#sewing 101

1. Basic Supplies

The most basic supplies you will need for a sewing kit are thread, at least one sharp needle, and a good, sharp pair of scissors. Nearly all other supplies can be substituted for in some way or another, but these three staples are important. While scissors could technically be substituted with any sharp object, making sure you have sharp scissors (embroidery scissors are perfect for sewing kits) is the easiest way to ensure that you will get a clean cut of your thread, which makes tying knots and threading needles a million times easier. 

2.Extended Basic Supplies

Now, the three items listed above are essential to have as a base for a sewing kit, but there is room to expand; your sewing kit can be as big or as little as you want it to be. Some ideas for extended supplies: -Various needles. I hate to say that needle quality doesn’t matter, because it does influence how fast they will dull and how easily they will bend when faced with tough fabrics, but if you are only looking to have things on hand for basic mending, a cheap variety pack of needles is as good as the pricier ones. Having a variety of needle sizes is good for maximizing what you can use them for; tiny needles are going to be better suited to working in tight spaces, whereas that same needle will be an absolute pain for larger projects; likewise, having a tapestry needle is great for making things like plastic canvas projects, but impossible to mend clothes with. Something like this is your best friend here.

-A needle threader. I know everyone always says they can thread needles just fine, or they take this suggestion to mean that they have poor eyesight; for some reason, using a needle threader is somehow seen as “cheating” or “shameful”. GET ONE. I don’t care if you can thread needles just fine with no help. It will come in handy at some point. Worst case scenario, you run for your sewing kit to stitch up a wound in someone for some reason, and for whatever reason all you have left are your needles with the tiniest eyes--that threader will come in handy while your hands shake. Get a threader to have on hand. -Beeswax. This is not necessary, but it is helpful; run the end of your thread across it to stick the strands and make threading easier. Spit works just as well, but some people just prefer beeswax. -Pincushion. One of those tomato ones with the little strawberry or something similar, specifically. Needles like to hide when you stick them into a random surface, like the arm of your chair or your comforter, and it is not fun when you go to push off of a surface, only to have the eye of a needle jab your palm. The reason i specify this, however, is the strawberry; filled with sand, it cleans and sharpens pins and needles that are run through it, and will keep a cheap needle set working for a long, long time. Both parts of this can be sewn as a DIY, but I listed it because it is useful. -Pins. To go with the cushion of the same name. This is helpful if you are sewing multiple layers together, or need to make sure your work stays folded at a specific point. Straight pins are best, safety pins are okay, and corsage pins are over the top for this use. Don’t forget a container; mint tins work great, or pin boxes can be bought at craft stores.  -Small sharpener. Scissor/knife sharpeners are great for touching up embroidery scissors. It takes them a long time to get dull, but when they do, that sharpener will come in handy. -Fabric Pens. One for light and one for dark fabrics. They are infinitely useful and will be your friends. If you cannot find or get them, a pencil and a piece of chalk work just fine; the pencil just takes a little while to wash out. -Seam ripper. Goes much faster than clipping every single stitch if you mess up or need to take the stitches out of something. -Measuring tape. The floppy cloth kind, not the metal sort (I’ve tried those in a pinch and it’s a pain). Great for, well, measuring! -Buttons/snaps. You never know when you’ll need to replace one on something that has no spares.  -Variety of thread. Having a variety of thread in both color and material are good, allowing you to have a versatile choice of thread for different mending projects.

3. Containers

So, now you have a sewing kit together, no matter what it may include. Here are some ideas for containers:

-Mint tin. Great for the tiniest of travel sewing kits. -Jar. Unless you are super particular about your supplies being organized, a jar works just fine. Dump out your supplies and go! -Old match box. Slides open and closed for ease of access! -Trinket box. Especially if it latches. Hide your sewing kit in plain sight! -Old purse/clutch. Whether it’s an old one of yours or one you found at a sale! -Cookie tin. The classic grandmother favorite! Now it’s just weird if you open it and there are actually cookies inside. -Old tupperware. Have stained containers you don’t use? Transitioning to a plasticless life in the kitchen? That old tupperware will work great to hold your sewing stuff. Basically any container large enough to hold all your supplies will do; it doesn’t have to be a “sewing kit bag” or anything marketed similarly. Avoid things with large holes or gaps, like knitted things and berry containers, and you’ll be good to go! You can even go so far as to stitch up a little bag for your supplies with your new kit. The possibilities are endless!

Go forth on your sewing adventures! Thank you for your time!

Let's begin - Lay flat the base fabric you will be quilting over. In my case it is a pillow case though you may use a square or rectangle fabric to make a blanket or table mat.

Then, start to plan the patched layout. I wanted to highlight the natural shapes of the patches and the eclectic theme of our kitchen, so I used a variety of shapes and patterns right out of my scrap baskets. With the help of an iron I then pinned down the patches, being sure that they overlap with now raw edges showing.

The first pillow I made I put together with a sewing machine which was fine but for the second pillow I wanted a more rustic look at secured the patches by hand with embroidery floss. For a large project, like a quilt, sewing with the machine would be most practical though hand sewing adds a lot of character.

An important note about embroidery floss - in many projects you will need to split the floss for it to actually fit through the eye of the needle and through tighter fabrics. For this quilt I used three strands, in other words half the floss.

And then, simply, sew! This is such a relaxing project to do outside on a sunny day or by the fire on a rainy night.