My Secret Thread Stash

I don't know about you, but I'm always running out of thread. White? "I just bought 5 spools! How can I be out already???" Dark green? "Where did all my thread go? I just bought a spool last week!" Navy? "How can this gigantic spool be nearly empty? Hopefully there's enough for this alteration I need to make!"

Yep, that happens. At least once a week. Most recently with the navy, as I was altering this dress for a friend.

I love the lace on this dress! As did my friend when she picked it up at a thrift store. She brought it home, then discovered it wouldn't zip all the way up. Dangit. So, She asked for my help, and I suggested changing the zipper to a corset/lace up back. She approved the plan, so I took the dress home to get started. Then, half way through adding the corset back I ran out of navy thread. I didn't have time to run into town to buy more navy thread! Slight freak-out, then I remembered my "Secret Stash" of thread.

 Ok, so it's not a secret At all. It's just a box of thread, kept separate from the rest of my thread. You know, out of sight of of mind? Yep, for me that's this box of thread, which has saved me from countless "emergency" trips to town to buy more thread.

I bought it once upon a time when I had a 50% coupon for Joann's and nothing I particularly needed to use it on. 26 colors of Guttermann thread. Not quiet every color I could possibly need, but close enough. I run out of thread, or need a color I don't have for something simple like a hem, start to contemplate a "quick" trip into town, then remember this thread box. 9 times out of 10 it has a color that will work. I can pull that spool of thread out and finish my project.

It had navy! I was able to finish adding the corset back to my friend's dress!

My friend is now happy with how the dress fits. I'm happy with how the corset back turned out and the fact I didn't have to run into town to buy more thread in the middle of the project!

Now next time I'm in town I'll pick up another huge spool of navy thread, and any other color I may be out of. My little spool of navy thread will go back in the thread box, to be pulled out again next time I run out of navy. That's the secret of the thread box, it's kept separate from the rest of the thread and forgotten about until I actually need it. Never used as my primary thread, just the back-up until I can get another large spool of what ever color thread I need.

This thread? Probably one of the best sewing buys I've made. I'm sure I've already saved more in gas, by not needing to run into town every time I run out of thread, than I spent on the thread to begin with.

Anyone else have a sewing item they keep as a back up? What are you always running out of? Thread or something else entirely?

*not an advertisement, just sharing my solution to always running out of thread