Do you love sewing retreats? I totally do! Make your own quilt kits. Save time and brain power while at your sewing retreats. Plus, there’s a free quilt planner printable for the quilt kit!
During the year I try to go on a few and lucky for me I know a few others who love the same idea, so we get together and make it happen.
This was my experience most recently– yeah, I forgot my sewing machine cord. Don’t worry though, it turned out ok.
Before heading there though I took a little bit of time to do a few things. Today, I’m sharing my strategy for preparing for a sewing retreat and how I get what I’d like done.
Let’s take the guess work out of what project you want to do, what supplies or materials you need and all of that. We have better things to do (like sew)…. we don’t want to sit in the chair keeping it warm with our forgetfulness. We need help! (at least I do). We need something that we can refer to, reminding us what we have and what we’d like to sew.
Make your own quilt kits~
This is seriously the best hint I could give or was given. No one says the stores are the only ones who are allowed to put together quilt kits. You know you can too?! Oh yeah. This is how~
Download the Quilt Kit Printable here (it’s in the quilt library here)
1) review the materials list
2) gather the listed materials you need and place them in a bag. This clear zipper bag is perfect for this kind of thing.
3) INSIDE the zipper bag, place your pattern, notes you have written or ideas you have that will be needed to complete. Something like- what size, what color goes where. You don’t have to make those kind of decisions there.
There is a lot of distractions and you might end up with the wrong color in a weird place. So- make notes and keep them WITH the kit. That way you won’t find one without the other and then be digging through your pile looking for the pair.
Now you can take these little quilt kits and store them on your shelf or in a container or something. The next time you are looking for a quick something to sew, you can grab one of the kits you have put together and you are ready to go.
This is great for sewing dates with friends that you aren’t prepared for!
Do you make your own kits? What works for you? Share it here!
Becky Jorgensen is the creative quilter behind Patchwork Posse, the Patchwork Planner and her online quilt group Patchworkers Plus. You can find her patterns in books, magazines, and her quilt membership. Gather your quilting supplies, organize your sewing space, explore the process of disappearing quilt blocks, or finish a free quilt pattern. I'll help you use what you have, finish what you start and make your quilting journey fun!
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Hi,
Such a great idea – thank you. I’m intrigued by the plastic bag with a fabric zipper top. Do you happen to have a pattern available for those?
Susan- thanks for asking! Here is a link to the tutorial so you can make your own. Perfect for making the size you need.
https://www.patchworkposse.com/clear-bag-tutorial/
Hi there Becky, the link for the Quilt Kit printable isn’t working. Thank you for the information, this will be well use in my sewing room/classes.
Thank you somuch for everything you do
I even go so far as to pre-cut the fabric. That way I am ready to sew, sew, sew at the drop of a presser foot. I’m also less likely to get distracted by conversation and chocolate and mis-cut if I’m cutting in the privacy of my own home.
A group of us have been going to a quilt retreat at a camp for the last 15 years. About 10 years ago one of us made up a “retreat list” of the important things to bring. We also have to take our own bedding and towels, so believe me this has saved us a lot of “troubles” over the years as someone would forget towels, bedding, sewing cords, sewing pedals, etc. It is an excellent idea to have one that you need to bring the same things to every time you go.
As I go through my books of patterns I bookmark those I want to make, then when I need a break from the machine, I gather the pattern & fabrics so as not to use them for something else. (has happened in the past, and I use mostly OOP fabrics.)
When I feel like just cutting fabric, I pull out a “kit” and cut all the block pieces called for, and enough fabric for borders & binding. This way the only thing missing is backing and the batting.
I always have several ready to go for when the need to take a break from a large project strikes.
This also works for when a large project with lots of little 4 or 9 patch blocks are needed. Cutting fabric for those and using them as leaders/enders makes the work less tedious.
MaryAnn