So, you've decided you're done buying your cosplays, or at least the bulk of them, or your grandmother is too busy with her own projects to make your cosplays for you (that's what happened with me) so you gotta start making them yourself, because you are a bad ass that wants to make it in the time it would take to get a premade costume here from China. Not to say that those of you that buy aren't badasses, it's a different level. Henyway, you have no idea what all you're going to need. Scissors? Needles? Thread? Luckily, you have me, and like before, I'll try to provide links that I feel are reliable.
First off, you need scissors. Specifically, you need fabric scissors. The jokes that go around about people using crafters' fabric scissors to cut paper is no joke. Once these scissors are used for anything other than fabric, they don't cut the fibers right, ever. I have almost killed exes because they used my fabric scissors instead of my paper scissors, but I just don't want to have to buy a bunch more scissors if I don't have to. I prefer Fiskars, they have a wide array of scissors and they are relatively inexpensive, and especially if you have coupons, or they run sales. You can find the razor edge or if you are left-handed. These are good starting scissors for cutting out fabric. I would use your normal paper scissors for cutting out patterns. You'll also want a good pair of tiny scissors to trim the thread, which you can get here. Once you have your pattern cut out and your fabrics, you'll need needles and thread.
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The awesome thing about needles is that there are a bajillion types of needles. There are hand embroidery needles, sewing needles, beading needles, but we're just going to talk about the basics. Sewing needles are super important and come in many different sizes. You'll also need pins for holding your fabrics together, as well as your pattern to you fabrics. These also come in different colors and shapes. (You can find sewing machine needles here.) I have recently started using clips, which are really useful for certain fabrics. These are more expensive, but honestly worth it in my opinion. You'll also need somewhere to store your pins and needles, and I would suggest either a Tomato, or a magnetic bowl. Now you'll need thread. Usually, I use Coats and Clark, but buy them individually, since I can't see myself using some of the colors. You can also use Guetermann (uses an umlaut, but I don't have that key on my keyboard) thread, which is more expensive, but it's a cotton thread.
You'll also probably be measuring yourself, or others, so you'll need a tape measure. Honestly, everyone should have these, whether you make your own cosplays or get them commissioned. Safety pins are perfect if you get an item that you need to alter. Tailor's chalk is also perfect, if you need to draw out what needs to be modified. And if you need to remove some stitches because you took it in too much or you're like me and constantly mess up, you'll need a seam ripper. Practice makes perfect, and it's always better to have a muslin mock up of the project you're working on. Muslin is a really cheap fabric meant for testing patterns with a non-stretchy material. It comes in different widths, with the smallest being 36". It's perfect to use instead of the $30 a yard fabric you bought that you can't find anymore of.
Honestly, this is one of the smaller essentials lists, but it also doesn't account for specific items you'll need for your cosplay. If you'll need buttons, or zippers, snaps, bias tape, or any millions of other items. I thought about offering a Cosplay Essentials Kit in my store so that you aren't left to go look for the items yourself. If that is something you'd like to see, please let me know! I would love to make it happen, and also offer small patterns to get you started on your journey into the cosplay world!