My Favorite Tools For Sewing And Mending
I have a lot of tools and I’m always testing and trying new things. You never know when you might find something new that works a charm. Below I have listed some of my favorite tools. Not all of them are necessary but they are useful. My all-time favorite tool is a vintage Marie Products 12” wooden embroidery hoop lap stand. Sadly the company doesn’t exist anymore. There are tutorials on YouTube on how to convert a wooden embroider hoop into a lap stand. Morgan Hoops is a company I found that makes modern no-slip combo lap stands and they are well worth the investment(I don’t get paid to say this). I do sell several of the products I use in the Honey Folk Shop. I also encourage you to support your local quilt/craft stores.
Morgan Combo Lap Stands - Before I discovered Lap Stands, I used regular wooden embroidery hoops. I prefer the hardwood hoops with the molly bolts. Mainly because it’s much easier to tighten them. For mending, I like 7”, 9” & 10”. For Everything else I use a 12”. I have 14” for larger projects and a 16” x 26” Quilter floor hoop.
Long Sashiko Needles - Single Sashiko Needles or Assorted in Wooden Holder
Dritz Washable Fabric Glue Stick - It has the best consistency and is unscented. I have tested the 3 brands that are easily found at most quilting/craft stores.
Marking Pens - Clover Water Erasable Markers in fine and thick or Dritz Refillable Quilters Chalk Pen
Thread Bobbins - I have custom bobbins that come in two colorways Neon & Blush or Lilac & Leaves. You can also find embroidery thread bobbins at most craft stores or online.
Scissors - I think it’s good to have several different pairs for different jobs. Little sharp embroidery scissors are a must. I’ve used Fisker’s ergonomic fabric scissors for 15 years. My favorite pair of scissors are Gold Dragon Bonsai Scissors that a friend brought back from a trip to China. They are beautiful and scarily sharp.
Thimbles & Needle Grabbers - The Dritz’s soft comfort thimble is my favorite. I use rubber needle grabbers to cut down on hand fatigue. I made custom leather sashiko thimbles for my shop. If you would like to make your own, Kate Ward of Zen Stitching. has a template and complete instructions ‘How to make a sashiko thimble’.
Thread Magic - This is used to lubricate and smooth thread. It cuts down on drag and helps prevent thread from tangling. It works similarly to bee’s wax. The plus side of thread magic s if you get too much on it doesn’t make the thread stiff like bee’s wax.
Needle Sharpener - It’s that little strawberry/chilli pepper attached to the tomato pincushions we’re all so familiar with. You can also buy a needle sharpener sans pin cushion. I’ve found all sorts of them on ETSY. They’re filled with crushed garnet and remove burrs and hone the tip of the needle.
Mending Pouch - I designed a mending kit that comes with the basic things you need including a nice assortment of fabric scraps for patching work projects and mending textiles. The pouch and some of the fabrics are naturally dyed.