- Have you ever been in a car on a long drive wishing
you had a small sewing project to work on
or stuck in a waiting room wondering why you don't have
a portable sewing kit?
Or do you get restless while watching TV?
There are times when we get the sewing bug
but cannot bring out the large mats,
rulers, and sewing machines to play with.
Today, I'm breaking down a portable sewing kit,
the features it needs to have and some project ideas
so you can sew on the go.
So stick with me, and I'll show you how to do it.
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Hi, I'm Karen Brown, of Just Get It Done Quilts.
I give you tips, tricks, and strategies to help you make
the quilt that you want to make.
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With pandemic restrictions finally loosening in my area,
I'm so excited to start getting out again.
I have overdue appointments to make, errands to run,
and most importantly, people to see.
But I do remember that this will most likely lead
to sitting in waiting rooms,
or sitting in my car,
or sitting around a table.
And I know in these situations,
I'm a lot happier if I have something to keep my hands busy.
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So what comes first, the sewing bag or the project?
Honestly, I've worked at both ways.
I have a project and found a bag to fit it.
And I have bags that I have found projects to fit them.
No matter which way you come at it,
your sewing kit needs to have these features.
It needs to be small enough to fit into a purse,
a knapsack, or a glove compartment.
You might be tempted to have something larger,
but it will be less portable, heavier, and more obstructive.
The contents need to be secured so nothing falls out.
If you are suddenly jostled or bumped,
you don't want all your stuff flying everywhere.
So make sure you test it by tossing it in the air
a couple of times both when it's shut and when it's open.
Then modify it if necessary so it passes.
When you open your bag, it needs to be steady on your lap
because we won't always have the luxury of a table.
And everything needs to have a place of its own.
One, so you can see that everything is back in its place,
but also when you need to get out one thing,
other items don't fall out.
Your sewing bag does not need to be expensive.
As long as it can hold everything you need,
it's a sewing kit.
Some quilters may choose to make their own bag.
And there are a lot of great patterns out there.
But if you don't have the time or you hate bag making,
you can use something else.
I really like pencil cases as they come
with multiple compartments already
and with clear vinyl so I can see what I have.
But whether you use a pattern or a pre-made case,
be sure to modify it to what you need.
A friend made this wonderful sewing case for me.
I use it all the time,
but originally, it had a tie on it,
which was too fussy for sewing on the go.
So I replaced the closure with these magnetic snaps.
And it's truly one of my favourite items.
You can also add elastics to hold things down,
or add flops with snaps to keep items from falling out,
or a netting with elasticized edge to contain items.
You may also want to tether your tools
if they like to wander off.
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Now that you have the perfect sewing bag,
you need to stock it with your sewing tools.
Make sure you keep it to only the essentials.
Personally, I don't like to take
my best tools sewing on the go.
Though I've never done it yet,
I just feel the chances of me leaving it behind are high
since I'm often in public places and I'm distracted.
Most projects will need scissors or snips.
Here, think small.
If you are travelling on a plane,
they need to be under 4 inches.
I chose my smallest pair that can actually cut fabric.
Sometimes snips will do.
My thimble is very snug.
Again, I don't want the chance of it falling off.
I include glasses.
These are stronger than my regular glasses
so I can see that fine detail.
Threads, only bring the right thread for the job.
Nothing likes to bounce away and tangle like thread.
So keep it just to what you need.
And only pack the project that you're working on.
Taking a project out in the world increases the chances
that it will be damaged, stained, and lost.
So leave the extras at home.
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Sewing on the go is about sewing on the go.
You need to have projects that you can bring out quickly
and pack away quickly.
An English paper piecing is perfect for this.
Often, we call this EPP.
This is where you secure fabric around a paper,
and then you sew them together.
(upbeat music)
If you want me to do a video
on English paper piecing techniques,
just leave your comments in the notes below .
This pencil case,
my son gifted me from his university TechShop.
And I call this my hexie kit.
Hexies are a big part of EPP,
and they can be very addictive.
And this is my default sewing on the go.
Unless I know ahead of time that I will have long stretches
of time to stitch,
this is the case that I grab as I'm going at the door.
I harvest fabric from my Mount Scrapmore.
These are just roughly cut with no measuring,
and I keep them in this pocket.
In this pocket, I keep my papers.
I use a 1-inch punch,
and I make them from card stock that comes into my house.
In this pocket, I keep my tools.
And this is where I use up ends of spools, bobbins,
or old threads.
I have a small pair of scissors to cut threads.
I have my magnifiers in a glass case,
and I can secure my needles quickly on this
if I have to get up quickly.
And of course, I have my favourite thimble.
And this is the pocket where I keep the completed hexies.
There are lots of projects for hexies,
including my English paper piece Soccer Ball.
And you can find a complete set of templates on my website
under Patterns and Downloads.
But currently, I am just accumulating them.
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This is my project bag for different kind
of English paper piecing.
This is one where I am sewing pre-prepared pieces together.
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I keep my tools here.
I keep a stick of glue in case I have to fix
any of the papers.
And then I have another favourite thimble that I use here.
I have tethered my scissors
because they like to play hide and seek.
I've just used an elastic from my mask making,
and I've attached a button so I can remove it if I need to.
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I use InvisAlign thread, and it is so slippery.
I used to drop them so often
that I've made this modification using the male side
of a snap.
I have three spools of thread and they all come up
through this snap.
Then I wrapped each one individually
around one of these snaps.
When I need to use a thread, I just unwind it,
draw out what I need, then wrap it back around,
then snip it.
This way, they never leave my sewing kit,
and I never have them bouncing on the floor again.
This wool book in the middle keeps my needles flat.
And I can keep several
as these needles are size 10 milliners.
And they are really thin, and they often break.
And I don't take the whole project with me.
I just take what I think I can do in one sitting.
I prefer to use clips instead of pins.
And before I take it out in the world,
I give it a toss test
both shut and open.
And I'm pleased to say that this one passes.
So in this project,
I am sewing the pieces together to make a block
that I sew the blocks together at home
as I feel the larger the work gets,
the higher the chance that they'll get damaged.
And I use this kit when I know that I will have 30 minutes
or more of sewing time.
These projects are more precious,
and I want to give them more focused attention.
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Similar to English paper piecing is applique.
And honestly, I use the exact same kit, except I use pins.
Or maybe you're working on a Dear Jane Quilt.
Their small size makes them perfect for sewing on the go.
Labels can be a combination
of English paper piecing and embroidery.
This is also great to do while sewing on the go.
So when the quilt is finished,
your label is also ready to go.
You can also hand sew and bind smaller projects,
such as mug rugs, or mini quilts, and pillows.
And making these projects is a great way to improve
your handcraft techniques.
And no matter where you are in the world,
whether inside or outside,
you'll always be able to sew on a button.
And trust me, when it's your bank manager's button,
you get some really good service.
This week on Karen's Quilt Circle,
I spoke with Zakiyah Pierce from Cosy Quilts For Scholars.
And we talked about making quilts for young adults
in need heading off to college.
I'll leave a link in the notes to that video.
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and of course, my website at justgetitdonequilts.com.
So take care, and I'll see you next time.