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Essential Tools for Heavy-Duty Sewing - Klum House

Essential Tools for Heavy-Duty Sewing

 

At Klum House, we’re strong believers that you don't need a fancy sewing machine or industrial equipment to make amazing, professional-quality bags, but you will need some essential tools and supplies to be successful. Here's a list of our favorites.
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SEWING MACHINE 

At Klum House, all of our bags are designed for success on a home sewing machine. We test our patterns on a variety of home machines and find that the majority of them, if they have been well maintained and have a sharp needle, are up for the task. If you’re a beginner looking to invest in your first machine, these two heavy-duty home machines get the Klum House seal of approval.

 

 

Singer Heavy Duty 4423

Our favorite machine for beginners is the Singer Heavy Duty. We’ve used these machines for years in all of our bag making workshops! It is affordable and has a strong motor that can handle thicker fabrics. Whether you're planning on sewing waxed canvas bags or getting started on your first handmade wardrobe, this machine can handle it all. 

 $170–$220

  

 

 

Janome HD 3000
If you're looking to upgrade, we are big fans of the Janome HD 3000. This mechanical machine is also heavy-duty and has a slightly stronger motor and higher quality parts than the Singer. It can even sew through lightweight leather! However, in our experience, the Singer generally performs just as well as the Janome and is a fraction of the price!
$429–$499

 

 

 

 

 

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THREAD 

 

All-Purpose Thread

Using the correct thread for your project is important. Inexpensive threads tend to be weak and fuzzy, and eventually will lint up and clog your tension disks. Our favorite thread for bag making is all-purpose polyester thread. It’s super strong and comes in a variety of colors to match our waxed canvas!

  

 

 

 

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NEEDLES  

 

Topstitching Needles  

Choosing the right needle for you project is based on the type and weight of fabric you’re working with (i.e. knit vs. woven) and the thickness of your thread. For almost all of our waxed canvas bag projects, we use a sharp, size 100 denim needle. They’re great for stitching through multiple layers of heavy-duty fabric without breaking. The Slabtown Backpack, however, calls for a topstitching needle, which has a bigger eye and a more rounded sharp point, making it easier for thick topstitching thread to pierce through the fabric. 

 

 

 

 

  

Denim Needles

 

 

 

 

  

Nonstick Needles
        Nonstick Needles
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FABRIC MARKING TOOLS 

Whether you’re drafting pattern pieces onto fabric or stenciling small rivet placement marks through a template, using a high-quality fabric marking tool is key. We recommend having both a Chaco Liner Pen and fabric pencils on hand to use in different scenarios. These chalk-based marking tools create impermanent marks that can be rubbed away. Choose a contrasting color for the best visibility.

 

 

These fabric pencils from Clover are great for making curved lines and smaller, precise placement marks for things like rivet holes.

 

 

 

 

 

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CRAFT CLIPS + PINS 

When working with multiple layers of heavy-duty fabric, we generally prefer using craft clips rather than pins. Craft clips are fuss-free and have a strong hold, so they won’t move around on you. Pins have their place too though, and are great for lighter weight fabrics or for flagging a precise point. Every bag maker’s studio should have both!

 

 

 

Craft Clips

Craft clips are great for holding multiple layers of thick fabric in place when straight pins just won't cut it. Plus, they come in a bunch of cute colors!

  

 

 

  

 

Once you try these Flathead Pins, you'll never go back. These cuties are flexible, durable, sharp, and stay sharp. Plus - you can easily lay a quilting ruler over them when making bags.
 

 

 

 

 

 

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SEAM RIPPER, SEAM GAUGE AND THREAD SNIPS 

An inevitable part of becoming a bag making is making mistakes! We all make them. It’s one of the very best ways to learn. Having a sharp, high-quality seam ripper nearby is essential for removing incorrect stitches quickly so you can start again. A seam gauge is a simple little device that comes in hand for accurately measuring short spaces, like hems and seam allowances. It’s a small ruler with a little slide. In the Klum House studio, our super-sharp thread snips are always within an arms reach, ready to cut work from the sewing machine or clean up stray threads.

 

 

 

 

Seam Ripper


 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Seam Gauge

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Non-slip Quilting Ruler

We love this 5” x 20” non-slip quilting ruler for cutting and marking straight lines. The lines are easy to read and the transparency comes in very handy. We use this quilting ruler with a Chaco pen for drafting or with a rotary cutter on a self-healing cutting mat for cutting fabric and leather. (We also carry a 5” x 5” square ruler, which is especially useful for marking boxed corners!)

  

 

 

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Kai Rotary Cutter

Rotary cutters are designed to make straight cuts through leather or multiple layers of heavy-duty fabric with speed and accuracy. They can be used freehand or in combination with a quilting ruler but always with a protective cutting mat underneath. Look for a rotary cutter with a comfortable grip, sharp blade, and maybe even a safety lock for good measure! We love this rotary cutter from Kai.

  

 

 

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CUTTING MAT 

 

 

Olfa Self-healing cutting mat

If you use a rotary blade to cut fabric, you'll need a self-healing cutting mat. They provide a reliable workspace that's large enough to cut large widths of material, the gridded surface is excellent for quick measurement checks, plus they protect your work surface! We really like this double-sided 24” x 26” self-healing cutting mat from Olfa

 

 

 

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Edge stitch Presser Foot

At Klum House, we are devout believers in the edgestitch presser foot! This inexpensive foot is sometimes called a 'Stitch in the Ditch' presser foot and helps create a perfectly parallel straight stitch in relation to the edge of your fabric or seam. We've found that it's especially helpful when sewing through multiple layers of fabric and topstitching.

  

 

 

 

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WALKING FOOT + JEAN-A-MA-JIG

For projects with many layers of heavy-duty fabric or extra bulky seams, like our Slabtown Backpack, these two tools can give your sewing machine that extra boost it needs to power through. A walking foot attachment, also called a “quilting foot,” is a sewing machine accessory with built-in feed dogs to help guide layers of heavy-duty fabric evenly through the machine. A jean-a-ma-jig, also called a “hump jumper,” is a tool used to lift up the presser foot of your sewing machine to help it sew through thick seams. We recommend having both of these at the ready for heavy-duty sewing projects!

 

 

 

 

Walking Foot Attachment

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Have Fun Making!

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