School Essentials, Haberdashery: With the  changing of the seasons comes the start of a new school year. Some of our little ones aren't so little anymore and are making the big step from junior school to secondary. With this change comes a whole host of subjects and skills that they may never have experienced before, including textiles. Most schools now require parents to provide a basic standard sewing kit for their children to bring with them to their lessons. The temptation to grab a cheap mass produced kit can be great. This quick grab solution doesn't hold much hope for surviving in the long run. Here at Calico Laine our Haberdashery items are sourced in the UK and sold individually to ensure that they are the best possible quality. We've put together a list of the top haberdashery items you'll need for your child's sewing kit:

Household Assorted Needles:

At Calico Laine we stock JTL haberdashery sewing needles sourced in the UK. This particular pack of needles is one of our best sellers as it covers a wide range of needles suitable for multiple projects. The pack contains thin and thick needles for use with different strengths of fabric. There are also small and larger eye sizes for ease of threading. Alternatively you could choose our

Easy Thread Needles:

Another top selling set from JTL haberdashery. It can be tricky threading needles when you're new to sewing. These needles have a unique threading method to make things easier. Simply rest your thread over the top of the specially designed eye of the needle and pull down and your thread will slip into place. This pack of needles has a smaller variety of sizes than the household assorted set but has its advantages.

Haberdashery Thread:

What haberdashery kit is complete without thread? Our moon threads are a great purchase if you're after large quantities of thread for low prices. These reels contain 1000 metres of cotton and are a brilliant bulk buy. If you'd prefer quality over quantity you'll want our Gutermann threads. Gutermann are one of the leading companies in haberdashery and produce strong reliable threads in a large variety of colours.

Measuring Tape:

An important part of many crafts is having the correct measurements. We stock a variety of measuring tapes ranging from just the basics to self winding tapes to keep your haberdashery kit nice and tidy.

Needle Threader:

If you already have an abundance of needles in your home you might not need to purchase a new set for your child. These handy little things are a life saver for threading needles quickly and easily. Perfect for beginners, they cost pennies and are a great investment.

Thimble:

Jabbing ourselves with a needle. Putting a dint in our thumb pushing that needle through. We've all done it. A common problem with such a simple solution. We have some fantastic brightly coloured jelly thimbles in a selection of sizes. These are fab choice for your child's kit as they are not easily lost and provide comfort. We also stock more traditional metal thimbles so the choice is yours. The team here at Calico Laine would like to wish all our young creatives a brilliant start to their new school year. We look forward to seeing you all for your next school project.