Some of my trekking gear, part 1 - Sewing kits

Here are photos of my 18th century sewing kit, or housewife a/k/a "hussif".  Soldiers carried these to repair their own clothing when it was inevitably damaged in the field.

It's made from scrap linen cloth and some red cotton bias-cut "tape", sewn with linen thread by hand.  Stitches are not my best.

Housewife - closed

Housewife - open

Inside there is a patch of wool cloth to hold the needles, several bobbins of linen thread (waxed and plain), needles, pins, small hunk of beeswax, and a thimble.

The checked section has loose wool stuffed in it to serve as a pincushion.

I have a pair of small scissors that can be wrapped up in it now - I didn't when these were taken.



From a historical perspective, the housewife was used at least up until the second world war, with an issue 'sewing kit' being issued to British GIs.  A quick Google search will turn up tons of examples from the 17th century through relatively modern times.