Travel Handmade gets out of hand

Honestly, two weeks ago, I did not have plans to make anything at all for Sewing Summit. But then all of my sewing friends on Twitter and Instagram started posting one great project after another, and suddenly I need to sew all of the things.  It’s like I’m on some kind of crafting bender. So, here’s what I’ve been up to since last week.

There’s the jewelry roll, made using a great tutorial from Fiberosity. I used some much-beloved and hoarded Heather Ross fabrics (because I get to keep it for myself, haha), and it was the first time I’d ever done bias binding, which only makes me love striped bindings even more. I varied ever so slightly from the tutorial – I put some lightweight interfacing on the single-layered pockets because I worried about earrings poking through that gorgeous fabric, and I did the topstitching lines to create the pockets without the back fabric attached, because I didn’t want to see those sewing lines on the exterior.

I think I know what I’m making all of my female relatives for the holidays this year.

Up next, I saw this easy-peasy skirt tutorial from Whipstitch. I really do like skirts, and I liked the idea that this one was somewhat fitted. Unfortunately, my first attempt (at 4:00 in the morning because I had gone to bed too early and was wide awake in the middle of the night) was a little TOO fitted. As in, wouldn’t actually pull up over my butt. Oops. Too bad, I really liked that print. Anyone in maybe a size 10-12 range want a mostly-finished skirt? I’ll even hem it for you.

Later in the afternoon, I made it again but enlarged the pattern by several inches. What can I say, I’m not a small girl. Anyways, this one fit perfectly and I love the way it looks. I’ll definitely wear it in Salt Lake.

Late last night, I decided I absolutely needed a circle zip earbud pouch. Like, NEEDED. As I said, crafting bender. It got a little crazy.

OK, I made one for my husband, too. Good thing each one only takes 10-15 minutes.

And then, this afternoon, I finished a big honking quilted tote bag to carry all of my projects and shopping spoils when I’m in Salt Lake City.  I started with a quilt block I had, lingering in a stack from a long-forgotten bee. I quilted it with batting but no backing fabric for the outer portion of the bag. It’s lined in a solid aqua, and even has a zippered pocket on the inside so I don’t lose my phone in the bottom of this cavernous bag.

Best of all, 100% of this stuff was fabric and materials I already had on hand. For the last month or so, I’ve been trying very hard not to buy any fabric. I know it’s going to be a free-for-all at the fabric shop hop in Utah, so I’m trying to save my money and my fabric-buying karma until then.

I leave for Sewing Summit in 10 days. I’d like to say I’m going to be all done with the crazy sewing projects. But who knows when I might find the need for another little zippered bag…