Travel Sewing Kit {part 1}

Remember a couple weeks ago when I was complaining about needing a travel sewing kit? Well over Christmas vacation, I launched into it. My key items were bag for notions and fabric, bag for machine, easy way to carry all small notion-like items, and something for cutting/ironing. Not a lot right? And it needs to be decently portable. Ok so. First, I set out on an easy task, make a pin cushion.

I got this cute pattern by Little Jaybird Quilts for Christmas for a quick and easy one, so I thought, hey, lets do this.

hello awesome instagram photo!

Ummm.....my pin cushion is huge. Good I guess, but huge nevertheless. I also chose to weight it because I HATE when you try to put a pin in a pincushion, and it tries to get away from you. Huge pet peeve. It was rather simple and easy to adapt to any pincushion pattern. Just sew a little pouch, fill it with rice or lentils or beans, and insert when you are stuffing your pincushion. Boom!

Next was my carry/organizing device for my notions.

This, I am proud to say, I created and designed by myself. I know there are many versions of it out there in the world, but this particular one used no pattern at all. Yay creativity! My main needs were zip pockets for small things (needles, bobbins, pins, thread, binding clips, ext) and sleeve pockets for my rotary cutter and scissors.

Great success! It is super cute when it is all folded up too!

Now, last time I was in Columbia, I bought my super cute teeny tiny cutting mat. I also had plans to make a tiny ironing board using a small piece of wood, an old towel, fabric, and a staple gun. However, I received this awesome Omnigrid cutting mat and ironing board for Christmas, and so the homemade ironing board got put on the back burner.

This sucker is cool and I can't help but love it more than I probably would my homemade ironing board. It is so portable with its ability to fold up and convenient little handle. Yep, its awesome. It comes in a couple sizes, mine being the largest one I think. If you are considering purchasing something like this, it is worth every penny.

O, and um, if you can't tell or didn't notice, I'm back in my hotel. Lots of free sewing time this shift to finish up the scrappy trip along and my travel sewing bags!