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Upcycling SHOP

BASIC SEWING SUPPLIES

PAPER SCISSORS

If you use patterns than you’ll need scissors ONLY for paper!

JOANN

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SEAM RIPPER

This is my most used tool! It takes out stitching mistakes, opens zipper seams and helps press fabric down when stitching under the presser foot

JOANN

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PINS

I use pins for almost every project! There are a few lengths of pins. I use the long pins for pinning my fabric pieces together and the short pins for pinning into my dress form.

JOANN

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SEWING MACHINE

You can machine sew without one of these! There are so many out there and it all depends on what you’re looking to achieve. Some machines are heavy duty and others only have one kind of stitch. This Husqvarna Viking Interlude 435 machine was gifted to me about 20 years ago and it works beautifully to this day

JOANN

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SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES

It’s important to have sharp needles. It’s easy to accidently sew over a pin and break a needle so you’ll want extra needles around. Make sure the needles are compatible with you sewing machine

JOANN

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SCREW DRIVER

Sewing machines should come with one to replace the needles. I also use this tool for pressing down and guiding my fabric under the presser foot.

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DUSTERS

Sewing machines should come with these. They are essential for cleaning the lint in your machine. The gentleman who services my machine says to do it after every project.

JOANN

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THREAD

Can’t sew without it! It comes in many colors and types. An all purpose thread can be used for general sewing projects.

JOANN

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ADVANCED SEWING SUPPLIES

 

ROTARY CUTTER

This is the only tool I use to cut out pattern pieces from fabric and I also primarily use it to cut straight and wavy edges of leather. MUST be used with a self healing cutting mat.

JOANN

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ROTARY BLADE REFILLS

You’ll be so happy to have extra blades around! Too often I have accidently tried to cut over a pin and chipped my blade. A chipped blade causes skips in your cutting.

JOANN

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SELF HEALING CUTTING MAT

There are many sizes and colors to choose from. It all depends on your work space and how large of pieces you intend to cut. I have a small and an extra large for my work space.

JOANN

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TAILOR’S MEASURING TAPE

I mostly use this if I’m taking a customer’s measurements of their waist, hip, bust and more.

JOANN

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QUILTER’S CLIPS

I use these mostly for adding bias tape or for really thick fabrics

JOANN

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CONE HOLDER

This is only needed if you use cone thread as cones are too large to fit on most sewing machines

JOANN

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SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES

It is imperative to get the correct needle size according to what fabric you are using, i.e. light weight, heavy weight, jerseys.

 

IRON

My second most used item! I use it to attach interfacing, press seams open, remove wrinkles, when hemming and so many more reasons!


JOANN

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IRONING BOARD

This is essential to have when using an iron. I have a regular size and a table top size. I only use the table top size. Heat and steam can ruin a regular surface therefore never use an iron without a proper ironing board. If you use a table top with steam I recommended putting a towel underneath to collect access moisture

JOANN

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EXTRA FINE SCISSORS

Fine point scissors are key when you need to make a tiny cut or snip threads close to the fabric.

JOANN

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MAGNETIC PIN HOLDER

This is a great alternative to put pins away while sewing quickly. I often put my pins in here and later transfer to the pin cushion. It’s also a good way to pick up any pins you dropped.

JOANN

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TAILOR’S CHALK

I mostly use chalk when making t-shirt quilts and doing upholstery work. It helps me mark out my cutting lines before I actually make any cuts. Better safe than sorry! Always test on inconspicuous area to make sure it doesn’t leave a mark where you don’t want it to be seen,,

JOANN

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NEEDLE THREADER

This can save you a lot of frustration when trying to thread your needle!

JOANN

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SNIPS

I only use these once and a while but if you have a lot of threads to snip it makes the job go a lot faster!

JOANN

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TAPE

I use tape mostly for pattern making or if I purchased a pattern from online, printed it and need to put two pieces of paper together.

JOANN

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LINT ROLLER

You’ll be surprised how much lint and thread ends up on your work. This is a quick and easy way to remove them!

JOANN

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PLIERS

I only need these when I’m hand embroidering and my needle gets to hard to pull. I grab the needle with the pillars, pull and no more hassle!

JOANN

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TIDE TO GO PEN

Using sharp pins and needles can occasionally draw blood. I upcycled my wedding dress and this happened a few times and I was glad to have one of these on hand!

JOANN

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DISAPPEARING INK

I recently learned about this and it’s amazing for marking out my sewing lines.

JOANN

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BASTING SPRAY

I love using this to temporarily glue down an appliqué or label

JOANN

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LOOP TURNER

I use this to turn belt loops, spaghetti straps or anything less than about 1” wide.

JOANN

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PATTERN PAPER

Creating or altering patterns is easy with wide tracing paper. I use doctor’s office exam chair paper rolls, best bang for your buck!

JOANN

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FLEXIBLE RULER

I only use this for pattern making. It bends easily to measure curves.

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WALKING FOOT

This will save you so much frustration and taking out stitching. Which also saves time! Used to match stripes or plaid, quilting or sewing pile fabrics. Make sure it fits your type of sewing machine.

JOANN

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FREE MOTION DARNING/ EMBROIDERY/ QUILTING PRESSER FOOT

Presser feet can make the job smoother and faster! I ALWAYS use the proper presser foot when possible. They are available for “low shank” and “high shank” machines.

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BOBBIN STORAGE

You’ll be happy to have somewhere to store these! I like this because you can have over 20 bobbins stored and easily see the colors

JOANN

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LAMP

Good lighting is so important for you eyes and for no mistakes! Dark colors can be really hard to work with so adding extra lighting really helps.

JOANN

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CHOPSTICK

I use this to push corners out on such projects as pillows and collars. I also to push stuffing inside stuffed animals

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L-SHAPED RULER

I mostly use this when making patterns and t-shirt quilts.

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HAND STITCHING NEEDLES

You never know when you’ll have to see a button on or do a stay stitch by hand. It’s just a good idea to always have a needle around!

JOANN

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WEIGHTS

The easiest way to keep patterns on top of fabric.

JOANN

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HEAT PROTECTOR GLOVE

Steam irons can scorch your fingers. I use mainly when hemming and making bias tape.

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SEWING MACHIENS

I sew on a machine almost daily! It can be frustrating if you don’t have the right one for you. There are so many different machines out there for your skills, interest and wallet. A basic machine can do so much of the work especially if you have the correct thread and needles for each project. I have several machines ranging from new models to vintage. HUSQVARNA® VIKING® sewing machines have an excellent reputation and are my personal favorite. I have been sewing on one for almost 20 years. Singer and Brother are other reputable companies.

Here is a list of sewing machines I recommend for varies projects. Please not that the machines in the picture are the only ones I have tested. Affiliate links have been provided for you convenience!

SEWING MACHINE

You can’t machine sew without one of these! There are so many out there and it all depends on what you’re looking to achieve. Some machines are heavy duty and others only have one kind of stitch. This Husqvarna Viking Interlude 435 machine was gifted to me about 20 years ago and it works beautifully to this day.

HUSQVARNA® VIKING®

JOANN

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STARTER SEWING MACHINE

My daughter is 3 years old and just learning to sew. She uses a Singer Start sewing machines.

JOANN

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OVERLOCK MACHINE

This used sewing stretchy fabric seams and finishing edges

JOANN

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SEWING MACHINE SUPPLIES

FREE MOTION DARNING/ EMBROIDERY/ QUILTING PRESSER FOOT

Presser feet can make the job smoother and faster! I ALWAYS use the proper presser foot when possible. They are available for “low shank” and “high shank” machines.

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KID’S SEWING SUPPLIES

How exciting to have a child interested in sewing! My daughter is 3 years old and she has started to learn to hand and machine sew. Sewing supplies like scissors and needles are sharp and sewing machines are powerful.

Here is a list of tools and sewing machine that my daughter uses and I feel are suitable for kids. Disclaimer- only you are the judge if you think your child is ready to use these. Affiliate links are provided for your convenience!

STARTER SEWING MACHINE

This is my daughter’s machine. She is 3 years old and just learning to sew. I put a finger guard in it and it only has a couple types of stitching

JOANN

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FINGER GUARD

Protects fingers from reaching the needle preventing sewing through your fingers.

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SCISSORS

Kid’s scissors can cut through fabric! My daughter uses the same pair for cutting fabric and paper. They are very inexpensive and so you can purchase multiple and practice the habit of using one for paper only and one for fabric only.

JOANN

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PINS

I use pins for almost every project! There are a few lengths of pins. I use the long pins for pinning my fabric pieces together and the short pins for pinning into my dress form.

JOANN

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PIN CUSHION

Not only do they easily store your pins huts most pin cushions have steel wool inside which sharpens them for you!

QUILTER’S CLIPS

A great alternative to pins.

JOANN

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THREAD

Can’t sew without it! It comes in many colors and types. An all purpose thread can be used for general sewing projects.

JOANN

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TAILOR’S MEASURING TAPE

My toddler loves to use this on her dress form to learn how to measure.

JOANN

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SEAM RIPPER

This is my most used tool! It takes out stitching mistakes, opens zipper seams and helps press fabric down when stitching under the presser foot

JOANN

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RULER

This is a great way to teach them to measure (if they don’t already know).

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THREAD ORGANIZER

You’ll be thankful to have somewhere for your kids to store their threads before they unravel.

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BOBBIN STORAGE CASE

Keeping kids as organized is possible is a good idea! Some bobbins already come in a case but other are lose so a storage case is a great way to keep the threads from unraveling.

JOANN

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HAND STITCHING NEEDLES

You never know when you’ll have to see a button on or do a stay stitch by hand. It’s just a good idea to always have a needle around!

JOANN

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MINI IRON

This is included in practicing all things sewing! Perfect size for small hands.

JOANN

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HEAT PROTECTOR GLOVE

For peace of mind when your kid is sewing these gloves come in handy!

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CUT RESISTANT GLOVES

When your kid is using a rotary cutter these gloves will give you a peace of mind!

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TODDLER DRESS FORM

My daughter showed a lot of interest in working on my adult size dress form so I got her a toddler size one to her to make herself clothes with.

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ORGANIZING SUPPLIES

It took me years to finally get fully organized! What a difference it makes! When everything has a place and you know where to find it it saves so much time and frustration. It also is a safety measure for some tools are sharp or can break.

Here is a list of organizing supplies, bins, boxes and more. Affiliate links are added for your convenience!

PIN CUSHION

The easiest way to store and grab your pins!

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MAGNETIC PIN HOLDER

This is a great alternative to put pins away while sewing quickly. I often put my pins in here and later transfer to the pin cushion. It’s also a good way to pick up any pins you dropped.

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BOBBIN STORAGE

You’ll be happy to have somewhere to store these! I like this because you can have over dozens of bobbins stored and easily see the colors

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STORAGE CONTAINERS

Keep all your supplies extremely organize. One container for scissors, one for needles, one for pens and pencils and one for everything! They stack easily and can fit inside drawers, sewing baskets or tool bags.

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CART

This changed my organization for the best! You can easily move it around to wherever you’re working.

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TOOL BAG

I keep all my leather supplies in this tool bag.

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BOBBIN “BUDDIES”

Keep your bobbin with it’s matching thread. I made mine inexpensively out of pipe cleaners.

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THREAD ORGANIZER

You’ll be thankful to have somewhere to have somewhere these wont unravel and you can easily view your colors.

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SUPPLY ORGANIZER

Keep your scissors, seam ripped, ruler, pencils and more on your desk or workspace in this awesome organizer

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INTERFACING

& STABLIZIER

 

Interfacing is an inner constructive material. It adds shape, structure, strength, body and/or stability to fabrics. Some of it’s uses include reinforcing areas with high stress like button holes and loops; giving shape not bulk to collars and waistbands; maintaining shape for plush toys and pillows. I use interfacing in almost all of my projects, sometimes just for a small section like a collar or pocket and sometimes for the entire piece. I only use fusible interfacing but it also comes in sew-in. Buying in bulk saves money!

Stabilizer is a backing that’s added to fabric to simplify the sewing process. Used mostly for machine embroidery and sewing applications such as seaming knit fabrics, sewing buttonholes and hemming lightweight fabrics.

Here is a list of the interfacing and stabilizers I use. Affiliate links are provided for your convenience!

SHEERWEIGHT INTERFACING

This is my one of most used interfacing. It is a lightweight, nonwoven and fusible. Mostly use for t-shirt quilts.

JOANN

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MEDIUM WEIGHT INTERFACING

Another one of my most used interfacings. It has a medium weight, it’s woven and fusible. Mostly use for all my plush toys.

JOANN

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KNIT INTERFACING

This is a stretch interfacing. Used when my fabric needs stability and needs to still stretch.

JOANN

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STRUCTURE INTERFACING

This is a heavy weight interfacing mostly used for structure. Mostly used for my ornaments.

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HEAVY WEIGHT INTERFACING

This is a thick, heavy weight, and fusible interfacing. I use it to give structure on all of my fabric bags.

JOANN


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ULTRA STRONG NO SEW INTERFACING

This is a double-side interfacing when you do not want to sew. I use for making my ornaments.

JOANN

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TEAR AWAY STABILIZER

This stabilizer supports the fabric and stitches to prevent distortion and puckering. Tear away is easily removed after stitching.

JOANN

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WASH AWAY STABILIZER

This is a water soluble stabilizer. Used for high-pile fabrics or when you want a no show backing for embroidery.

JOANN

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LEATHER SUPPLIES

Leather working requires unique tools that are very different from sewing fabrics. I hand stitch all my project for my machines cannot handle the thickness of leather seams and thick threads. As well as I love the look of hand stitched leather!

Here is a list of my leather supplies. Affiliate links are provided for your convenience!

ROTARY CUTTER

This is the only tool I use to cut out pattern pieces from fabric and I also primarily use it to cut straight and wavy edges of leather. MUST be used with a self healing cutting mat.

JOANN

AMAZON

ROTARY BLADE REFILLS

You’ll be so happy to have extra blades around! Too often I have accidently tried to cut over a pin and chipped my blade. A chipped blade causes skips in your cutting.

JOANN

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UTILITY KNIFE

I use this to cut around curves. There are curve punches available to make the job easier.

JOANN

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ROUND CUTTER PUNCH

These make cutting corners a breeze!

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SELF HEALING CUTTING MAT

There are many sizes and colors to choose from. It all depends on your work space and how large of pieces you intend to cut. I have a small and an extra large for my work space.

JOANN

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METAL RULER WITH GRIP

I use a metal ruler with a cork grip to cut straight and wavy edges of leather. It gives such a crisp line!

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DIAMOND CHISELS

This is one of the most common way of piercing stitching holes. There are several different sizes available.

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To learn the differences between the diamond chisels and the stitching hole punch to pick which one is right for you check out my blog post:

Diamond Chisel vs Stitching Hole Tool

STITCHING HOLE PUNCH

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TANDY LEATHER

  • Mini Punch Set- 0.08 in. (1.98 mm), 0.09 in. (2.38 mm), 0.13 in. (3.18 mm, 0.14 in. (3.57 mm), 0.16 in. (3.97 mm), 0.19 in. (4.76 mm)

To learn the differences between the diamond chisels and the stitching hole punch to pick which one is right for you check out my blog post:

Diamond Chisel vs Stitching Hole Tool

RUBBER MALLET

Tp punch stitching holes you’ll need a hammer of some sort. Using a rubber one creates less noise.

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BEVELERS

These are used for the first step in leather edging.

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SKIVERS

This tool is used to shave down leather for seams.

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STITCHING GROOVER

This tool marks where your stitching holes will go. It also allows for the thread to sit in the groove to prevent it from rubbing and wearing down.

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EDGE CREASER

This is another option for a stitching line. I use this on thin and/or soft leathers.

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SANDPAPER

This is an optional step for you edges but one that I choose to always do.

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NEEDLES

It’s good to have an assortment of needle sizes and styles.

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WAXED THREAD

There are 2 types of threads, round and flat, that come in different sizes and colors.

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FINGER GUARDS

After hours of hand stitching my finger pads get sore from clutching the needle so these help serve to stop the pain. Also, when using very sharp needles they come in handy to prevent pricks.

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BEES WAX

Used for a few purposes in leather work. I apply it along paper pattern holes before I punch to help glide the cut holes through the tool better as well as it sticks them together for easier clean up.

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MASKING TAPE

Used to tape pattern pieces to leather.

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GLUE

You’ll need to use glue to flatten your seam allowance. Also, for sticking 2 or more layers of leather together.

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PAINT BRUSHES

Used for apply glue to leather. A variety of sizes is good to have for small seams to large surface areas.

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WIRE BRUSH

Used for roughing up the grain side/top side of leather for gluing.

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ROLLER

Used to open seams and press down when gluing. Alsoo to secure bond when gluing layers of leather together

JOANN

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SLICKERS

Used to burnish leather edges. They are inexpensive so I would recommened getting a few for different color leathers.

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LIQUID CONTAINER

Used for water when edging leather and/or for glue.

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WOOL BALL BRUSH

Used for edge work.

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Q-TIPS

An alternative to the wool ball brush for edging work.

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CANVAS

This is my main slicking tool. It’s great for thin and soft leathers. If you have a canvas tote not in use just cut that into strips!

JOANN

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GLYCERIN SOAP

Used in conjunction with water for slicking leather edges. It is not necessary but helps soften the leather and speed up the slicking process.

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SADDLE SOAP

Used on the canvas for slicking leather edges.

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BURNISHING GUM

This is not necessary as slicking finishes the edges enough but I like to add as it gives it a more polish look.

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LEATHER CONDITIONER

Not necessary but a good step to recondition, moisturize and waterproof your leather.

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MICROFIBER CLOTH

Used to clean leather and for applying creams.

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FOAM PADS

Another method of gluing or dying.

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STITCHING AWL

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AWL

Helps widen stitching holes for getting your needle through easier. Also used to poke holes in leather.

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