Guest Author - Cheryl Ellex

What a great way to use up those valuable fabric leftovers – sew your own travel accessories! The possibilities are endless: totes, security pouches for valuables, shoe protectors, jewelry protectors, lined insulated make-up bags, car organizers, seatbelt pads, money belt, jewelry and travel ID, ticket and passport pouches, travel toolkit, sewing toolkit, luggage tags, baby diaper/wipes petite carryall, even a first-aid kit are just a few of the sewing ideas just in time for the summer travel season.

The following links, many with free project instructions for personal use or charity, may help you get started on sewing travel accessories. As always, please honor respective copyrights.

How to Sew a Bag, Purse or Tote from Squidoo.

Car Organizer from Simplicity pattern 3731, and Duffle bag, Tote and Accessories from Simplicity pattern 5535

Diapers and Wipes Case to sew from Jan Andrea for those traveling with infants.

Felt Sewing Book from Martha Stewart Living to keep travel sewing supplies organized.

Shoe Bags from Martha Stewart Living are easy to sew.

Travel Jewelry Case from Baby Lock Projects keeps jewelry protected in luggage.

Luggage Handle Wrap from Baby Lock Projects to personalize your luggage.

Luggage Identification Tags from Janome are simple and delightful to make.

Aeropac with vinyl pocket from Studio Kat Designs to keep documents, credit cards, currency, room keys, passport, and airline tickets safely and discretely close to you when traveling.

Travel Ironing Pad Ensemble from Husqvarna Viking includes a special carrier for your iron and portable soft ironing surface.

When you return from your travels, preserve your travel memories by scrapbooking on fabric! A few basic supplies are all you need. As a sewer you probably already have most of the basics: your fabric leftovers – cotton, linen, silk, denim, muslin, tea towels, and t-shirt materials work great, rotary-cutting tool and mat or sharp dressmaking scissors, fusible web and interfacing, hand sewing needles, straight pins, fabric glues for attaching embellishments, and inkjet fabric sheets for your inkjet printer or make your own with fabric-printing and photo transfer products to prepare fabric to make your printouts permanent (Bubble Jet Set 2000 and Bubble Jet Rinse for example).

Author Susan Hale’s Memories on Fabric from C&T Publishing, Inc. is a great new how-to, full-color book containing a world of information on scrapbooking on fabric and nine projects for inspiration. Fat quarter friendly and instructions included. Also included in this delightful book are detailed instructions on how to print/copy on pretreated fabric sheets, embellishments, how to hang and display the completed projects and many more special techniques.

Sew happy, sew well.

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