There are some makers who instantly capture your attention— not just for what they create, but for the passion, curiosity, and generosity they bring to their craft. Chris Hanson of Modern American Vintage is one of those people. Every piece that leaves his workshop carries a story: a balance of precision and play, tradition and innovation. His tools are designed to be used and loved, to bring a sense of care and beauty to even the most practical moments in a maker’s day.
When we first interviewed Chris back in 2023, we were struck by how deeply he listens to the community around him— how much of his work begins with a conversation, a request, or a spark of shared inspiration. That connection to the maker world remains at the heart of everything he does, and it’s especially evident in his latest project: Kit & Caboodle.
Part curated collection, part creative adventure, Kit & Caboodle brings together a mix of handcrafted mini tools, thoughtful notions, and clever extras—all made in collaboration with a remarkable lineup of partners from across the sewing and quilting industry. It’s inventive, beautifully made, and undeniably fun. (We have a particular soft spot for the mini clapper— complete with interior magnets and removable dowels for easy thread dispensing. Genius.)
We caught up with Chris to talk about the inspiration behind Kit & Caboodle, the process of bringing it to life, and what it means to collaborate with a community of makers who share his love of craft and creativity.
If our memory serves correct, the idea for these curated boxes was first floating around at QuiltCon 2025— what sparked the inspiration for turning that idea into a reality, and how did it evolve since those early conversations?
I was honored to be included in the amazing Stitch Supply Co. advent calendar in 2024 and one of the items was a pair of tiny snips from Cohana that you operated with your thumb and pointer finger. My mom (who is my R&D copilot and the quilter of the family) and I were so inspired by how such a tiny item could pack such a large punch! The fact that it is so small allows for easy travel but it could still be used in your everyday kit and we wondered if there might be a way for us to bring that same value in the form of my wood notions. That kicked off about about two months of curation and prototyping, trying to pack in as much value as possible into a kit that could travel easily while offering as much creative potential as your quilting studio.
Kit & Caboodle is such a memorable name! Can you share the story behind it and why it felt like the right fit for this project?
That happened kind of by accident! We were talking about what we were going to keep from our list of potential items and how it would fit into a small package, and as I was verbal processing I said something to the effect of “How would that fit into the whole kit and caboodle?” and my mom snaps her finger and says, “That’s what we’re gonna call it!” and I said “Well sunuvagun, I guess we did!” The name REALLY clicked when we decided to bring on other partners who generously offered discount codes in addition to our ‘Kit’, and those codes became our ‘Caboodle’!
You’ve brought together a truly impressive range of partners for these boxes. Why was it important to you to include such a wide circle of creatives and companies, and what do you love most about these collaborations?
I am just so incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped me spread the word about my business and help it grow to where it is now. Everyone included in this box has been a real champion in the most selfless way and I wanted to highlight them to try and give back in some small way. The quilting community is made up of the most kind hearted people who all want each other to succeed and I’m so proud to be a part of it. I just wish I could fit more of you wonderful people in this box!
The mini tools are brilliant— perfect for creative travel and everyday use. How does designing and making these smaller-scale tools differ from your usual process at Modern American Vintage?
There are some small differences but for the most part the process is the same. Typically I like to make bigger tools that fit more comfortably in the hand but obviously that wouldn’t work well for a series of travel sized notions, especially when it came to the little combo tool. I went through three or four different prototypes before I came up with the final shape that felt the most comfortable when holding in both directions and is easily duplicated while showcasing as much of the handle material figure as possible while staying within TSA compliant guidelines. Other than that, really the only difference with making smaller notions is that my fingers have to get a little closer to my shaping tools and sander which makes me go through bandaids more quickly!
We’re especially fascinated by the mini clapper with hidden magnets and removable dowels— a tool that multitasks as a weighted clapper, pin keep, and thread dispenser. How did the idea for this clever design come together?
We began running out of space in the box pretty quickly but really wanted to shove as much value into this kit as possible, so the only option would be to increase functionality in some of my tools. For example, we considered making the seam ripper a double headed notion with a stiletto on the other end, but that seemed like it would create more painful problems than was absolutely necessary. Thankfully we scrapped that idea in the end and decided to focus on what we could include in the biggest canvas in the box. I immediately thought to include magnets because the last thing you want when stitching in the passenger seat is to spill your pins and needles where they might jump up and bite you later.
Next we thought we needed a way to showcase and protect the spools of thread from you wonderful people at Aurifil from rolling around and unraveling. At first I thought I would need to glue some dowels into the top but that wouldn’t allow for easy storage and portability. I didn’t want them to float aimlessly around in your carrying case, so it made sense to stick them inside the clapper somehow. The solution presented itself when I went to visit my folks and I randomly picked up the old cribbage board my great grandpa made from an old piece of walnut. He drilled a couple holes in the end of the board to store the pegs, and screwed a dog tag shaped piece of scrap steel just tight enough for it to easily swing open but stay closed via friction. I love that I could pay homage to his creative choice in these kits!
HUGE thanks again to Chris and the whole MAV family— for their partnership, their friendship, and the best little quilting tools a maker could ever want! 😉 Don’t miss your chance to grab the MAV Kit & Caboodle — click on the button above to secure yours today!