• Choose the Right Fabrics for Sewing & Quilting

• Select the Best Threads for Sewing & Quilting

• Evaluate Sewing & Quilting Machines

• Get Essential Sewing & Quilting Accessories

• Find Sewing & Quilting Supplies on eBay

• Buy Sewing & Quilting Supplies with Confidence

Choose the Right Fabrics for Sewing & Quilting

Choose the Right Fabrics for Sewing & Quilting

Whether you’re reupholstering a chair, making a quilt, or sewing a skirt, consider what type of fabric is right for your project. Are you looking for a vintage look or something from a contemporary designer? You'll find vintage fabrics from Waverly and Michael Miller, and designer fabrics from Knoll, Scalamandre, Amy Butler, Lilly Pulitzer, Vera Bradley, Manuel Canovas, Marimekko, and more!

Clothing fabric

You can search for fabric in yards, and there are many materials to choose from, including cotton, wool, linen, silk, velvet, suede, fleece, and blends. Beginners will probably be more comfortable sewing with a softer and more manageable fabric like cotton, while projects involving suede or leather may require a more practiced hand.

If you’re sewing a dress for an important occasion like a wedding or prom, you may want to look into a higher-end fabric like satin charmeuse, chiffon, crepe, silk dupioni, organza, or tulle.

Quilting fabric

A quilt is usually composed of three layers. The quilt top includes a background fabric, often sewn in squares, or appliqué, that will be placed on top of that fabric. The bottom of the quilt is usually the same fabric or a coordinating fabric with the background fabric. In between these two layers is the batting, a material like cotton, polyester, silk, or a blend that provides the heft of the quilt. You can find tops and blocks in the quilting category and squares in the cotton fabric category.

Upholstery fabric

When you’re upholstering or reupholstering a piece of furniture, you'll need a heavier fabric that can withstand the wear and tear that upholstery has to take over years of use. You also want to make sure that the fabric matches the room in which the furniture sits, and that it’s suitably fade-resistant. Top fabric brands include Knoll, Brunschwig & Fils, Scalamandre, and, if you’re looking to upholster outdoor furniture, Sunbrella. Search for upholstery and drapery in the upholstery category on eBay.

Select the Best Threads for Sewing & Quilting

Select the Best Threads for Sewing & Quilting

Choose the right quality thread and quilting thread for your project. Though it's tough to see with the naked eye, cheaper threads often have a lot of loose fibers, weakening the thread and therefore the stitches.

Pick a thread color that matches the color that occurs most often in your fabric. If an exact match can't be found, always go a shade or two darker, not lighter.

For most projects, you'll want to use either a cotton or polyester thread. Also widely used, cotton-wrapped polyester thread combines the advantages of both thread types. Here’s a look at some common thread materials:

• Cotton: Cotton thread is good for fabrics that don't have much stretch to them. Cotton stitches will not hold up well to stretching, but generally look better than polyester or silk.     

• Polyester: Though polyester's sheen can be inappropriate for some projects, it’s a better thread for clothing that has stretch to it. It also usually gives off less lint than cotton. Polyester is also good for embroidery due to its strength.    

• Silk: Both silk and fine cotton are good for use with delicate fabrics; go with silk if the fabric needs to stretch.    

• Quilting thread: Quilting thread, usually made of cotton, provides ample strength for stitching through layers while preventing too much bulk in your quilt seams or tears that can occur from stressed fabric and heavy use over time.

Evaluate Sewing & Quilting Machines

Evaluate Sewing & Quilting Machines

Consider what you’re comfortable using, what features you’re looking for, and how much you’re willing to spend before buying your new sewing machine.

• Electronic sewing machines: Electronic sewing machines from brands like Bernina and Kenmore give the user more control over the machine. You can change stitch type, size, and speed with the touch of a button, rather than having to make precise changes to the knobs on a mechanical sewing machine.    

• Computerized sewing machines: Electronic machines which also have memory that can store commonly used stitches and patterns (often allowing the user to change stitches using a handy LCD screen), computerized machines also store your embroidery fonts, standardize the feeding of fabric into the machine, and let you change foot pressure if you’re working with fabrics of varying thicknesses. Popular brands include Brother, Pfaff, and Husqvarna Viking.    

• Mechanical sewing machines: Mechanical sewing machines cost less, but don't offer the accuracy and ease of use that electronic and computerized machines do. Nevertheless, many long-time sewers are comfortable with these machines and like the hands-on feel.    

• Combination machines: Sewing machines that can also be used for embroidery, combination machines often have LCD screens for choosing from your stored embroidery patterns, and usually offer automatic needle threading, quick bobbin refill, and foot control. Top brands include Brother and Bernina as well as Tajima and Melco for more commercial machines.    

• Sergers: These are faster machines for basic sewing work like sewing and trimming seams. Formerly only available for commercial use, sergers from brands like Janome, Juki, and Elna now join the sewing machines in many homes.    

• Commercial machines: Commercial machines are heavy-duty, all-metal machines made to handle thicker materials, sew through several layers, and deal with heavier upholstery projects. Commercial machines have automatic feeds that guide the fabric through in 1-foot increments and hold it in place with an extra presser foot, while the other one is stitching. Find commercial machines from top manufacturers like Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff, and Consew.

Get Essential Sewing & Quilting Accessories

Get Essential Sewing & Quilting Accessories

You'll find a large selection of bobbins, thread, pin cushions, needles, and other necessities on eBay. You may also want to look at sewing furniture like sewing tables and cabinets, as well as cases and baskets to keep your supplies organized and in good shape.

Other quilting options

Find quilting kits that provide all of the materials, tools, and instructions that you'll need to create a quilt from start to finish. You can also find presser feet that are specially made to create the precision seams needed for quilting. Wooden or plastic quilting frames help hold together the quilt top, batting, and bottom while you’re stitching together your quilt. Also, sewing and quilting patterns can serve as templates allowing you to easily re-create designs and shapes on clothing or a quilt. Finally, buy measuring supplies like rulers, measuring tape, angles, and quilting pencils to provide more accuracy and precision for your project. You can also find quilt hangers on eBay so that you can show off your finished crafts.

Embroidery help

Opt for scanners or software that will allow you to scan or download your unique designs, and save them as a template to your machine's memory.

Instructional guides

Finally, there are books on sewing, quilting, and embroidery that will help you find the supplies, equipment, and techniques you need to create high-quality projects.

Find Sewing & Quilting Supplies on eBay

Find Sewing & Quilting Supplies on eBay

Once you know what type of sewing & quilting supplies you want, go to the Crafts portal, click Fabric, Quilting, or Sewing, and start searching for item listings on eBay.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. For example, the Quilting Categories list includes links to Quilt Instruction, Quilt Kits, Quilt Patterns, Quilt Hangers, Quilting Thread, Tools & Equipment, Tops & Blocks, and Other Quilting. As you dig deeper into the site you'll also be able to narrow down your choice by brand or item type.    

• Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find a sewing machine with an embroidery feature, type "embroidery sewing machine" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Sewing & Quilting Supplies with Confidence

Buy Sewing & Quilting Supplies with Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,000.

• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.