On the road again…!  Heading to Houston for Fall Market and Festival!  (Booth #1232 for both!). I stopped for the night in Oklahoma and psyched I’m getting close to Texas!  Being on the road with all my quilt things means the car is loaded to the brink.  I actually have brought a sewing machine along.  I have a few last minute bindings to add to my samples.  Yes, those I showed last week.  This brings me straight to my tips.  Do you travel with a sewing machine?  By car?  By air?  How do you pack it?  My travel machine of choice is my Singer Featherweight.  They have a nifty case and are very lightweight.  If going by car, whenever possible…

Tip #1 – strap your sewing machine in the car with a seatbelt!

I really do this if I don’t have it wedged in with other luggage.  I also, put plenty of packing material, a.k.a fabric, to help is stay put in the case.  How about on a plane?  I have packed a machine in a suite case but be very careful and pack it compact so it doesn’t have any wiggle room.  If carrying it on and putting it in the overhead compartment, be advised that they will probably want to examine it after it goes through the bag x-Ray.  So be ready to repack it!

…and what about a cutting mat, and rulers.  I travel with those as well.

Tip #2 – Lay the mat as flat as you can.  Or stand it up with plenty of protection to keep it straight and flat.

The FLAT MAT bag is perfect for travel.  It was purposely designed without a box bottom so the mat fits snug and flat in the bag.  The pattern can be found on my website.  wendtquilting.com. And be sure you don’t leave it in a sunny hot car or extreme cold.  It will warp and/or crack.

Flat Mat – D.W.

No matter how you pack them, ENJOY the trip!

in quilting,

Debbie