Travel season is upon us, whether by plane, train, or automobile. And that means travel sewing kits! Today, I’m sharing my best tips for packing a sewing kit for taking projects on the road.
The Projects
The best kinds of projects for travel sewing are those that are done by hand. And the possibilities are endless! If there’s an EPP, embroidery, or appliqué project you’ve had your eye on, now’s the time to bring it to life. To keep your project as portable as possible, EPP projects should be in the beginning stages of piecing subunits together. Appliqué is best packed a block or two at a time, depending on the complexity. Embroidery – including cross stitch – is also fair game if you can fold it up and put it away easily. So, let your creativity flow and pack a project that excites you!
The Tools
This is the easy part, though I’m sure you’re wondering what dental floss has to do with a travel sewing kit! I promise I’ll get there.
First, you want to ensure you have plenty of needles on hand suited for your project. It’s the worst getting on the road to see you brought sharps when you really needed a rounded needle for cross stitch. But here's a tip to keep you organized and prepared: if you pack several kits by project, it’s easier to pack the right tools in each bag as well. This way, you can just grab your project of choice off the shelf and throw it in your bag, feeling confident that you have everything you need.
Next up are thread snips and dental floss! Depending on how you’re traveling, throwing a small set of thread snips into your bag should be good enough. But we’ve all heard the horror stories of travel security confiscating our beloved tiny scissors for safety. If you have a pair that you just can’t part with, throw a canister of dental floss in your sewing kit. You can use the cutting blade for cutting your thread. And you can maintain excellent dental hygiene on your trip!
Now’s the time to consider any other tools you might need for your project. Depending on your pain threshold, you probably want to grab a thimble. Bee’s wax is also great for ensuring your thread is gliding through the fabric with ease. I recommend spending about 5-10 minutes working on your project before you consider your kit final just to be sure you’ll have everything you need.
The Storage
This can sometimes be the best part – picking out a pouch or bag to store your project in. Consider both the project and your destination when picking this out. If you’re going to be stitching poolside, you’ll likely want a waterproof bag so you don’t have to worry about it getting soaked when you pack it away and dive in. A bag with storage pockets is probably best if you’re working on an EPP or appliqué project with tiny parts. You’ll also want to pick something that will fit easily in your purse or backpack, so it’s handy when you need it but easy to tuck away when you don’t.
The Launch
The hardest choice you should have right now is picking a project to take with you! Whatever you decide to work on, I hope you have a great trip. We’ll be right here when you get back. 😉
