Five tools for sewing lingerie and intimates

After 10+ years sewing and manufacturing lingerie, here are five tools I recommend to improve quality, precision and speed.

These are my five favourite tools for sewing lingerie and intimates. I like to have them on hand for every project. If you are just starting out on your lingerie sewing journey, they are nice to have rather than essential, but each one can make the process easier and more enjoyable as your skills grow.

Appliqué Scissors

I waited far too long in my sewing career to try appliqué scissors. Now they are something I would not sew without. They make trimming seams and appliqué work far easier and more precise.

Appliqué scissors are designed to trim away bulk or excess fabric close to a seam edge while reducing the risk of cutting into the garment itself. This is especially helpful when working with lace and layered fabrics.

Lingerie sewing is all about reducing bulk to achieve a smooth finish, so these scissors are a very useful addition to your sewing kit.

Embroidery Snips

A good pair of embroidery snips is important in any sewing kit, but especially when sewing lingerie. This type of sewing involves fine detail work, so fine tipped snips allow you to achieve a clean, controlled finish.

I purchased mine from the Victorinox store. They are the Victorinox 9 cm Stork Embroidery Gold Plated Scissors, and they are both practical and a pleasure to use.

Roller Cutters / Rotary Cutters

Rotary cutters are a great addition to a lingerie sewing setup. I always keep spare blades on hand, as even a small nick in the blade can make cutting frustrating and imprecise.

I keep several sizes available and recently added a small 28 mm blade, which is usually used for quilting. I find this smaller size particularly well suited to detailed lingerie work and small pattern pieces.

One helpful tip is to lay out all of your pattern pieces before cutting. This reduces the risk of accidentally cutting into fabric you intended to use, something I have done one too many times!

Silk Pins

Silk pins are extremely fine, usually less than 0.5 mm in diameter, which makes them ideal for delicate fabrics. They are much less likely to damage fine lingerie fabrics.

If you choose glass head silk pins, you can also leave them in place while pressing, as the glass heads will not melt the way plastic ones can.

Hand Sewing Needles

Sharps, betweens and milliners needles are all types of hand sewing needles commonly used in garment construction. They have a uniform shape and do not flare out at the eye, which allows the needle and thread to glide smoothly through fabric.

Milliners needles are the longest needle type of the three and are especially useful for basting and running stitches. Betweens come in the shortest available sizes and are useful because a short needle lets us work faster. Sharps are in between milliners and betweens in length.

Needles are typically sized from 1 to 12, with smaller numbers indicating longer and thicker needles. For lingerie sewing, it is best to choose a needle from the higher number range. These needles are finer and shorter, which gives better control when working with delicate fabrics and small details, unless you are basting or working with thicker materials.

Final Thoughts

The right tools can make a noticeable difference when sewing lingerie, especially when working with fine fabrics and intricate details. While none of these tools are strictly essential, each one helps improve accuracy, reduce frustration, and create a more polished finish. As your confidence grows, investing in quality tools like these can make the creative process smoother and more enjoyable.