Mommy For Reals – Travel Embroidery Case
This post is part of the A Season by Hand series. Find the schedule here.
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Hello lovlies! My name is Danny and I blog over at Mommy For Reals. I am a SAHM-sewer-gardener-foodie-avid reader-aspiring guitar player. SO MUCH, I know. I don’t get loads of time to work on hand sewing projects, but I try to fit them in when I can multitask. I would love to be that woman who can pour a glass of wine, turn on an audio book and kick back with my hoop and thread, but with toy land mines scattered across the floor and the constant dull whine for fruit snacks filling any free space in my mind, I have learned that woman will never exist here.
So, when my lovely friend Jennie invited me to join her Travel Handmade, I of course answered with a big, huge ‘YES!’ I love hand sewing. It’s soothing. It gives me a way to busy my hands while watching my husband play video games and while driving long distances in the car. And though I am a fan of English Paper Piecing, my real love is embroidery.
My Travel EPP set-up
My embroidery case is a little more involved than my EPP case. I use a “Kaboodle”-type tackle box to store all my embroidery necessities: needle minders, needles, thimble, transfer pens, needle case, and my favorite little pouch to carry the floss for my current embroidery project (given to me by Alyssa of Pile ‘O Fabric).
My travel embroidery case
This case works great for car rides. It holds my tools without disorganizing them and gives me a place to prop up my feet when I kick back for a nap! Let’s face it: I don’t drive on road trips. That’s what husbands are for!
Close-up of embroidery case
I find the best way to travel handmade is to be organized. Traveling already means tighter spaces; you don’t want to lose a needle in the car seat only to be found when it stabs someone a few weeks later (not that I’VE ever done that…) I got my cases at Jo-Ann using 50% off coupons. Such a cheap way to organize and protect my handmade tools.
Love that owl embroidery!
It’s a pattern by Jenelle at Echinops and Aster.
I love how well organized you are! It certainly makes everything easier, doesn’t it?
It does!!
Hey owlie! 🙂
The owl is lovely. I wish I was as organized as you!
thanks for sharing your great way to stay organized while hand sewing.
Great way to be organized! 🙂
What a super great idea! I am definitely going to have to pick up one of those.
Love your organization! I never have much space in the car so and never thought about taking the tackle box in the car. Very clever and I love that it doubles as a footstool too, lol.
Oh so neat and tidy! How much fun that looks. The color of your hexies are wonderful!
I love your owl and elephant!
I wanna see more of that elephant! It looks awesome!
I made another one and stitched it onto a pillow for a friend. Here is the link: http://mommyforreals.blogspot.com/2013/02/embroidered-elephant-pillow.html
I’ve just been throwing my tools in projects in various pouches… I msy have to invest in some boxes to help me stay more organized 🙂
Great ideas. I am just getting into embroidery too and loving it.
I wish I was that organized! I love the tackle box and cases…..guess I’m going to Jo-Ann’s tomorrow! The owl is adorable!
You are my kind of girl! Organized! The only way to work for me! Love, the owl!!
I like how you have different cases for different types of stitch projects (vs. jamming everything together in one box like I would!). Makes is easy to grab and go!
Oh, cute box! I tend to throw my stuff in a ziplock baggie. This is much better. 🙂
So, when my lovely friend Jennie invited me to join her Travel Handmade, I of course answered with a big, huge ‘YES!’ I love hand sewing. It’s soothing. It gives me a way to busy my hands while watching my husband play video games and while driving long distances in the car. And though I am a fan of English Paper Piecing, my real love is embroidery.
Well organized is so clever. But with me it lasts only a few days. I don’t know what I do wrong.
I feel like I’m always driving so I don’t get that hand work time in cars, ah well. I do get it in front of my friend television though.
You are so organized! Cute owl. 🙂
Yes, keeping those tools organized is definitely a plus when it comes time to grab and go.
Getting so much inspiration for organizing my own projects – this is such a great series!
So, when my lovely friend Jennie invited me to join her Travel Handmade, I of course answered with a big, huge ‘YES!’ I love hand sewing. It’s soothing. It gives me a way to busy my hands while watching my husband play video games and while driving long distances in the car. And though I am a fan of English Paper Piecing, my real love is embroidery.
Oh my god! That last picture with the Valori Wells “Caravan” Elephant, did you do that with a template or did you do that just by looking at it? Cause you are my HERO! That is amazing work!
Here is the link to the pillow I made with a similar elephant: http://mommyforreals.blogspot.com/2013/02/embroidered-elephant-pillow.html
I stitched right over the print! I recently used it as a teaching tool for the Phoenix Modern Quilt Guild. I taught an embroidery workshop and everyone walked away with an elephant.
That is just lovely. Do you know the Valori Wells fabric I’m talking about? http://img2.etsystatic.com/000/0/5611534/il_fullxfull.322330926.jpg
I love how organised your cases are! I don’t have any stranded embroidery threads at the moment, but I am guessing that is what is on the plastic bobbins (?) in the case? I don’t know a huge amount about embroidery and threads yet, I just have little balls of perle cotton currently 🙂
A great idea! I will look for something similar!
I think my Art Bin box is going to be getting repurposed. Great idea.
LOVE the travel kits, how very organised! I love to embroider but if I take it with me I generally manage to forget something – needle, thread, you know, the important stuff!
I love embroidery but for travelling I used to carry my English Paper Piecing and crocheting project. Love your travel kit…thanks for sharing the brilliant idea!
Hee hee, so glad you clarified who’s driving while you stitch 😉
We also did quite a bit of hand sewing during that time. I’m always very tuned in to the references to sewing throughout the books. Lola and I talk about Laura’s obvious impatience (sewing sheets!) and Ma’s apparent skill (whipping up dresses, pinafores, bonnets and coats.) And then there was Mary, who’s love for sewing comes across even through the voice of her sister. Whether she was darning stockings, making doll clothes, or piecing another block for a quilt, you could tell she was content. On the trips in covered wagons, throughout the long winters, and even in blindness, Mary found solace in a needle and thread. Yes, we can relate to Mary.
Embroidering a finished garment is a bit more challenging than embroidering a piece of fabric and then transforming the fabric into a garment but it is not impossible. It is successful when you take your time hooping and stabilizing the shirt.