Must Have - Home Sewing Box Essentials Check List

As a work at home mother and grandmother, I often don't have a lot of time to mend clothing when the need arises here in our home. When I did find the time, I often didn't have the supplies on hand that I needed so I would end up delaying the mending of the clothing item(s) that needed to be repaired.

To solve this problem, I sat down one Saturday afternoon and went through my sewing box. I then made a list of everything that I felt I needed to have on hand to handle all of those mending emergencies. On Sunday, I headed out to our local fabric store and picked up everything on my list. Once I got back home, I sorted through everything and organized it.

The very first thing you need is a good sewing box that has organizational features. The one that I own is heavy duty plastic and inside is four lift-out trays. These trays all have removable dividers so I can customize them to suit my own needs.

Here is a list of the basic sewing items you will need to complete your sewing box.

1. Sewing Thread (Basic Colors) - white, black, brown, red, green, yellow, orange, tan
2. Needles - various lengths and tips
3. Straight Pins - one box of pins (I prefer rust-proof pins)
4. Measuring Tape
5. Scissors - I recommend a high quality pair of fabric scissors
6. Buttons - You will want to stay stocked with various colors and sizes of buttons
7. Safety Pins - I recommend various sizes in both silver tone and gold tone metals
8. Seam Ripper - Every good sewing box needs a great seam ripper tool.
9. Needle Threader - Even if you have great eye sight, a needle threader can save you precious time when you are in a hurry.
10. Iron-on Patches - I keep white, black, denim, navy, tan and brown iron-on patches in my sewing box at all times.
11. Fabric Glue - If you are in a hurry and need a quick fix, you can hem a pair of pants or fix a seam with a few dabs of fabric glue.
12. Thimble - Protect your fingertips and invest in a good thimble.

Now, if you are a seamstress, you should also keep on hand various colored zippers, zipper pulls, elastic (various widths and lengths), buckles, etc.

Once you sit down and go through your sewing supplies and organize them, you will find that you will tackle those home mending projects more quickly. Keeping a well stocked sewing box saves time and energy and your family will thank you for keeping their favorite clothing hanging in their closets instead of on your mending pile.

This article was written by Shell Hill, copyright 2010, All Rights Reserved. This article can not be reprinted without my permission. Thanks!