Are you thinking about starting a sewing business from home, but how do you go about turning your skill into a successful business?

There is no point in ignoring one of the most basic steps – that is a business plan as you need to know where you are going, what to do if things go wrong and what your aims are.

If you are working from home, the only extra finance you may need will be for a heavier duty sewing machine, perhaps one with all the ‘bells and whistles’. However, your existing machine should do to start with.

You will need insurance if you work outside or inside the home. Just think about the possible consequences if you spill paint down a wedding dress on th eve of the wedding! Liability insurance is not always that expensive, but could prove a lifesaver.

Contact your local government offices to check to see what licences you need to work from home. These may differ dependant on where you live. Make sure you always keep financial records of everything safe, and try and get in the habit of doing your accounts regularly so you don’t get a build up.

An important consideration is to set your pricing correctly. You need a realistic but competitive pricing structure that allows you some flexibility. Make it clear up front that this is a price for the work they have asked for and that if anything extra is done, you reserve the right to charge accordingly. People will try these things so be aware.

If you are starting a sewing business you need to consider your marketing plan. There is no need to pay out thousands of dollars to launch a home-based sewing business but you really should invest in some business cards to give out to everyone. Have some flyers printed and get them out locally so people know you are in business.

Although it may not get you a lot of work, an Internet presence these days is almost an essential to display your work. Most people know someone who is good at putting together at least a basic web page so just ask. However, word-of-mouth will be the most important way to get business so make sure you treat your clients properly and they will refer you and keep coming back.

Changing your hobby into a business and starting a sewing business from home is a good way to exploit your skill. Business may take a while to take off but hold on, word-of-mouth takes time to populate. Good luck!

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Sewing is a unique hobby that is both fun and very useful.  You can sew clothing items and decorative items for your home simply by learning the basics of sewing.  You may also choose to start a new business. Whatever you want to do, there are some essential sewing gadgets you can’t do without.

Sewing started out as a primitive and simple stitch to make clothing and utilitarian items.  However, it has progressed to more advanced and interesting clothing and decorative items.  Today, people all over the world sew, mostly women as home sewers but also men who tend to be more professional such as tailors.

A sewing box is perhaps an essential sewing gadget for all households.  Whether you sew or just simply mend things from time to time, a sewing box will keep your supplies in one place.  By having a dedicated sewing box for your supplies, you will always know where things are when you need to sew that button on.

Using dull scissors is one of the most frustrating things you can use when you are sewing.  Dull scissors make your project much harder to complete than it needs to be.  A good quality pair of very sharp scissors will save you a lot of frustration and time.  Your projects will also turn out better and have cleaner lines to them.

Pinking shears are a special type of scissors which cuts fabric so that the edges are zigzagged and this helps prevent fabric fraying.

A stitch gage looks like a small ruler with a sliding gage on it and helps you measure and also to help you sew straight seams and hems every time.

Taylor’s chalk is a must for making markings on your fabric and cutting out patterns.  The chalk is easily removed from your final product.

Anti-fraying solution can be applied to the edges of your fabric to keep it from fraying while you work with it.  The solution can safely be used on most fabrics but please read the instructions on the can.

A magnetic pin holder can make your use of pins and needles easier and is an excellent alternative to a fabric pin cushion.  Also, when you are finished for the day, you can simply wave your magnetic pin holder over your work area and attract up all of the stray pins before someone treads on them.

Elastic pullers are used to pull elastic through casings in your projects.  They are very inexpensive and indispensable if you will be working with elastics.

In addition to these gadgets and to help avoid expensive maintenance, you should also consider a good cover for your sewing machine to keep out dust and dirt.

Another good item to have in your sewing room is a comprehensive reference book on sewing techniques. My favourite is the New Complete Guide to Sewing (Readers Digest)

By purchasing the sewing gadgets above as well a sewing machine cover, and a good sewing book, you will be well on your way to happy sewing.  Sewing isn’t really that hard to master, and when you have all of the tools you will need, it is much easier.

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When you look at sewing machine, you are likely to be impressed at the amazing array of things these machines can do: all sorts of stitches, embroidery, quilting, and so forth. And these machines come at an impressive price as well.

Then there are the specialty machines, such as Sergers (overlock stitching machines). If you are a beginner, it can be overwhelming. When you begin to sew, there are a lot of low tech things to learn such as how to cut out material from a pattern, how to handle seam allowances, how to sew straight lines, how to handle pleats, and so forth.

When you begin a hobby, it is difficult to tell whether it is a hobby you will want to continue to do or if it is something that is ultimately not interesting to you. Based on these two factors, the beginner should get a relatively simple sewing machine (not a Serger) for under two hundred dollars. These basic machines have a range of stitches to play with and they are great machines for learning all the foundational techniques of sewing with a machine.

Spend the extra money on books to help you learn these techniques rather than on a machine that gets confusing. If you fall in love with sewing, then pass your beginner’s machine onto another beginner and go get one with all the bells and whistles. By then you should have the skills you will need in order to really enjoy the fancier machine.

You can get a good and versatile machine such as the Brother LS2125I for around $79.95, you get a 10-stitch machine that also has an automatic 4-step buttonholer (buttonholes are my nemesis!). This machine is popular with newbies so it may be an idea to check it out and see more pictures.

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