How Would You Fill a Mending Kit?

We are delighted to feature “Soldiers’ Comfort: A Mending Roll to Handsew,” by Dawn Cook Ronningen in the Fall 2024 issue of PieceWork. This lovely piece is modeled on an antique mending kit and has clever spots for stitching necessities on the go. Dawn explains that these kits were often made by loved ones to send along with soldiers as they went off to battle so that they could perform necessary and sometimes urgent repairs on their socks and uniforms. When the sewing kits were made from scraps of worn clothing, they could also serve as a reminder of those waiting for them at home. Her suggestions for filling this mending roll include ½ inch (1.2 cm) ball-headed pins to add to the pinkeep; a selection of sewing needles for the needlebook; and scissors, a bodkin, a darning needle, a needle threader, and a thimble—all practical items for sewing.

Black and white record of content inside casket with scenes from the Story of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba: items include thread holders made of folded playing cards. Purchase, Mrs. Thomas J. Watson Gift, 1939. Accession Number: 39.13.4a–rrr. Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

But what else would be wise to include? I took a brief poll among our PieceWork team, and here are some more suggestions for the things we can’t do without when we need to make some quick fixes:

Pat: I find a small crochet hook indispensable. I use them for fixing runs in knitted fabric; for retrieving elastic and drawstrings that have disappeared into fabric channels; and for making chains for button loops.

Katrina: Seeing what you are doing is essential for any craft and even more so for mending! I keep a magnifying glass with a small battery-operated light in my kit.

Lavon: I love my thimble! For an on-the-go mending kit, I would include a set of flexible silicone needle pullers/thimbles. These handy tools will save your fingertips as you make urgent repairs.

Tiffany: Binding clips are in my sewing box, quilting stash, knitting bag, and mending kit. I particularly love the Wonder Clips that I discovered when I started quilting. They are handy little tools I’ve found endless uses for, including holding a loop while I knit, securing layers together as I stitch them, or even clipping my notes to my project.

Sewing casket with view of Weilburg near Baden in Austria. Painting by Balthasar Wigand (Austrian, Vienna 1771–1846 Felixdorf), 1820–30. Accession Number: 1990.328.21a-I. Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

I treasure my sewing kits, and each serves its own purpose—some are for travel, some for use at home, and some for specialized crafts (my knitting one is full of locking markers, tapestry needles, double-pointed knitting needles, and crochet hooks). Please let us know what you can’t do without—we would love to hear from you about your favorite repair tools!

Want to make your own mending kit? Dawn Cook Ronningen’s project can be found in the Fall 2024 issue of PieceWork.

Also, remember that if you are an active subscriber to PieceWork magazine, you have unlimited access to previous issues, including Fall 2024. See our help center for the step-by-step process on how to access them.

Pat Olski is the editor of PieceWork magazine.