whiptips – the perfect sewing kit
Whiptips – a crafts advice column for readers to ask questions or offer advice by leaving comments. View the Whiptips archive here. You can submit questions, to whiptips@gmail.com. Please include photos with your questions!
Barbara has written in asking for ideas on where to find – or perhaps put together the perfect sewing kit.
Hello. Love your blog and am a regular reader.
I’m searching for a sewing kit, complete with all the notions one would need to begin sewing, as a gift for someone. Something average would be easy to find…but I want one that’s truly beautiful and special. Back when Organic Style magazine was still in business, they had one available on their website that was gorgeous–Italian scissors, Hable Construction zippered pouch—and that’s the sort of thing I’m looking for and haven’t been able to find. I thought that perhaps someone in your group of stylish and capable women would be able to point me in the right direction.I hope someone there has a wonderful idea!
October 2nd, 2006 at 10:23 am
If I may, I’d like to build off this question to ask if and what kind of rotary cutter one would include in a kit like this. I am a beginning sewer and want to invest in a quality rotary cutter as my long term goal is to make a patchwork quilt.
Thanks.
October 2nd, 2006 at 10:50 am
As someone who sews several hours a day I can tell you that sometimes the best notions may not look like much to the untrained eye. Rather than focus on something some company has packaged to look pretty, I would talk to someone who does the kind of sewing that you think your friend might be doing, apparel sewing, upholstering, quilting etc. Each of those require very different notions and someone who uses them all day would tell you that you really want daisy head pins for quilt piecing but shorter pins for garment fitting.
What your friend really wants is the perfect seam ripper, which might not be the prettiest seam ripper. So ask an expert to give you a list that you could assemble. I will post a list this week of my favorite notions for quilting, but beware that someone who wants to sew men’s suits would have a totally different list. You could package it beautifully in a wooden box or a beautiful sewing basket, however, so it would have a nice presentation.
October 2nd, 2006 at 10:53 pm
- treads (good ones, in many colors. except the one who begins sewing is just wearing blue or something.)
- a good pair of scissors for a beginner might be a really plain ones – let´s say from dritz, for example. they work well but they´re not so expensive.
- you´ll need to have one pair for fabric cutting and one smaller pair for “fine work”
- a rotary cutter isn´t neccessary, but some people prefer it over scissors. if you buy her a rc, a cutting mat is neccessary.
- sewing needles for hand sewing. good ones with sharp points.
- a seam ripper. absolutely neccessary ;)
- sewing needles for machine sewing. some for knit and stretch fabrics, some for jeans and some for finer fabrics.
- pins. at least three kinds. some short ones without heads, some short ones with glass heads and some long, fine needles for delicate fabrics like silk. don´t buy needles with plastic heads. they will melt to your fabric when ironing a seam or something.
- a (teflon) pressing sheet……
- a measuring gauge to mark seamline or seam allowances.
- tissue paper for pattern drafting/copying
- tailor´s chalk
- like weeks said, a sewing basket is a wonderful idea to “wrap” your gift.
if you want, you can also present her
- (a subscription for) a nice sewing magazine (threads, for example)
- some patterns in “her style”. browse some stores to see what pattern companies have got. you might buy a “very easy” or “beginner” pattern.
- a gift voucher from a fabric shop or a bundle of fat quarters (or fashion fabric)
hope you´ll find the right present! :)
October 5th, 2006 at 2:39 am
I make pincushion giftboxes, with pins, measuring tape, and scissors–they may not be for everyone, but they’re a cute gift for quirky beginner sewers.
http://www.carryboo.com
October 6th, 2006 at 10:46 am
Just some thoughts: I see sewing as a useful skill and having good (not always pretty but a bonus if they are), simple, useful tools as an integral part. I’ve given two sewing kits to children (one girl, one boy) in sturdy metal black tool boxes. One of the best tools is personal instruction where you can learn so many valueable “tricks” so you might consider including a gift certificate and a class-schedule at a local fabric or quilting store along with your gift. Maybe consider taking the class along with your friend? It would make it more fun for both of you.