I have been inspired recently by 18th & 19th century hussifs (sometimes called housewife) and I wanted to make one for myself. You might be thinking, what is a hussif?! A hussif (or housewife) is a sewing kit originally carried by soldiers in the 18th & 19th century as part of their kit. It held needles, thread, and scraps of fabric for mending their clothing and could be quite simple or elaborate. Learn more about how I find inspiration and the book that started it all.
Plan Your Hussif Sewing Kit
One of the best things about designing your own projects is the ability to make it exactly the way you want with the features that are most important to you. I am a notorious rebel when it comes to sewing and knitting patterns–I like to change it up and do my own thing. Though my inspiration came from 18th & 19th century hussif/housewife sewing kits, I wanted to put my own spin on the project.
With a little help from the hubs who is a former engineer (his drawings here are much more clear than my original scribbles), I was able to figure out how to plan for exactly what I wanted. Here’s where I started:
Make a list and measure the tools and supplies that will go in the kit.
Plan and draw out the overall size & shape.
Fine tune the details of pocket size, placement and type.
Think through finishing details such as closures, bindings, etc. since these may affect construction methods and order.
I knew I wanted a clean shape with no weird bulging which required some careful thought since I wanted to fit full size thread spools. We came up with a gusseted pocket that could accommodate thicker items without changing the outer shape. Since I planned to hand sew the entire project and not take a million years to finish, I decided to keep the design fairly simple and easy to construct.
Mock Ups Save Time
Take the time to make a mock up. I know, I know–it’s a pain and if you’re like me, you are probably so anxious to get started that you often don’t bother.
But I promise it’s worth the effort, especially if you are drafting and designing your own pattern or if you have limited or expensive fabric. Working out all the design and construction kinks and making any changes to the pattern before cutting can prevent all sorts of headaches and sewing frustrations.
Outside closed dimensions of my hussif sewing kit are 5″ wide by 3 1/2″ tall.
In order to make the mock up feel worth while, I chose to make one that would be completely finished and usable as a finished project. I chose fabric I’ve had in my scrap bag for years–it has vintage vibes to me with its sweet yellow floral stripes. Minty green bias tape and vintage buttons complete the look. If I was going to go through the trouble to make a first draft, I wanted it to be as cute as possible.
Inside the Hussif Sewing Kit
Let’s take a peek inside. This is my favorite part! I intend to do a full tutorial when I make the “real” or final version and I will give specific dimensions and directions. But for now here are some of the basic details of this mock up.
Dimensions of the sewing kit fully opened are 5″ wide by 18 1/2″ long. Four pockets of varying sizes are fitted to the dimensions of what they contain. A double layered felt needlebook near the top holds pins and needles. The gusseted pocket at the bottom has two button closures to ensure thread doesn’t come flying out when it is being opened and closed. A snap holds the scissors in place in their designated pocket. And one of my favorite things was a last minute little addition–the tiny felt pin cushion stuffed with leftover fabric scraps. I’m so happy with the end result. It folds up to a neat little square and holds more than I expected.
A place for everything & everything in its place
Chinoiserie Fabric for More Hussif Sewing Kits
I was wandering around the fabric store when I saw this collection of fabric. I was especially drawn to the bird fabric and thought it would make a very pretty sewing kit. I originally planned to make the pockets out of these other coordinating fabrics, but now I’m not quite sure. It will be fun to play around with the fabrics and see how they look together. ❤️
Quick update: My hussif sewing kit tutorial is now live! Check it out to see how these fabrics turned into a super cute sewing roll!
