Christmas present for a 15yo sewer

[Flamingoose]

If you were putting together a nice sewing box to get someone started, what would you put in?
A pincushion and some glass-head pins?
Some needles and a magnetic needle nest?
Some nice little embroidery scissors?

I don't want to get her everything. Just make a start.

Wow I read that subject line wrong.

Really really really good scissors, a rotary cutter & mat, cutting weights, nice long pins, edge clips, & marking pencils would be on my wish list.

If she’s a total beginner I would get her a couple of nice kits, like an embroidered felt tree decoration , or a small soft toy to sew and stuff or maybe a cross stitch kit. Also a nice box or basket to keep all her bits together. This way she’ll explore different kinds of sewing and progress from there. Look on the kits to see what is included. She will probably need some pins, a pin cushion and some nice sharp small scissors. A thimble for hand sewing is nice too.

@JingleCatJingle

Wow I read that subject line wrong.

Hahahaha, me too!

@JingleCatJingle

Wow I read that subject line wrong.

Me too! 🤦‍♀️

Hahahaaa Oh whoops. Bad title. Sewist? Needlework enthusiast?!

Thank you MenaiMna. Good ideas.

I've found a lovely box. She's not a beginner, just doesn't have any of her own things yet.

I also misread, wondered what the hell the typo could be or if you just couldn't stand them!

'Thread Magic', it's a clear silicone wax that you run the thread over and it stops tangling when you are hand-sewing, wonderful stuff and doesn't smear or stain like beeswax can. Needles from John James Here they sell sets in little 'pebbles which help heep them safe too, and they also sell glass headed pins. A thread ripper and a set of snips. Brass ended fabric tape measure are all must haves for me. Fiskars dressmakers' scissors if you are flush!

Also misread the title. I was going to suggest a rat 🐀

More helpfully, hobbycraft is always reliable if there’s a new craft tv station which I think has a website - a friend recently got some nice creative bits from there

A rat!

@LilyRed
Oh! That John James site is a total joy!
I need (geddit?) a needle pebble and a new stitch ripper and “Oh Father Christmas if you love me at all, please bring me” a new tape measure.

Harpic?

www.thesewingdirectory.co.uk/gift-ideas-for-people-who-sew/

Thank you for that link!

Tape measure
Meter ruler
Snips
Tissue paper for patterns
Soft pencil for tracing
Coloured chalk pencil for marking fabric

I really like the quilt clips too

What type of sewing does she do? If it's dressmaking then a good pair of scissors is a must.

If she is more into cross stich or embroidery I would suggest some silks and aida. Oh and at least one hoop frame.

I have a lovely book that is of samplers and how to reproduce them.

A friction pen like a pilot frixion. Draw round pattern pieces and it disappears when you iron it.

A dritz ez hem. Really useful. Dritz Ezy-Hem Gauge-5 x 9, Nickel with Black Printing, 1 Pack www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00114RI9U/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_EAG5G0DK7ZVF7BRJZ0KZ?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Forgot to say, I use little plastic clips instead of pins, I prefer them. They come in pretty colours and would look nice in a present sewing box.

If you think she would like a couple of cute craft kits to get going with, The Make Arcade is a small business selling awesome, bright craft kits www.themakearcade.co.uk
You get a varying discount code every month if you sign up to the newsletter at the bottom of the home page

@LilyRed

'Thread Magic', it's a clear silicone wax that you run the thread over and it stops tangling when you are hand-sewing, wonderful stuff and doesn't smear or stain like beeswax can. Needles from John James Here they sell sets in little 'pebbles which help heep them safe too, and they also sell glass headed pins. A thread ripper and a set of snips. Brass ended fabric tape measure are all must haves for me. Fiskars dressmakers' scissors if you are flush!

I’m pretty much going to just cut and paste your post and send to family when they ask me what I’d like for Christmas!

What does she sew? I mainly sew for practical reasons; stuff around the house and a DD who has become used to having her clothes tailored to fit! If these are the sort of things she’s likely to sew, I second the decent thread ripper and would add a box of safety pins (I find safety pins better than regular pins for anything other than flat fabrics or straight seams, as they don’t fall out or snag on the rest of the fabric if you’re pulling it around a bit)

No advice but as a non crafter who also spectacularly missed the point on the thread title, thank you for the pre 7am laugh!!

I agree with @MakingTheBestOfIt about safety pins but the good safety pins are a nightmare to find

Cheap bendy ones are everwhere

‘Seamstress’ may be the word you’re searching for, OP?

Unless she’s an Embroiderer? They have a guild! embroiderersguild.com/

To @Trumpton and @MakingTheBestOfIt I am so happy to help, I discovered some of these when I was beading many years ago thanks to other beaders and the rest I couldn't be without (except DP keeps taking the contents of my sewing box to mysterious and never-to-be-found-again places to fix guitars, grrr - at least my scissors are all securely hidden!)

I got my last lot of safety pins from John Lewis. I think they’re the prym ones on their website. I know what you mean @KatyMac about the bendy ones. Amazon/Wilko/etc are not your friend!