Alright y’all, we have moved again! Which means its not my first rodeo. It’s my second. And I learned a lot about myself last time. Today I am showing you all that I packed for sewing. You’ve seen my sewing room, so you know I am by no means a minimalist. But the reality is, you don’t need a ton of fancy stuff to sew successfully. In that spirit, I brought only my favorite basics.

Don’t worry! I kept all of my fabric and pattern stash, as well as my comprehensive notions & tool collections, but they are in transit from the UK to USA, and unreachable for an unknown amount of time.

My machine fits SNUGLY inside the case - it takes finesse to get it in there, but then I know it is safe even on a bumpy sidewalk. The case holds many essentials in addition to the sewing machine.

SEWING MACHINE SUITCASE:

Yes, you can absolutely carry your machine by the top handle or inside its hard top travel case, or even put it inside a cardboard box. But personally I don’t want to lug a 25lb., expensive and somewhat fragile piece of equipment through international airports when I’m already feeling tired & stressed, so I invested in this sewing machine suitcase. I have so much to say about this case! It is extremely well designed and I feel as if every need has been anticipated. Leave a comment below if you’d like to see a full review of this case - there are far too many features for me to get into now!

The information on the far right is what tells you the this machine can be used with two different kinds of electrical voltage. I am not an expert on this! Jason has a degree in electrical engineering, so I had him take a look at things before bringing the machine to the UK. I have owned other sewing machines and overlockers, and this is the only one that has this capability - but its worth checking the back of your machine if you are moving abroad.

SEWING MACHINE:

This is pretty essential, huh?

Most sewing machines are only compatible with one level of electrical voltage. I am lucky that my 21 year old Bernina 153QE has dual compatibility and can be used with UK or USA voltage. You can find this information on the back of your machine or in the manual. I brought this machine as my carry on when we moved here, and as my carry on going back. It’s totally allowed to bring a sewing machine on a flight, but if your machine is larger, check that it falls within the luggage size restrictions provided by your airline. Be sure to remove anything sharp from the machine (such as needles or thread cutting blades).

WHAT’S INSIDE MY TOOL KIT?

These are the items I usually keep just to the right hand side of my machine while sewing. As this kit contains sharp items, I put it in my checked baggage. If you don’t do that, certain items will be confiscated at security (I’m looking at you, larger scissors and awl).

SCISSORS:

Kai 8” shears which I use to cut out fabric. The smaller pair is my all time favorite pair of scissors, which I always keep next to the sewing machine for clipping threads and any trimming I need to do as I sew.

From top to bottom: buttonhole chisel, awl, seam ripper

SHARP TOOLS:

I brought my sharpest buttonhole chisel for when I get around to sewing my own buttonholes, an awl, and of course a seam ripper. If you aren’t sewing with an awl, you’re missing out! It’s a fantastic and helpful multi purpose tool. I sewed through my left index finger in 2002 (I’ll spare you the details), and have since always used an awl to position & push tricky bits of fabric under the presser foot.

I sewed in our bay window in Glasgow and Wow! For a city known for it’s lack of sun, that cherry red plastic pin cushion got bleached!

PINS & PIN CUSHION:

I like to have two kinds of pins available. Regular glass head pins are my preference for most fabrics, and those are on my red pin cushion. In a small tin, I have extra fine silk pins, also with glass heads; I reserve for use on silk fabric. Since switching to magnetic pincushions, my life has improved! Easy to grab pins, or toss pins in it’s general direction as you’re sewing - they always land in place!

HAND SEWING NEEDLES:

I have a small collection of vintage needle books, and this is a duplicate one in my collection that is missing a lot of the original needles. No problem! I added in a bunch of needles in sizes I know I like to use for various hand sewing tasks. This keeps them all in one place and it doens’t take up much space.

I purchased this in Amsterdam last spring and have used it for almost every project since! The refills and sharpener can also be seen here.

MARKING TOOLS:

This chalk “mechanical pencil” is refillable and I brought the refills, which include white and a variety of colors. Personally I only use the white, and I sharpen the chalk with the sharpener as needed to ensure crisp markings. This is my current favorite marking tool.

I also just bought myself a fresh box of Crayola Ultra Washable markers on sale at Joann, they are fantastic on light colored, washable fabrics (test on a swatch first to ensure it will wash out).

EXTRA BOBBINS:

You always need a fresh bobbin when you don’t have one! I often use a thread color I don’t really care for or need to have on hand when basting or for gathering stitches. I’ve owned this bobbin holder for years and it’s super practical.

SMALL CLEAR RULER:

I use these when measuring seam allowances, hems, tucks, or anything else that just needs a quick measurement. I know some people love a hem gauge, but I’ve never liked them. These little rulers work better for me.

That’s everything! I’m sure there will be tools I miss - sometimes I reach for something out of muscle memory and it’s not there! But with these supplies, I can get the job done! Do you have any absolute essentials that you can’t sew without?

XO, Martha

MY MINIMAL SEWING KIT - WHAT I PACKED WHEN MOVING ABROAD