Housewife sewing kit

Sewing kit in roll, known as a 'housewife' housed in a tan coloured linen bag with purple trim at the edges and a red material needle holder. Includes buttons, needles, various threads and tapes and thimbles. A housewife (also known as a 'Houssif' or 'Hussif') was a generic term for a sewing kit and has been used in the Navy since the eighteenth century.

The kit was essential for carrying out repairs to clothing by the owner since nobody else was available to do such work. This example was used during the British National Antarctic Expedition 1901-04 by Lieutenant Charles Royds.