Do you like creative stitching projects that can be made in an evening or less? You’re in for a treat! In part two of the TV series, Travel Gear Made Easy, and this week’s featured online video, guest Mary Mulari teaches how to quickly stitch travel gear for everyday travel or extended trips. Mary knows all about travel, but even more about making travel easy.
In part two of the TV show and in the book, Mary shares her easy zipper technique for the hidden zipper used to make the Travel Trio Bag Set (Pictured above). The clever recessed zipper adds style to this collection of bags.
A few weeks after Mary and I videotaped the Travel Gear Made Easy series, she sent me a package. Inside was my very own Travel Trio Bag Set. Aren’t the fabrics delightful!
Mary designed these bags for carrying electronic components, jewelry, or makeup. Plus, they nest together for gift-giving and for easy storage.
The gift package also included a Tie One on Tag. You can always find your luggage with this brightly colored tag tied to the handle. Choose two coordinating fabrics and a piece of clear vinyl to hold your identification info or business card.
Find even more projects in part two of the TV show and in the book, including these travel projects—great gifts for others and yourself!
Jewels & Treats Bag - As a smart traveler, you’ll find multiple uses for this round drawstring bag. With a pocket-divided circular insert, the bag becomes a jewelry carrier. As a simple lined and washable bag, it can be used to carry dry snacks and treats on the plane or in a lunch box, saving on the use of plastic bags. In other words, it’s a Jewels & Treats Bag!
The Possibility Bag - It’s possible to store travel-sized bottles upright for ease of travel. Turn a placemat or layers of fabric into this nifty holder. Make the bag for gals or guys. It’s a versatile style.
Hair Iron Holder - Travel in style with a curling iron or flat-iron in a quick-to-sew carrier made from a placemat. The bag’s lining is Teflon, so a hot iron can be stashed quickly after use. An outer pocket stores the cord or hairbrush, and the ribbon loop serves as a hanger. This great organizer will streamline your travels.
Tee Safe - We’d like to share a secret—you’re looking at a safe! Hanging underneath the jacket is a Tee Safe—a T-shirt with pocket sections sewn in the back. It’s a “made-easy” hiding place to use while traveling or for a college student’s dorm room. Tune in or buy the book to learn the easy construction details.
Mary also created a new embroidery design collection to coordinate with her book projects. Make the travel accessories from the book and add designs from the Travel Gear Made Easy Complete Design Collection to personalize and embellish your creations. There are over 30 embroidery designs, an alphabet for monograms, and three unique travel gear projects not included in the book.
Watch Sewing With Nancy
It’s our 30th anniversary year and we’ve designated November as National Sewing With Nancy Month! Later this month, you’ll find bonus projects on this blog and a chance to win lots—okay 30—prizes. So don’t miss a blog article!
You can watch my program on your local PBS Station or online at nancyzieman.com. There are 52 programs to watch online, on PBS or on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone.
Would you like to win a copy of Travel Gear Made Easy? Let me know your favorite travel gear project. We’ll choose a random winner from the comments from last week and this week’s Travel Gear Made Easy blog postings. The random winner will be announced on November 15.
In a previous blog I asked what sewing or quilting technique gave you the “willies.” The random winner is Joan Matson who said: I am a fan who must admit that I have not succeeded in mastering elastic! It’s such a simple and clever solution, but I flub it!
Joan will receive a copy of my book, Nancy Zieman’s Sewing A to Z, which is a compilation of my favorite tried-and-true sewing and quilting tips and techniques.
Bye for now,
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I love all of the fabrics used to make the bags. Where can I get some?
The fabrics Mary used are from Westminster Fibers. http://www.westminsterfabrics.com/
We will check if that fabric line is still available. Unfortunately, fabrics have a very short life!
The Trio of Travel Set is my favorite, but the zipper pulls and the Hot Iron Travel Pouch are great gift ideas also. I have 2 daughters and 2 daughters in-law who are each getting a complete “set” for Christmas.
Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of Travel Gear Made Easy.
Stella
It’s hard to pick just one favorite project, so I’d say for me it’s a toss-up between the Possibility Bag and the hair iron travel tote. All of them are such clever ideas!
I really love your videos, but that necklace is stealing my attention, It’s beautiful. I’d like to know where I could get one like it.
The necklace was a gift! Sorry that I can not help you with source.
Thank you for this blog.Six years ago a large outlet store in my town went out of business and of course they had a clearance sale.My D_I_L was an employee so she had a discount privilage. So we bought a ton of placemats and napkins.We made some purses,then set the bag full of them back as we had ran out of ideas and time what with baby girl to care for. Now we have time and THANKS to YOU I’m making bags and trays left and right.At last the stash can dwindle.OOps,I need more stuff! LOve ya.
As a brand new leaner of sewing & all the ‘new’ techniques, It’s hard for me to pick just one! I like them all & hope to make many to them. Thank-you ….Toni S. Warthan 11-9-12
I live the Travel Trio Bags with the recessed zippers. They are soo neat. Thanks for all you share with us.
I would love to make the jewelry bag and the tie on tags such a cute idea. Thanks for the chance.
I have been a tried and true follower of Nancy and also Mary Mulari! I have made many projects of yours, and now I’m quite keen to try the trio travel bags with the inset zippers. What a fabulous idea to use a t-shirt to ‘hide’ valuables. I still have my travel quilted zippered hanger cover which I used to hide my valuables during my travels. Brilliant idea.
Winnipeg, Canada
I love the Possibility Bag. I have already begun making 20 of them as Christmas gifts for the ladies (and 1 guy) that I work with. Quick to make. Easy to send. And I get to use up some of my fabric STASH!!! And that makes them FREE.
This is one of those “Why didn’t I think of that” moments. The Hot Iron Travel Pouch and the Trio of Travel Set plus the personalized luggage tag are all perfect items yet it took you and Mary to make the light go on. I love the choice of fabrics Mary chose. I would love to win a copy of Travel Gear Made Easy, but if I’m not the lucky winner…I will still be making these items for my personal use and as gifts. Thank you, once again Nancy & Mary….what a great team.
The more I see the more I want to make all of them but I think my favorite is the trio of travel bags.
Some great ideas, but I especially liked the Travel Trio Bags; thanks!
I love everything Mary Mulari does. These travel gear ideas are so cool. My favorite is the Travel Trio Bag Set. I’m always looking for gift ideas and I really like this one. It looks easy to personalize also. Thanks for keeping the good ideas coming.
I love the travel trio bag set . . . no wait my favorite is the hair iron holder . . . no its the Tie One on tag. Oh who am I trying to kid – I love all of your projects in “travel Gear Made Easy. You always have such beautiful and useful projects. Thak you!
Mary makes it hard to choose, but the possibilities bag would be great for the B P cuff whose bag wore out and needs to be replaced.
I can’t choose because I like them all.But if I have to choose I think I would pick the possibility bag.It will make a nice gift and fill it with the little bottles of whatever to suit the person you are giving it to.
I especially like the “Jewels and Treats” bag since it would also make a great sewing kit for college students or anyone traveling and needing to put on a button or mend a falling hem. The pockets would hold thread, pins, needles, small scissors, etc., very nicely.
I love the idea of the jewelry tote also could be used for snacks while traveling . How clever & so green!
Thanks Nancy & Mary !!
I like the hair iron holder.
The Travel Trio Bags just barely edged out the Possibilities Bag. I really like those recessed zippers!
My favorite Travel Gear project would be The Possibility Bag because there would be endless uses for this great bag. Thank you for the great giveaway.
Love the possibility bag!! And everything else too! I am excited to make these projects. I’m thinking quick and easy Christmas gifts!
I love the “Tie One On’ tags … certainly a classier solution to finding your luggage compared to my frayed yellow scrap of fabric!