Making an adorable Travel Needle Kit with felt

All week I’ve been having fun with felt. Yesterday I made a forget-me-not pin cushion and today I’m making a really unique folded Travel Needle Kit with Kunin Rainbow Classic Felt and DMC Embroidery Floss. Follow along with me and discover how easy it is to make this cute and very useful kit to enable you to have handy needles, pins, and more with you on your travels this summer. If you’re like me sewing/crafting/quilting is a part of me that I cannot part with, so travel sewing supplies are essential.

I did sew this with a sewing machine, but you could also make this little kit completely by hand.

• Free pattern download available here
• Kunin Rainbow Classic Felt – I used lavender, ivory and pink
• small scrap of fabric 8″ x 8″
• DMC Embroidery Floss – I used sage green
• UNIQUE Crewel/Embroidery Needles size 3-9
• KAI Embroidery Scissors
• UNIQUE Sewing Pearl Head Pins
• Klassé Quilting Flat Head Pins
• UNIQUE Sewing Blue Wash-out Pen
• fabric scissors.
• small piece of ribbon 2″ x ¼”
• small button to match
• sewing machine (optional, this can be done by hand as well)
• sewing thread to match
• beads (optional)

1. Download the free pattern here.

2. Cut out and pin the pattern to the fabric scrap (inside of kit). Trace the pattern piece onto the fabric with a UNIQUE Sewing Wash-Out blue Marker and cut it out.

3. Using the free downloadable pattern, cut out the Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt with KAI 7100 Embroidery Scissors. I find the blade from these scissors sharp from top to tip and they cut through the felt like butter creating a precise cut.

4. Cut 1 piece of ivory Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt 4″ long x 1¾” wide and 1 piece 3¾” long x 1½” wide for the needle book inside the needle kit. Cut a piece of ribbon for button closure approximately 2″ long.

5.  Fold the ribbon in half and pin it towards the inside of the fabric on the top flap as shown below and sew ⅛” from the edge with a hand basting stitch or a machine stitch, stitch over the ribbon a least twice.

6.  Lay the right side of the fabric against the Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt (lavender) and sew ¼” all the way around leaving a 2″ turning gap as shown. Snip curves and corners close to seam line with KAI Embroidery Scissors. This will help it turn to the right side without puckers.

7. Turn the needle kit right side out through the gap.

8. Press the needle kit and slip stitch the opening closed.

9. Sew lines as shown below on the center of the needle kit. This will help with the folding of the needle kit.

10. Draw a straight line with a UNIQUE Sewing Wash-out Marker on the bottom of the square to close in the square. Lay the ivory pieces of felt (for the needlebook) centered over the marked line. Draw another line on top of the 2 pieces of ivory felt. Pin in place ready to sew.

11. Sew across the marked line, stitching the needlebook to the outside of the Travel Needle Kit.

12. It’s time to embellish the Needle Kit (better known as the fun time!). Using the free downloadable pattern cut out 5 pink petals for the flower from Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt in light pink as shown below.

13. Thread a 12″ length of sewing thread and make a large knot on the end of the thread. String the petals with thread as shown below. Cinch them close together and tie a knot so the petals will hold together.

14. Sew the flower to the front of the kit as shown and embellish with lazy daisy stitches and DMC Embroidery Floss in sage green and sew or glue beads to the center of the flower with Hi-Tak No-Sew Fabric Glue as shown.

15. Sew on some beads – this is optional but the raindrop effect gives it a nice shine.

16. To fold the needle kit, fold the side flaps towards the center first and then the bottom and the top. Sew a button to the bottom front side of the needle kit, fold the top front down and loop the ribbon over the button as shown.

17. What to put inside my new Travel Needle Kit? I like to wrap sewing thread around a DMC Thread Floss Bobbin and put it in my kit, buttons in a petite jewelry bag, always needles, pins, and a safety pin. Don’t forget the needle threader and tiny fold-up scissors and you’re ready for any sewing emergency. This all fits inside the Travel Needle Kit. It’s spacious yet small, pretty, and practical.

I encourage you to try and make one a Travel Needle Kits. For those of you who are into hand applique, English paper piecing, or simply sewing practical, you’ll love this kit.

Tomorrow, I’ll show a very simple ½ hour project using Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt.

It’s summer fresh and practical on Friday’s menu. Come on back tomorrow and enjoy a felt project that’s the easiest ever.