But this post isn't about the seven rubbermade totes that house my fabric, or the two totes of skins and leather, or the five baskets of sewing supplies...NO SIREE! It's about what YOU should pack in your sewing tin! You, too, could love sewing, with a simple tin, kept in the same place, just like me!
First, you should probably find a good canvas bag. I WAS using a gap snowflake bag, but somehow my yarn ended up in there, and now, I'm using THIS: (!) A great bag to house everything.
In that bag, are my few sewing projects. When I get tired of sewing one thing, I move on to the next. Its like a workout routine. Sometimes you just get bored sewing gloves constantly...so you move onto mukluks!
I have several projects that are housed in a perfect little case. Not too expensive and readily found in any grocery store. Gallon sized Ziplock bags. :) They're perfect.
Right now, I'm working on Dean's sealskin gloves with muskrat lining...
(See honey, they would have been done LONG ago if I had that sewing machine!!!... :) )
Gramma's Christmas Present that I found out was NOT done, contrary to my hard belief that it WAS. (sorry Gramma, but you don't need these in Phoenix, Oh...and sorry for telling you what they were too. :( )
Kaisa's mukluks. Except I don't like the bottom, so I'm going to RIP the entire bottom off the other one that's done, and find some Caribou skin to use instead of the mouton and leather. Holds up better I think.
And the Kuppaqs for Kaisa's mukluks. This is the decorative trim on top the mukluks. Hers is a black and white calfskin heart pattern. (Ahlu is her Inupiaq name)...
THEN you need a nice medium sized tin. It can be from anything. Like mine, "Uncle Willy's Caribbean Rum Cake" works perfect for me.
INSIDE that tin, you want the following:
A good skin cutting Ulu...and Knife. (if you're lucky enough to have a husband like mine, who makes them!)
Small scissors, both kids scissors and embroidery scissors work well.
Alligator Clips. I use these to hold all kinds of things, from the project to a measuring tape. They work well to hold two pieces of skin together while you're trying to sew them.
Thimbles. I have two. One leather one that I LOVE (thanks Roxy!) that goes on my middle finger...and one uugruk skin one that I use on my pointer finger, when needed.
Sinew. This stuff is synthetic, but doesn't stretch, and is three strands thick. Some people like to use Dental floss, but that has a tendency to stretch, so I don't use it.
You have to cut your length and separate the three strands. Use them one at a time.
And...LOTS AND LOTS of skin sewing needles. I tend to use one for a bit, and then change, when it bends. I probably use them only two to three times before getting rid of them. I also use different sizes between 6 and 9.
(Yes, that is my ivory wedding ring in there...and a bunch of random ivory and fur pieces!)
Skin Sewing needles have a razor type edge at the tip that helps it glide through the skin easily.
And that's about it. My stuff is packed away nicely in my rum cake tin and its ALWAYS there when I need to relax and SEW! Like today, when I got a $1,200 bill for yesterday's water fiasco, and found out it'll cost between $8 and $10 thousand to fix the problem left to us by the previous owners. Yay... Needless to say, I'll be sewing a bunch within the next few days to relax!
OK, now go out and get yourself a sewing kit!
P.S. This is what Kaisa and Dean look like when I'm sewing! haha... A perfect chair!
4 comments:
Beautiful work! I too love to skin sew. I need to post some pics of my skin sewing pics on blog as well! Thank you for sharing!
Those gloves are gorgeous! You are so talented with a needle! :)
Wow, wonderful job. You are so talented!
You make such pretty things, your grandma's gloves are really beautiful.
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