Make a Fabric Luggage Handle Wrap - Tutorial Tuesday

"I always have a suitcase ready to go. My wife and I are both very much like this. We're both vagabonds, and we have been since the time we were married."
~Kevin Bacon

I get that. We have a container of things in the closet, just ready to go. Who knows where and who knows when, but when the feeling strikes we just pick up and go.

And now we pick up and go with a new luggage handle wrap.

For this project you will need:

• Fabric
• Piece of batting
• Piece of Velcro® 
• Sewing machine
• Matching thread
• Iron
• Rotary cutter, cutting ruler, cutting mat or scissors
• Template from the pattern here

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Now available in my Etsy store as a digital download with the written directions, step-by-step photos, printable template, and link to the tutorial video. Click to find out more!

Looking for more travel accessory ideas? Check out these projects!

Otherwise, watch the tutorial to make your own homemade fabric luggage handle wrap here:

Sunday Sew-In

Since it's a Sunday Sew-In and I get lots of questions about what’s in my sewing room, I decided to give you a look at some of the ways I've organized my supplies. I move furniture and reorganize a lot so my set-up changes a lot.

I love how my fabric looks in these wooden ClosetMaid stackable units.

More fabric in more wooden ClosetMaid stackable units.

Even more fabric in some Martha Stewart china hutches.

Smaller objects organized in plastic storage drawers. 

Buttons get their own plastic storage. 

Thread and other sewing supplies organized in other plastic storage drawer units.

And some other general things:
My sewing machine is in the corner by the window. The table is really a door from the closet. My ironing board is to the right of the machine and is made from a piece of plywood covered with cotton batting and fabric. Yeah, my bulletin board needs some cleaning up.

On another wall of the room is one of the closets with no doors (because they are the sewing table). I keep patterns in the drawers, lace and binding and rick rack in ArtBin plastic storage containers and yarn up above, and have my 30 yard roll of cotton batting hanging on the closet rod above the Ikea dresser I got off Craigslist.

Like I said, the set-up changes a lot. Who know what next year will look like?

Cruise Ship Dining

It's Cruise Ship Saturday! Today we're talking about dining.

You will most likely not go hungry on a cruise ship. Many choices for meals and snacks can be found any time of day and night. Some lines charge for room service but otherwise most dining choices, other than specialty dining, are included in the price of the cruise.

The multiple options provide different levels of dining experiences.

If you want casual, the buffet is a good choice. There are also additional á la carte eateries onboard.

Free pastries at breakfast. Yum.

Free pizza. Double yum!

If you want to be pampered, the traditional dining room is a good choice. If you haven’t experienced dining with a multi-course meal in an upscale restaurant a cruise ship is the place to do it.

Pheasant, anyone? It's free.

Or perhaps escargot? Yep, free.

If you want to be pampered more, try specialty dining.

Now that's what you call a steak. Yay for specialty dining.

If you want to eat in your cabin, use room service. You can also pick up something from the buffet or an á la carte eatery and bring it back to your cabin. That way you won't miss the sunset for sure.

Sunsets at sea are spectacular, especially in the Caribbean and Hawaii.

Friday 15

An easy one.
Four items sold on eBay. I've just about run out of things to sell so I'm shutting it down until summer.

Lots of sewing room clean out, though:
Four skeins of yarn
One bag of chalkboard hearts
One box of chalk
One mini whiteboard stand
One X-Acto knife set
One mesh laundry bag
One stack of about 100 comic book boards (from my fabric wrapping)
One Hawaiian shirt (I was going to use it as a pattern for a shirt for hubby but decided not to)

An easy peasy 15.

Top 5 Things to do in Curacao

Today we're talking about five different activities you can do when visiting the island of Curacao when you're on your next Caribbean cruise.

1. Walk across the pontoon bridge. The Queen Emma Bridge, nicknamed the "Swinging Old Lady", has 16 pontoons keeping it afloat. When boat traffic needs to use the waterway - which occurs pretty darn frequently - motors move the bridge parallel to shore. It's hard to explain how it exactly works. I had to see it in person myself to really understand so take a look at it in action here:

https://youtu.be/Kat2NAUoCzk

2. Visit the floating market. With Venezuela being some 50 miles away, Venezuelans come over in boats to sell fresh fruits, vegetables, and fish. Stalls are as varied as the languages spoken. Recently the Venezuelan president closed their borders so the market was shut down. The border is currently open, but as with anything political, conditions may change.

3. Eat, drink, and be merry. Curacao is a Dutch Caribbean island and Venezuela is close so the cuisine is diverse.

You might have a Dutch frikandel, a deep fried sausage sandwich.

Or try a Dutch kroket sandwich, a tasty meat and potato croquette.

Or shredded meat Venezuelan Arepitas.

Maybe a nice rum drink?

Can't forget something made with Blue Curacao!

The menu for the restaurant can be found here. Not the greatest service but it was a perfect location on the waterfront. See those white canopies across the water? That's the restaurant's seating.

4. Snorkel over a submerged tugboat. After an anchor was dropped through its deck, the tugboat sunk a few yards off shore. Since it's sitting just 15 feet below the surface, snorkelers will get a good look at it. But it's the fish swimming in and out and around the tugboat that steal the show. And if you swim a bit away from the tug you will find a reef - and a drop off. There you will find even more colorful fish and sea creatures.

5. Add a lock to the Love Locks heart sculpture. It was inspired by the Pont des Arts love locks bridge in Paris, of course.

Curacao at night might be even more spectacular.

Iguana Cafe, Willemstad, Curacao Menu

Sew a Family Passport Holder Wallet - Tutorial Tuesday

Do you need a passport holder to store several of your traveling party's passports all together? Learn how to make your own fabric family passport storage wallet with this how-to tutorial.

For the family passport wallet you will need:

• Main fabric
• Lining fabric
• Fabric for pockets
• interfacing
• Button
• Hair tie or piece of elastic
• Iron
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting ruler
• Cutting mat
• Sewing machine
• Matching thread

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Now available in my Etsy store as a digital download with the written directions, step-by-step photos, and link to the tutorial video. Click to find out more!

Looking for other travel accessories ideas? Check out these projects!

Otherwise, just watch how-to tutorial for this homemade family passport wallet sewing project right here:

Need a single cover instead? I have you covered with the single passport cover tutorial!

How to Sew a Fabric Passport Holder - Tutorial Tuesday

"But personally I think everyone should have a valid passport."
-Deb Pfeifer, Cruising with Confidence: How to be a First Time Cruiser without Looking like One, Second Edition 

I'm not sure why it took us so long to finally get a passport, but I'm glad we did. At this point I couldn't ever imagine going back to not having one. I want to be able to pick up and go anywhere in the world anytime I want. Not that I do that, but I want the option.

So for those who do have a passport - or those who don't (go get one, now!) - here are a couple quick and easy projects for them.

For this passport cover sewing project you will need:

• main fabric
• lining fabric
• fusible fleece 
• Iron
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting ruler
• Cutting mat
• Sewing machine
• Matching thread
• Passport

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

 Now available in my Etsy store as a digital download with the written directions, step-by-step photos, and link to the tutorial video. Click to find out more!

Looking for other passport and vaccine covers? Check out our other projects?

Or just watch the tutorial for this homemade fabric passport cover sewing project right here:

Need a family passport wallet instead? Check out the passport holder with spots for six passports!

Saturday is for Silly Kitties

Had to take a break from Saturday is for Sailing. Decided Saturday is for silly kitties in training instead.

Friday 15

And the crap just keeps leaving. Woo hoo!

2 items on eBay
8 magazines and catalogs (including some kiddo brought for me to read)
1 Golden Gate bridge tshirt
2 pieces of fabric
1 bag of unused pencil top erasers
1 pressure cooker

Goodbye 15!

But the kitties? They aren't going anywhere yet.