Travel Sewing Projects for Quilters

It’s finally summer vacation season! Where are you traveling this summer? Do your plans include a road trip? If you’re going to be sitting in a car for hours on end, do you have any crafty plans in mind? It’s tough to bring a large project like a quilt– even if you’re quilting by hand, a quilt can be bulky, warm, and hard to manipulate when you’re in a confined space. 

Two Travel-Friendly Projects

We have two road-tested projects to recommend and some suggestions to make great memories as you travel.  We’re talking quilty projects– though embroidery, knit, crochet, and other fiber projects can also be great candidates for road trips. Our suggestions are for hand-sewn projects that will keep your hands busy as the countryside passes by your window. 

Give one of these a try: English Paper Piecing Hexies or Quilt as You Go Rectangles. A great thing about both projects– you don’t have to have a plan in mind. Allow yourself to focus on one piece at a time. The focus and repetition is good for relaxing your brain while still keeping it active. You can listen to an audiobook or hold a conversation while sewing. 

Both projects allow you to work small and are simple and repetitive. They’re adaptable to many different finished projects, and they’re both great scrap busters. Ready to learn more? 

EPP Hexies

Have you tried English Paper Piecing? Maybe it’s time to give it a try. EPP Hexagon projects vary widely in their size, but they’re all based on the repetition of a simple hexagon. Make six hexies and sew them together into a flower and you’ve got a perfect decoration for a tote bag. Or make hundreds (over many years, probably) and use them to create a complete bed-sized quilt.  Here’s a tutorial to introduce the basics pf EPP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC-zsisnmNc


If you save up enough hexies, you can make a quilt like this example!

QAYG Rectangles

Quilt As You Go refers to the practice of making multiple small quilt sandwiches complete with batting, quilting, and binding, then joining these pieces to form a larger decorative or functional piece. We like this video introduction to QAYG:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v5MGHxD5Tw

Once you pick a project, you’ll need to gather your tools and supplies. For either project, you need mostly the same items. For fabric, precut as much as you can before you leave. If you have room, you can toss in a small cutting mat, rotary cutter, and your cutting template in your suitcase so you can cut more fabric while you’re on the road. In addition to fabric you will need: 

• Needles

• Pins (or clips) 

• Thimble 

• Thread (plus wax)

• Needle threader 

• Reading glasses

• Thread trimmer (or small scissors)

For EPP hexies, you’ll also need

• Paper template pieces

• Sewing glue pen

For QAYG, add these to your bag:

• Batting

• Seam roller (and a lap-sized hard surface to press your folds)

Make Fabric Memories!

While you have fabric on the brain and in your hands, consider adding some fabric shopping to your trip. This is a special way to commemorate your trip. Look for these shopping opportunities:

• Quilt shops. Look for fabric that reminds you of highlights of your trip. Did you spend a day at the lake with grandkids? Look for colors that match the kids’ floaties. 

• Antique shops. When you visit antique shops, keep an eye out for vintage linens. Look for lightweight wovens. You might even find embroidered bits of ladies’ hankies, pillowcases, napkins and tablecloths that you can include. Also look at tea towels/dish towels, which often feature decorative motifs. 

• Thrift shops. If you’re already a thrift shopper, you know that thrifting is hit-and-miss. Selections vary every day, but if you enjoy spending some time browsing the racks, you can often find unique treasures for a great price. Look for cotton wovens in two spots:

• Domestics: tablecloths, napkins, curtains, pillowcases, etc. 

• Men’s button-down shirts- men’s oxfords in cotton and flannel can be fun additions to a project. Again, look for colors and patterns that remind you of your trip. 

Next, If you want to work with these new-to-you fabrics during your trip, give them the sniff test to see if they need a wash. You won’t need to launder new fabric from the quilt shop (unless you like to preshrink your fabric), but the vintage and thrifted fabrics might benefit from a wash.

Tips for Sewing on the Road

• Take a break every 30 minutes to stretch your hands, wrists, arms, and neck. 

• Every 10 minutes, give your eyes a break from closeup focus by looking around for a few minutes.  

• Don’t pack anything you’d be crushed to lose. Those beautiful embroidery snips you love? Leave them at home. Toss in a thread trimmer or a spare pair of cuticle scissors instead. 

We hope this inspires you to pick up a new project this summer! Visit Quilters Quest to stock up on fabric and supplies for your trip. Stop in today or visit us online anytime!