Blossom Heart Quilts – Storage Tips for Traveling by Hand
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Alyce is an Aussie ex-pat currently living in Japan for three years for her husband’s job, and she’s used the opportunity to dive head first into quilting, sewing and designing patterns! Well, in between looking after her two little kids, eating sushi and going fabric shopping that is. She blogs at Blossom Heart Quilts and shares the fabric shopping fun in her Japanese fabric store on Etsy. If you want a taste of Japanese fabric, I suggest the Japanese Bundle Club – a monthly bundle of fabric selected from different themes each month. Today Alyce is sharing how she stores her sewing by hand supplies, to help get everyone started with our season of handmade!
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When Jennie and Clara first approached me about participating in this series, I was hesitant. Because to be totally honest, I’m not a big hand sewer. I’ve tried English paper piecing, and while I can see the appeal for creating cool designs you can’t easily achieve by machine, it’s just a little too slow for me. But I still get the itch to busy my hands while sitting and watching our shows at night, or when going on a trip. My choice of hand-sewing drug is cross stitching with a side of crochet.
I’m still very, very new at crochet. So new everything I have for it is contained neatly in this pouch! So new I only have one project – a scarf for my daughter for winter. I was sent this pouch as a part of a swap (next pouch swap will be next month on my blog if you’re interested!) and it’s the perfect size – 9″ x 10″ – for my hook and yarn.
For my cross stitching, I like to have a few little ones on the go that are finished quicker and easier to store and travel with. I just finished this pouch last week that’s more suited to what I need! It’s a cross between a project from Ayumi’s Patchwork, Please! and the tutorial from Amy at Lots Of Pink Here (she’s sharing here June 21!), plus some design inspiration from Hadley at Flying Blind On A Rocket Cycle, and is about 8″ square.
I made a smaller version of the panel from Patchwork, Please! – it’s not perfect as mini piecing and I do not work well together, but nevertheless I used it. Inside I have 3 “sides” – the two outer sections have different-sized vinyl zippered pockets with pockets behind them too, and the middle section has felt for my needles and three smaller pockets for bits and pieces. To keep it all together, I used the tie-up option like from Amy’s tutorial as I felt that it would be more secure this way having the three sections. Sure it obscures the front a bit, but function before beauty this time! You can find more pictures and info on my blog.
This kind of travel sewing kit is so easily customized for your own sewing needs. This design as-is would also work for English Paper Piecing – the vinyl zippered pocket is perfect for storing your pieces, and if you made both vinyl pockets zippered, you could have one for basted shapes, and the other for finished pieces!
Things to consider when traveling with hand sewing:
- What are you sewing? Write a list of the things you need to take with you so you can do it – scissors, thread (what type, how many?), needle, fabric, papers, etc.
- How much do you need to take? This will determine what size container you need.
- Where will you carry/use it? For me, I needed things that can squeeze into carry-on luggage with the most space efficiency which meant a hard, plastic container with dividers was not an option. Found in many cheap shops or craft stores for beading or even fishing, these plastic containers are more ideal for sewing in the car as it’s hardy, quickly closed and sits flat.
What’s your top storage tips for traveling with hand work?
You are certainly well organised Alyce! I have a similar zipper pouch which I received in a swap too!
Now to see how much handwork I actually get done or if it will just become a giggly girly weekend!
I love the embroidery pouch, so cute! I just made a Noodlehead open wide zippered pouch for my EPP bits and pieces. I’m going to make a triple zip pouch for papers and basted hexies to go inside the pouch to keep them tidy and a hexagon-shaped needlebook that I found on pinterest! I’ve also got some folding scissors on the way, as I always worry about my razor tipped scissors poking a hole in something important!
Oooh, triple zip pouch is a brilliant idea!
Gorgeous embroidery pouch….such a neat idea to store all those little items for cross stitching, and I love the fabrics you chose!
Helen x
Thank you! It was fun to crack out some of my “novelty” sewing prints!
Unfortunately I can’t work on anything when traveling or the trip will be short! I do have a lovely project bag that was made for me that I use for Quilt Guild classes.
A bag is next on my list!
I love the cross stitch organizer!
Thank you! It has definitely helped motivate me to do more of it at last!
So organised – I love it. So far I travel with zip-lock bags, and am usually too disorganised to get everything ready before I leave. I am determined to do better these school holidays as I want to work on some hand piecing – but it may still be in zip-lock bags!
Haha, my little cross stitch kits were all shoved in a zip lock bag before this too!
cute
Thanks Anita!
He, he, he. I strongly recommend both a scissor fob – something that hangs from the finger hole of your scissors to make them easily identifiable as yours…..and help you find them when you drop them in your seat….AND a scissor cap or sheath…to make finding them in your chair more pleasant.
Haha, ouch! I have a little Clover thread cutter inside the zippered pocket – it was originally going to hang off the zip, until I didn’t think that far ahead and installed the wrong side of the pouch/zipper so the zipper is now “upside down”!
I love both your zipper pouch and cross stitch pouch. I must get around to making some for myself! I recently went on a little trip and had a couple of projects in a carry on bag (even though it was a road trip) but it was a bit jumbled in there so I need something a bit more customized I think.
For me, if it isn’t nicely organised and easily accesible, I know it just won’t happen. The problem is then GETTING organised in the first place, lol!
The sewing kit with the stars is so beautiful. I love small blocks, and I really have to make the outside like this. Just now I have a little zipper pouch to bring with me wherever I go. I got it from a quilting friend who thought I deserved it, because I never make things to myself.
I know right?! We never make things for ourselves!
Gosh – I love that tie pouch – it’s stunning, and that block on the front? Stunning. Thanks for the ideas.
Aw thanks Annabella!
I must make something like that for taking my sewing out and about! Lovely work!
Having it all organised makes me want to use it more, that’s for sure!
great tips. I am new to crochet too which is a fun take along project to work on when traveling.
Nice and compact with very few tools needed!
My best tip for traveling with handwork is to keep your “tools” separate from the “materials”. There’s nothing worse than quickly (blindly) reaching into your bag and getting stabbed by your scissors or needles (I’ve done it). My plastic zip lock bags definitely need to upgraded – thanks for the inspiration for it!
Haha, I’ve had my fair share of needles stabs, that’s for sure!
Very cute pouch. My only tip is to have bags, bags, and then some more bags. I think it’s better to keep each component of the project separate rather than having it all lumped together.
I need to implement that kind of system for my big, machine WIPs! Must buy some plastic tubs soon!
Such pretty projects! I especially love your version of the sewing kit…can’t wait to make one of those now!
Thanks Amy! It’s so nice to feel organised for once!
I love how you add the zippered vinyl pockets!:) Is it hard to sew vinyl?:p
That is such a cute Alyce! I like your choice for the binding fabric.
Hi Alyce, love your work! Your ideas have really jolted me into action! Too many snap lock bags! I , too, havent sewn with vinyl and was wondering if there are any special hints?
Kind regards from,
RobynAnn ( sydney)
Love your zip bag and ideas! The embroidery binder is a very nice idea too. I love pouches and have made them in all shapes and sizes. 🙂
Your little organizer is clever and cute! :o)
The perfect way to take along your cross stitch work!
I love your travel kit! Useful and beautiful!!!
When I am lucky enough to get there my embroidery group is an hours drive away from home. It pays to be organised I agree – plan your project, collect all the ingredients and tools and double check your bag before you go. It is the worst when you have to stop working when you have your sewjo going because you forgot a piece of the project.
This kind of travel sewing kit is so easily customized for your own sewing needs. This design as-is would also work for English Paper Piecing – the vinyl zippered pocket is perfect for storing your pieces, and if you made both vinyl pockets zippered, you could have one for basted shapes, and the other for finished pieces!
I love the way your pouch has pockets on the outside to hold your extras, they are then easy to find.
I don’t have any special travel tips… I just use a combination of three different sized pouches that I received as a gift. They were perfect for when I was hand-sewing a few different projects while substitute teaching this past year!
fun project for summer time thanks
I want to devise a take-along sewing kit/bag; this hop is already helping me decide what might work the best. Love your little tie-up. All those pockets are wonderful and certainly a must from my point of view.
Love your pretty little pouch. Thanks for sharing your work with us.
I crochet stocking caps when I travel. I don’t have a darling bag, just a ziplock plastic bag with yearn, crochet hook and s blunt nosed pair of scissors. I had too many scissors taken at airport security to take my good ones any more.
Don’t drop the needle! The cover to your cross stitching pouch is stellar!
I have a Vera Bradley round cosmetic case. Inside there are about 8 pockets and I fill each pocket with enough basted hex’s for one flower. There is a zippered pouch in the lid that holds several spools of thread, needles, scissors, thimble and extra hex papers and then the center of the bag holds extra fabric. It’s PERFECT. I keep it on a shelf by my front door, packed and ready to go. It’s WONDERFUL (functional and it looks nice)!
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