I’m not sure I can understand enough for me to follow through with you in your video. I can’t side with someone’s energy who doesn’t understand mine therefore I don’t understand this energy. It clearly does Not match mine at all. I don’t know who you are.
@bernadettebanner you did not know of this? Another thing I always do is thread a largish safety pin onto my key ring. No matter where I am, my keys are a thing I'm likely to have with me and be able to find easily. *Boom* safety pin in a pinch.
Poverty substitutions: A Tic-Tac box can be a good pin holder. Silicone swimmer's ear plugs are good thread conditioner, at least for modern sewing. A prescription bottle can be a good needle case, and maybe also hold a thread spool, leather thimble, plus conditioner. Ziploc bags can be good sewing kits or project bags (2 gal size will hold an entire shirt). Leather for thimbles or bags can be harvested from a thrifted bomber jacket that was full of holes. Fiskars makes really good small pointy scissors for just a couple of bucks, and they are plenty sharp especially when new. A sheet of craft felt can be cut into 2"x3" squares and sewn together like a book, which is excellent as a pin/needle organizer and also as a pincushion. There are also little disposable adhesive discs of thin tough plastic that you can stick to your finger as needed for protection, called Thimble-It. They might work for people who just hate thimbles. Sewing machine bobbins can be a great way to bring along enough thread to work with, without taking up much space. If I could carry only one spool of thread, it would be gray. Gray blends surprisingly well with almost any color or shade, and is good enough for an emergency repair. Often, you can't even see it because it is hidden in a seam. I've got lots of repaired clothing that I totally forgot were ever broken, until I'm washing it inside out and see the thread mismatch. But it's easy to see and replace if that is ever important to you. The point is that getting started doesn't have to mean buying anything expensive. Beautiful antique bird-shaped embroidery scissors are wonderful to have, and great to aspire level up to when you find this hobby really is a long-term passion. But for starting out, a beginner's kit is a great way to introduce yourself to the hobby and have time to build your skills before investing too much. Also, cheap kits like this are good for folks like me with ADHD who forever are losing our kits and need to replace the stuff often. PS. I also like nail clippers to snip threads on the go. Easier on the pockets than scissors.
All great suggestions. I was helping my daughter finish a cosplay and had to hand sew through suedecloth. To help pull the needle through, I cut a small square from one of those thin rubber disc's that are used to open tight jar lids and used it to grip the needle to pull it through. It really helped my arthritic knuckles.
I use automatic pencils because I can never find my pencil sharpener. The lead containers also make good needle cases. Especially the rectangular ones. Adhesive strip magnets stick well to them for keeping track of the needle in use.
I like to also keep a lot of these things in my kit! I have a bunch of gray thread myself for the same reason you suggested :) I *love* your silicone swimmer’s earplug suggestion! I usually use thread magic, but that’s so expensive! I’m betting the earplugs will work just as well or even better! Thanks so much!! Another thing I’ve added is a small piece of gear-repair tape. I often use a hiking backpack as my main bag, and you really don’t want to sew that without a way of waterproofing it. So I use gear-repair tape (I personally have a strip of Tenacious Tape in clear in my kit) as a way to mend my backpack if it ever develops a rip. And to ensure the adhesion is really strong, I also keep an alcohol wipe to clean it off.
I love me some Fiskars. Their budget stuff has been with me since I was a kid and lasts a really long time! I have their hori hori for my garden and a pair of their shears for my admittedly extremely limited sewing projects, but they are sharp af, which is sharp enough for me.
That opening of Bernadette emptying her sewing bag is exactly like that gag in action films where the one character just keeps. pulling. more. weapons. out of their pockets for far too long. 😂
I took a small sewing kit on a thru hike recently. Just a spool of thread, some needles and pins. I used it quite a few times to patch holes and fix various things. Every time I sewed at camp, everyone would be proferring their holed garments and asked if I can fix whatever it was. "Wow you can sew!!??" Not really, I just watched a youtube video on a few basic stitches. Offered to show everyone who asked how to do basic sewing and the response was always "Seems hard, ill buy you a beer at the next town". Fine with me, but just sad that no one seems to care to learn a super basic skill.
It's weird that people are adverse to it. I hate being on the trail and everyone wants to talk to you like they are doing a background check. Like I'm here specifically to not talk, and they just won't take a hint.
Right sewing isn't hard. I had a great side hustle sewing on uniform patches by hand for people when I was in the navy. Saved maybe a hundred bucks doing my own and then realized people would pay me to do something I find relaxing.
Thank you for the idea! I need to assemble a small kit to take along with when I deliver some skirts to a friend for any last minute adjustments. I have an idea for my pins, but I am not sure if it'll work. this would be a great backup plan.
I am an aircraft electronics technician. I also cook and play D&D sometimes. I don’t sew. I have never sewn. I don’t even have any real particular interest in garments. That being said, I really enjoy watching Bernadette’s videos. Watching intelligent people talk about their craft of which they are passionate about is always the best thing, regardless of the subject.
Big same, it's why I'm also subscribed to some blacksmiths and car guys. It's fascinating to hear people talk about subjects you have very little to no knowledge of!
I actually find historical clothing content fantastic for DnD world building! The video from a couple months back about how people used to bathe and keep their clothes clean really helped me characterize one of my PCs (a very foolhardy and spoiled nobleman in exile who kept spending money he no longer had on extravagant baths and getting his linen just so).
For emergency repairs to clothing, all you need is a few basic materials and good eye-hand coordination. Someone who knows how to sew can make it look pretty afterwards.
I work at a library and was making some online content. I was telling everyone about how a book on pinloom weaving essentially changed my life and turned me into a weaver. One of the things I mentioned was that during a zombie apocalypse, I now have the very useful skill of creating fabric. 😂 Edit: Sorry for not naming the book! It’s Pin Loom Weaving by Margret Stump. It’s the book that really peaked my interest in weaving. Now I own a few dozen pin looms, a couple of inkle looms, a rigid heddle loom, and an 8-shaft floor loom. But that’s the book that got me started.
Fancy lady on RUclips: "This is what you should have in an apocalypse for sewing" and then puts out things I've never even heard of, enough to make actual ball gowns for all the zombies. Me, a prepper: "If you can't sew at all, sew it all" and looks over at my single sewing needle and the stranded paracord. Great video and instant subscribe. This is why I love youtube, I don't wear dresses (being a guy) and I can't make a straight stitch unless it's in living skin (sutures) but I've already found ten videos I can't wait to watch.
The bit about the sewing kit contents as gifts, combined with the joking framing device of "what do you need to sew during a zombie apocalypse?", had me imagining a scene where an older character is showing their kit to a younger character and using the tools as memory anchors to describe people they used to know, in a tone similar to a parent or grandparent showing a child an old photo album.
Love the comment that “my sewing kit is full of people who have believed in my sewing career over the years and I get to keep them with me at all times.” That reminder of support is so important, well everywhere, and especially in non-linear life endeavors. Thanks for squaring us away for the apocalypse. 😊
My Taylor's Shears belonged to my Grandfather's older brother "Uncle Bob" who I'm named for. Made in the 1930's, he had them in his kit when his unit hit the beach at Normandy in 1944. He used them all though his career as a men's clothier until he retired in the 1980's. I've cut dozens of garments with them (Sailcloth & Leather, too) and never sharpened them. The steel is probably better than several of the hand forged swords that I own as part of my Scottish and Medieval period garb. They are coming up on 100 years old soon. Every time I use them I think of him and thank him.
If you are somewhere in the wilderness and mostly have to patch holes in things like socks, pants and underpants, I'd actually go with black (or dark blue) nylon thread. Very strong, very cheap, can be used for shelter building and to elongate fishing lines as well.
Do you mean nylon like that used for fishing? Surely it would be so scratchy against the skin, especially the knots where the threads are tied off? I think I'd go for a darning mushroom and some darning yarn.
@@sharoncox1734 Never noticed anything. It's for hand sewing, pretty soft and you use very small amounts of it, like maybe 10cm or so. Nylon thread which is explicitly for fishing lines is AFAIK significantly thicker, firmer and transparent than sewing nylon thread. But even the latter should do the job for up to maybe 500g fish (or you can coil up multiple threads).
@@Alias_Anybodyalso known as 'invisible thread', yes it's nylon and soft. Many quilters use it for quilting multi colored fabrics, so the thread blends in to all colors.
I carry spool of 20 lb test braided fishing line and a needle with an eye big enough to thread it. The stitching made from it is pretty much unbreakable, you can fish with it, and loop it up to make serviceable bow strings that won't stretch.
Essentials: 1. Needles (+ needle case) -- Tapestry needle -- Long, basting needle -- Assortment of heights, widths, eyes (Especially #10s) 2. Thread -- Black and white -- Cotton (weaker) and silk (stronger) -- Linen? Grab some beeswax too 3. Scissors (embroidery size + leather sheath) 4. Thimble (find size and type that works for you - ex. tailor's thimble or leather, stays when you hold finger upside down) 5. Pins (and case) Nice to have: 1. Tape measure (and/or a straight edge ruler) 2. Seam ripper and awl 3. Pliers and tweezers 4. Marking tools (tailor's chalk and an extremely short pencil) 5. Handful of safety pins Sewing at home: 1. Tailor's shears/scissors (keep sharp and oiled) 2. Scissors (for paper, plastic, boning) 3. Tomato pin cushion with elastic wrist band 4. Desk needle holder/cushion 5. 18" clear plastic ruler 6. French curve plastic measuring tool 7. Flexi curve tool 8. Iron
I'm so glad you made one of these for people who hand sew! I've seen many of these and they all start with "You need a sewing machine" and I always think, "uhm, no". So thank you for making a very useful list without a sewing machine :)
A purely aesthetic comment, the light/softbox/whatever-that-thing-is-called looks like a huge moon in the reflection and I absolutely LOVE the vibes it gives. A vampire lady telling us how to survive and sew.
@@mxheathcliff I was ogling that pincushion enviously the whole first part of the video hoping she would reference it and tell us where to get one. Alas, securing one evidently requires securing a Heathcliff of one's own first, and high-quality Heathcliffs such as yourself are a vanishingly rare and precious resource. I shall have to make due with inspiration and some cabbage of my own. 😊
Silk thread is also handy to have for sewing humans … like, if someone needs stitches from an injury. Probably need a sharp but strong needle for that. Even an upholstery (curved) needle. Tools with multiple uses are important in the Zombie Apocalypse!
For pulling needles through, I recommend surgical needle drivers, they have a serrated, short tip and a ratchet lock, so it holds the needle by itself with varying force.
I've just discovered the joys of hand-sewing, for two reasons: (1) it helps me get things right on stretchy fabric, and (2) it helps me focus in class. I have 6 hours of class on Tuesdays, and last Tuesday I had so much success with changing the neckline of a t-shirt, that I'm going to do it to another t-shirt this Tuesday!
I had to crochet in one particular class in university, because I kept falling asleep otherwise. And I was seated directly in front of the prof! Like, there was barely room in front of my desk to walk between his desk and mine. I've found out recently that handcrafts like these can be a form of stimming.
When I was young - from my Teens to my 40s I sewed all my Dresses by hand. Beautiful Dresses, beautiful workmanship. My Mother and Grandmother were excellent Seamstresses - they taught me. I didn't like the Sewing Machine. I usually used VOGUE Patterns which I changed to suit myself - I liked simple lines, often bias-cut skirts. I haunted the 39th Street fabric stores in Manhattan. I made my Wedding Gown and Veil in 1970. Fast forward to 2024. I'm 76 and don't even own a Skirt. I've been living in Jeans and Tees for decades. Well-fitting Jeans and good Cotton Tees. Turtlenecks. Sweaters. Simple black Dress Slacks when needed. The Times, they are a-changin... But I still have a small Sewing Kit for repairs!
Ditto from another 76 yr old. All my jeans, & most tops, are black to show off my hand knit sweaters & eliminate dress pants. Blundstones, Birkies, & ll bean boots are my wardrobe. Still sew but handmade quilts. BB often temps me to sew clothing, again, but I lie down in a darkened room with a cool cloth on my fevered brow until I recover.
@yarnexpress Totally agree with you! I'm currently mending some loose seams on a beautiful Corduroy Patchwork Quilt that I bought from a woman whose Grandmother made it...I love the feeling of doing needlework. It's just that my life is very active and simple, and nowhere to go in those lovely Dresses of Yesteryear!
I only buy thrifted clothing (because I'm poor) but having hand-sewing skills helps a lot to personalize a fit or make repairs so things last longer. I've sewn mostly pillowcases and simple things by hand, because clothing rather intimidates me. I do also make simple skirts for little girls, because it's not much more than a pillowcase really, with an elastic waistband. Lots of respect to you for your amazing skills! I'm proud to be part of the hand-sewing club, even though I'll never be a Queen like you!
@Marialla. Repairing good quality 'thrift store treasures' is important and a great pleasure! Keep doing whatever you're doing and just ENJOY it!!! PS I've been 'poor' all my life - grew up poor and it's OK for me. Currently living on Social Security comfortably. From Mother and Grandmothers I learned to make delicious healthy meals for almost nothing - using locally grown Veggies etc. Took Shoes to old Italian Shoemaker for new Heels and Soles when needed. Etc. Not having much Money is OK.
Ohh, great suggestion! Yet another reason to keep a small amount of duct tape wrapped around something, haha I always have some wrapped around a pen in my kit, so I’m sure I could whip up a thimble as needed! It’s also great as a needle puller if one doesn’t have a pair of tiny pliers handy. Definitely the best multi-use item to keep on hand.
I actually made mine out of duct tape and extra fabric sewn together. I added an old penny to one thimble for extra durability since I was embroidering at the time.
One more thing that you might want to add to your sewing bag if you are the type to forget things that you frequently do while sewing, like embroidery stitches and types of knots and such, is a little laminated card or series of cards with instructions that you can write for yourself on how to do certain things that might not be second-nature yet.
A mini Altoids tin or two is amazing to have. Add a magnet, or a scrap of cabbage and it can be an easy place to store pins (both straight pins and or needles). I have a wound bobbin, bird shaped needle threader that can also cut the thread and some needles for an emergency sewing kit. Oh. And a little scrap of wax.
Second the Altoids tin. When some weirdo real estate agent mails you a magnet, glue it to the inside. And old gift cards make excellent "bobbins" for whatever thread you need to take with you. (The ones from target seem to be just the right size.)
You are absolutely correct Bernadette, when you buy quality tools they will last a lifetime! I have sewing tools I have used for 40 years, and they should last for many more!
Conversely, I have used cheap sewing equipment for years, and am not unhappy with them. I may have to replace things once in a while (because I lose things a lot) but basic sewing kit stuff doesn't always need to be "the best" to work well enough. I've used Dritz assortment needles that had good clean eyes and were smooth and sharp and lasted me for years. And small pointy scissors I got from the craft section of my supermarket that I've never been disappointed with. I do have a pair of special sewing shears though, with a bit of lace tied to the handle, which anyone who touches them will get chewed out for sure! I keep enough cheap scissors around the house that there is never a need or excuse for daring to violate that rule.
Just a note on a warped/stretched meaduring tape... if you use it to take the measurements and meadure out the garment, the measurements match. Only chance for inaccuracy is using different measurement tools.
I actually think I have the exact same hair stick. They're metal and sold on etsy with some whimsical celtic knot designs and some other fantasy inspired options.
It's so funny that you mention putting your pins in the lining of your sewing kit- I have an antique sewing kit with beautiful silk lining on the inside of the lid...and tons of old pins and needles shoved in there. I tried to take them out but some are rusted in place on the wrong side of the lining. People never change!
Most people don't know how to use a seam ripper. If you put the red bobble part into the seam and push, it rips the seam and not the fabric. Most people do it the other way and that's why it rips fabric.
My great grandmother gave me a sewing kit as a kid, and she used squishy foam, a bottlecap, a hairtie, and some 2 or so inch cloth to create a ring pin holder! Still my favorite to use! It looked like a little muffin 🧁📍
I think wax is super essential so you don't have to lick the thread to poke it through a needle, way easier waxing the end, and more acceptable on the tube
@@emmao6578 it's more about my own judgement, I still wear a mask on the tube because otherwise my snot is black, and I generally don't like spit covered things on public transport, especially when it takes less time and is easier to use a bit of wax.
Back in her NY apartment during shutdown she answered the question “what # things would you grab if you had minutes notice to flee the zombie apocalypse?” I’m pretty sure she immediately answered sewing kit and then dithered on the other items. Lol
It makes totally sense since she is a sewist….furthermore, should an apocalypse come anyone with some useful skills can survive with that. With a sewing kit you can clothe yourself but also do clothes for others on exchange for something you might need.
greetings, fellow bernadette enjoyers! i'm a twenty-first century kid who's been sewing as a hobby since i was very, very little. here are some tips and general advice i've learned as a young, poor person living in the united states: - investing in those cheap little sewing kits sold at michael's and various other craft stores is a great way to get some essentials that work in a pinch. the scissors might be a tad wimpy, but like i said they work in a pinch and on a tight budget! - having something recycled to keep your kit, any extras you may buy on the side (better scissors, more thread colors or types, etc.), and even smaller pieces of fabric you can use in is a GODSEND. i use one of those iconic cookie tins and it keeps my supplies organized in a small enough container to store. - using old clothing for mending or reinforcing patches, pockets, etc. is a great way to recycle! it's easy on the wallet and the environment - your sewing does not always need to be pretty! rough edges, slightly uneven seams, and wonky stitches are ok, especially if you're just starting to learn! when you need to mend something, function comes before fashion! as long as your stitches are holding tight and doing their jobs, it's ok for things to be a little ugly - be kind to yourself. sewing takes practice and if you're simply doing it as a hobby, it doesn't need to be perfectly functional or fashionable every time. i've been sewing since i was like six years old, i'm almost 18 now and still can't make a pretty seam for the life of me. learning any skill takes time and you will improve! sewing is an absolutely amazing skill to have and as i mentioned previously, it doesn't always need to be pretty. as long as you can put two pieces of fabric together with a needle and thread, you're doing great! believe in yourself - work with what you've got. invest in good supplies when you can and/or need to, but remember that being crafty is always a good option. if you've got a pair of scissors that can cut fabric, even if your cuts turn out jagged, then you're set until you can afford to invest in a good pair of shears. never feel obligated to spending when you already have something that can do the job passably
Regarding seam rippers: With a little bit of practice, it makes the process of reducing finished garments to their base panels much faster and smoother. And as we all know, efficiency is paramount when working with scavenged/recycled materials. Especially in an emergency situation (like an apocalypse, for example.)
I enjoy very much the "apocalypse packing list" type of videos, not because I anticipate the end of the world but because they usually prioritize durable portable manual equipment; the sort of essentials any beginner on a budget could afford.
I am saving this to send to the people that harass me about sewing them things. That is my go to response for people that won't take a polite no. "I can't, but I can teach you" Often get the response that they don't have a sewing machine. Now I have a vid to send them.
Ugh it's indeed rather annoying when people ask you to sew you something, saying they can pay you, when they have no idea how much it would cost if you would charge them properly. Like, here are your simple trousers, that's 900€ please. ✨✨✨✨ People are so used to fashion being cheap, sorry for this random rant haha, but it annoys me xD I also always turn their question in a 'I can teach you' but the look on their faces is like, oh :/
To add to this I hate it when distant acquaintances ask if you can hem their pants for free without hanging out or anything 😳 I'm not a tailor, just go pay the tailor $13. I also feel so awkward when you wear something out and someone compliments you ask asks if you can make them one or make them something custom, it's so awkward to be like "hypothetically but it's so complicated, I'm such a novice and my time is so expensive that I don't think YOU would want to go through with it" 😅
I've been sewing for 2 years and still have my skirt, fully hand sewn, because if Bernadette can make an entire gown, I can make a circle skirt. Thank you for being an inspiration throughout my sewing journey
I bought a leather thimble with a circular piece of metal on the pad of the finger. CHANGED MY LIFE! Obvie won't be necessary for everyone, but was super helpful for taking in my store bought jeans and suck. Not its the only thing I use.
You are awesome! Never forget to put a couple of crochet hooks in your kit. I am an old man now and am for ever grateful to my great uncle who taught me to repair my mittens and gloves when I was a small child.❤ It saved me from frost bite many times. Thanks for reminding me. Much ❤
I really appreciate your perspective on what to include in a sewing kit. You've given me some ideas on some new things to include in mine. I've pieced together my own sewing kit over the years. I use nylon upholstery thread for most of my sewing. I keep a lighter in my kit to seal the ends of the thread. I like keeping a small retractable tape measure in mine, as I don't have to worry about it unwinding and making a mess inside. I use a small upcycled plastic protein powder container that has a screw on lid. It's strong enough that I don't have to worry about needles poking through, and the lid will stay on it get knocked off a table to thrown around in a vehicle. When I do tough stitching like going through a couple layers of nylon webbing, I like to use surgical forceps for pushing / pulling the needle through. I also like to keep flashlight handy for when I'm sewing black colored material. A good source of leather can be obtained by salvaging them from discarded leather furniture. Over the years I've ended up with more leather than I know what to do with. I've made a number of bags and pouches from it. Depending on the origin of the furniture, it can worth salvaging the frame too. Many couches and arm chairs are made in foreign countries using what we consider exotic hardwoods. I've also collect some nice pieces of mahogany that gets used for things like carving spoons and other decorative woodwork. When you rip a couch apart, you often find a few dollars in coin change too...
What serendipity, my sewing machine is in storage and I need a dress for a traditional occasion so my 1st hand sewn dress is under way! 🎉 wish me luck.
I made my own dress to attend a wedding last year, hand sewn, with zero experience, and it turned out really nice! Some problems but none that anyone could really see. You can definitely do this, good luck!!! You're gonna look fabulous!!
I also can't use metal thimbles, I just can't get them to work, so I worked thimble-less for many years. And then I was sewing mysself a shirt and the eye end of the needle literally stabbed a hole in my finger. There was blood. I expect that from the pointy end but not the eye end. And it was that day that I (painfully) made my first leather thimble, following the instructions you made many years ago. Do'nt go thimble-less, you will end up betrayed by those you least expect
I really appreciate the list that you gave for an essential sewing kit. I agree with you in every regard except one. This may be because I’m an avid crochet lady, but I find that a very small number six or seven crochet hook is quite valuable in grabbing thread. You mentioned small knots, and it’s great when it’s precarious to get your finger where the thread is. It also works to run under the foot of your sewing machine when you’re trying to get out the bobbin thread, to push things under the foot when there’s no space at all for a finger, it just goes on and on. I’m aware that there are other tools that people use for these jobs, but my small crochet hook just seems to be my favorite. Plus, if it’s an apocalypse, you might have to crochet lol.
I absolutely loved what you said about the things people have given you over the years. I think practical gifts are underrated, those tools that carry you through daily tasks are a reminder of people who have loved and supported you. Thank you for reminding us of that!
In a pinch you can use multi filament wire, wrapping wire, the wires from wire ties (remove the plastic on the ties from sandwich bread) Fold it in half, insert, pass the thread through, and pull. That's basically all you need for sewing. For harder materials, you can use a nail to push the wire through
That concept takes me back to the pessimistic days of the early 2010s, when apocalypse seemed to be right around the corner. Little did we know it would actually happen in this weird slow moving way
You mean, after Hurricanes repeatedly destroyed American cities? Or Wall St melted down the whole economy? Those were apocalyptic. It came. Don’t use science fiction as the definition of disaster, millions of deeply traumatized, newly homeless people are a better yardstick.
Nothing worse than an apocalypse where you still have to work every day and where everybody else is still alive and fighting your for scarce resources.
I imagine a real apocalypse would be more like living under a cartel than a zombie movie. People with skills will become slaves, not scruffy backwoods entreprenuers. People with guns will either have them taken away by whatever group becomes dominant or be forced to join them in bringing lone wolves under the gang's control.
Bernadette, you are such an inspiring person. I was dreaming about sewing my own garments for a lot of years but I couldn't own a machine to do that. After watching your videos I created one with my hands only. Thank you so much!
The whole bag is so cool. As a guy that packs a lot of stuff in his bag I had to make sure the sewing kit I've always got on me was compact. Mine's basically just the shell of a green transparent ballpoint pen that I filled with different kinds of needles and have a small plastic tube with black, white and red thread spun up on it attached to the pen's cover clip part. Innovation ✨✨✨
My suggestion is to pop on over to your nearest IKEA and grab the paper measuring tapes they have available there! They don’t stretch, are decently durable, and are easy to cut to a smaller size or tape together for a longer size. I highly recommend them, and they fold down much smaller than the plastic tape measures!
My best friend's parents took a leather course and made me a little wallet/book thing - decorated leather cover, with fabric 'pages' inside for keeping pins, needles, etc. Now goes with me everywhere.
Magnets are my happy place for pins and needles, especially when finished with a project and looking for overlooked pins or needles, on the floor, table, in the garment. (my Mom is notorious for leaving pins in garments she has sown, magnet has saved sneaky impaling incidents from occurring, etc. ) I know, a bit anachronistic, but there are some luxuries I prefer to live with. :)
Slightly in awe of Bernadette keeping track of her measuring tape for that long. I have at least five floating around, and often can't find any of them.
@@Emiliapocalypse That it matters to you means to me that you'd be interesting and worth believing in. I think that, in life, we rarely find those who would truly appreciate us - it's no one's fault; it just seems that most people don't, maybe can't, care about others profoundly enough to be able to believe in them. Believe in yourself, of course, and know that there are many who would surely believe in you if you only found each other.
@@Ticket2theMoon Yours is such a lovely comment! It's wonderful and so very important to support and care about others. Would that we all were as kind as this shows you are.
I did a massive spit take when you were talking about tailor scissors and that Inigo Montoya meme appeared. As a child, I remember my mother referring to her "good scissors" and those were NOT the ones used for sewing, they were for general purpose (the sewing shears were in the large Danish Butter Cookie tin that she used as her sewing box). Mom definitely had different scissors for different purposes. As for thimbles, I prefer leather ones since they fit better and don't get in the way of my holding a needle. I bought mine and they have a small metal insert at the pad of the finger so that you push a needle using the metal insert and not risk having the needle go through the leather. Great video !!
Your little deerstalker hat pincushion is adorable! Love the little nod to Sherlock Holmes :D Edit: Another thing I've found invaluable (as a featherhead who frequently puts down needles/pins and forgets to pick them up) is a little magnet. Great for finding dropped pins before your hands/feet do.
I picked up an extendable handle magnet at a hardware store to run it along the floor and carpet. It beats having to get down on my knees and risk pricking my hands.
@@nightfall3605 Yes! I found a wee little magnetic tray in the hardware shop - for holding loose nuts and bolts. It's great for making sure the pins and needles don't abscond on you :) I believe they have magnetic wrist cuffs too, but haven't tried them yet.
@@RuailleBuaille I have a magnetic wrist cuff. One of those snap round your wrist plastic straps. It's very useful but I don't find it comfortable to wear for any length of time. I will continue to use it as my daughter gave it to me, but in the event that it needs replacing I'd go for one with an elasticated strap which could be altered to fit.
We’re currently on day 5 with no power due to Helene. I actually ended up working on my sewing projects to burn time. I remembered this video and it’s funny how handy it is now lol.
i have modified a 100+ year old singer sewing machine with a heavy handwheel so you do not need electricity nor a whole table with the foot mechanism to drive it . its fairly compact but pretty heavy i would say perfect for a sailboat , car or at home . while you can sew manually with a needle you do not even come close to my setup it is super easy and incredibly fast and efficient
OMG, THIS IS MY JAM!!! I’ve been so annoyed that the post-apocalyptic genre has not at all addressed garment making: The Walking Dead, Fallout, Battlestar Galactica-after awhile garment repair and production will be very important. I was beyond annoyed that TWD can spend an entire episode on a side quest to find a light bulb for a film projector, but they can’t spare one discussion of a garment maker and repair. Can’t have the person who when scouting for supplies comes back with needles, thimbles, some thread, perhaps even parts and needles for a non-electric machine (of which there are still millions around the world, many of them in daily use).
textile crafts are badly under-appreciated, even in this current mini-revival of dying crafts. sadly, i think it's because there's this warped contemporary perception that men didn't make clothes in yesteryear. it's really noticable looking at say, carpentry vs loom weaving. I constantly have to explain that yes, men knit. everyone had to knit if they wanted socks back in the day.
@@kovona Fast fashion and cheap Walmart garments aren't made to last more than a year, so it might not be worth the risk. The cities with the most clothing stores will also have the most zombies. Sewing within the safety of your settlement can be a more productive use of time and effort.
@sammiller6631 Or just grab some clothes from an abandoned house? Like, even a rural town of formerly 100 people will probably have enough clothes to last one person a lifetime.
@@kovona How do you know if a house has been abandoned? The clothes in a small town may not have anything that will fit you, so you still need to garment makers around to re-size it for you.
I´m terrible at sewing but being a rather frugal person i have taught myself to replace buttons and doing basic repairs on clothes and the cheapest way to get a basic set of quality sewing tools and thread is to buy a surplus military sewing kit. The kit i own is from the West German army, der Bundeswehr and consists of different types of dark green rolls of threads, a high quality pairs of scissors, a thimble, needles in different sizes and a bag of buttons. i think i only payed around 5-6€ for the kit. I have since expanded the kit with some more civilian friendly colours of thread and some other sizes of needles.
I always advocate learning to sew buttons. Just that skill alone makes a difference in keeping clothes out of the trash, and people don't realize that you can get quite creative with them.
Clicked on the video for the title, stayed for the quality content. (Plus commenting to tell the algorithm that this is interesting). Btw, sewing a bit of the excess on that tomatoe elastic band could save you from throwing it out!
I love to sew, but on account of being punk or whatever, it’s mostly just patches onto things. My regular toolkit is waxed dental floss, whatever needle I have on hand, scissors, and a lighter. Dental floss is a really durable thread, and if you’re like me and don’t trust your knots, you can melt the ends if it’s waxed, and they won’t go anywhere. Normal floss won’t melt, it’ll just burn and be gross.
I use makeup bags as sewing kits. Well, I have 3 different ones floating around: 1 full sewing, 1 full for knitting and 1 embroidery. An archery glove can be really useful as a handful of leather thimbles. At least until you figure out exactly how you push the thimble through.
I have a single leather work glove. I think you just inspired me because I hate thimbles but have needed one from time to time. My finger is shaped oddly from pencil-clenching for decades, so they never fit. Until this video, I did not know the brass ones were shapable.
I've used my embroidery scissors for anything from cutting thread, trimming my fringe, cutting the elastic fabric for my elastic ankle brace, to opening a packet of chips in a pinch. Most useful item ever!
I cannot recall how many times my grandmother used to scold me for refusing to use a thimble xD I happy to know there are other material, because I can surely recognize I could sew better with a thimble, but the metal one has always been a nightmare for me to use.
If you need leather for a leather thimble - google "upholstery clippings free [your location]". I just recieved 5 pieces of quality top grain leather - that I could make 10 thimbles from - for free via express post. Just made my first thimble and it's working great! My tips would be to look for aniline or semi-aniline, top grain leather if possible - avoid corrected grain and pigmented leather as it can be too thick and hard to sew.
I 'm a sewer, but don't do a lot of handsewing -- not more than absolutely necessary (i.e., hemming, buttonholes, sewing on buttons). I think it's because I'm a knitter, and in knitting *everything* is done by hand, so I get my fill of handiwork that way. But here's what's in the little sewing/knitting tackle bag I keep in my workbasket: a needlecase containing an assortment of needles, a box of straight pins, safety pins, stitch markers, a thimble, a stitch ripper, a very small skein of scrap yarn pieces, and a little plastic bag of buttons I have bought specifically for upcoming projects. The bag itself is a Japanese-style bento bag that a friend gave me, and that works really well for this purpose because when I untie it I have such a clear view of, and ready access to, everything in it. Also in the workbasket are a pair of scissors, a measuring tape, and the darning egg my father made for me. The tools I keep by my sewing machine are less well-edited and less compact, but there's a tin box of odds and ends that I probably ought to clean out, a box of sewing bobbins, a pincushion, two pairs of scissors (one for fabric, one for everything else), a stitch ripper and a pair of tweezers. It amused me to see that Bernadette also keeps a pair of tweezers handy. I found myself going to the bathroom to fetch my tweezers to pull threads so often that I eventually just decided to keep an old pair of tweezers by my sewing machine.
I highly recommend Bernadettes video on ironing, it changed and professionalised my garments so so much. Never knew wood was such a key part of pressing.
Comment about why you absolutely need pliers!: I did embroidery work on difficult fabric when i was inexperienced nor owned thimbles, and now i have permanent nerve damage at the tip of my finger, and can no longer use it for most things that require pressing stuff, and on bad days i cant pick up a spoon correctly either. Entirely avoidable had i gotten some pliers out.
Not essential for Bernadette, but the less skilled among us would appreciate some needle threaders. They're just loops of thin wire with a handle, bent so they can be easily pushed through the eye of a needle. You then put your thread through the wire loop, then pull the whole thing back. Takes all the difficulty out of threading needles.
Leather thimbles changed my life 😁 I like to keep my nails long and metal ones just never worked for me. Plus, it slides all over the place when I'm trying to push the needle through, just never got the hang of it. Was in my thirties before I learned leather ones even existed. Comfy, grippy, perfect. This video came out at just the right time, as I started a new little hand sewing project and this was great to kick off the motivation 😁
This got randomly put in my feed and I love it. I mostly sew to repair outdoors equipment and farm equipment, and I learned to sew before I could ride a bike. Everything you recommend is so true.
I've found, often self-inflicted by accident, that embroidery scissors can also double as actual weapons due to how sharp and pointy they are, so bonus points in an apocalypse if you run out of knives and find yourself in a craftstore with a zombie lol
I use seam ripper a lot in my recycling projects, to salvage zippers and other small but very well sewn to pieces of garments that can be repurposed, but also to take all seams apart to have a fabric pattern I can then use to make dublicates with different fabric. For example my very thoroughly loved backpack of many years got several holes and weakened spots at places that get chafed, but the zippers were fine so now I'm making a new backpack from it from used jeans (cant sell them bc the saddle areas are worn-through and eventually all patching started to show too much, but the leg parts got a lot of nice strong fabric), and the project's looking great so far! Anyway, since we're talking about an apocalypse fresh unused fabric would eventually become unavailable, so seam ripper's are valuable in harvesting usable fabric 😊
One thing I never needed when I was young, but is a necessity now - a *good* needle threader. The cheap wire "lady threaders" will do ... I have a threader that's a thin strip of metal with a hook in one end. The handle is a bird (plastic, alas) and has a blade embedded in it for cutting thread. There's a cover over the metal strip, together they form the bird's beak. The metal strip is very delicate ... even so, it does not fit in my #10 betweens, but it fits in most other needles. It's also not good for heavy thread or yarn, but I don't need help threading large eye needles.
9:50 The other good and readily accessible option is to use a spare piece of cloth to store your pins. A really good first sewing project is to sew two rectangles of cloth right sides together nearly all the way around, turn them inside out, and close the gap with some whipstitches to make a lovely little pin storage unit. 😊
Bernadette, I have scissors that my mother gave that dates back to 1800's and I decided to have them sharpened. They work great! I have different scissors for different things. Thank you for helping me on updating my sewing bag. Happy Sewing 🪡
If you are setting up a 'survival' type of kit, I'd add a couple of sturdy curved needles. They have a number of uses; upholstery, leather-work (repairing shoes, for example), and doing sutures in skin, for example (they need to be kept extremely sharp -- may need to be sharpened after each stitch -- if you are using them for sutures in skin. I've done that to one of my goats, and it was harder than I expected to get the needle through the thin goat skin.).
I would also add moisture absorbers to containers full of needles and pins, unless you are in a dry climate. Almost all of my needles and pins have rusted badly since we moved from Oregon's high desert to humid Kentucky.
You look like a lovely secondary character in a videogame that tailors your in-game clothing and gives you side quests and you do them bc you love this cozy character so much
👒🔍 Download June’s Journey for free now using my link: woo.ga/tih058pq
Discovering leather thimbles was life-changing for me.
Come on now, I got a treadle because I realised I needed one from my favourite era of clothing, because you did ❤😂❤
I cannot escape that game their ads are everywhere
I’m not sure I can understand enough for me to follow through with you in your video. I can’t side with someone’s energy who doesn’t understand mine therefore I don’t understand this energy. It clearly does Not match mine at all. I don’t know who you are.
@@GoldenSheenObsidan I can't tell if you're being serious.
Having all the safety pins loose rather than threaded onto one big safety pin is a level of chaos I was not expecting!
This woman has a letter opener or mini dagger through her hair bun. I'm not surprised at her level of chaos.
Wait this is a brilliant idea
Yup, thread all the same size on their own large pin.
@bernadettebanner you did not know of this? Another thing I always do is thread a largish safety pin onto my key ring. No matter where I am, my keys are a thing I'm likely to have with me and be able to find easily. *Boom* safety pin in a pinch.
Most of my safety pins are large, so I don't have them like this, but I do have them stored inside those square baby food containers.
Poverty substitutions:
A Tic-Tac box can be a good pin holder.
Silicone swimmer's ear plugs are good thread conditioner, at least for modern sewing.
A prescription bottle can be a good needle case, and maybe also hold a thread spool, leather thimble, plus conditioner.
Ziploc bags can be good sewing kits or project bags (2 gal size will hold an entire shirt).
Leather for thimbles or bags can be harvested from a thrifted bomber jacket that was full of holes.
Fiskars makes really good small pointy scissors for just a couple of bucks, and they are plenty sharp especially when new.
A sheet of craft felt can be cut into 2"x3" squares and sewn together like a book, which is excellent as a pin/needle organizer and also as a pincushion.
There are also little disposable adhesive discs of thin tough plastic that you can stick to your finger as needed for protection, called Thimble-It. They might work for people who just hate thimbles.
Sewing machine bobbins can be a great way to bring along enough thread to work with, without taking up much space.
If I could carry only one spool of thread, it would be gray. Gray blends surprisingly well with almost any color or shade, and is good enough for an emergency repair. Often, you can't even see it because it is hidden in a seam. I've got lots of repaired clothing that I totally forgot were ever broken, until I'm washing it inside out and see the thread mismatch. But it's easy to see and replace if that is ever important to you.
The point is that getting started doesn't have to mean buying anything expensive. Beautiful antique bird-shaped embroidery scissors are wonderful to have, and great to aspire level up to when you find this hobby really is a long-term passion. But for starting out, a beginner's kit is a great way to introduce yourself to the hobby and have time to build your skills before investing too much. Also, cheap kits like this are good for folks like me with ADHD who forever are losing our kits and need to replace the stuff often.
PS. I also like nail clippers to snip threads on the go. Easier on the pockets than scissors.
Great ideas! A felt book for pins and needles was not something I dreamed of, but now I think that might be the cutest idea today! Love it
All great suggestions. I was helping my daughter finish a cosplay and had to hand sew through suedecloth. To help pull the needle through, I cut a small square from one of those thin rubber disc's that are used to open tight jar lids and used it to grip the needle to pull it through. It really helped my arthritic knuckles.
I use automatic pencils because I can never find my pencil sharpener. The lead containers also make good needle cases. Especially the rectangular ones. Adhesive strip magnets stick well to them for keeping track of the needle in use.
I like to also keep a lot of these things in my kit! I have a bunch of gray thread myself for the same reason you suggested :)
I *love* your silicone swimmer’s earplug suggestion! I usually use thread magic, but that’s so expensive! I’m betting the earplugs will work just as well or even better! Thanks so much!!
Another thing I’ve added is a small piece of gear-repair tape. I often use a hiking backpack as my main bag, and you really don’t want to sew that without a way of waterproofing it. So I use gear-repair tape (I personally have a strip of Tenacious Tape in clear in my kit) as a way to mend my backpack if it ever develops a rip. And to ensure the adhesion is really strong, I also keep an alcohol wipe to clean it off.
I love me some Fiskars. Their budget stuff has been with me since I was a kid and lasts a really long time! I have their hori hori for my garden and a pair of their shears for my admittedly extremely limited sewing projects, but they are sharp af, which is sharp enough for me.
That opening of Bernadette emptying her sewing bag is exactly like that gag in action films where the one character just keeps. pulling. more. weapons. out of their pockets for far too long. 😂
I was thinking of Hermione's little magic bag on Harry Potter
Mary Poppins' carpetbag. Minus the hall tree.😅
Like Fili when he gets caught by the elves. 🤭
Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality
@@HughMiller98yes! With all the food 😂 the boob donut 😂
I took a small sewing kit on a thru hike recently. Just a spool of thread, some needles and pins. I used it quite a few times to patch holes and fix various things. Every time I sewed at camp, everyone would be proferring their holed garments and asked if I can fix whatever it was. "Wow you can sew!!??" Not really, I just watched a youtube video on a few basic stitches. Offered to show everyone who asked how to do basic sewing and the response was always "Seems hard, ill buy you a beer at the next town". Fine with me, but just sad that no one seems to care to learn a super basic skill.
It's weird that people are adverse to it. I hate being on the trail and everyone wants to talk to you like they are doing a background check. Like I'm here specifically to not talk, and they just won't take a hint.
Right sewing isn't hard. I had a great side hustle sewing on uniform patches by hand for people when I was in the navy. Saved maybe a hundred bucks doing my own and then realized people would pay me to do something I find relaxing.
I have nothing to add except: A piece of kitchen sponge makes a fine makeshift pincushion that'll fit even the most compact sewing kit.
Thank you for the idea! I need to assemble a small kit to take along with when I deliver some skirts to a friend for any last minute adjustments. I have an idea for my pins, but I am not sure if it'll work. this would be a great backup plan.
I am an aircraft electronics technician. I also cook and play D&D sometimes. I don’t sew. I have never sewn. I don’t even have any real particular interest in garments. That being said, I really enjoy watching Bernadette’s videos. Watching intelligent people talk about their craft of which they are passionate about is always the best thing, regardless of the subject.
Big same, it's why I'm also subscribed to some blacksmiths and car guys. It's fascinating to hear people talk about subjects you have very little to no knowledge of!
Navy gang! (nuke here)
I actually find historical clothing content fantastic for DnD world building! The video from a couple months back about how people used to bathe and keep their clothes clean really helped me characterize one of my PCs (a very foolhardy and spoiled nobleman in exile who kept spending money he no longer had on extravagant baths and getting his linen just so).
Ooh cool, I kinda wanna be the same thing!
For emergency repairs to clothing, all you need is a few basic materials and good eye-hand coordination. Someone who knows how to sew can make it look pretty afterwards.
Update life goals: ask my local, small town sewing store, "What needles will I need in an apocalypse? "
,😂😂😂😂😂😂
Sharp ones with a clean eye...don't go for cheap needles...
@marisameans9859 Yes! Also, quality needles will last you for a long time.
...and a couple of curved ones!
@@marisameans9859 Good for sewing and for dealing damage to the zombies.
I work at a library and was making some online content. I was telling everyone about how a book on pinloom weaving essentially changed my life and turned me into a weaver. One of the things I mentioned was that during a zombie apocalypse, I now have the very useful skill of creating fabric. 😂
Edit: Sorry for not naming the book! It’s Pin Loom Weaving by Margret Stump. It’s the book that really peaked my interest in weaving. Now I own a few dozen pin looms, a couple of inkle looms, a rigid heddle loom, and an 8-shaft floor loom. But that’s the book that got me started.
What's the book??
Indeed, inquiring minds need the information: what's the book?
Name of book please 🙏
You are a blessing in disguise when the time comes 🎉
I think I said something similar to my mom when I learned to spin yarn, but she was decidedly unimpressed.
Fancy lady on RUclips: "This is what you should have in an apocalypse for sewing" and then puts out things I've never even heard of, enough to make actual ball gowns for all the zombies.
Me, a prepper: "If you can't sew at all, sew it all" and looks over at my single sewing needle and the stranded paracord.
Great video and instant subscribe. This is why I love youtube, I don't wear dresses (being a guy) and I can't make a straight stitch unless it's in living skin (sutures) but I've already found ten videos I can't wait to watch.
The bit about the sewing kit contents as gifts, combined with the joking framing device of "what do you need to sew during a zombie apocalypse?", had me imagining a scene where an older character is showing their kit to a younger character and using the tools as memory anchors to describe people they used to know, in a tone similar to a parent or grandparent showing a child an old photo album.
Love the comment that “my sewing kit is full of people who have believed in my sewing career over the years and I get to keep them with me at all times.” That reminder of support is so important, well everywhere, and especially in non-linear life endeavors. Thanks for squaring us away for the apocalypse. 😊
Idk why my first thought was "its full of their bones"
My Taylor's Shears belonged to my Grandfather's older brother "Uncle Bob" who I'm named for. Made in the 1930's, he had them in his kit when his unit hit the beach at Normandy in 1944. He used them all though his career as a men's clothier until he retired in the 1980's. I've cut dozens of garments with them (Sailcloth & Leather, too) and never sharpened them. The steel is probably better than several of the hand forged swords that I own as part of my Scottish and Medieval period garb. They are coming up on 100 years old soon. Every time I use them I think of him and thank him.
Thank you for sharing that story!
Wow!
I think your Uncle Bob decided to stick around by investing himself into his favorite shears. Literally transmigrated rather than reincarnating.
If you are somewhere in the wilderness and mostly have to patch holes in things like socks, pants and underpants, I'd actually go with black (or dark blue) nylon thread. Very strong, very cheap, can be used for shelter building and to elongate fishing lines as well.
Do you mean nylon like that used for fishing? Surely it would be so scratchy against the skin, especially the knots where the threads are tied off? I think I'd go for a darning mushroom and some darning yarn.
@@sharoncox1734
Never noticed anything. It's for hand sewing, pretty soft and you use very small amounts of it, like maybe 10cm or so.
Nylon thread which is explicitly for fishing lines is AFAIK significantly thicker, firmer and transparent than sewing nylon thread. But even the latter should do the job for up to maybe 500g fish (or you can coil up multiple threads).
@@Alias_Anybodyalso known as 'invisible thread', yes it's nylon and soft. Many quilters use it for quilting multi colored fabrics, so the thread blends in to all colors.
I carry spool of 20 lb test braided fishing line and a needle with an eye big enough to thread it. The stitching made from it is pretty much unbreakable, you can fish with it, and loop it up to make serviceable bow strings that won't stretch.
Essentials:
1. Needles (+ needle case)
-- Tapestry needle
-- Long, basting needle
-- Assortment of heights, widths, eyes (Especially #10s)
2. Thread
-- Black and white
-- Cotton (weaker) and silk (stronger)
-- Linen? Grab some beeswax too
3. Scissors (embroidery size + leather sheath)
4. Thimble (find size and type that works for you - ex. tailor's thimble or leather, stays when you hold finger upside down)
5. Pins (and case)
Nice to have:
1. Tape measure (and/or a straight edge ruler)
2. Seam ripper and awl
3. Pliers and tweezers
4. Marking tools (tailor's chalk and an extremely short pencil)
5. Handful of safety pins
Sewing at home:
1. Tailor's shears/scissors (keep sharp and oiled)
2. Scissors (for paper, plastic, boning)
3. Tomato pin cushion with elastic wrist band
4. Desk needle holder/cushion
5. 18" clear plastic ruler
6. French curve plastic measuring tool
7. Flexi curve tool
8. Iron
❤ thank you
Thank you!
I'm so glad you made one of these for people who hand sew! I've seen many of these and they all start with "You need a sewing machine" and I always think, "uhm, no". So thank you for making a very useful list without a sewing machine :)
A purely aesthetic comment, the light/softbox/whatever-that-thing-is-called looks like a huge moon in the reflection and I absolutely LOVE the vibes it gives. A vampire lady telling us how to survive and sew.
The Sherlock pin cushion is adorable! Good job Heathcliff 👍🏼
Thank you! 😌
@@mxheathcliff I was ogling that pincushion enviously the whole first part of the video hoping she would reference it and tell us where to get one. Alas, securing one evidently requires securing a Heathcliff of one's own first, and high-quality Heathcliffs such as yourself are a vanishingly rare and precious resource. I shall have to make due with inspiration and some cabbage of my own. 😊
Yesss I loved it too!!! So adorable!
Silk thread is also handy to have for sewing humans … like, if someone needs stitches from an injury. Probably need a sharp but strong needle for that. Even an upholstery (curved) needle.
Tools with multiple uses are important in the Zombie Apocalypse!
Thank you for that tip
Just make sure to sterilize the thread and the needle first!
Now I know what to do with my extra silk thread when I'm done with the embroidery project - put it in a zip-top bag in my first aid kit!
Suture silk thread is very handy to have.
For pulling needles through, I recommend surgical needle drivers, they have a serrated, short tip and a ratchet lock, so it holds the needle by itself with varying force.
I've just discovered the joys of hand-sewing, for two reasons: (1) it helps me get things right on stretchy fabric, and (2) it helps me focus in class. I have 6 hours of class on Tuesdays, and last Tuesday I had so much success with changing the neckline of a t-shirt, that I'm going to do it to another t-shirt this Tuesday!
I had to crochet in one particular class in university, because I kept falling asleep otherwise. And I was seated directly in front of the prof! Like, there was barely room in front of my desk to walk between his desk and mine. I've found out recently that handcrafts like these can be a form of stimming.
When I was young - from my Teens to my 40s I sewed all my Dresses by hand. Beautiful Dresses, beautiful workmanship. My Mother and Grandmother were excellent Seamstresses - they taught me. I didn't like the Sewing Machine. I usually used VOGUE Patterns which I changed to suit myself - I liked simple lines, often bias-cut skirts. I haunted the 39th Street fabric stores in Manhattan. I made my Wedding Gown and Veil in 1970.
Fast forward to 2024. I'm 76 and don't even own a Skirt. I've been living in Jeans and Tees for decades. Well-fitting Jeans and good Cotton Tees. Turtlenecks. Sweaters. Simple black Dress Slacks when needed.
The Times, they are a-changin...
But I still have a small Sewing Kit for repairs!
Ditto from another 76 yr old. All my jeans, & most tops, are black to show off my hand knit sweaters & eliminate dress pants. Blundstones, Birkies, & ll bean boots are my wardrobe. Still sew but handmade quilts. BB often temps me to sew clothing, again, but I lie down in a darkened room with a cool cloth on my fevered brow until I recover.
@yarnexpress Totally agree with you! I'm currently mending some loose seams on a beautiful Corduroy Patchwork Quilt that I bought from a woman whose Grandmother made it...I love the feeling of doing needlework. It's just that my life is very active and simple, and nowhere to go in those lovely Dresses of Yesteryear!
@SewingandSnakes Because I didn't have Kids to sew for? Hand sewing is a relaxing pleasure ❤
I only buy thrifted clothing (because I'm poor) but having hand-sewing skills helps a lot to personalize a fit or make repairs so things last longer.
I've sewn mostly pillowcases and simple things by hand, because clothing rather intimidates me. I do also make simple skirts for little girls, because it's not much more than a pillowcase really, with an elastic waistband. Lots of respect to you for your amazing skills! I'm proud to be part of the hand-sewing club, even though I'll never be a Queen like you!
@Marialla. Repairing good quality 'thrift store treasures' is important and a great pleasure! Keep doing whatever you're doing and just ENJOY it!!!
PS I've been 'poor' all my life - grew up poor and it's OK for me. Currently living on Social Security comfortably. From Mother and Grandmothers I learned to make delicious healthy meals for almost nothing - using locally grown Veggies etc. Took Shoes to old Italian Shoemaker for new Heels and Soles when needed. Etc. Not having much Money is OK.
When seeing the leather thimble I realized it's probably possible to improvise a thimble out of duct tape.
Have done it before, yup this totally works
Ohh, great suggestion! Yet another reason to keep a small amount of duct tape wrapped around something, haha
I always have some wrapped around a pen in my kit, so I’m sure I could whip up a thimble as needed!
It’s also great as a needle puller if one doesn’t have a pair of tiny pliers handy. Definitely the best multi-use item to keep on hand.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I just use a Bandaid. I like to still feel the needle on my fingertip
I actually made mine out of duct tape and extra fabric sewn together. I added an old penny to one thimble for extra durability since I was embroidering at the time.
The little needle cushion Heathcliffe made is ADORABLE. Fantastic work Heathcliffe, it's so cute, I adore it
Thank you! 🥰
Yes! Adorable.
One more thing that you might want to add to your sewing bag if you are the type to forget things that you frequently do while sewing, like embroidery stitches and types of knots and such, is a little laminated card or series of cards with instructions that you can write for yourself on how to do certain things that might not be second-nature yet.
I have stitched wounds but never fabric. But people's enthusiasm for the things they love is contagious.
A mini Altoids tin or two is amazing to have. Add a magnet, or a scrap of cabbage and it can be an easy place to store pins (both straight pins and or needles). I have a wound bobbin, bird shaped needle threader that can also cut the thread and some needles for an emergency sewing kit. Oh. And a little scrap of wax.
Second the Altoids tin. When some weirdo real estate agent mails you a magnet, glue it to the inside. And old gift cards make excellent "bobbins" for whatever thread you need to take with you. (The ones from target seem to be just the right size.)
Love the cyberman head in your fabric stash. Further evidence Bernadette is actually a Time Lord.
She's Mercy Hartigan 😂
We like to refer to one as simply, LORD 😂
Love it when you discover people are dw fans ❤
You are absolutely correct Bernadette, when you buy quality tools they will last a lifetime! I have sewing tools I have used for 40 years, and they should last for many more!
Conversely, I have used cheap sewing equipment for years, and am not unhappy with them. I may have to replace things once in a while (because I lose things a lot) but basic sewing kit stuff doesn't always need to be "the best" to work well enough.
I've used Dritz assortment needles that had good clean eyes and were smooth and sharp and lasted me for years. And small pointy scissors I got from the craft section of my supermarket that I've never been disappointed with.
I do have a pair of special sewing shears though, with a bit of lace tied to the handle, which anyone who touches them will get chewed out for sure! I keep enough cheap scissors around the house that there is never a need or excuse for daring to violate that rule.
im a clown and learnt to sew with fur fabric and thick vinyls and the like, the amount of needles ive snapped T-T
I've been using my grandmother's for a decade and they are still going strong ❤
Just a note on a warped/stretched meaduring tape... if you use it to take the measurements and meadure out the garment, the measurements match. Only chance for inaccuracy is using different measurement tools.
I love the fact that you also enjoy using things for a long time. I get such a kick out of: “I used this knitting bag since 2000.” It’s nice.
I love your hair! The tiny sword is so whimsical and sophisticated. Defo a need for whenever you need to stab an enemy or an esteemed rival.
I actually think I have the exact same hair stick. They're metal and sold on etsy with some whimsical celtic knot designs and some other fantasy inspired options.
Oh my god i didn't even notice that! But yes it seems very bernadette
As long as she can face her rival and, in the words of Skallagrim, "End him rightly" with it.
Speaking of "enemies", "Just Stab Me Now" is a book you may enjoy.
It's so funny that you mention putting your pins in the lining of your sewing kit- I have an antique sewing kit with beautiful silk lining on the inside of the lid...and tons of old pins and needles shoved in there. I tried to take them out but some are rusted in place on the wrong side of the lining. People never change!
This that razor blades in the wall type of thing but small 😅
You can use a scrap of felt to keep needles together.
@@adriandatura Me too! But I sewed a thin strip of felt as a loop on the cover, rather like Moleskin journals have an elastic band, to hold it closed.
I use a strip of nylon belt.
Most people don't know how to use a seam ripper. If you put the red bobble part into the seam and push, it rips the seam and not the fabric. Most people do it the other way and that's why it rips fabric.
My great grandmother gave me a sewing kit as a kid, and she used squishy foam, a bottlecap, a hairtie, and some 2 or so inch cloth to create a ring pin holder! Still my favorite to use! It looked like a little muffin 🧁📍
I think wax is super essential so you don't have to lick the thread to poke it through a needle, way easier waxing the end, and more acceptable on the tube
Yep, that's one of my go-to tricks when thread is being difficult.
I honestly would never have crossed my mind that someone on the tube would care about me putting thread in my mouth to get it through the needle!
@@emmao6578 it's more about my own judgement, I still wear a mask on the tube because otherwise my snot is black, and I generally don't like spit covered things on public transport, especially when it takes less time and is easier to use a bit of wax.
Bernadette banner takes priority over food and water come Armageddon.
@spiritsafe-ko4ee😂😂😂
After food and water, the next priority is likely to be to clothe yourself..
Back in her NY apartment during shutdown she answered the question “what # things would you grab if you had minutes notice to flee the zombie apocalypse?” I’m pretty sure she immediately answered sewing kit and then dithered on the other items. Lol
It makes totally sense since she is a sewist….furthermore, should an apocalypse come anyone with some useful skills can survive with that. With a sewing kit you can clothe yourself but also do clothes for others on exchange for something you might need.
Lol my friends have said they are coming for me because of my sewing skills for the apocalypse
greetings, fellow bernadette enjoyers! i'm a twenty-first century kid who's been sewing as a hobby since i was very, very little. here are some tips and general advice i've learned as a young, poor person living in the united states:
- investing in those cheap little sewing kits sold at michael's and various other craft stores is a great way to get some essentials that work in a pinch. the scissors might be a tad wimpy, but like i said they work in a pinch and on a tight budget!
- having something recycled to keep your kit, any extras you may buy on the side (better scissors, more thread colors or types, etc.), and even smaller pieces of fabric you can use in is a GODSEND. i use one of those iconic cookie tins and it keeps my supplies organized in a small enough container to store.
- using old clothing for mending or reinforcing patches, pockets, etc. is a great way to recycle! it's easy on the wallet and the environment
- your sewing does not always need to be pretty! rough edges, slightly uneven seams, and wonky stitches are ok, especially if you're just starting to learn! when you need to mend something, function comes before fashion! as long as your stitches are holding tight and doing their jobs, it's ok for things to be a little ugly
- be kind to yourself. sewing takes practice and if you're simply doing it as a hobby, it doesn't need to be perfectly functional or fashionable every time. i've been sewing since i was like six years old, i'm almost 18 now and still can't make a pretty seam for the life of me. learning any skill takes time and you will improve! sewing is an absolutely amazing skill to have and as i mentioned previously, it doesn't always need to be pretty. as long as you can put two pieces of fabric together with a needle and thread, you're doing great! believe in yourself
- work with what you've got. invest in good supplies when you can and/or need to, but remember that being crafty is always a good option. if you've got a pair of scissors that can cut fabric, even if your cuts turn out jagged, then you're set until you can afford to invest in a good pair of shears. never feel obligated to spending when you already have something that can do the job passably
love to read a person's wisdom (from real experience) says: it is okay that it is not perfect ! I NEED THAT !
Regarding seam rippers:
With a little bit of practice, it makes the process of reducing finished garments to their base panels much faster and smoother. And as we all know, efficiency is paramount when working with scavenged/recycled materials. Especially in an emergency situation (like an apocalypse, for example.)
I enjoy very much the "apocalypse packing list" type of videos, not because I anticipate the end of the world but because they usually prioritize durable portable manual equipment; the sort of essentials any beginner on a budget could afford.
I am saving this to send to the people that harass me about sewing them things. That is my go to response for people that won't take a polite no. "I can't, but I can teach you" Often get the response that they don't have a sewing machine. Now I have a vid to send them.
They can also buy a used black singer
Why does this singer have to be black? And how does music help?
Ugh it's indeed rather annoying when people ask you to sew you something, saying they can pay you, when they have no idea how much it would cost if you would charge them properly. Like, here are your simple trousers, that's 900€ please. ✨✨✨✨ People are so used to fashion being cheap, sorry for this random rant haha, but it annoys me xD I also always turn their question in a 'I can teach you' but the look on their faces is like, oh :/
Plus sewing for other people is taking time away from something that's essentially just a self care thing
To add to this I hate it when distant acquaintances ask if you can hem their pants for free without hanging out or anything 😳 I'm not a tailor, just go pay the tailor $13. I also feel so awkward when you wear something out and someone compliments you ask asks if you can make them one or make them something custom, it's so awkward to be like "hypothetically but it's so complicated, I'm such a novice and my time is so expensive that I don't think YOU would want to go through with it" 😅
I've been sewing for 2 years and still have my skirt, fully hand sewn, because if Bernadette can make an entire gown, I can make a circle skirt. Thank you for being an inspiration throughout my sewing journey
I bought a leather thimble with a circular piece of metal on the pad of the finger. CHANGED MY LIFE! Obvie won't be necessary for everyone, but was super helpful for taking in my store bought jeans and suck. Not its the only thing I use.
I nominate you for 'cutest and most appropriate typo in the stream. 'store bought jeans and suck' is everything!
@roxiepoe9586 I didn't notice this until reading this reply🤦🏻♀️. But I can't edit it now. I've been nominated!
You are awesome! Never forget to put a couple of crochet hooks in your kit. I am an old man now and am for ever grateful to my great uncle who taught me to repair my mittens and gloves when I was a small child.❤ It saved me from frost bite many times. Thanks for reminding me. Much ❤
I really appreciate your perspective on what to include in a sewing kit. You've given me some ideas on some new things to include in mine. I've pieced together my own sewing kit over the years. I use nylon upholstery thread for most of my sewing. I keep a lighter in my kit to seal the ends of the thread. I like keeping a small retractable tape measure in mine, as I don't have to worry about it unwinding and making a mess inside. I use a small upcycled plastic protein powder container that has a screw on lid. It's strong enough that I don't have to worry about needles poking through, and the lid will stay on it get knocked off a table to thrown around in a vehicle. When I do tough stitching like going through a couple layers of nylon webbing, I like to use surgical forceps for pushing / pulling the needle through. I also like to keep flashlight handy for when I'm sewing black colored material.
A good source of leather can be obtained by salvaging them from discarded leather furniture. Over the years I've ended up with more leather than I know what to do with. I've made a number of bags and pouches from it. Depending on the origin of the furniture, it can worth salvaging the frame too. Many couches and arm chairs are made in foreign countries using what we consider exotic hardwoods. I've also collect some nice pieces of mahogany that gets used for things like carving spoons and other decorative woodwork. When you rip a couch apart, you often find a few dollars in coin change too...
What serendipity, my sewing machine is in storage and I need a dress for a traditional occasion so my 1st hand sewn dress is under way! 🎉 wish me luck.
You’ve got this! Good luck
Good luck and have fun!
I made my own dress to attend a wedding last year, hand sewn, with zero experience, and it turned out really nice! Some problems but none that anyone could really see. You can definitely do this, good luck!!! You're gonna look fabulous!!
Good luck. I have faith it will turn out ok.
Woo! Good luck 🫡
I also can't use metal thimbles, I just can't get them to work, so I worked thimble-less for many years. And then I was sewing mysself a shirt and the eye end of the needle literally stabbed a hole in my finger. There was blood. I expect that from the pointy end but not the eye end. And it was that day that I (painfully) made my first leather thimble, following the instructions you made many years ago. Do'nt go thimble-less, you will end up betrayed by those you least expect
12:11 Morgan Donner says that you should use the bit of the Seam Ripper with the red bit in the fabric.
If you spend as much time as Bernadette and I, you don’t need to worry about that most of the time!
I really appreciate the list that you gave for an essential sewing kit. I agree with you in every regard except one. This may be because I’m an avid crochet lady, but I find that a very small number six or seven crochet hook is quite valuable in grabbing thread. You mentioned small knots, and it’s great when it’s precarious to get your finger where the thread is. It also works to run under the foot of your sewing machine when you’re trying to get out the bobbin thread, to push things under the foot when there’s no space at all for a finger, it just goes on and on. I’m aware that there are other tools that people use for these jobs, but my small crochet hook just seems to be my favorite. Plus, if it’s an apocalypse, you might have to crochet lol.
I absolutely loved what you said about the things people have given you over the years. I think practical gifts are underrated, those tools that carry you through daily tasks are a reminder of people who have loved and supported you. Thank you for reminding us of that!
The end with Bernadette reminiscing about all the people who gave her these items was so touching.
In a pinch you can use multi filament wire, wrapping wire, the wires from wire ties (remove the plastic on the ties from sandwich bread)
Fold it in half, insert, pass the thread through, and pull.
That's basically all you need for sewing. For harder materials, you can use a nail to push the wire through
That concept takes me back to the pessimistic days of the early 2010s, when apocalypse seemed to be right around the corner. Little did we know it would actually happen in this weird slow moving way
You mean, after Hurricanes repeatedly destroyed American cities? Or Wall St melted down the whole economy? Those were apocalyptic. It came. Don’t use science fiction as the definition of disaster, millions of deeply traumatized, newly homeless people are a better yardstick.
Nothing worse than an apocalypse where you still have to work every day and where everybody else is still alive and fighting your for scarce resources.
@@johannageisel5390 especially the working part. At least the allure of a zombie apocalypse was that you didn't have to show up to work the next day
I imagine a real apocalypse would be more like living under a cartel than a zombie movie. People with skills will become slaves, not scruffy backwoods entreprenuers. People with guns will either have them taken away by whatever group becomes dominant or be forced to join them in bringing lone wolves under the gang's control.
@@pendlera2959 You realize this is the Negan subplot in the walking dead, right?
Bernadette, you are such an inspiring person. I was dreaming about sewing my own garments for a lot of years but I couldn't own a machine to do that. After watching your videos I created one with my hands only. Thank you so much!
The whole bag is so cool. As a guy that packs a lot of stuff in his bag I had to make sure the sewing kit I've always got on me was compact. Mine's basically just the shell of a green transparent ballpoint pen that I filled with different kinds of needles and have a small plastic tube with black, white and red thread spun up on it attached to the pen's cover clip part. Innovation ✨✨✨
My suggestion is to pop on over to your nearest IKEA and grab the paper measuring tapes they have available there! They don’t stretch, are decently durable, and are easy to cut to a smaller size or tape together for a longer size. I highly recommend them, and they fold down much smaller than the plastic tape measures!
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one whose sewing kit is sporting Ikea measuring tape(s)!
My best friend's parents took a leather course and made me a little wallet/book thing - decorated leather cover, with fabric 'pages' inside for keeping pins, needles, etc. Now goes with me everywhere.
Magnets are my happy place for pins and needles, especially when finished with a project and looking for overlooked pins or needles, on the floor, table, in the garment. (my Mom is notorious for leaving pins in garments she has sown, magnet has saved sneaky impaling incidents from occurring, etc. ) I know, a bit anachronistic, but there are some luxuries I prefer to live with. :)
I dont sew, nor have i seen much in my life, nor did i plan to, but i thoroughly loved watching this video and your energy.
Slightly in awe of Bernadette keeping track of her measuring tape for that long. I have at least five floating around, and often can't find any of them.
Well, my main take away from this video is that I want a sewing kit full of people who believe in me. That sounds pretty damned essential.
The irony for me being the amount of people who have believed in me could fit in a thimble, or on the head of a pin! 😅
@@Emiliapocalypse Well, I believe in you, and I definitely would not fit in a thimble! So there you go! ❤
@@Emiliapocalypse That it matters to you means to me that you'd be interesting and worth believing in. I think that, in life, we rarely find those who would truly appreciate us - it's no one's fault; it just seems that most people don't, maybe can't, care about others profoundly enough to be able to believe in them. Believe in yourself, of course, and know that there are many who would surely believe in you if you only found each other.
@@Ticket2theMoon Yours is such a lovely comment! It's wonderful and so very important to support and care about others. Would that we all were as kind as this shows you are.
I did a massive spit take when you were talking about tailor scissors and that Inigo Montoya meme appeared. As a child, I remember my mother referring to her "good scissors" and those were NOT the ones used for sewing, they were for general purpose (the sewing shears were in the large Danish Butter Cookie tin that she used as her sewing box). Mom definitely had different scissors for different purposes. As for thimbles, I prefer leather ones since they fit better and don't get in the way of my holding a needle. I bought mine and they have a small metal insert at the pad of the finger so that you push a needle using the metal insert and not risk having the needle go through the leather. Great video !!
Your little deerstalker hat pincushion is adorable! Love the little nod to Sherlock Holmes :D
Edit: Another thing I've found invaluable (as a featherhead who frequently puts down needles/pins and forgets to pick them up) is a little magnet. Great for finding dropped pins before your hands/feet do.
I use the rectangular cases automatic pencil leads come in and adhesive strip magnets stick really well to them.
I picked up an extendable handle magnet at a hardware store to run it along the floor and carpet. It beats having to get down on my knees and risk pricking my hands.
@@nightfall3605 Yes! I found a wee little magnetic tray in the hardware shop - for holding loose nuts and bolts. It's great for making sure the pins and needles don't abscond on you :)
I believe they have magnetic wrist cuffs too, but haven't tried them yet.
@@RuailleBuaille I have a magnetic wrist cuff. One of those snap round your wrist plastic straps. It's very useful but I don't find it comfortable to wear for any length of time. I will continue to use it as my daughter gave it to me, but in the event that it needs replacing I'd go for one with an elasticated strap which could be altered to fit.
Brilliant!
We’re currently on day 5 with no power due to Helene. I actually ended up working on my sewing projects to burn time. I remembered this video and it’s funny how handy it is now lol.
i have modified a 100+ year old singer sewing machine
with a heavy handwheel so you do not need electricity nor
a whole table with the foot mechanism to drive it .
its fairly compact but pretty heavy i would say perfect for a sailboat , car or at home .
while you can sew manually with a needle you do not even come close
to my setup it is super easy and incredibly fast and efficient
This is really close to what I started out with when I first started sewing! Amazing apocalypse and beginner kit!
OMG, THIS IS MY JAM!!! I’ve been so annoyed that the post-apocalyptic genre has not at all addressed garment making: The Walking Dead, Fallout, Battlestar Galactica-after awhile garment repair and production will be very important. I was beyond annoyed that TWD can spend an entire episode on a side quest to find a light bulb for a film projector, but they can’t spare one discussion of a garment maker and repair. Can’t have the person who when scouting for supplies comes back with needles, thimbles, some thread, perhaps even parts and needles for a non-electric machine (of which there are still millions around the world, many of them in daily use).
With TWD, I imagine there was a large amount of useable garment leftover with the sudden zombification of 99.9% of the population.
textile crafts are badly under-appreciated, even in this current mini-revival of dying crafts. sadly, i think it's because there's this warped contemporary perception that men didn't make clothes in yesteryear. it's really noticable looking at say, carpentry vs loom weaving. I constantly have to explain that yes, men knit. everyone had to knit if they wanted socks back in the day.
@@kovona Fast fashion and cheap Walmart garments aren't made to last more than a year, so it might not be worth the risk. The cities with the most clothing stores will also have the most zombies. Sewing within the safety of your settlement can be a more productive use of time and effort.
@sammiller6631 Or just grab some clothes from an abandoned house? Like, even a rural town of formerly 100 people will probably have enough clothes to last one person a lifetime.
@@kovona How do you know if a house has been abandoned? The clothes in a small town may not have anything that will fit you, so you still need to garment makers around to re-size it for you.
I´m terrible at sewing but being a rather frugal person i have taught myself to replace buttons and doing basic repairs on clothes and the cheapest way to get a basic set of quality sewing tools and thread is to buy a surplus military sewing kit. The kit i own is from the West German army, der Bundeswehr and consists of different types of dark green rolls of threads, a high quality pairs of scissors, a thimble, needles in different sizes and a bag of buttons. i think i only payed around 5-6€ for the kit. I have since expanded the kit with some more civilian friendly colours of thread and some other sizes of needles.
I always advocate learning to sew buttons. Just that skill alone makes a difference in keeping clothes out of the trash, and people don't realize that you can get quite creative with them.
Clicked on the video for the title, stayed for the quality content.
(Plus commenting to tell the algorithm that this is interesting).
Btw, sewing a bit of the excess on that tomatoe elastic band could save you from throwing it out!
I love to sew, but on account of being punk or whatever, it’s mostly just patches onto things. My regular toolkit is waxed dental floss, whatever needle I have on hand, scissors, and a lighter. Dental floss is a really durable thread, and if you’re like me and don’t trust your knots, you can melt the ends if it’s waxed, and they won’t go anywhere. Normal floss won’t melt, it’ll just burn and be gross.
I use makeup bags as sewing kits. Well, I have 3 different ones floating around: 1 full sewing, 1 full for knitting and 1 embroidery.
An archery glove can be really useful as a handful of leather thimbles. At least until you figure out exactly how you push the thimble through.
Or those amenity kit bags you get from the airlines
I have a single leather work glove. I think you just inspired me because I hate thimbles but have needed one from time to time. My finger is shaped oddly from pencil-clenching for decades, so they never fit. Until this video, I did not know the brass ones were shapable.
@@jjez61I read this as "pencil cleaning" and was about to ask you what kind of job is that 😅 I guess I have to go to sleep
I've used my embroidery scissors for anything from cutting thread, trimming my fringe, cutting the elastic fabric for my elastic ankle brace, to opening a packet of chips in a pinch. Most useful item ever!
This will now be help for researching my apocalypse story 👀
0:10 "or something" = Broke
I cannot recall how many times my grandmother used to scold me for refusing to use a thimble xD
I happy to know there are other material, because I can surely recognize I could sew better with a thimble, but the metal one has always been a nightmare for me to use.
If you need leather for a leather thimble - google "upholstery clippings free [your location]". I just recieved 5 pieces of quality top grain leather - that I could make 10 thimbles from - for free via express post. Just made my first thimble and it's working great! My tips would be to look for aniline or semi-aniline, top grain leather if possible - avoid corrected grain and pigmented leather as it can be too thick and hard to sew.
Do i sew? No
Do i have any intention of sewing? Also no
Do i still watch almost all of bernadettes videos? Yes
The needle cushion is now added to the list of my favorite sewing notions I have ever seen. It’s just sew darn cute!
During the Depression, my grandmother and her sisters would buy pincushions second hand and take them apart to get the needles and pins lost inside.
What a great idea! Times were so hard...
That is BRILLIANT
Sneeky. I like it 😊
Somebody said they found like $300 inside their!
I 'm a sewer, but don't do a lot of handsewing -- not more than absolutely necessary (i.e., hemming, buttonholes, sewing on buttons). I think it's because I'm a knitter, and in knitting *everything* is done by hand, so I get my fill of handiwork that way. But here's what's in the little sewing/knitting tackle bag I keep in my workbasket: a needlecase containing an assortment of needles, a box of straight pins, safety pins, stitch markers, a thimble, a stitch ripper, a very small skein of scrap yarn pieces, and a little plastic bag of buttons I have bought specifically for upcoming projects. The bag itself is a Japanese-style bento bag that a friend gave me, and that works really well for this purpose because when I untie it I have such a clear view of, and ready access to, everything in it. Also in the workbasket are a pair of scissors, a measuring tape, and the darning egg my father made for me. The tools I keep by my sewing machine are less well-edited and less compact, but there's a tin box of odds and ends that I probably ought to clean out, a box of sewing bobbins, a pincushion, two pairs of scissors (one for fabric, one for everything else), a stitch ripper and a pair of tweezers. It amused me to see that Bernadette also keeps a pair of tweezers handy. I found myself going to the bathroom to fetch my tweezers to pull threads so often that I eventually just decided to keep an old pair of tweezers by my sewing machine.
I highly recommend Bernadettes video on ironing, it changed and professionalised my garments so so much. Never knew wood was such a key part of pressing.
Comment about why you absolutely need pliers!:
I did embroidery work on difficult fabric when i was inexperienced nor owned thimbles, and now i have permanent nerve damage at the tip of my finger, and can no longer use it for most things that require pressing stuff, and on bad days i cant pick up a spoon correctly either.
Entirely avoidable had i gotten some pliers out.
Not essential for Bernadette, but the less skilled among us would appreciate some needle threaders. They're just loops of thin wire with a handle, bent so they can be easily pushed through the eye of a needle. You then put your thread through the wire loop, then pull the whole thing back. Takes all the difficulty out of threading needles.
i love these little subtitles on the screen whenever something is happening 0:44
Leather thimbles changed my life 😁 I like to keep my nails long and metal ones just never worked for me. Plus, it slides all over the place when I'm trying to push the needle through, just never got the hang of it. Was in my thirties before I learned leather ones even existed. Comfy, grippy, perfect.
This video came out at just the right time, as I started a new little hand sewing project and this was great to kick off the motivation 😁
This got randomly put in my feed and I love it. I mostly sew to repair outdoors equipment and farm equipment, and I learned to sew before I could ride a bike. Everything you recommend is so true.
Sewing and making clothing in most communities would be a necessary skill for sure!
I've found, often self-inflicted by accident, that embroidery scissors can also double as actual weapons due to how sharp and pointy they are, so bonus points in an apocalypse if you run out of knives and find yourself in a craftstore with a zombie lol
I use seam ripper a lot in my recycling projects, to salvage zippers and other small but very well sewn to pieces of garments that can be repurposed, but also to take all seams apart to have a fabric pattern I can then use to make dublicates with different fabric.
For example my very thoroughly loved backpack of many years got several holes and weakened spots at places that get chafed, but the zippers were fine so now I'm making a new backpack from it from used jeans (cant sell them bc the saddle areas are worn-through and eventually all patching started to show too much, but the leg parts got a lot of nice strong fabric), and the project's looking great so far!
Anyway, since we're talking about an apocalypse fresh unused fabric would eventually become unavailable, so seam ripper's are valuable in harvesting usable fabric 😊
The red ball on the end of the seam ripper is the part that goes under the threads. That way you don't pierce the fabric.
that makes so much sense now 😂
11:00 as long as you always use the same tape measure it's all good!
One thing I never needed when I was young, but is a necessity now - a *good* needle threader.
The cheap wire "lady threaders" will do ... I have a threader that's a thin strip of metal with a hook in one end. The handle is a bird (plastic, alas) and has a blade embedded in it for cutting thread. There's a cover over the metal strip, together they form the bird's beak.
The metal strip is very delicate ... even so, it does not fit in my #10 betweens, but it fits in most other needles. It's also not good for heavy thread or yarn, but I don't need help threading large eye needles.
9:50 The other good and readily accessible option is to use a spare piece of cloth to store your pins. A really good first sewing project is to sew two rectangles of cloth right sides together nearly all the way around, turn them inside out, and close the gap with some whipstitches to make a lovely little pin storage unit. 😊
0:01 Bernadette takes no prisoners! 😂
Bernadette, I have scissors that my mother gave that dates back to 1800's and I decided to have them sharpened. They work great! I have different scissors for different things. Thank you for helping me on updating my sewing bag. Happy Sewing 🪡
Cutting aluminum sharpens, maybe
If you are setting up a 'survival' type of kit, I'd add a couple of sturdy curved needles. They have a number of uses; upholstery, leather-work (repairing shoes, for example), and doing sutures in skin, for example (they need to be kept extremely sharp -- may need to be sharpened after each stitch -- if you are using them for sutures in skin. I've done that to one of my goats, and it was harder than I expected to get the needle through the thin goat skin.).
I would also add moisture absorbers to containers full of needles and pins, unless you are in a dry climate. Almost all of my needles and pins have rusted badly since we moved from Oregon's high desert to humid Kentucky.
Another addition would be some way to sharpen needles, scissors, and so on. Very fine sandpaper, a whetstone, etc.
Me, who has been hand stitching quilts for years: ah, Mistress Bernadette is going to teach me how to hand sew? Yes please!
Get her book! I love mine. Even the paper is better than ordinary paper. The images are lovely and the directions are actually understandable.
And I, the same as you but history bounding garments, say: maybe she has a clever trick I have not heard of yet.
17:07 The deerstalker needle cushion brings me no end of mirth and joy
magnifier ! my eyes get exhausted an hour into any project but a magnifier helps me stretch 15 more minutes of function in a pinch
You look like a lovely secondary character in a videogame that tailors your in-game clothing and gives you side quests and you do them bc you love this cozy character so much