Handmade Camping

In case you haven't heard, we're stationed in Portland, Oregon for the rest of the year, after a cross-country road trip out here from Atlanta. We love it here, but the best part of coming might have been the week spent camping as we made our way across the country. Being in Portland means our classes are postponed until the new year (in a new studio, hooray!), which also means we're trying to share everything that inspires us and that we make so you can still learn! Camping has actually been a great motivation in beginning new craft projects, as any good theme is a great excuse for making things.

I hadn't camped much before my trek across the Oregon trail, with my previous experiences being limited to sleeping in a tent on a couple of occasions (maaaaybe in my back yard?). Spending time in state parks, closer to nature than I ever am living in the heart of a city, called to my outdoorsy senses and made me want to make things in that bring out my inner Scout.

Neutral canvas and tapes, wool ribbon, and hunter green denims have now made it into my stash thanks to a couple of binges at Bolt Neighborhood Store, an amazing fabric store here in Portland. It has quickly become my favorite place for buying materials here, thanks to the incredible variety they have packed into their small space. Their trimming & notion selection is amazing, which is always a treat because these details are always hardest to find locally. I even picked up a fun cotton with a camping print from the Take a Hike collection by Dear Stella.

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be sharing the things I've been making with my camp-inspired materials, ranging from a round duffel for camp clothing, re-usable napkins, to mittens for handling cookware. My goal is for a full coordinating set, because that's one part I love about camping -- the handmade opportunities!

As far as some crafting beyond sewing, I also have plans for a waxed canvas tutorial, a project that I've wanted to take on for a long time but haven't had the right excuse for yet. Waxed canvas is great for camping because it adds a durability & waterproof nature to the cotton duck.

I've also picked up some stencils from Handmade Charlotte's Woodland set, to label some of my sewn goods with a fun outdoorsy stencil.

Do you like to go camping? We have trips planned in the Pacific Northwest for some Autumn camping -- any spots you recommend if you're in the area? Have you done any crafting for camping? Share in the comments below -- I'd love to see your ideas!