Make your own travel sewing kit
Why make your own?
Yes, you can buy an off the shelf travel kit but with with a little spare time you can customise your own, have just what you need and package it just the way you want. For example, my wife is very particular about her thread... won't buy anything but Gutterman thread - you won't catch her with a no-name brand thread. By making your own kit, you can ensure you have a tool which you know you can rely on.
Or customize an existing kit
Another great way of making a kit work for you is to customize an existing kit. This is a neat way to go if you have found a cool little case but the contents aren't quite what you want. For example, switch out the thread for your favourite strong thread, or even just for the colors you want, a better needle, more tasteful or useful buttons, etc. If nothing else, toss the blunt scissors provided... these often cause more frustration than having none at all and having to bite through the thread.
What are the essentials in a travel sewing kit?
A travel sewing kit is for those emergency repairs - pulling a seam back together, repairing a torn zipper, replacing a lost button or (better if you see it in time!) re-fasting a button which is about to make a break for it!
I'm all open to suggestions but I've never figured out why some travel sewing kits include a measuring tape. I mean, it's not like I have had a pattern drafting emergency while I'm travelling (yet...).
So, unless you have a good reason for keeping it (and please do tell me if you do), ditch the measuring tape.
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A case - or at least something to hold it all! An old (or even a new) spectacle case makes a handy receptacle large enough to hold eveything but small enough to slip into the last corner of a heavily packed suitcase! Plus they tend to be hardy enough to withstand dropping and being sat on without crushing.
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Needle and thread. This is where using your own kit components really shines - choose not only the thread brand you trust but the colors you're most likely to need. No need to include every color under the sun but a few close shades for relevant to your wardrobe can go a long way to allowing an on-the-road repair to be permanent rather than temporary. We're all busy - why do it twice if you have the chance to do it right the first time! At a minimum, take along white, black and beige.
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Buttons - you obviously aren't looking to carry your entire button collection - a light colored button, a dark one and a translucent one will cover most scenarios until you get back home.
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Needle threader... I've found myself needing to make a repair in a hurry on the go or late at night so despite being quite capable of threading a needle under ideal circusmatnces, it becomes quite a different matter in a bumping taxi or when collapsing in the hotel room after midnight! An alternative is to include a needle for each thread color and pre-thread each of them.
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Scissors. Unless you prefer the 'teeth method', I have found a dearth of sharp objects available in hotel rooms. There may be a pair of scissors in the 'business center' but best to have a small pair of sharp scissors in the kit. This way you can make sure that you have a pair of scissors which are actually useful to cut thread and with nice sharp points in case you have to cut some part of the fabric or release a spare button from the garment in order to make the repair. No need to include a favourite pair of scissors - just a small but sharp pair works well.
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Safety pins have a multitude of uses from pulling together a broken zip, fixing a gaping shirt or replacing a draw-string which has, um, escaped it's usual place of residence!
Also consider including
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Stitch Witchery fusible adhesive (Jo-Anns carries it) - this stuff can be a life-saver if a hem comes undone ans it's simply too much to hand-sew. All you need seams great? joanns dritz stitch witchery - if a hem comes undone - every hotel has an iron - which is all you need to apply this stuff and basically 'glue' the hem back together.
Beware airport security!
Handy hint - if travelling by air, be sure to pack your travel sewing kit in your checked luggage - various forms of sharp object don't go down very well with today's paranoid security ... no matter how daft it seems, check it!
To check the latest paranoia update, check out the TSA for travellers website and look for the 'list of prohibited items'. Right now, scissors with blunt tips are allowed and even sharp-tipped scissors (as long as the blades are shorter than 4") are allowed. If you're concerned, you can always substitute nail clippers for scissors - not as flexible as scissors but they will cut thread nicely.
(c) 2007 Jonathan & Scarlet. www.vintage-sewing-machines.com
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