Holiday Makes: Get Ready to Depart

Ah summer holidays! We dream about them for months (like literally as soon as Christmas is out of the way), yet how many times have we found ourselves rushed to get everything packed, suddenly  realising we've forgotten to buy some essentials! So this year, don't get caught in the rush.

We've compiled a list of 5 holiday essentials that we'd rather make ourselves - if we just thought of them early enough! Start your projects now and they'll be ready just in time for your adventure!

Make a weekend bag

You can't go on a holiday without packing a few things! If you're off just for a long weekend, then the Ingrid Bag found in The Bag Boutique book (now on offer) will be perfect.

Its generous size will allow you to fit the right amount of outfits and its pockets will keep your smaller things safe. The best thing is that its measurements (57 x 41 x 12cm) fit into British Airways allowance for cabin luggage, and its soft structure will sure let you through Ryanair's Priority as well, whichever way you like to fly.


Our recommended fabrics? We love Zuma by Tula Pink for its bright colours and its sea life extravaganza (the above picture shows some of the prints in the Green colourway).
Darling Meadow from Free Spirit is also very summery, and our more Timeless Treasures Batiks are sure to keep up with your holiday style for years to come!

If you must buy one single hat pattern...

(Photo credit: www.patternfantastique.com)

...then look no more! We absolutely love the Sulis hat from Pattern Fantastique. This indie pattern company is based in Melbourne, Australia, so we bet they know about protecting their faces from the sun. What we love the most about it: it's available to purchase as a download and the offset brim will make you look like a goddess by the pool.


We think our heavy weight cotton fabrics from Indigo would look beautiful for this design!

Other great free patterns and tutorials

Travel Pillow

Get comfy on your long-haul flight with this free pattern and tutorial for a Travel Pillow from Treasurie. It’s a very simple make and all you need is 1/2m of fabric and a bit of stuffing. Keep it lively by using Tilda's Bird Pond collection, or some fun like pineapples from either Dashwood Studio's Club Tropicana or Makower's Fern Garden collection.

Sleeping Mask

(Photo credit: www.tillyandthebuttons.com)

Jet-lag can be tough so making sure you can get your well-deserved sleep even when you land on a sunny afternoon is a task for a good sleeping mask. This is a quick and simple make that you can complete with some fabric scraps, and Tilly and the Buttons has this great photo tutorial which also includes a free printable pattern.

Make a camera strap

(photo credit: www.simplysewingmag.com)

Dress your camera up by making this Camera Strap featured in Simply Sewing magazine. This is a free pattern and tutorial and not only will it make sure that you don't drop your precious camera, but it will also complete your holiday outfit. For this make, we recommend that you use a small scale or geometric print such as  Dashwood Studio's New Horizon or Correspondence from Tim Holtz's Eclectic Elements. We also stock the hooks as featured on the picture and if you choose to go for muted fabrics, you can always swap the webbing tape for a beautiful Renaissance Ribbon and give your strap a luxurious finish. As usual, we love to see what you make, so don't hesitate to share your photos by using #thecottonpatchuk, tagging us or sending us a direct email! Happy Creating!