What are notions?
Choose a thread
- 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.”
Try to match your notions 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 thread 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.)
Learn to Sew Lesson #4: Get Your Notions
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