Furnishing fabric These durable fabrics are used to make soft furnishings. They come in lots of finishes and printed patterns and are usually 137 cm (54 in) wide.

      Fleece and felt Fleece is also known as polar fleece. It has a combed nap which makes it warm and cosy. Iron fleece with a cool iron. Felt is a non-woven material, it is inexpensive and comes in a large range of colours. Fleece and felt don’t fray so they are ideal to cut motifs from to add as decoration to your creations.

      Interfacing Stiffen fabric with interfacing. Non-woven and woven varieties come in different weights to suit their purpose. They are sold in packs or by the metre. Press iron-on (fusible) interfacing or tack sew-in interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric.

      Wadding Layer wadding between fabrics to pad them to make quilts. Cotton and eco-friendly bamboo wadding is available although polyester wadding is most commonly used. Wadding comes in different weights.

      Tear-away stabilizer Place this non-woven material under fabric to be machine embroidered. It adds body and supports the fabric. Gently tear away the excess stabilizer after stitching.

      Haberdashery

      Most of the items mentioned here can be found in good department stores or specialist sewing shops. It’s always a good idea to keep a collection of buttons, ribbons and other trimmings as you come across them – you will soon find a use for them!

      Buttons Use buttons for decoration as well as practical purposes. There is a huge choice available. Flat buttons have flat backs with two or four holes. Shank buttons have a loop underneath to sew through. Self-cover buttons can be covered with your choice of fabric, they are simple to use and come in different sizes.

      Ribbons Colourful ribbons come in all sorts of widths and finishes. They can be used purely for decoration, for loops, bag drawstrings and to create woven ribbon designs.

      Zippers Use a zipper to close two edges of fabric temporarily such as on a cushion cover or a bag. Stitch the zipper in place with a zipper foot on a sewing machine.

      Trimmings There is an exciting selection of trimmings available to finish your makes. Sew-on trimmings such as braid, piping, bead edging and bobble trim can neaten straight edges. Stitch braid on top close to both long edges, insert trimmings with a flat flange in a seam using a piping or zipper foot. Just a few beads hand sewn at random are a lovely finishing touch.

      Threads Choose sewing thread to match the fabric colour, it should be strong and durable, with some ‘give’ in it. General-purpose mercerized cotton thread is suitable for woven natural fibre fabrics. General-purpose polyester thread is good on woven synthetic and knitted fabrics. Use the sewing thread or a heavy polyester thread for topstitching and sewing buttons. Generally, for patchwork and quilting use a 50 mercerized cotton thread. For professional results, use a machine embroidery thread for decorative zigzag stitching. Use embroidery threads such as widely available stranded cotton for hand embroidery and decorative running stitch. The skeins are made up of six strands which have to be separated for fine work.

      D-rings D-rings are metal ‘D’ shaped rings used to secure straps and fastenings. They come in various sizes.

      Bias binding This is a strip of bias-cut fabric with the edges pressed under for binding curved and straight edges. Buy bias binding by the metre (yard) or in packs. It comes in different widths, a range of colours and a limited range of patterns. Make your own with a bias binding maker.

      Piping cord Cover this inexpensive cord with bias strips of fabric to make your own piping. It comes in different thicknesses.

      Touch-and-close tape This is a two-part tape, one tape has a looped mesh surface and the other a hooked surface. The two layers interlock when pressed together. The tapes are available for sewing on or have a self-adhesive backing for sticking. Use touch-and-close tape to fix blinds to battens or to fasten bags. They are also available as discs.

      Metal eyelets Metal eyelets are available in a few different sizes and have a nickel, gilt or painted finish. Most come in a kit with a fixing tool, small eyelets can be fixed with special pliers.

      Press studs Fasten bags or cushion covers with two-part metal or transparent plastic press studs.

      Bag handles Bag handles can be made of various materials such as plastic, wood, metal and bamboo. Choose a style to suit the design and size of your bag. Using ready-made handles is a simple way to give a professional finish to the bag.

      Equipment

      Even if you are new to sewing, you will probably have some of the basic equipment needed to get started. Keep the tools together and use them only on fabric and their trimmings, otherwise they may become blunt and dirty. Work on a clean, well lit surface. Keep sharp tools beyond the reach of small children and pets.

      Pattern-making papers Haberdashery stores supply pattern-making paper. Durable paper such as parcel paper is also suitable as it comes in large sizes. Tracing paper is useful for making patterns you will need to see through, for positioning motifs for example.

      Pattern-making tools Use a fine pen or propelling pencil for accurate drawing. Draw straight lines against a ruler and describe circles with a pair of compasses. Use a set square to make accurate angles when drawing on paper and fabric.

      Measuring tools A plastic-coated or cloth tape measure is useful for measuring curves. Use a metre (yard) stick to draw against for long lengths and to measure fabric quantities. A transparent 30 cm (12 in) ruler is a handy size for drawing patterns on paper and fabric and for checking measurements. A 15 cm (6 in) long sewing gauge has a slider to set at different levels for marking hems, seams and as a quilting guide.

      Fabric-marking tools Draw on fabric with an air-erasable pen, the marks made will gradually fade away. Alternatively, use a water-soluble pen: the marks can be removed with water. Tailor’s chalk comes in different colours, in wedge and pencil form. Marks will brush off although a slight mark may remain. Test all methods of marking fabric on scrap fabric first.

      Scissors Cut paper patterns with paper scissors. Bent-handled dressmaking shears are comfortable and accurate to use for cutting fabric as the angle of the lower blade allows the fabric to lie flat. The shears are available in different lengths, so test before buying. A top-quality pair of shears is expensive but will last a lifetime. A small pair of sharp embroidery scissors is vital for snipping threads and seam allowances. Pinking shears cut a zigzag fray-resistant edge for neatening seams and to cut fabrics that are prone to fraying.

      Needles Needles for sewing machines come in different sizes with different shaped points. The lower the number, the finer the point. Sizes 70–90 (9–14) are the most commonly used. A sharp-point needle is the most versatile for woven fabrics. Stitch non-woven