sewing kit for theater?

[marypoppins]

my daughter is in HS theater and is going to be starting her second production of the year as head of costumes.  The teacher has said she needs to have her own sewing kit.  Are there any theater people out there with suggestions of what is needed? (beyond the basics found in any ordinary sewing kit)  The final kit will need to be something fairly small (able to fit into a school locker). 

[Conley]

- Needles
-Thread <---- Black and White,  they are usually the cheape$t colors, you can have other colors but since its for theater no one will be close enough to see the stitches anyway
- Buttons <---- a few different ones, enough to fill a small snack sized ziploc bag or the smallest tupperware container with a lid that you can find
- Hooks and Eyes
- Velcro <---- Black and White, buy a couple of the little rolls but not too much
- Pair of needle nose pliers <---- to fix hooks, pins, costume jeweley, also handy when you need to have a little force with opening/closing a problem zipper
- Small bottle of Fabreze <---- for multiple showing/play costumes that won't be taken to the laundry between schedules (ie 2 night showing)
- Small pair of Scissors <---- embroidery scissors are good, can snip errant strings or use as a seam ripper
- Large pair of Scissors
- Elastic <---- in Black and White
- A couple of paper clips <---- in case a zipper pull breaks, or in case you are in need of something during an especially hurried McGuyver moment
- Pins & Pin Cushion

You should get a small sized tackle box -or- in office supplies a plastic box that will fit in her locker with handle(s)

When I did theater I also had the following (suggestions):
-a roll of black string/ribbon (for bodices, broken shoelaces, hair, instant chokers, etc)
-small roll of duct tape (yes I have even made extreme emergency hems w/ duct tape)
-roll of Stitch Witchery aka fusible webbing in a roll
-small iron (and when that got pinched, an old but clean and not rusty curling iron) to use w/ the above
-sweat guards in case of a sweaty actor
-shoulder pads (to be used as shoulder pads or in a pinch to stuff a bra for fit)
-bounce dryer sheets (to be pinned inside of costume to keep it from getting that musty school costume smell)(also, if costume already has that smell can be used as a hanky onstage so actor can sniff sheet instead of smelling costume)
-small trial sized deoderant in asexual smell (you never know when you might forget to apply, or your actors forget)


Congrats for your daughter- Good Luck

[kategirl]

I was about to say duct tape, too!     but black hockey tape is great, too - it blends in a lot better than duct tape, and doesn't leave as much icky residue (but slightly less heavy duty).

a couple things to add...
- lots of safety pins
- measuring tape - a big rolled up plasticy type is best
- those magic wipe stain remover things - make up can be a dangerous thing!
- mini glue gun - great for stuff on small props (which, at least at our school, fell under costumes if it was worn) and for last minute fixes of all types

[marypoppins]

Thank you!!!!  This is great!!  I would never have thought of some of these things.  Especially the pliers, the dryer sheets and the stain remover wipes.   

[auntiem]

Is she going to be the dresser backstage as well? - if so a Sharpie would come in handy for o-so many quick fixes - (like a run in black tights).

[quarkiegirl]

Clear nail polish is good too, for fixing runs in stockings or unraveling fabric.

[trufflegirl]

I used to find that the mesh used for tent screens was really handy --- strong, but not too stiff, so it was easy to sew to the inside of a torn piece of clothing. (One show I did involved a lot of swordfighting, which is really hard on costumes! Every time something got slashed, I backed it with the mesh, and it worked out really well.)

Also, hockey tape is really handy. Get it in black, white, and beige, and you can pretty much fix anything. (I once had to glue a table back together between scenes, and since the glue didn't have time to dry, I held it all together with black hockey tape.)

Speaking of tape, double-sided tape can be useful, too, if a hem falls down or something. Or you can use a stapler...

I used to keep an entire laundry basket full of this kind of stuff backstage --- it became something of a joke, because any time anyone needed ANYTHING, it seemed like I had it. Need kleenex? No problem. Pliers? No problem. Batteries? No problem. A granola bar? No problem. The theatre group I worked with used to joke that Iicould survive for a year out of that basket...

[kategirl]

I used to keep an entire laundry basket full of this kind of stuff backstage --- it became something of a joke, because any time anyone needed ANYTHING, it seemed like I had it. Need kleenex? No problem. Pliers? No problem. Batteries? No problem. A granola bar? No problem. The theatre group I worked with used to joke that Iicould survive for a year out of that basket...

lol, same here.  and they said I could live for a year out of my backpack, too.   

[marypoppins]

Yeah...after denying it for many years, she is finally becoming like Mom.  When I started with Girl Scouts they gave me the nick-name of "Mary Poppins" because I always had what we needed.  (I wasn't even a troop leader, just a mom.)  Need cardboard to put inside t-shirts before painting...Wait, I have some in my car; didn't bring enough scissors...I have some in my car; glue gun, paints, markers, newspapers, magazines, scissors, rope, yarn, etc., etc., etc.  They loved me when we went camping as well.  I always had what we needed.

All the theater stuff is a new experience for me though.  When I was in school, I would never have dreamed of doing all of this.  I really appreciate all of your help!