Travel Sewing Case Tutorial

For on-the-go sewing, keep all your tools  tidy in this zip-up travel case. Travel Sewing Case Project. 

 Whether you’re heading to a local quilting class or want a tool organiser to take with you on weekend breaks, we have you covered!

Seam allowances are 0.5cm unless otherwise stated.

MATERIALS
◆ 2 fat quarters Dashwood Studio Paper Meadow by Jilly P
◆ 30cm-square grid mesh 
◆ fat quarter Vlieseline Style-Villa foam interfacing 
◆ fat eighth Vlieseline H630 fusible wadding 
◆ fat eighth Vlieseline S133 fusible interfacing 
◆ fat eighth Vlieseline G740 fusible woven interfacing 
◆ 61cm grey open-ended zip
◆ 180cm black & white bias binding
◆ medium wooden button
◆ 13cm-square grey wool felt
◆ 25cm thick round elastic 
◆ air-erasable marker

 ASSEMBLY
1. Cut a 38x24cm piece of your outer fabric and around the corners. Cut slightly larger pieces of Style-Vil and S133 interfacings. 

2. Fuse the interfacing to the foam and attach the fabric to the foam side using along machine-basting stitch. Trim the interfacings back to the same size as the fabric. 

3. Cut two 17x24 cm pieces to make the inside front and back and a 6x24cm piece for the spine. 

4. Working on the left side of the inner section, trim the mesh to 18x24cm and bind the top edge with bias binding.

5. Align the mesh with the bottom of the left-hand side lining and pin. Round the top and bottom corners and attach the mesh pocket to the lining. (See Pic A.) Use a half normal seam to baste or attach pockets so that the machine-basted stitches will be hidden in the seam.

6. Take the spine piece with RST, sandwiching the raw edge of the mesh pocket in between, and sew the seam. Open out and press. (See Pic B.) 

7. Working on the RS of the lining, trim the piece of grey wool felt to 10x12cm. Top-stitch it to the top-centre part of the lining. (See Pic C.)

 8. To make the lined slip pocket, cut a 17x10cm piece of the outer fat quarter and fuse it to a piece of G740 interfacing of the same size. Cut lining fabric to the same size.

9. Lay the pocket outer and lining WST and bind the top edge with bias binding. Don’t worry about the raw edges; they will be hidden by  the binding.

10. Align the pocket with the bottom of the right-hand side lining and pin. Round the top and bottom corners and then baste on the pocket. (See Pic D.)

11. Attach the right-hand side lining to the spine. Press the inner lining and then fuse to the piece of H630 and trim. 

12. Halve the piece of elastic to make a big loop and secure it to the very bottom of the spine, inside the seam allowance. Sew the button 4cm down from the top and on the spine. The elastic must fit securely around the button. It will hold a few spools when threaded through the spool hole. 

 13. Lay the lining onto the outer and clip with binding clips. Stitch in the ditch on each side of the spine. 

14. Adding another couple of rows of stitching will help keep the spine  curve neatly and predictably around the thread holder. Baste around the edge to keep the layers together. Trim if necessary. 

15. Undo the zip and, folding the ends towards the outer edge, lay the zip around the edge and pin or clip with binding clips. Some small cuts on the curves corners will make it sit properly. Sew on the zip. 

16. Bind the raw edge with co-ordinating bias tape. Tuck under the ends  

17. Make a tab for the zipper end using a scrap of fabric, sewn to create a small bag. Shorten the zip if necessary and push the tab bag onto the end of it. Top-stitch around the tab to attach.