Sewing With Nancy

Traveling across the country, to the other side of town or even to work we all need gear to organize our stuff. This program kicks off our mini series on "Travel Gear Made Easy." I'd like you to welcome back Mary Mulari who has designed quick and easy yet very classy travel gear projects. Great to have you back, Mary. Thanks, Nancy. These are fun and easy projects that I'll be happy to share. Our first project is the roll-up travel blanket. Loop the strap over the extension handle of a carry-on suitcase and store reading material or maps in the flap pockets. When it's time for a nap unroll it to an adult-sized blanket. "Travel Gear Made Easy" that's what's coming up next on Sewing with Nancy. Sewing with Nancy, &nbspcelebrating30 years of sewing and quilting with Nancy Zieman

is made possible by

Baby Lock, a complete line of sewing, quilting and embroidery machines and sergers. Baby Lock, for the love of sewing. Madeira, specializing in embroidery, quilting and special-effect threads because creativity is never black and white. Koala Studios, fine sewing furniture custom-built in America. Clover, makers of sewing, knitting quilting and embroidery products for over 25 years. Experience the Clover difference. Amazing Designs and Klass needles. Mary's roll-up blanket has a lot of unique features and storage areas. That's it, Nancy. Here in the pocket, we can store our boarding passes or maps in these pockets on the front. There's one on the back, as well. But unroll it, and then the feature comes through. That's right. We'll undo the hook and loop tape and show you how the blanket is nice and large. It can be any size. But here, also, on the back of this flap is another pocket. That opens and closes, and could hold some more of your treasures. Now, the blanket itself is 1-1/3 of a yard of fleece, so it's 48" x 60". It has a unique finish. The edging, first of all, is cut with a rotary edge cutter with a pinking or a wave blade. I like to round out the corners. You'd use a tool or a guide to round it out. Then after that, you just turn the edge back 1/2". Here, the edge has been sewn. It's 1/4" in from the edge. I think it's 1/2". The fold is 1/2", and the seam is at 1/4". The edge is a fold, and we're going to cut the fold off. When you told me about this I thought, well, what a clever idea. Because often, that fold gets worn. But now we just trim it off. It has a unique look and it gives a little trim effect. Right, and there's a little bit of depth and interest there, as well. It is. You can make this blanket any size but 1-1/3 yard is workable. That flap has all of the special details worked into it. We have the pieces here that I'll get ready. We start with a front and a back, 9" x 12". We cut a front and a back. We also cut a lining. Our next sample shows that we're using that same curve tool to cut the corners. Here's our lining. I like a light colored lining. Here's our back for this pocket flap. You may want to point out to our viewers that we've added fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the outer and the inner pocket. Right, that's to give this a little bit of extra stability. After we've got these pieces cut we're going to take out a zipper. You can use any size you'd like. That zipper is going to be placed 3" below the straight top edge of the front pocket. Just topstitch it into place with two rows of topstitching on each flap. You like to use the left needle position. I do, yes. I think that way, I can use my standard presser foot. You can see how easy that was to stitch with moving the needle position. You can't get into that zipper. That's right, we have to do something about that. So on the back, we're going to cut away the fabric that's between the stitching lines. Now we have a zipper opening in the fabric. Presto, that's a fast zipper. I think this is a great way to take the fear out of zipper sewing. Now, the under-flap, you have another zipper but in a different position. Yes, this one is 1-1/2" below the top curved edge of the backside. In our next sample, we have that same zipper sewn in but there's an additional piece of hook and loop tape that's sewn in the space above the zipper. Before we start assembling this we're going to make a handle. In the book that accompanies today's program you'll get these great instructions. It's 3" x 14", I think. That's right. We're going to sew that fold in place. Then we're going to position the ends which we'll fold in about an inch. We're going to stitch that to only the top layer of our pocket extension. Now the sandwiching begins. Right, we put all of the layers together. We have the lining, our pink lining and the handle sewn into the front. That lining just goes between those layers. Then you can add your favorite binding technique. Just bind that edge. Yes, 2-1/2" wide. This flap is centered on the top of the blanket. The top edge is folded under. Then, to have a matching mate to this hook and loop tape, you stitched from one end. That's right, it's 11" from the-- We have to refold this! Here it is. That's what closes the flap on the blanket. So, a little stitching, a little topstitching, and it's done. Combine small pieces of fabric with ponytail elastic to create user-friendly zipper pulls. It's easy as 1-2-3. This quick project also adds a special decorative touch to other travel accessories and garments. You can see we got the roll-up blanket back together. We want to point out the accessory to the blanket. These zipper pulls are elasticized thanks to the ponytail holders. They help to identify bags. We used scraps to make them. Here are some scraps to start out with. Maybe leftover from the blanket project. I circled part of my large design for the shape, as a guide. I cut it leaving an extra amount of fabric beyond the line. I also have a backing. This fleece works as the filler or the batting for the quilt. Right. You sew along the circle, leaving an opening as you can see, about a generous inch. Right, and then I also pink, or use a rotary edge there to get rid of some of the seam allowance. The hardest thing is turning this right side out. Right! But after doing that, you have the opening and then your favorite hair accessory. That's right, Nancy. I would tuck the ends of that inside. Then I would stitch over the top, topstitching and secure that ponytail elastic. You can see that you can personalize these. If you really wanted to, you can make them super fast. This is a faux suede fabric. It doesn't ravel. That's right, the green between is our filler. We just layered the pieces, right sides together stuck in the ponytail holder and then trimmed it. You'd have to trim it a little carefully here. What a great way. Let's show our final how you just loop it through the opening of the zipper the lower opening and you have a great accessory to find the zipper. When it's folded up this tote won't take much room in your suitcase. Cleverly tucked inside the base is a roomy tote which can be used for laundry, shopping or as a beach bag. This program may be called "Travel Gear Made Easy" but it could have an easy name, "Travel Gear So Clever." You can put this little package in your suitcase in the bottom of your tote and make it expand into another tote. That's right, we'll open it up to show how it's actually sized. It has some handles, which are an option. It also has a double drawstring. There's a pocket on the front which you could add if you like. The base is what we're going to show first. It's also going to be used in the next technique. Mary, the size? The size is 6" x 11", and we cut two pieces of fabric. One of them has some interfacing just for a little extra stability for the fabric. The little ends are made, first from a rectangle. 6" x 6-1/2". It's folded in half, so it's 3" x 6-1/2". You stitch the ends. These are short seams. Then it's very easy to cut this in half. Ta-dah! We're going to turn these right side out forming a triangle. These become the points of our base. Here we have them pressed. On one piece of fabric, one layer, you've placed the ends. That's right, and the seams are facing upward. Then we grab our second layer of the tote base and we're going to sew these together. You sandwich the layers. Sew around the edges, and leave an opening so you can turn this right side out. It's fast when you have four step-by-step samples. Right. Here you go. We add some hook and loop tape to the ends. Be sure and sew that one opening closed. That's the base, nice and secure. The fabric tote itself is a pretty simple size. Right, it's 17" x 18" and two pieces of fabric are cut. Keep in mind that the book that accompanies today's program has all the details if you didn't get them all written down 17" x 18". The 17-inch edge is on top. We're going to sew the edges just like we'd normally sew a bag but we're going to leave a small opening toward what would be the top of the bag. The opening, as you can see, is only about 1/2" or 3/4". It's two inches from the top. That's for the casing for our drawstring. On both sides, you'll leave that little opening. To get that nice base so that it meets the base that we just made we're going to fold these corners. I'll let you do that, Mary. We're going to bring a point to form a triangle, just like that. Point on point, stack the seam. Then we'll measure across. Here we have this pre-pinned. We measure a line, five inches across. We want that length. Then we're going to sew across to form box corners, really, on our tote. Do that on both sides but don't trim off this excess fabric. That's right. Because it gives a little extra weight. We have your next step then, with more stitching. Now, here it is turned right side out. But then that little hook and loop tape is needed so that we're going to now match. This is where the fun starts where you're going to match the box corner of the tote to the base. We're going to reach on the inside and pin it. This is four-handed pinning. You can probably do it with two hands! Right. But I can pin from the outside. You're matching the box together. Then we're going to stitch this. The easiest way to stitch is to turn the bag inside out. At the machine, you can see how the bag is almost nested around the needle. As I'm stitching I'm stitching just inside the base to attach the base and the tote together. After you've done that, Mary, we need add some drawstrings because you need to close it. I'm fond of shoelaces, Nancy, if I find interesting ones. I use this bodkin to run a lace through, around once. Then on the second side I do it again with my second shoelace so I have a double drawstring. If we look at the finished sample you'll see that we can cinch that bag. If you'd like, you can add optional handles but that's totally up to you. What a fast tote with a clever design. The flap can be open or closed and you have a versatile tote. Use the same base as the fold-up tote to create a small kit for basic supplies for first aid, travel or mending. Travel smart with a supply side pouch. As I mentioned, you're going to use that same base, Mary. Here it is folded up again, with a button closure and a ponytail holder. It's open here, so we can see that there are two pockets. We put supplies inside, whatever it is that we need to be carrying with us maybe medicine, maybe cosmetics. Then hook and loop tape closes it up. The dimensions for the base are the same so you're going to have two pieces of fabric, 6" x 11". But instead of making this a pair of the prairie points for the end, you make two. Two sets. I like to make them out of different colors. Then, stack them, just as we did earlier but this time, you have two on both ends. The seams of these are both facing up. For the inside, we're going to have the same size the same base. Then for the little pouches, this is two inches wider so it's 8" x 11". Right, and that's going to have some depth to it so we can put in supplies. The ends are turned under one inch and pressed. Then we use some hair elastics, again. We cut those six inches long. We're going to gather up the edges of our pocket piece. Just sew the casing. Right, and then we've got that extra piece of fabric now pinned in place on the base. There's also a pleat formed in the center to take up some of that extra fabric. This is not rocket science. No, and we're stacking the two edges together the two fabrics and then sew them, just like we did before. When you turn it right side out, that's what it looks like. You have options, too. You could add embroidery to this. This is a great embroidery. You can see that you can stitch it onto the base or the sides before you do any of the construction. It's a cute little travel angel. The supply side tote has so many options that are useful, too. Save travel time and frustration by storing valuables in the gathering place tray made from a placemat. You'll be able to keep track of cell phones, cords keys, coins, jewelry, and more. When this tray is in use you can gather important items in one place. We call this "Travel Gear Made Easy" because you can travel with this tray flat. It takes very little room. After you get to your location and you want to organize your things this is what it looks like. You can see the shininess on the inside. Vinyl lining. You need a purchased placemat. Any size, really, will work but the traditional rectangular size is great. Then elastic hair elastic that you can get in pretty colors is what we like to cut into 3" lengths. You'll need four 3" lengths. That's what you're going to show us, first of all. Right, the first thing is to pin. We mark two inches in from the corner on all four sides of the placemat. Then I pinned over the ends. I leave a space between them and that's where I would stitch. The two pins hold the elastic in place. It is rather bulky. I flip this around, you covered the ends. These are 1/2" x 1" pieces of a faux suede fabric just to neaten up the look of the tray. Just topstitch those into place. You might see some other little markings, 2" markings 2" x 3/4", whatever it depends on the size of the button. Then you'd sew some buttons. You close it just by overlapping the edge. This is pretty easy to do, Nancy. The elastic goes over the top of the tray and it forms the edge. On the inside, we've marked two inches in. Then you cut a piece of vinyl 1/2" wider and 1/2" longer and tape it into place. Here's our taped area. Then you can stitch around this area using a roller foot or a non-stick foot. Then just simply wrap this together tie them together, and you have a tray. Need help remembering to fill your car with gas or to purchase milk? This colorful and visible wrap for the car steering wheel will save you from being stranded alongside the road. Ask me how I know this! With just a few rows of stitching this handy and practical accessory will solve problems and improve your memory. We saved the quickest and most clever idea for last, Mary. It's a simple project that's so helpful. On this side, this wraps around the steering wheel and shows you, in either case what you need to remember to pick up before you head home at the end of the day. We start with just two pieces of fabric and some interfacing. The size? 3-1/2" x 7-1/2". We basically put these two-- Nancy, I think I need to point out we choose brights for this because we want to be able to see this easily in the car. We used the wrap corner technique that we've shown on other Sewing with Nancy programs. Leave an opening along one side. Turn it right side out, and ta-dah! Add the hook and loop tape on one side at 1-1/2" below the top and the other at the bottom, on the same side of the fabric. You can embroider "gas" or milk" or do what you did on yours. I used a pen and just lettered with permanent marker on each side. So sewing projects can be very quick and helpful. Even when stitchers and quilters don't speak the same language communication can abound. My Nancy's Corner's guest found that out firsthand as she teaches Hmong women to quilt while they teach her, oh, so much more. Please welcome Martha Sumi. Martha is of Sew Sumi Quilt Designs. Welcome to Sewing with Nancy. Thank you so much, Nancy. When I heard your story I knew it was for Sewing with Nancy. Oh, thank you. It started out with a quilters newsletter. Yes, my quilt guild, Mad City Quilters had a newsletter. In the newsletter, there was an article saying that there was a group of Hmong women in Madison and that their group was in need of some sewing supplies and sewing machines. So I thought, I've got an extra machine I'd love to donate it. So I spoke with the coordinator who was collecting the materials. She was very clever and she said "Well, I'd love to have your donation but why don't you come out and meet these women and see who you're donating to." The hook was set. It's been such a lovely experience since then. I was showing them one of my quilts and one of them who had some English held it up and said, "You teach me to make?" I said, "Yes, I will teach you." You started by teaching the basic log cabin using foundation. These are your samples you work with. These are the samples. Because they don't speak much English and I certainly don't speak Hmong I teach them by showing them with a sample how things are actually made. A traditional American-style quilt block. Exactly, and what happens through the process of teaching them the western style is that they incorporate their own traditional styles. Here we have a very traditional, east or west, a star block. But the Hmong women make this in a very unusual way by folding fabric, making those corners and points and then appliquing it by hand. So they make this part, the star and then they added the more western style traditional log cabin block. The colorations are typical Hmong colorations. Yes, their color choices are just wonderful. I have to show you, because there's an Honorable Mention from a quilt show. Who made this? A woman named -- Vang made this. It's just charming. Then in the traditional Hmong culture they don't use patterns, you were telling me. This is a cross stitch embroidered piece traditional for a New Year's celebration. No, they don't have written patterns. They do it from memory. She had made these blocks 20 years ago and didn't know what to do with them. After she learned about making the log cabin she made this into a log cabin piece. It's lovely. We owe a lot to the Hmong culture. We do, and when I talk to people about who I'm teaching and what I'm doing they don't have a good understanding. The Hmong are here because during the Vietnam War era they were the troops on the ground in Laos for and on behalf of the United States. When things collapsed and the U.S. pulled out most of the Hmong were left behind. Now they're able to immigrate to the United States. There are about a quarter-million Hmong in America. You're learning from them, as well. Oh, so much, it's unbelievable. You told me that you work with an interpreter. Yes. Every Thursday, you work with them together at the women's center. It's in Madison, Wisconsin. It's a day program. The women who come there are so creative. They take the supplies that I'm able to offer them and they re-create. This is a very traditional Hmong cross stitch block. She's added things that we have taught and experimented with in terms of appliqu. Little, little stitching. This is very western, but at the same time very Hmong this particular pattern. The combination of fabrics is fascinating. It's stunning. They use whatever they have. Every Thursday, you teach but then it's reciprocal. I am invited for lunch. We have a delightful lunch. What a wonderful way to teach, Martha. Thanks for sharing these beautiful works of art. You can see that creativity has no boundaries cultural or geographic. That's exactly right. If you'd like to learn more about the program that Martha teaches, you can go to NancyZieman.com where you'll find all things Sewing with Nancy whether it's re-watching the program. You can watch this program again 52 of our shows are there. If you click on Nancy's Corner you'll be able to go to Martha's website and then be connected and read another story about the people that she works with and teaches. Thanks for joining us for this first program of "Travel Gear Made Easy." Bye for now. Mary Mulari has written a fully-illustrated book entitled "Travel Gear Made Easy" that serves as the reference for this two-part series. It's $14.99, plus shipping and handling. To order the book, call 1-800-336-8373.

Or visit our website at

sewingwithnancy.com/2612 Order item number MP42, "Travel Gear Made Easy." Credit card orders only. To pay by check or money order call the number on the screen for details. Visit Nancy's website at nancyzieman.com to see additional episodes, Nancy's blog, and more. Sewing with Nancy, &nbspcelebrating30 years of sewing and quilting with Nancy Zieman

has been brought to you by

Baby Lock Madeira Threads Koala Studios Clover Amazing Designs, and Klass Needles. Closed captioning funding provided by Oliso. Sewing with Nancy &nbspisa co-production of Nancy Zieman Productions and Wisconsin Public Television.