It’s happened far too often. I have time to stitch away from home and I find I am missing a needle. Or my only needle breaks. Or I find I don’t have my chart. One time, I had my chart, floss, needle, scissors, and reading glasses. What I didn’t have was my fabric.
Last weekend I drove about a half hour from home to stitch with friends and realized I didn’t have my readers. Had I been any closer, I would have gone back to get them. Fortunately for me, someone in the group had an extra pair. We all have stories to share about that time we didn’t get to stitch because something was missing.
I remembered I had an extra first aid kit that was no longer needed. Hmmm. I decided to make a first aid kit for cross stitch.
A first aid zippered container that was no longer in use is perfect. Turn it just right and the band-aids look like a cross stitch! Cute, yes?
The best part of this project will be in its preventive value. Now that I will have one of everything in a nice, neat case in my car, I will probably never need it. That’s just the way it goes. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, right?
Using a case intended for an actual first aid kit is not essential. Any container that will stay closed and fit easily in the glove box or console will do. My choice says more about my sense of humor than anything else.
It was easy to decide what to put in it … one each of every item I didn’t have when I needed it at some time in the past.
Needles of various sizes
Floss
Pearl cotton
Flower thread
Fabric in various counts
Highlighter
Sponge in a water tight container
Post-it notes and a pencil for just in case
A simple chart
Small scissors (not necessarily “good” ones … they are for emergency use after all)
Deciding what to include was easy … everything I had ever forgotten at some time in the last 40 years!
The pearl cotton is included so I can practice pulled thread stitches. The flower thread is for those times I am stranded with a non-stitcher who wants to learn. (I find it’s easiest to teach when the learner doesn’t have to deal with multiple strands.) The dry sponge, ready to be dampened, in the re-purposed film canister is my go-to stitching aid to prevent tangles and knots.
Ready for the next cross stitch emergency!
I added a couple of small pieces of linen from my stash, an easy single-color snowflake chart, and over-dyed floss for said snowflake for that time I may forget everything. You can get that freebie snowflake chart in my easy ornament post.
And, of course, a cheap pair of readers.
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