend those. However, the Brother CS-6000i is a great little machine at an amazing price point!

FIND IT HERE

I do have another machine I’d like to tell you about. I’ve had this machine for nearly three years. It doesn’t have any options BUT I FREAKING LOVE IT. It is the best and coolest machine I’ve ever owned and it only does a straight stitch. Why am I telling you this? Well, if you’re a sewist who loves bag making or working with wovens this machine is amazing. Shall I tell you the name? The Juki DDL-8700 is all the things in my heart. It’s an absolute beast that can sew through, pretty much, anything. It came with a table and Servo motor. It’s crazy fast and just awesome… it’s a 62 lb. industrial machine that I will love forever and ever.

FIND IT HERE

3- Serger

While a serger is NOT required to sew any of our patterns it really is a fun and amazing machine to have on hand. I absolutely love mine. I’ve had my Brother 1034D for about 5 years. I use it every day and it hasn’t failed me once! Again, this is a great machine at a fab price point.

FIND IT HERE

4- Coverstitch

Again, this machine is NOT a requirement to sew our patterns but it certainly makes things easier and it’s mega FUN! I’ve only owned one coverstitch machine and it’s pretty rad. The Juki MCS-1500 has been lovely for me and I’d recommend it to anyone.

FIND IT HERE

5- Sewing/Craft Table

Here’s how it works, if you love to sew or craft you absolutely MUST HAVE some sort of sewing/craft table!  My husband built me an amazing sewing table a few years ago so I thought you might like to see where he got the building plans.

FIND THE PLANS HERE

6- Storage

I will never have enough storage. It’s a FACT… NEVER. However, I do love the fabric storage I have. While there is a bit of storage in sewing table it’s not nearly enough. I Currently use a basic cube shelf from IKEA and find perfectly functional for my needs. I just need a bigger room with more of them.

FIND IT HERE

7- Thread Rack

A thread rack seems like a small thing until you have 24 large and 48 small spools of thread rolling around the room. I bought a thread rack for my small spools a few years ago and it’s been great. It has legs so it can sit on a table or shelf but since I had wall space I mounted it and love it even more. I got this at Wawak and you can even find a rack for cones of thread as well.

FIND IT HERE

My husband decided to build me some wall storage for my cone thread… I LOVE IT!

8- Notion storage

This is one of those things you don’t realize you need until you can’t find your seam ripper. Ask me how I know. I have several storage items from hanging storage containers to little tubs but my absolute favorite is this cantilever sewing box I got as anniversary gift from lovecrafts.com that they no longer appear to carry. I did find a similar one on amazon.

FIND IT HERE

9- Iron

I’ve purchased all manner of irons. Cheap ones to very expensive ones. It comes down to this… I can’t be trusted to not drop the very expensive ones and I LOATHE the super cheap options. When I was in need of a new iron this year I almost spent a stupid amount of money and then thought better and ended up with a lovely, hot and steamy CHI iron that’s pretty great.

When I least expected it, my husband surprised me with a the NEW Oliso Mini and that was pretty great too.

There are pros and cons to all irons but I can say I feel great about my purchases!

FIND CHI IRON HERE

FIND OLISO MINI HERE

9- HTV

Okay, so you don’t need this at all BUT it makes life so much fun. With it’s variety of uses it’s definitely a worthwhile purchase. My Silhouette Cameo came as an unexpected gift from a great friend. I was speechless when I opened it. It is an insanely fun little machine that should absolutely make you Christmas list.

Additionally, I received the Circuit Easy Press and I couldn’t believe the difference it made when ironing that HTV. It’s heavy and just cool. I feel pretty extra cool when I use it. It’s okay to laugh at me.

FIND YOUR SILHOUETTE HERE

FIND YOUR EASY PRESS HERE

10- 5 out of 4 Patterns Gift Card

Listen, we all need patterns. Why not get some for Christmas! Gift Cards are a great gift for all sewists… Make sure it’s on your list

FIND IT HERE

Well, that’s it. I could recommend a lot more but I don’t want to overwhelm you. Stay tuned for another Gift Guide…

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