The Perfect Sewing kit

Assembling the perfect sewing kit can be daunting, especially when you often sew by hand and also use the sewing machine. Rookie or not, the best bet as a needle worker would be a sewing kit containing every possible sewing essential you can quickly make use of in replacing a button, or to altercate a dress for a date night. In other words, a basic sewing kit.

Size should also be considered because nobody wants to haul a sewing bag around. An old purse would do the trick of a bag while you fill it up with sewing essentials. If you’re Nigerian, we’re sure you know the old bag mothers like to store everything from stray buttons to lace trims. Sewing kits also vary in size and content as some are travel-worthy while some reside at home or in the workshop. There are several already made kits from brands like Singer, Embroidex and sew Simply with almost a hundred sewing notions to cater for every sewing need, all in one compact bag.

This is why we want to show you sewing essentials for the perfect sewing kit! It can also serve as a great starter pack if you’re new to sewing.

Hand and machine needle

Needles vary in size and in use. There are some made for hand sewing and in different sizes, so as to accommodate whatever fabric you want to sew by hand. Then there are specific others for machine use, also in different sizes by inch. These are usually short and thicker than normal hand needles, with thread holes at the tip rather than at the bottom.

Thread & Bobbin

The long spools of thread are both needed for the sewing machine and hand use, while the short cylinderic metals are called Bobbins, inserted in the Bobbin case just underneath the sewing machine needle. They are essential to the sewing machine and make it possible to sew both ways on a fabric.

Scissors

This prevents you from using your teeth to cut leftover thread!

 Pin cushion

Know that maddening feeling of losing your sewing pin amidst all the frills and lining when sewing? The pin cushion helps you out. You can DIY with a couple cut pieces of fabric sewn into a pouch and closed up. Like those dusters we used to make for cleaning the board in school!

Thimble

This cup-shaped metal is worn on the index finger to protect it while hand sewing. It can also be converted to store buttons.

Measuring tape and
Tailor chalk

Mostly referred to as tape rule, this is a long tape in inches and centimeters, used to measure body parts and fabrics for sewing.
Tailor chalks come in handy when drafting out patterns and measurements on a laid out fabric. They are easily cleaned and don’t leave marks behind
but, make sure to leave your markings on the wrong side of the fabric.

Office and Bobby pins

Office pins in sewing are generally used to hold down a trail of sewing in order to prevent mistakes. Safety pins however, come in handy during wardrobe malfunctions. An empty button hole or failing zip can easily be held down with a safety pin to the wrong side.

Seam ripper

From its name, you already know its job. You don’t have to use a blade or needle to destroy your fabric in an attempt at undoing a sewing mistake. Use a seam ripper instead to break the seams away.

Buttons

We all know someone old who has a container of stray buttons from year 2000. It might be funny, but strays come in handy when you least expect. So, next time you throw out a shirt, pick out the buttons first and store in your compact sewing kit. You never can tell when they’ll be of use.

Now, isn’t this assemble perfect?

To learn about the basic sewing terms rookies must know, click here

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