We asked, What’s in Your Sewing Kit? Nearly a thousand quilters responded.
Here’s what we learned…
Which of the following do you keep in your emergency sewing kit?
#1 – Needle
#2 – Thread
#3 – Scissors
#4 – Safety Pins
#5 – Pins
Several quilters wrote in with items they couldn’t live without in their emergency sewing kits…
Small Ruler
Stiletto
Small Rotary Cutter
A few Wonder Clips
A snag puller
Band aids for cuts or pin picks
Blue Painter’s tape
Beeswax
Little rubber needle grip/puller
C-Clamps
Chalk marker
Chocolate
Lint brush
Hand lotion
Seam gauge
Craft knife
dental floss
Small swatch of fusible webbing for quick hem repairs or sealing/stabilizing a tear from the back
Single-sided razor blade
Teeny tiny tube of superglue
Small square sandpaper for shoe/leather repairs
Double sided tape
Dryer sheet
Duck tape
Emery board
Fabric glue stick
Flash light
Fray check
Tissues
Heat sensitive hem tape
Hooks & eyes
Sew-in snaps
Invisible thread
Light colored felt piece for needles to see easily
Liquid band aid
magnet with light
paper clip
Pin cushion
magnifying glass
Reading glasses
reverse tweezers
zipper repair kit
Roxanne Glue
rubber band
screwdrivers
surgical pliers
Tape of some kind – usually masking tape for hem problem.
Toothpick
Tweezers
two sided tape
tylenol
velcro
A zippered pouch is the most popular thing to keep your sewing kit in and the top three repairs are sewing on a button, repairing a hem, and reinforcing a seam.
The two most popular sewing kits were hand and travel sewing kits.
One thing this survey has made clear, is that if you give a quilter a needle and thread, nothing is impossible! Here are the most popular responses when asked what was the most unusual repair you’ve had to make with your emergency sewing kit…
Lots of malfunctioning bras and splitting pant seams in the most unfortunate situations.
Next, animals. From damaged toys to items of clothing, it seems furry critters create a lot of work for our needle and thread. One squirrel even took to hiding its winter store of nuts in the outdoor cushions of one quilter’s patio furniture. The nuts were removed and repairs made.
Husbands were the next leading category. From fishing fixes to sporting stitches, husbands requested quick-fix ideas and required emergency repair more than anyone else. Interestingly, husbands were also the top category for requiring emergency repair of garments while still wearing them.
Two quilters felt they had the ideal repair kit, one, a safety pin, the other a roll of duct tape. Between the two, I image they can fix anything.
My most unusual sewing repair was not with my little kit. But it was with my little Featherweight which I take with me on trips. We were in our camper visiting my husband’s ill brother in another state. Unfortunately, he died while we were there. The family from afar gathered around. One of the nephews did not have suitable attire for the funeral. He went to Goodwill and purchased a suit to wear!
Alas, it needed repair! I was able to fix it for him in just a flash!!! Glad i had my equipment handy!!