There are so many useless consumer products and services out there that it is impossible to keep up. For some reason, people keep buying them.
Think of the gym membership. How many people really get their money’s worth? My strong suspicion is that the answer is not many. Americans think that merely by being a member, they are subscribing to health, even if they don’t use it well or use it much at all.
Let’s face it. Most of what it takes to get healthy, thin, and strong can be had on the floor next to your bed. With the right exercises, correct eating (at home), and daily discipline, anyone can get in fantastic condition without the gym membership. Do a search for “burpees” and do 15 per day.
This applies to so many things. I’m personally fed up with anything labeled “smart” or “energy saving.” That means it will break quickly or doesn’t work at all. Apart from the digital world, you can replace all toothpaste with baking soda. Vinegar is better than most cleaning products. Shaving cream does nothing but tenderize your face and make you break out. Most meds cause more harm than good. A smart shopper can save 90 percent off retail by getting clothing and other necessary items from eBay.
And so on it goes.
It consists of 106 items. You read that right. It has thread, pins, tape measure, seam ripper, needle threader and so many needles, clips, a magnifying glass, scissors, chalk, and more. The packaging is brilliant beyond belief. Everything is in its place. It is small so it can travel with you. Truly, this thing is a thrill, an achievement of the capitalist marketplace that rivals the iPhone, so far as I’m concerned.
Let’s just talk about the 26 large spools of thread in many colors. Remember, son of Jacob, who had a coat of many colors? It was very valuable for a reason. Even a couple of centuries ago, such colors were very hard to come by. Many came from plants but that is a pain in the neck.
When the dye industry came along, it was a big deal and a huge step up. It took centuries of advance to get to the point that anyone could have access to so many and they don’t run and bleed. We dare not take this for granted.
The threads alone are worthy of reflection. Making thread in the old days required a spinning wheel, which itself was an industrial treasure. But the results were never as thin and fine as these threads, which are themselves made of many other threats. There are no lumps or imperfections. They are masterful achievements of industry.
The needles too are marvelous. They are made of hard steel, extremely small, with a tiny eyelet. I simply cannot imagine the machine that makes them. Commercial steel only became a viable product in the second half of the 19th century. That’s the only reason we have bridges from the borrows to the cities and buildings that reach to the heavens. Iron was way too heavy for these achievements.
In the past, needles were made of bone, wood, bronze, copper, gold, iron, and the Yucca plant, as a native from Mexico demonstrated to me on a recent trip. I guess one could sew with that thing in a pinch but it would be rough going. Now we grab a perfect one anytime and think nothing of it. My own great great-grandmother would be astonished at the bounty!
Let me say something about the needle threader. It’s the most brilliant item. I used to thread all my own but at some point, my eyes made it difficult. I didn’t know I was doing it but I started dreaded sewing.
Finally at some point, I found one of these items (included in the kit). Now it is super fast. You put the threader through the needle hole and then the thread through the threader and pull. You are done. It takes just seconds. You can now thread as many needles as you want, as quickly as you need them, without even a thought. No more shutting one eye, squinting, hunting, and stabbing.
The person who invented this tiny treasure is an American sculptor named Charles Dowler. He won a patent for it in 1857. Fortunately it is long expired and now anyone can make one and everyone can benefit from this practical work of art.
What else is in here? The scissors are useful, as is the tape measure and magnifying glass if you are really fussy about the look of your seams. The other pins and things I don’t often use but they are there when necessary, as are the extra buttons for when one pops off a shirt.
For most all sewing needs, this tiny kit is enough. It could last a decade or two. And when does one need one? All the time. Yes, for shirt buttons but also seams are always ripping and mysterious holes suddenly appearing in sweaters and jackets. Maybe this is from moths or maybe just normal wear.
Regardless, with a sewing kit, there is never a problem. Even if you buy a thing from the thrift store that turns out to be weaker than you thought, your sewing kit will always come to the rescue.
Sewing kits have been around since the ancient world. They have been found in the belongings of the remains of medieval knights. Soldiers often carry them in battle. They were a staple in your grandmother’s home. There you would find a mighty sewing box that was constantly in use. We are so much better off now with these remarkable small packages that have everything you will ever need these days.
How many factories were deployed in the making of this one kit? How many countries? How many people? All the way up and down the structure of production, surely the answer is in the millions. Absolutely no one can make a sewing kit. It requires the cooperative work of millions to make it possible. And you get the whole thing for the same price as a fast-food meal. Amazing!
What about the sewing talent itself? That’s another story of course. I fear that it is in deep atrophy. Are people even taught basic stitches anymore? I have my doubts. Even with endless videos you can watch, most people don’t even know they need the skill, until it is too late and a tear, rip, or popped buttons send them into panic just before the big party.
It’s not hard but it does take a bit of diligence and practice. Once you pick it up, you will be the most valuable person in your social circle and quasi-famous for your skill when circumstances arrive. That’s how rare it has become. So there are two gifts you can give to others: this sewing kit and a little lesson in how to use it. It pays high returns for a lifetime.
In a world of increasingly useless and ridiculous things, the sewing kit stands out as a genuine industrial achievement that dramatically improves our lives.
