What's Inside My Travel EPP Kit
Megan FowlerI’ve started taking a small English paper piecing kit almost everywhere with me. It’s been to the neighborhood pool for afternoon swims, on road trips, and out to the couch when we’re watching a movie. I even brought it along to Under Canvas Mount Rushmore and worked on a few hexies while we sat around the campfire.
The whole kit fits inside a clear, hard-sided zipper case, which makes it easy to grab whenever I’m heading out the door. Everything has its place, I can see what I packed, and I don’t have to haul an entire sewing room along for the ride. My sewing room would probably come if I let it, but we’re practicing boundaries.
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Why I Keep a Quilting Kit Ready to Go
I love having a small project available for the margins of my day. A few minutes at the pool may be enough time to baste a couple of hexies. A quiet stretch in the car might be perfect for joining another piece. Those little bits of progress eventually add up, even when I’m not setting aside a full afternoon to sew.
It also gives me something to reach for besides my phone. I’m not pretending I’ve completely stopped scrolling, because let’s stay within the bounds of reality here. But when my EPP kit is nearby, it’s much easier to spend ten minutes stitching instead.
My current project uses 1½-inch hexagons cut from scraps. The loose plan is to keep making them until I eventually have a large hand-pieced quilt, which should take somewhere between two and twenty years. There’s no deadline and no pressure. I can simply keep adding to it whenever I have a little time.
What’s Inside My Travel EPP Kit
1. A Clear, Hard-Sided Zipper Case
My kit lives inside a medium Bliss Bin measuring approximately 7.87 inches x 9.84 inches x 2 inches. Unfortunately, the Bliss Bins are no longer being made, but you can find similar clear, hard-sided zipper cases that work just as well.
The clear sides make it easy to see what’s inside, while the structured shape protects my cutting tools and keeps everything from becoming one tangled little supply nest.
Shop a similar clear zipper case
2. OLFA 6" x 8" Cutting Mat
This tiny cutting mat is functional and extremely cute, which is really all I’m asking from most things in life. It’s small enough to fit inside the case but still gives me enough room to trim scraps and cut individual hexagons.
Shop the OLFA 6-inch x 8-inch cutting mat
3. OLFA 18mm Rotary Cutter
A tiny cutting mat deserves a tiny rotary cutter. The 18mm OLFA rotary cutter is easy to pack and gives me more control when cutting around the sides of the hexagon template.
Always close or lock the blade before returning the cutter to your case. Tiny does not mean harmless.
Shop the OLFA 18mm rotary cutter
4. Creative Grids 2½" x 4½" Quilt Ruler
The miniature Creative Grids ruler pairs perfectly with the small cutting mat. It’s handy for trimming scraps down to a manageable size, checking seam allowances, and making quick little cuts without packing a full-size ruler.
It’s also adorable. That isn’t technically a feature listed by the manufacturer, but it counts.
Shop the Creative Grids 2.5" x 4.5" ruler
5. A 1½" Hexagon Cutting Template
I use a clear 1½-inch hexagon template to cut fabric for my EPP pieces. Since my goal is to use scraps, I can trace or cut around the template whenever I find a piece of fabric large enough for another hexie.
When shopping for a template, check whether the listed size refers to the finished paper piece or includes the fabric seam allowance. Those are two different measurements, and discovering that after cutting an enthusiastic pile of hexagons is not the side quest anyone needs.
Shop a 1½-inch hexagon fabric-cutting template
6. Sewline Fabric Glue Pen and Refills
I use a Sewline fabric glue pen to baste my fabric around the paper hexagons. It’s quick, tidy, and easy to use away from home. I also keep a couple of refills in the kit so I don’t run out halfway through a basting session.
Shop the Sewline fabric glue pen
7. A Bobbin Boat Filled with Aurifil Thread
Rather than packing several full spools of thread, I load bobbins with some of my favorite Aurifil 50wt colors and keep them together in a bobbin boat. This gives me plenty of color options without taking up much room.
I like having a range of colors available so I can choose one that blends well with the fabrics I’m joining. The bobbin boat keeps them lined up and prevents them from unwinding into a tiny thread-based crisis.
8. Small Embroidery Snips
A small pair of embroidery snips is perfect for trimming thread while I piece. Mine fits easily inside the case and has short blades that feel a little less unruly in a travel kit than a full pair of scissors.
Shop my flower embroidery scissors
If you’re flying with your kit, check the current TSA rules before packing scissors or a rotary cutter in your carry-on.
Shop TSA compliant travel scissors
10. A Small Magnetic Needle Tin
Loose needles and travel bags are a deeply questionable pairing. I keep mine inside a small magnetic tin so they stay contained and easy to find.
The magnet also gives me a safe place to set my needle when I pause mid-project. No more patting the couch cushions and hoping for the best.
9. SewTites Magnets
SewTites are helpful for holding pieces together without pins, especially when I’m working with small shapes. They’re flat, easy to pack, and useful for keeping EPP pieces aligned while I sew.
11. Wonder Clips
I keep a couple of Wonder Clips in the kit for holding bundles of prepared hexagons together. I can group pieces by color, block, or whatever tiny organizational system makes sense to me that day.
They’re also useful for clipping my thread ends or keeping a partially assembled section from unfolding inside the case.
12. Clover Leather Thimbles
Clover leather thimbles are my favorite for hand sewing because they’re soft and flexible while still protecting my fingers. They take up hardly any room, so I keep a couple in the kit.
13. A Small Case for Fabric and Works in Progress
Inside the larger zipper case, I keep a second small plastic case for my fabric pieces. Mine originally came from Aurifil, but any shallow container that fits inside your main case will work.
This is where I keep fabric hexagons waiting to be basted, prepared pieces ready to be joined, and small sections I’ve already pieced. Keeping them in a separate container helps prevent bent corners and keeps the project from mixing with my tools.
Shop Mini Thread Storage Case by Aurifil
14. 1½-Inch Paper Hexagons
Of course, the kit also needs paper pieces. I use 1½-inch paper hexagons and keep a stack ready for basting. You can purchase precut papers or print and cut your own.
Precut papers are wonderfully consistent and save time, especially when you’d rather use your limited sewing window for actual sewing.
Shop 1½-inch paper-piecing hexagons
How I Organize the Kit
The miniature cutting mat rests flat against the bottom of the main case. My ruler and rotary cutter sit on top, followed by the smaller case containing my fabric and EPP pieces.
The remaining notions fill the open spaces around the smaller case. I keep sharp tools closed or covered, needles inside the magnetic tin, and thread contained in the bobbin boat. The goal is for everything to stay visible and easy to reach without turning every sewing session into an archaeological dig.
Before heading out, I’ll usually add a handful of scraps or fabric hexagons that are ready to baste. If I already have plenty of prepared pieces, I can leave the cutting tools at home and make the kit even lighter.
Make It Work for Your Favorite Kind of Hand Sewing
My kit is set up for English paper piecing, but the same idea can easily be adapted for hand quilting, hand binding, embroidery, or another portable sewing project.
Start with the project you want to work on, then add only the tools you actually need. An embroidery kit might trade the rotary cutter and hexagon template for a hoop and embroidery floss. A hand-binding kit could include binding clips, thread, needles, and a thimble.
The container matters much less than having a kit that’s ready when you are. Use a zipper case, small project bag, pencil box, or another container you already own.
A Quilt Built in the Margins
I have no idea exactly what my finished scrap hexagon quilt will look like or when it will be done. Honestly, that’s part of what I like about it. This isn’t a project that needs to move quickly.
Each hexagon holds a little scrap from another project and a little memory of where I happened to stitch it. Some were basted at the neighborhood pool. Others were pieced in the car or beside a campfire in South Dakota. Eventually, all those small pieces and ordinary pockets of time will become one very big quilt.
For now, I’m happy to keep the kit nearby, add a few stitches when I can, and let the project come along for the ride.
1 comment
I have a similar setup for my epp. I have several pencil boxes with different projects. One for my epp block of the month, another for my hexi project, and one for my other epp project in progress. I use an art folio to store my bigger block pieces after they’ve outgrown the travel setup. I love how portable EPP is. I take it with me everywhere.