The items making up the sewing machine clothing repair kit also include the contents of the basic and advanced clothing repair kits.
Our $20 sewing machine which Linda picked up at a trash and treasure market, initially it would not sew backwards but I was able to fix it easily.
The Machine Itself
Obviously one of the basic requirements for a sewing machine clothes repair kit is a sewing machine! (Funny about that). The sewing machine does not need to be a super-beaut, top of the line techno-sewer, but should have several basic features that will make clothing repair easier. These include –
- Straight stitch - Pretty basic and any machine you buy should have it. It is used to repair seams and carry out basic sewing including adding pockets and attaching lace. In general terms, shorten the stitch for lightweight fabrics and lengthen the stitch for heavier fabrics.
- Zig zag stitch – This will increase your options, it is also great for seams, hems, to finish edges ,can be used with stretch fabric, to reinforce fabric, apply elastic and can be used to easily repair holes in your clothing by fixing patches.
- Overlock stitch – You might be lucky enough to have a machine with overlock stitch, which can overcast the cut edge of fabric, preventing it from unravelling
Any other more fancy stitches that come with the machine will be a bonus
• Free Arm – The section immediately beneath where you place your fabric for sewing is opened up. This section often holds your extra bobbins, oil bottle, needle ‘feet’ varieties, extra tools e.g. mini screwdrivers, and can be removed by sliding out. The ensuing ‘free arm’ allows, allowing tubular fabric clothing parts like pants legs or sleeve cuffs to be slid over it, making repairs easier.
• Bobbins – if the sewing machine is new it should come complete with appropriate bobbins but if second hand it may or may not. These can be easily bought from sewing supply shops. To save time when mending, wind several bobbins each of the five standard mending colours beforehand: black (or dark brown or blue), white, red, a medium grey or tan shade and some transparent monofilament thread.
• Feed Cover Plate – When machine darning, depending on the setup of your machine, you may need a feed cover plate which covers the feed dogs. Alternatively check your machine to see if there is a built-in adjustment to lower the feed dogs and if so a feed cover plate is not needed.
Sewing Machine Needles
As with hand sewing needles, a variety of needles will allow more versatility when repairing fabric and clothing, so it is worth having a few of each type available. It is also recommended that the needles be changed regularly because a dull or burred needle can damage the fabric, however sewing needles (Not ball point) can be easily sharpened with a bit of effort.
Good to have
• Ball point needle - This will work with knit fabrics and polyester/cotton blend threads.
• Sharps needle - For quilting or especially thick materials you need a sharps needle, designed for extra strength and puncture power.
• Stretch needle - For tricky stretchy materials which tend to bunch and gather, a stretch needle is your friend.
Optional
• Quilting needle - Like the sharps needle, this is for quilting where there are lots of layers of wadding, but it’s a shorter length. This gives a more even stitch at faster speeds
• Leather needle - Designed to go through tough leather or suede.
Needle Sizing
Needle sizes are generally expressed as two figures which may be separated by a slash. One figure will be between 8 & 19 and is American sizing, the other figure will be between 60 & 120 and is European sizing in either case the larger the number, the thicker the needle. Three sizes that are good to keep on hand include lightweight needles size such as 11/70 (sheer woven fabric), a medium weight needle such as 14/80 (T-shirt material) and heavyweight needles such as 16/90 (denim and corduroy).
Presser Feet
Presser feet are attachments to your sewing machine which hold the material flat as it is fed through the machine and the fabric is stitched. There are a myriad of presser feet (foots?) that do specific jobs like sewing in zippers, buttons or machine darning. They are specific to the type of machine you have. Some presser feet to consider adding to your kit include –
Straight Stitch Presser Foot – This is the basic presser foot and should be supplied with every sewing machine, it is used for sewing in straight lines when sewing regular seams.
Zig Zag Foot – Another basic foot, it is usable with all needle and fabric types. In addition to sewing straight and zig zag seams, it can also be used for decorative sewing including gathers. If the machine is fitted with stretch stitch, it can also be used for stretch patching for worn out knees and elbows.
Darning & embroidery foot - this is a highly versatile accessory in the clothing repairer’s toolkit. It is used to repair tears and holes in clothing. When in use to allows stitches to move in any direction and the feed dogs will need to be covered or lowered. The darning and embroidery foot allows thread painting, free motion quilting and sewing in a monogram.
Zipper Foot – this is generally used when replacing a defective zipper to sew the new zipper in place. It is narrower and makes it easier to sew close to the 'zip' part of the new zipper. It can also be used for decorative sewing such as inserting piping or cording.
Blindstitch hem foot – This foot is used for stitching blind hems (who knew?). That is to say, it is used for repairing hems on pants and skirts such that the hem is not visible from the right side of the fabric.
Button foot – As one would expect, the button foot is used to replace buttons but can also be used to attach decorative buttons, hooks and eyes, sewing on ribbons and trim, and attaching finished bows.
Overcasting foot - this foot is used to prevent edges unravelling when used with an overlock or zig zag stitch.
All the above presser feet may not necessarily be available for all machines. They will vary from machine to machine and so will not be interchangeable from one machine to another.
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