Sewing Resources

General Sewing Resources

• Reader’s Digest New Complete Guide to Sewing, The Reader’s Digest Publishing Co., 2011
• Threads Sewing Guide, Taunton Press, 2011
• Vogue Sewing Book, Butterick Publishing Co., 2000

General Fitting Resources

• The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting, by Sarah Veblen, Creative Publishing Int’l, 2012
• Fit for Real People, by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto, Palmer/Pletsch Inc., 2006
• Vogue Sewing Book, Butterick Publishing Co., 2000

Sewing with Knits Resources

• Sewing with Knits, by Connie Long, The Taunton Press, 2000
• The Colette Guide to Sewing Knits, by Alyson Clair, Colette Patterns, 2014

 

The following is a list of sewing tools, equipment and resources recommended at the 2022 h+h Americas sewing show.

Tools Needed for Garment Sewing

Basic Sewing Tools

1. Seam ripper, at least one
2. Sheers, large and small
3. Rotary cutter and cutting mat
4. Fine sewing pins, not too long
5. Pin containers like pin cushions, wrist pin cushions, magnetic pin wants and cups
6. Plastic clips
7. Pattern weights
8. Marking tools that give accurate dots
9. Tape Measure
10. Rulers, straight 18″ x 2″ 
11. Curved fashion 
12. Small seam gauge ruler
13. Fine fusible interfacings, several weights
14. Elastic if projects require it
15. Zippers if projects require it

Equipment

1. Sewing machine 
2. Serger 
3. Table, raised for cutting, lowered for sewing
4. Good lighting
5. Iron
6. Classic ironing board, over door or table top will do, needs one curved end
7. Sewing machine needles: universal, jersey, microtex in size 80

Patterns

1. Independent pattern companies offer good options that do not require ordering from the big four. 
2. Choose companies that offer good resources for buyers like fitting information and tutorials and possibly provide content for newsletter or social media.
3. Order patterns that work with the fabrics to be stocked.  Start with simple designs that will assure sewing success.

Wholesale Resources

Tools

1. 1. Brewer, Nifty Notions line
   2. Wawak
   3. Delaware Dry Goods

Equipment

1. Bernina, sewing machines and sergers
2. Laura Star Irons, works for knitters too
3. Oliso Irons, on the H and H show floor, small and reasonably priced
4. Brewer, starter sewing machines and other reasonably priced equipment

Fabric Resources

1. Carr Textiles, utility fabrics and pants fabric
2. Sextet, knits
3. Mood Wholesale
4. Michaels Fabrics
5. Elliott Berman, Ermani Group
6. Artistic Artifacts, hand-made Indian fabrics only
7. Diamond Textiles
8. Robert Kauffman
9. Art Gallery Fabrics
10. SoHo Fabrics/Silk Safari
11. Style Crest
12. Speckler Vogel
13. DG Expo, a place to meet vendors who sell in small lots
14. MODA

Hope this list proves helpful to you. Download it as a PDF here. Contact rae@fitforartpatterns if you have particular questions.