What to Keep in Your Sewing Kit
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I don’t know about you, but I always get a laugh out of those dystopian stories where survivors are dirty and ragged just a month after whatever cataclysmic event occurred. I can understand being a bit worse for wear if water for bathing and clothing washing is scarce but ragged? Really, does no one know how to use a needle and thread anymore?
by Jolina Flowers, SHTFblog’s Expat Prepper
And that’s what we are going to discuss in this post, how to use a needle and thread to do basic repairs to your clothing. Not only is this a skill that will come in handy after an SHTF situation, but hand stitching can make your clothes last longer in normal instances, creating a greater sense of self-reliance and saving you money. And in today’s COVID-19 world, you might even find yourself looking at cloth mask effectiveness for a pandemic.
You don’t need to set out to learn all of these skills today for a potential post-SHTF situation, but at least being aware of the necessary supplies and types of stitches should get you set up for extending the life of your clothes. In fact, I would advise you print this post off and stash it with an emergency sewing kit in your stockpile of preps!
First, let’s talk about what very basic supplies you should have on hand. There’s no need to rush out and buy everything to become a professional seamstress, but buying a very basic sewing kit will go a long way and pay for itself many times over if used for repairs. They don’t take up much space and can fit within even a compact survival kit.
If you choose to make your own kit, you’ll need the following items.
In order to sew, you’ll need needles. They come in a variety of lengths and sharpnesses. You’ll want what are known as “sharps” needles. Sizes 2,3, and 4 are best for medium to heavy fabrics while sizes 5-10 are fine for light to medium fabrics.
If you have leather, heavy canvas, or suede items in need of repair, it’s best to invest in a leather stitching needle. Other types won’t be up to the task, and you’ll want that leather jacket functioning if you’re to become the next Mad Max of the post-apocalyptic world!
Although not essential, a needle threader will save you time and effort. Threading a needle isn’t as easy as it looks, and this nifty little device will substantially cut down on the frustration level.
You’ll also need a set of straight pins to hold the pieces of fabric together while you stitch. I prefer pins with a larger round head so I can keep track of the pins better, but it’s not really necessary. Again, these sewing notions come in a variety of lengths. Longer pins are usually thicker and work better for heavier fabrics. Seamstress or dressmaker pins are fine for light to medium fabrics.
You should also have a pincushion of some sort to keep all your pins and needles in one place. You can find simple instructions on the internet on how to make your own. You could also use a small box with a magnetic in it for storage as well.
You don’t need 60 spools of thread to do simple repairs. A spool of polyester or all-purpose thread in black and another in white might be all you require. If you prefer that the repair isn’t as noticeable, by all means, get a spool of thread that matches the garment.
You might be able to get by with a pair of kitchen scissors, but having certain types of shears for sewing can make things easier. Dressmaker shears are great if you are cutting large swathes of fabric. A pair of small but sharp scissors like embroidery scissors are best for snipping threads. Pinking shears cut in the fabric in a zigzag which keeps the ends from fraying.
A seam ripper is also a helpful mending tool. Sometimes you’ll need to take the old stitches out to replace them with a new line. Using a seam ripper will reduce the tension on the fabric and help keep it from tearing as you remove the thread.
A sewing tape measure is useful not only in making sure a hem is straight, but measuring for inseams and other body parts because it is made of flexible plastic. You can use a fixed ruler or construction tape measure in a pinch, but your results won’t be as accurate.
Now that you have the basic materials, let’s talk about how to do some basic repairs.
You need to knot the end of your thread length, otherwise, you’ll pull the thread all the way through the fabric and no mending will be done. An unknotted finished stitch will also come undone.
Before Mending
After Mending
The following are simple stitches that are useful for basic clothing repair.
Hemming is a useful skill. Not only can you alter your own clothes so that they fit better, but you can repair ragged hems so that your garments last longer.
In summary, if nothing else, buy a basic repair kit and print this post off. Store the paper printout with the kit. It’s not expensive and it could pay off in a big way WTSHTF.
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What to Keep in Your Sewing Kit
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