There are many sewing tools out there to choose from and while some are truly unique, many can be a waste of your hard earned money. Here, I will tell you which ones I swear by and which ones, well, just make me swear.
Just kidding, it's rare that I swear at inanimate objects. Well, unless they really deserve it. 😉
Scissors
There are many sizes and types of scissors. While scissors are basically 2 blades that intersect when the handles are opened and closed, there is a difference between different types of scissors.
I have owned 2 pairs of Fiskars scissors for over 25 years. At the time I purchased them, they did take a chunk out of my hobby budget, but all these years later, they are still working well. They have needed sharpening occasionally, but not very often. (I will say, both these pairs of scissors where rigidly guarded and non-sewing usage was not tolerated at all.)
The first pair is the time tested "orange handled" set - made by the Fiskars company.
The second is a pair that is angled differently so I can make long cuts without turning my wrist sideways to the cloth. They work like a small pair of garden trimmers and my all my fingers fit inside the top handle, as opposed to the "regular" scissors that only allow at most 2 fingers in each handle loop and tend to bite into my fingers with prolonged or heavy duty cutting. These also happen to be made by Fiskars.
Pinking shears are made to cut a zigzag edge. This edge helps to keep the fabric from unraveling while working with it. I have used these on satin - including costume satin which can't help but unravel as soon as you look at it - and it has kept the straggling threads at bay. This will also help if you do not have a serger to finish edging or if it is not practical to use a serger.
Pinking shears cannot be sharpened and do not work well for thick materials or multi-layered projects. They also pretty much are only available in one size. Other than this, I would rather have a pair than not. (I would like to find a smaller pair...let me know if you are aware of any.)
Needles
There is a lot of things that I do not know about needles. I have always gone with the "if it can hold thread and pierce the fabric, it's good to use" theory. However, over the past year as I have been learning more advanced sewing techniques, I have learned - and experienced that there is a needle for every application.
Because I do not know enough to pass my knowledge on to you, I will suggest you search Google for the information.
I don't like passing you off to a generic search, but I also wouldn't want to give you bad advice. I have broken my fair share of needles and wrecked some projects due to bad needle choices and quite frankly, have not taken the time to find out why the problems happened.
Thimble
There are thimbles for sewing and thimbles for ironing and probably thimbles with other uses that I do not know about.
There are very few times that I use a thimble, but I'll tell you, it's really good to have it just in case. A thimble is one of those things that when you need it, there's almost no substitute to use.
For years, I used a basic little metal thimble that looked like it was the big brother to the one in a Monopoly game.
But a couple years back I ordered this type...I really don't like the Monopoly-type design as it doesn't stay on my finger very well. (Apparently, the makers of Monopoly didn't like that thimble either - in 2017, it was removed from the game pieces.)
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While I have not used a thimble for ironing, there are many times that I wish I had had one around. My fingertips would certainly appreciate one, I am sure!
When ironing parts of a project, sometimes my fingers need to be very close to the iron - and it's steam. (Yes, I have even ironed my fingers a few times!)
Thimbles suited for ironing are made of silicone and slip over the whole fingertip. I've seen these also used when working with leather because they help to grip the needle and pull it through the tough material. I would imagine many a blisters have been missed when using these.
As I said, I have not used a silicone thimble, so I cannot recommend which one is best, but if you search online, you can find many options.
Point Turner
These are pointy things that are used to push the corners out of an item when you have turned it right side out after sewing. I don't own an actual one. I use various things that are close at hand when I need something.
- A non-sharp letter opener - believe it or not, I have a vintage plastic one from the Fuller Brush Company. (Are they still in business?)
- A pen or pencil - be careful you don't make light fabrics! Can't tell you how many times I've done that one.
- A pair of tweezers - These are also good to have around for when you need to pull a small item right side out; like a thin strap or band. (More about these further down the list here.)
- A wooden chopstick - somewhere along the line, I brought home a pair of chopsticks from the local restaurant but didn't use them. These are just right for poking corners out. They have a blunt point, so they won't - usually - poke through the material (don't push too hard...it can be done...trust me!) and they have a long reach which can be invaluable on some projects.
- A knitting needed - just be careful to not push too hard - they will poke through because they are really pointy!
Bodkin
This is a handy little tool I just learned about a few months back. I had bought a set of useful tools from Amazon and had no idea what these things were for until I found instructions on another blog. OMG! Where have these been all my sewing life????
They are used to thread elastic or cording through a tube shape - think elastic waistband or some such thing.
As you can see from the image above, there are many different types of bodkins.
The one I like the best is the one on the left below. 
You put the elastic or cording in the open end (some have these little teeth that grab), and slide the bar towards that end. This tightens it's grip on the elastic/cording. then you just push it through the waistband (or whatever your making). The only problem I have had with using this tool is that sometimes the bar is too wide to fit through where it needs to go. A safety pin is still flatter and can fit in small spaces best.
Tip: when I thread elastic or cording, I use a safety pin to attach the other end to the material so that I don't pull it too far in. Lifesaving tip right here.
The other one I use almost as much is the long pink one. This is great for threading cords into hoodies and some elastic waistbands. 
Tweezers
Just like all the other tools discussed here, there are many different types of tweezers. Some can get to be pretty expensive, but with little exception, they all work pretty much the same.
Tweezers come in handy for when you need to be able to grasp short threads or need to place embellishments in place.
This is the pair of tweezers that I like best. It's longer than "regular" tweezers and because of the bent end, I can get into tight places better. This is especially handy when threading some of my machines.
Marking chalk
One of the best marking chalks I have owned was made by my son years ago from a kid's craft kit. The kit had small molds (like used in candy making). Whatever that chalk was made of was the best. It didn't break very easily either. I wish I had paid attention to what was in the kit just a little better.
Anyway, nowadays, you can get marking chalk in different shapes and even in pens/pencils. (I haven't tried the pen/pencil types yet.)
The marking chalk I use are triangular in shape, are easy to hold and came in 3 colors - pink, blue and yellow. From reviews and articles I have read, you are supposed to pick the color that will "blend" or hide with your fabric. But that never has made any sense to me. I mean, isn't the reason you are using it is to see where something should be placed or sewn? Why then would you not want to use a color that stood out?
Chalk is easy to remove from material = IN MOST CASES! When I am working on a project that is not intended to be washed, I do take care to test the chalk on a scrap of the same material. Be sure it will wipe off, or at most come off with a damp sponge.
When in doubt - only mark the back of the fabric.
These are the ones I have been using.
Unfortunately, they are no longer available from the seller I had purchased them from on Amazon, but there are lots of others available that do look comparable.
Measuring tools
There are LOADS of different tools to use for measuring, but the most popular one is the tape measure. I like the little retractable "cloth" tapes, but truth be told I always break the retractable part and end up pulling the tape out. I have lots of these tapes all around the house...probably one in my car too.
I do also use a metal 18" ruler...this is good to use as a straight edge with a rotary cutter and sometimes can also help turn a larger item right side out.
I have a wooden yardstick that I don't use as often. This is not because I don't like it, but more due to the fact that I generally have so much stuff going on that there is no room for laying out 36" length of anything.
My cutting mat is also marked with inches - very useful to have.
I have a quilter's triangle template that I use all the time. It's really good to help get a squared edge.
One other tool I have been using a lot more lately is the triangle grid. I bought it years ago - cause I thought it was neat - but really didn't use it much. It does come in handy to ensure that I have squared material correctly.
Cutting mats
I think this one is invaluable to have at your workstation. Even if you don't use it for very much...it will save your work surface from cuts and scrapes. I suggest looking for a self healing type. These will not show every cut you make on them, which is nice for repeated usage.
While they are not cheap, they are certainly worth the money. I have been using the same mat for almost 30 years....it is now ready to retire. My next one will be 36" wide - that way, maybe I'll keep a larger workspace cleared for use. And if I need to measure that large, there's not much need to pull out the yardstick.
And there's so much more...
There are so many more tools that I have not even gotten to here. Everyday and specialty ones that would be best to have more information on. I will continue to add to this list and plan to include how to use each one also.
Drop me a line if you have any questions about a tool - I'll help where I can.
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