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July 3, 2025 | IN Together Magazine | BY AVID | 4 min read 

If you’re doom scrolling your way through your weekends, struggling to entertain the little ones, or just need a new hobby, sewing could be the perfect pick for you. 

The whole thing can seem a little intimidating at first glance and perhaps a little old-fashioned, but with a needle, thread, and a dash of patience you’ll be creating modern summer pyjamas, dog bandanas, pillow covers, or even finger puppets in no time. 

Read on for our beginners guide to sewing and start stitching some creativity into your routine.

The basics:

Before you can get started on your sewing journey, you will need a few essential supplies: 

Needle: Usually, you can buy a pack with a few different sizes. Keep in mind that bigger needles are better for tougher fabrics. 

Thread: These come in all colours so have a think about what fabrics you’re buying to make sure it matches. 

Stitch ripper: This is a great little tool for any stitching mishaps as it protects the fabric and gets under any accidental stitches much easier than scissors. 

Pins: Pins are essential for keeping you on track (literally) by mapping out the line you’re wanting to follow and guiding where to sew. 

Scissors: Make sure to pick up some good quality fabric scissors, as that’ll ensure you have clean cut pieces to work with. Be sure to use your sewing scissors on fabric only, as paper may dull them.

Fabric: The key to it all. Consider your fabrics carefully. Fabrics like leather are tough and not the best to learn on, so try to stick with cotton fabrics and felt as a starting point. 

Those six ingredients are enough to get you started on hand sewing, which is an essential skill to master, allowing you to learn different stitching styles and create beautiful, embroidered designs.  

Once you’ve tested out your hand sewing skills it’s worthwhile investing in a sewing machine. These machines are ideal for bigger projects, making the whole experience much quicker and far less laborious. They’re a perfect option for any sewing that requires long straight lines like clothes and pencil cases. 

Often, you’ll want to use a combination of the machine and hand sewing. For example, if you were making a patchwork quilt, you could use a sewing machine for the quilt itself and then incorporate blanket stitches on the patchwork squares. 

A beginner’s first creation:

When embarking on sewing, the worst thing you can do is aim too high with your first project. Attempting something tricky like a fitted shirt, dress, or a handbag can just leave you frustrated and not exactly eager to continue on your sewing journey. 

For your very first creation, consider a felt pouch. This is an easy one to hand sew and all you’ll need to whip it up is two rectangular pieces of felt (long enough that a few pens, or a pair of glasses could fit) and a needle and thread. As mentioned earlier, there are a few different stitch styles you can experiment with, but opting for a blanket stitch with a bright, contrasting colour to the felt can be a great way to add some fun to your creation. There are hundreds of easy-to-follow tutorials online to learn all about different stitching styles, so be sure to check that out and start experimenting. 

Once you’ve made your felt pouch, it might be time to whip out the sewing machine and create a pencil case or a small tote bag. These are great choices because you’ll sew on the inside, so once you flip it the right way around you won’t be able to see the stitching at all! 

Some sewing inspiration: 

Knowing what to sew can be half the challenge, but places like Pinterest are a great port of call to help you out and get the creative juices flowing. Here’s some of our recommendations for beginners.

• A felt stuffed finger puppet or toy
• Fabric coasters
• A zipper pouch
• Felt key rings
• Phone or tablet stands
• Fabric bookmarks
• Scented pouches for your drawers
• Embroidered flower stitches

The art of needle and thread can take you places you never expected. Once you’ve built up your skills, teaching friends and family can be a great way to share the hobby with others. Alternatively, consider selling your creations and turn your passion into a side hustle.