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What's in My Sewing Kit?

fuellingdesigns

Mar 16

2 min read

Colorful fabric pouch labeled "Cynthia" on quilt with red floral design. Scattered sewing items including spools, needles, and threads.

I have been working simultaneously on three hand applique quilts as of late. The sewing machine is a fairly new invention in the annals of time. Throughout history people have carried sewing kits with them. Sewing roll, etui, needle roll and huswif are some of the names associated with travel sewing kits.

If you have an interest in needlework tools of the past, I highly recommend two books by Dawn Cook Ronningen: “Antique American Needlework Tools” and “Sewing Rolls, Needle Rolls and Huswifs”.

I have many sewing kits, and I thought I would show you a few along with their essential tools. Most items need a larger bag to protect the work and hold everything needed for the hand sewing. The central applique from my “French General Still Life” quilt is in my busy bee bag. Inside the bee bag I have a smaller bag that the little things are corralled in. For this project I have a small mesh bag with the embroidery floss I am using, supportive hand brace for my arthritis, retractable tape measure, scissors, needle threader, thread conditioner, sliver of soap for marking, seam ripper, pins, thimbles, and a needle book with pockets and wool pages for needles.

Patchwork bag with handles hanging on a doorknob. Features colorful squares, a bee design with yellow buttons, and floral patterns.

My next project “True Love” is in the thread applique stage. My appliques are pinned to the top which is large and I do not take out of the house to work on. I am using my favorite take along bag. It is rectangular with wool leaves and button flowers. I made it over 20 years ago and it has served me well.

Floral-patterned bags and pouches on lace fabric. Main bag has colorful embroidered flowers. Colorful and crafty.

Inside this bag is a smaller zip bag with my embroidery floss that I will be using after everything is appliqued. The rest of the tools are like the above list.

For my third wool applique I am using my Kiss needle book and a mesh bag to hold embroidery floss.

Hard bound little notebooks with magnetic closures convert well to sewing books. When they are empty, I glue in felted wool pages and ribbon. Pictured are some of my etuis and needle books with their contents.