How is it that each time a button falls off or a sewing project goes awry, we're far from our sewing battle stations, left without our typical tools and materials? Next time you take your project on the road — or just need to do a little emergency mending — remember a few of these sewing hacks and make sewing-on-the-go easier than ever.

sewfearless.com

Working on a project and the fabric or pattern won't lie flat? Common purpose washers will fix that nicely! This blogger went one step farther by dressing up washers with colorful ribbons. We'd say it's a simple upgrade worth making.

makeit-loveit.com

If you're in need of a pincushion, look no further than the bar of complimentary hotel soap. Not only will this makeshift soap pincushion hold your pins tightly (and transform them to vaguely resemble a porcupine), but it will slightly lubricate each pin so that it slides through thick fabrics more easily. Win-win.

blog.cindyneedham.com

Are you taking a beaded project to-go? Use masking or packing tape to anchor the beads; that way, even if the container in which you store them comes open, you won't have to worry about losing any.

makethebestofthings.blogspot.com

Ah, the dreaded crotch rip. Without a sewing machine or denim patches, darning jeans by hand is your best option. You can use any similar colored fabric to bind the repair, but aim for a thread color as close as possible to the denim's wash.

sewmccool.com

If you don't already know how, we recommend you check out this tutorial to learn to sew on a button with just a needle, thread and a toothpick before your next trip. After all, knowing how to reattach a button without many tools comes in more use than you might think! Pro tip: whenever you buy a new buttoned item, sew the extra button on an interior tag or inside the sleeve. You'll then have the matching button on hand at all times.

artofmanliness.com

Let's take it back to basics for a second: quickly threading a needle. Instead of moving the thread, try moving the needle. Much easier, right?

Hemming doesn't always mean sewing, this blogger's glue stick sewing hack taught us. Next time you find yourself in a hem-ergency, use a basic glue stick to adhere the fabric to itself.

aspoonfulofsugardesigns.com

With a few simple sewing hacks under your belt, you'll need that emergency sewing kit that never leaves your side (and then an adorable mini sewing kit bag to keep it in).