Do you know your seam ripper from a needle threader?
Ealing Repair café Sewing Kit basics is what you need in a basic sewing kit to start clothes repairing. If you can gather these items together, it will be easy for you to patch and darn your clothes. Take a look at our sewing mending guides to get inspired.
Black and White Threads – Black and white are essential. Poly/cotton thread is the most versatile for all garments. For small mends and sewing buttons on these threads are perfect. (More colours of course are great, so a set of strong cotton or polyester threads are very useful.)
HINT: Check the strengths of your threads. Take a length of thread and pull to see how much effort is needed to break it. If little effort is needed, its not strong and not advisable to be used for repairs. Cotton thread if very old will become weaker and easier to break.
Coloured embroidery threads: Use when patching or darning. These threads have 6 smaller threads. The thicker the fabric you are mending the more threads should be used. For example, for denim, it’s best to use all 6 threads and for thinner cotton, it’s better to use 2 or 3 threads.
Set of needles: A variety of sizes is useful, start with an assorted pack of needles. Some with bigger ‘eyes’ or holes for embroidery thread or knitting yarn to feed through. Plus thinner smaller needles for finer fabrics and thread. John James Needles has a comprehensive needle guide.
Seam ripper or unpicker: A sharp tool which helps to unpick hems and seams for alterations or to remove broken zips. Here’s a guide on how using a seam ripper
Needle Threader: Helps in threading a needle, great help if you are struggling to see the needles eye. Put the needle threader wire through the eye of the needle. Put the thread through the wire of threader and pull it back through eye of needle to thread the needle. Look at this needle threader video on how it works.
Safety pins & Dressmaking pins: These can hold patches in place while sewing, or holds fabric in position while measuring for alterations.
Extra Equipment:
There is lots of sewing equipment options out there and so if you want to build up your kit, some other items you can add:
- Sharp pair of scissors – best to assign one pair of scissors only use for cutting fabric and thread. Tie fabric in the handles of the scissors. My family know and stay away from them. The fabric scissors will become blunt if used for cutting paper.
- Cotton & embroidery threads: There are many types of threads out there. A rainbow selection of sewing and embroidery threads are great.
- Plastic ball, Darning disc, mushroom or egg: Makes it easier to darn holes in jumpers, t-shirts and socks. We love a darning disk, it helps for darning to keep a consistent tension.
- Small or medium embroidery hoop: Holds fabric taut and keeps an even tension while patching or darning.
- Darning yarn – to repair jumpers and socks
- Tailors chalk, chalk pen or a fabric marker for marking out grids for stitching and alterations
For advice on mending and repairs, go to our Ealing Repair Cafe Guides and tips.
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