Shop Upgrade Priority: What I Wish I'd Known Before Wasting All My Money
Let me tell you, I hoarded money for weeks because I was so confused about what to upgrade first. I'd stare at the upgrade menu for 10 minutes, close it, do a commission, stare again... it was brutal. Here's the exact order that would've saved me hours of progress and so much regret.
📑 In this guide
Quick answer: the upgrade order
If you just want the list and want to get back to playing — honestly, same, I get it — here's my priority ranking from most important to least. I've tested this the hard way, so you don't have to:
Faster sewing = more commissions per day = more money. The #1 upgrade by far. Trust me on this one. I cannot stress this enough.
You can't 5-star hard commissions without better fabrics. Unlock new tiers as soon as you can. This one shocked me with how much it changed everything.
Better quality = better ratings = more money per commission. Important for 5-star runs, but not as game-changing as the top two.
More space = you can lay out fabric better. Way more useful than it sounds. I ignored this for way too long and I'm still mad about it.
Nice to have, but you can always sell old fabric if you need space. Not urgent. I bought this thinking it was essential. It was not.
Helps with customer flow but is not worth prioritizing early. Cute, though. I'll give it that.
Wallpaper, decorations, music — zero gameplay impact. Buy with leftover money only. And I do mean ONLY leftover money.
S-Tier — Buy these as soon as you can afford them
These upgrades pay for themselves so fast it's almost ridiculous. If you have enough money for them, just buy them. Don't even think about it. Don't hesitate. I'll wait while you go buy them right now. Seriously.
⚡ Sewing Speed
Why it's #1: This is the single most impactful upgrade in the entire game. The faster you sew, the more commissions you can do in a day, the more money you make, the faster you can buy more upgrades. It's a virtuous cycle. Like, a really really good one.
My mistake: Oh man, I skipped sewing speed upgrades for the first few hours because I thought "I'm not in a rush, I can take my time." I was so wrong. So devastatingly wrong. Going from "takes all day" to "done by afternoon" completely changes how you play the game. I cannot believe how much time I wasted.
How much to buy: Always upgrade this when it's available. Max it out as early as possible. Just do it. You'll thank me later.
🧵 Fabric Selection
Why it's #2: You simply cannot 5-star harder commissions with basic cotton and linen. It's just not gonna happen. You need better fabrics, and you get them through this upgrade.
My mistake: I hoarded money and refused to upgrade fabric selection because "I can just use what I have." But I was stuck at 3-4 stars on every commission above 2-star difficulty. It was so frustrating! Once I unlocked satin and velvet? Suddenly 5 stars was actually achievable. More 5-star commissions = more money = worth every single dollar. I was kicking myself for waiting so long.
How much to buy: Unlock new tiers as you progress. You don't need every single color immediately — and let's be real, you'll want to buy them all anyway — but you should always be working toward the next tier.
A-Tier — Great investments
These are very important but don't quite rise to "drop everything and buy immediately" levels. Get them soon after your S-tier upgrades. You won't regret it. Probably.
✨ Sewing Quality
Why it matters: Higher quality means higher scores, which means better star ratings, which means more money per commission. If you're going for 5 stars — and let's be real, who isn't? — you need quality upgrades.
Why it's not S-tier: Unlike sewing speed, quality upgrades only matter if you're already close to the next star threshold. If you're getting 2 stars on a 4-star commission, quality won't magically make it 5 — you need better fabrics first. I learned this the hard way by dumping money into quality when I should've been buying fabrics. Oops.
My strategy: Get a few levels early (to make 2-3 star commissions easier), then focus on fabrics and speed, then come back to quality when you're working on 4-5 star stuff. It's all about timing, baby.
🔧 Workbench Size
Why it matters: A bigger workbench means you can lay out more fabric at once, arrange things more efficiently, and make fewer layout mistakes. Sounds boring, I know, but hear me out.
Why you might underestimate it: I thought the exact same thing — "how much difference can a bigger table make, honestly?" A lot. A LOT. When you're working with 3+ fabrics on a complex commission, space matters so much. Running out of room mid-design is the worst. You'd think I'd learn after the first time, but no — I had to learn it like three times.
My strategy: Upgrade this once or twice early on (you'll notice the difference immediately, I promise), then max it out later when you're doing 5-star commissions regularly.
B-Tier — Nice to have
These upgrades are fine, I guess. But they shouldn't be your priority when money is tight. Buy them when you have extra cash and nothing better to spend it on. Which, let's be real, is basically never early game.
📦 Storage Capacity
What it does: Lets you hold more fabric in your inventory. That's it. That's the whole thing.
Why it's B-tier: Yeah, it's annoying when you run out of storage. Super annoying. I've been there, inventory full and panicking. But you can always sell old fabric to make room! It's not ideal, but it works. Storage upgrades are a convenience, not a necessity. And honestly? I bought this way too early and regretted it.
My rule: Upgrade storage only when you find yourself selling fabric you know you'll need again soon. Like, if you're selling cotton every single week and buying it back the next day? Just get more storage. At that point, it's just wasting money.
⭐ Shop Reputation / Decor
What it does: Better shop reputation attracts more customers and higher-paying commissions. Also, your shop looks cute, which is a plus.
Why it's B-tier: It does help, but the effect is so gradual and hard to measure. You'll naturally gain reputation as you complete commissions anyway! Decor upgrades are fun, don't get me wrong — I bought all of them eventually — but they're not optimal for pure progression speed.
When to buy: When you've already maxed out S and A tier upgrades and have money to burn. Or when you just want your shop to look nice — no judgment. I've been there, buying plants for the aesthetic.
C-Tier — Skip until late game
These upgrades don't affect gameplay in any meaningful way. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Buy them with leftover money when you've already bought everything else. And I mean EVERYTHING else.
🎨 Cosmetic upgrades
Wallpaper, flooring, decorations, music boxes — none of these do anything for your sewing speed, quality, or income. They just make your shop look nice. Which is great! But not progression.
To be clear, there's absolutely nothing wrong with buying them for fun! I bought all the cute decorations eventually. My shop looked adorable. But if you're trying to optimize your progression, these should be dead last on your list. Dead. Last. Learn from my mistakes, people.
Early game strategy (first 5 hours)
If you're just starting out, first of all — welcome! The game is great, you're gonna love it. Second, here's exactly what I'd recommend doing based on my very painful first playthrough:
Do the first 3-4 commissions with starter fabrics
Don't buy any upgrades yet. Just focus on learning the game and earning some initial capital. I know the upgrade menu is tempting — resist the urge. I repeat: RESIST.
First upgrade: Sewing Speed (level 1)
You'll notice the difference immediately. Faster sewing = faster money. It's like the game suddenly got easier. You'll wonder why you didn't do this sooner. I know I did.
Second upgrade: Fabric Selection (unlock next tier)
Get access to better fabrics. This is how you'll start getting 4 and 5 stars on harder commissions. The first time you get a 5-star commission? Chef's kiss. So satisfying.
Third upgrade: Sewing Speed (level 2)
More speed = more commissions = more money. Always come back to speed. It never stops being the best upgrade. I'm telling you, this thing is straight-up overpowered.
Fourth upgrade: Sewing Quality (level 1-2)
Now that you have better fabrics, quality upgrades will help you push those 4-star commissions to 5 stars. It's the final piece of the puzzle. And honestly, 5-star commissions feel so good to complete.
From here: alternate speed → fabrics → quality
Keep cycling through these three. Workbench size and other upgrades can be sprinkled in as you can afford them. Think of it like a delicious upgrade sandwich — speed is the bread, fabrics and quality are the filling.
Mistakes I made (don't do these)
I made so many bad upgrade decisions in my first playthrough. So. Many. I'm almost embarrassed to admit them. Almost. But hey, learn from me so you don't have to learn the hard way!
❌ Hoarding money
I had this dumb mentality of "I'll save up for the big upgrade." But small upgrades make you money faster, which gets you to the big upgrade sooner! I was literally slowing down my own progress for no reason. Upgrade regularly, even if it's just one level.
❌ Buying decor first
"The cute wallpaper was only $50! That's basically nothing!" — past me, making a terrible financial decision. $50 could've gone toward sewing speed and earned me hundreds more. Don't be like me. Put the wallpaper down. Step away from the decor menu.
❌ Neglecting sewing speed
I thought "I'm not in a hurry, I can take my time." But taking longer per commission means fewer commissions per day means less money means slower upgrades means even slower. It's a death spiral! A boring, slow death spiral. I can't believe I did this to myself.
❌ Buying every fabric color
"Ooh, a new fabric tier! Let me buy every single color because they all look so pretty!" — also past me, clearly with no impulse control. You don't need every color immediately. Buy the fabrics you need for upcoming commissions first. The other colors will still be there later, I promise.
Common questions
Q: Should I upgrade before I buy fabric for a commission?
A: Depends on the upgrade, obviously. If it's sewing speed or fabric selection that will help you with this commission AND future ones — upgrade first, no question. If it's a cute little wallpaper upgrade — buy the fabric first, you maniac.
Q: How do I make money faster to afford upgrades?
A: Spam easy commissions that you can consistently 5-star. Garden Party Gown is great for this — I've done that thing so many times I could sew it in my sleep. Higher ratings mean more reputation and more money. Check out my money-making guide for more details.
Q: What's the most underrated upgrade?
A: Workbench size, hands down. Everyone ignores it because it doesn't have obvious stats, but once you start doing 3-fabric commissions, you'll really feel the extra space. I was shocked by how much of a difference it made. Shocked, I tell you.
Q: What's the most overrated upgrade?
A: Shop decor. It looks nice but does literally nothing for your progression. Save it for endgame when you have nothing else to spend money on. Trust me, as someone who bought all the decor way too early — it's not worth it. Cute, but not worth it.
Final thoughts
At the end of the day, there's no wrong way to play this game. If you want to buy all the cute decorations first because they make you happy, do it! It's a single-player cozy game — play however you enjoy it most. No achievements are worth being miserable over.
But if you're the kind of person who wants to optimize everything (hi, same — I see you, fellow over-optimizer), then sewing speed → fabrics → quality → everything else is the way to go. That's the golden path.
Happy upgrading! And remember: don't hoard your money. Spend it. Invest in yourself. Your future self will thank you. 🏪🧵