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Learn to Sew Lesson #4: Get Your Notions
Notions are all of those little things you sew into or onto your item as you're constructing it.
Examples of notions:
The back of your pattern envelope should tell you the notions you need and the size, type, and quantity of
each.
It’s a good idea to get your notions when you purchase your fabric because you’ll likely want to match some
of your notions (thread, buttons, zippers, trims) to your fabric. And it can be annoying and time consuming to
have to stop in the middle of a project to go back to the fabric store for the zipper or buttons you’d decided
to get “later.”
When choosing your notions, try to match them as closely as possible to the color of your fabric. If you’re
matching notions to a print, match them to the print’s dominant color. However, depending on the look you’re
going for, you might want to choose a contrasting color.
Choose a thread
Learn to Sew Lesson #4: Get Your Notions
Notions are all of those little things you sew into or onto your item as you're constructing it.
Examples of notions:
- Thread, elastic, bias tape
- Closures and fasteners such as buttons, snaps, hooks, and zippers
- Embellishments such as ribbon, lace, and fringe
The back of your pattern envelope should tell you the notions you need and the size, type, and quantity of
each.
It’s a good idea to get your notions when you purchase your fabric because you’ll likely want to match some
of your notions (thread, buttons, zippers, trims) to your fabric. And it can be annoying and time consuming to
have to stop in the middle of a project to go back to the fabric store for the zipper or buttons you’d decided
to get “later.”
When choosing your notions, try to match them as closely as possible to the color of your fabric. If you’re
matching notions to a print, match them to the print’s dominant color. However, depending on the look you’re
going for, you might want to choose a contrasting color.
Choose a thread
- There are so many different kinds of thread available – silk, polyester, cotton, cotton/polyester blends,
in different thicknesses and in all the colors of the rainbow. And it can be overwhelming. So how do you
know which thread to choose for your project?
- A thread labeled all-purpose, 100% polyester, or cotton-wrapped polyester is fine for most general
sewing, which is what you’ll be doing.
- And try to match the color of your thread as closely as possible to the color of your fabric. Unwind
lengths of thread from several spools of different shades and hold them against your fabric. If you can’t
quite match the color, go with a darker shade. It’s likely to appear lighter once it’s sewn into your fabric.
- If your fabric is a print, match your thread to the print’s dominant color.
- And stay away from cheap thread (like those priced “five for a dollar”). Cheap thread tends to be
fuzzier and thinner. Which means it will likely leave lint all throughout your machine and break easily –
both in your machine and in your finished item. (For more on thread, see How to Choose Thread.)