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Archive for the ‘Tutorials’ Category

Things have been very nonproductive in the making and creating department this week. I’ve actually been off my feet for some self proclaimed bed (couch really) rest.  However, Saturday started look up again and so I took advantage of a slow Satruday morning to finish this little pattern up.

The size is for newborn only. I suspect that you could make it larger by adding some length and to the number of increase rows to make it just about any size.

(click on the photo to go to the pdf or look for it on the free patterns and tutorials page)

Enjoy

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I almost cried

when I saw it for the first time. There is was, all completed and ready to save as a PDF.

I admit that it was all a little rushed in the end but after stopping and starting this project again and again over the years, I decided it was time to just finish it.

And I did!

You can find it listed on my Free Patterns and Tutorials page or simply click on the pic in this post for a link to the PDF.

*** Update***

It has been brought to my attention that I left out part of the pattern. I will add it here until I have a minute to put up a new PDF.

Jacket – Front Left

Front Left

Cast on 14 sts.

Row

1-3 Work in moss st.

4 K12, P1, K1.

5 K1, P1, K1, P11.

6-11 Repeat rows 4 and 5 three times more.

12 Cast off 3 sts, K to last 2 sts, P1, K1. (11 sts)

Place marker at last cast off st.

13 K1, P1, K1, P8.

14 K1, Skpo, K6, P1, K1. (10 sts)

15 K1, P1, K1, P7.

16 K8, P1, K1.

17-18 Repeat rows 15 and 16 once.

19 Cast off 3 sts, P to end of row. (7 sts)

20 K3, {K2tog} twice. (5 sts)

21 Cast off 2 sts, P3. (3 sts)

22 K across.

Cast off remaining 3 sts.

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Zipper Pouch Tutorial

I have closed all April comments but please enjoy this tutorial while I figure out winners.

Here is a little tutorial on how to make a fully lined zipper pouch without any hand sewing. 

Mine is about 7 inches square.

For the pieced front I used this same technic with out so much top stitching. Since the pieced top is lined with interfacing I fused interfacing to the back as well, but not the lining.

My measurement will be in red.

You’ll need: Zipper, fabric, pins, sewing machine.

Cut your zipper 1 inch larger than the actual zipper. I used a 7 inch zipper and trimmed mine to 8 inches.

Decide on size of  pouch. Remember it must be as wide as your zipper is long. You’ll need four rectangles the same size. Two for the outside and two for the lining. Cut your fabric as wide as your cut zipper and as long as you’d like. Mine was cut 8 x 8 inches.

Place your zipper in front of you like this photo. The left side is the left and the right side is the right. What you see is the top and if you were to flip it over it would be the back.

Pick up your top front and one of your lining pieces. With right sides together line them up along the left side of the zipper with the zipper in between them. The outside fabric will be against the top of the zipper and the lining will be against the back. Take your time and pin all three layers together. (sorry this pic is blurry)

Sew all three layers together with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Flip your fabric back so that the wrong sides are facing and zipper is exposed. Press.

Top stitch 1/8 inch from fabric seam through all three layers.

Repeat with other side on the other side of the zipper. Your top will look like this.

Your back will look like this.

Open your zipper. Let me repeat, OPEN YOUR ZIPPER. Fold  one side of your lining over to the other lining with right sides facing and one side of outside fabric over to other so that right sides are facing matching up top stitching. Pin in place. The bulk of the zipper will be on the lining side. I placed double pins where I will leave an opening.

Sew around with a 1/4 inch seam allowance leaving an opening in the lining large enough to turn. Cut your corners.

Turn right side out leaving lining exposed. Press bottom of lining and then top stitch the opening closed about 1/8 inch from edge.

Push lining into pouch all the way to the corners. Press.

Then your done!

032

034

 If you use this tutorial and blog or post pictures, please link back to this post. Also let me know how it worked out for you.

Here’s another one I made the very same way.

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Library Tote Tutorial

Sorry this is so long coming. I never was able to get pagemaker to work for me, so, I’ll just post it here. Enjoy!

 

Another Library Tote by you.

Supplies:

Outside Fabric: Base (cut one) – 13.5 x 19 inches , Upper (cut two) – 8.75 x 19

Lining Fabric – 30 x 19 inches

Handles: Outside/Lining (cut two each) – 2 x 28 inches

Interfacing: Bag (cut one) 29.5 x 18.5 inches, Handles (cut two) – 1.5 x 28 inches

Normal Sewing Supplies:Sewing Machine, iron/board, scissors, measuring tape, pins

 

Sewing Note: All seams are 1/4 inch unless stated otherwise.

Step 1 by you.

1.  Sew your top outside fabrics to each side of the base fabric along the 19 inch sides, right sides facing. Press seams towards top fabric.

Step 2 by you.

2. Apply interfacing to the wrong side of the pieced outside fabric and outside fabric handles. There should be about 1/4 inch of fabric showing along the borders. Mine is never perfectly lined up so don’t let that frustrate you.

Step 3 by you.

3.On pieced outside fabric, topstitch on along top fabric 1/8 inch from seam that meets with base fabric on both sides.

Step 4 by you.

4. Fold pieced outside fabric in half, wrong sides facing. Line up top/base fabric seams. Press.

Step 5 by you.

5. Fold up bottom fold of base fabric 2 ½ inches. Press.

Step 6 by you.

6. Turn folded and pressed outside fabric over. Open up the top layer of fabric. (You now see wrong side of the fabric and it should be folded in the middle) Press the fold.

Step 7 by you.

7. Turn fabric over again. (You now see the right side of the fabric and the middle is still folded) Take the bottom side of outside fabric and bring it up to meet the top edge. (Right sides are now together with the 2 ½ inch fold in the middle) Press.      

Step 8 by you.

8. Sew along the sides of folded outside fabric. Be sure to back stitch at top and bottom.

Repeat steps 4-8 with lining fabric.

Step 9 by you.

9. Straps

Take one outside and one lining strap. Place together right sides facing. Sew up long sides leaving the bottom and top open.

Repeat with second strap.

Step 10 by you.

10. Turn straps right side out with a safety pin or turning tool. Press.

Step 11 by you.

11.  Topstitch along the long sides of both sides of each strap ¼ inch from the edge.

Step 12 by you.

12.  Locating Strap Placement

Along top of outside bag, top layer only, find the middle. Place pin. (You want a distance of 7 inches between each end of the strap) With measuring tape, position center pin at 3 ½ inches and place a pin at 0 inches and 7 inches.

Step 13 by you.

13.  Using the placement pins as guides, pin strap ends to the top layer of bag, on the outside of the pins. Make sure outside fabrics are facing and the strap is not twisted inside the bag. Leave 1 ¼ inches of the strap sticking out of the bag. Double pin so the strap doesn’t shift.

Repeat with second strap on other side of bag.

Step 14 by you.

14.  Sew each end of the straps to the bag about 1/8 inch from top of bag.

Step 15 by you.

15.  Pressing Lining Bag

Turn lining bag right side out. Press bottom open.

Step 16 by you.

16.  Fold bottom flap down. Press.

Place lining bag inside outside bag. (Right sides facing) Match up side seams and pin bags together. Make sure not to pin the bag closed. Sew along the top of bag leaving a 5-6 inch opening between one of the straps. Be sure to back stitch.

Step 17 by you.

17.  Turn bag right side out. Press seams along top, tucking opening fabric inside, to prepare to close.

Topstitch 1/8 inch around entire top of bag, closing opening along the way.

Using a quilting guide, topstitch again 1 ¼ inch from top of bag all the way around.

Step 18 by you.

18. Reinforce straps by sewing an X, following the diagram. The circles and vertical lines represent the straps. The top horizontal line is the 1/8 inch topstitch and the second line is the 1 ¼ inch topstitch.

Start and finish by back stitching. Place needle in the down position when you turn corners.

Step 19 by you.

19.  Repeat with all other strap ends.

Press outside bag in same manner as steps 15 and 16.

Trim all loose strings and head out to the Library.

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All Done by you.

This tutorial has instructions to make any sized notebook cover and a matching pen. All of my measurements and what not will be in red.

Supplies

Notebook – I used a spiral bound Fat lil’ Notebook by Mead

Fabric (see your measurements to determine the amount needed)

Fusible interfacing ( use appropriate interfacing for the weight of fabric you choose)

Adult hair elastic/ponytail holder

Button

Pen – one that has a clear tube

* Plus the regular supplies like: sewing machine, thread, needle, pins, mearsuring tape, rotary cutter and board, and an iron.

Ready – Set – Go

First off you need to measure your notebook.

Measure around your notebook by you.

Measure from the back side edge, around the spine, to the front edge of your closed notebook. 9.5 inches.

Measure the height of your notebook by you.

The height   5.5 inches

Measure how deep you want the pockets on the inside and double that number by you.

and how deep you want your pocket flaps to go in. 3 inches

Notebook measurements

Cover/Lining – This is the length around your notebook by the height.  9.5  x 5.5

Pockets flaps – This is double the depth by the height.  6 x 5.5

Cut Interfacing

Cut your interfacing using actual notebook measurements. You’ll need 4 peices cut. 2 cover/lining and 2 pocket flaps.

Cut Fabric

Add one inch to each measurement. 10.5 x 6.5 for cover/lining and 7 x 6.5 for pocket flaps

Cut 4 pieces again. 2 cover/lining and 2 pocket flaps.

Fabric and interfacing all cut by you.

I used some thin scrap fabric for the lining , a pieced cover that I cut to the appropriate size and some Kona Curry for the pocket flaps.

Apply Interfacing and Folding Pocket Flaps

Apply interfacing by you.

Iron on your interfacing per interfacing instructions.

 Press pockets in half wrong sides together by you.

Fold the doubled length of your pocket flap in half and press, wrong sides together.

Cut and sew in elastic

set fabric aside and get your notebook and elastic by you.

Set your fabric aside and grab your notebook and elastic.

 

Measure elastic on notebook by placing thumb where  button will be and wrapping it around the back. Pinch elastic about a quarter inch on the back side. do not stretch elastic by you.

Measure elastic on notebook by placing thumb where  button will be. Place thumb inside elastic loop and wrap elastic around the back. Pinch elastic about a 1/4  inch on the back side. Do not stretch the elastic.

Cut elastic close to fingers by you.

Cut the elastic close to your fingers.

Sew on elastic about one eighth from fabric edge with about a quarter inch hanging of the edge by you.

If your cover piece is sitting in front of you, right side up, sew your elastic onto the left edge of the fabric placing it in the middle, loop toward the center not edge. Allow a little of the elastic to hang off the edge and sew over it about 3 or 4 times about an 1/8th of an inch from the edge. Clip all your strings.

Sew your pieces together.

 Place lining right side up in front of you by you.

Place your lining fabric right side up infront of you.

Place pockets on top of lining with fold on the inside by you.

Place your pocket flaps on top of the lining with the fold towards the middle. Line up edges and corners.

Pin corners and start stop markers by you.

Place your cover piece on next, wrong side up. Your elastic will now be on the right side. Pin at least your corners. I also pin the start stop sewing location as well.

With a 1/4 inch seam allowance sew around your notebook leaving an opening at least 3 inches at the top. Make sure you back stitch.

Finishing Up

Clip Corners by you.

Clip your corners.

Turn your notebook cover right side out. Pay attention to your corners.

Press, making sure to fold in the fabric at the opening so it will be ready to sew closed.

Iron, folding opening fabric to the inside and topstitch one eighth inch around the notebook cover  closing opening by you.

Topstitch about an 1/8th of an inch from the edge all the way around your notebook cover.

Now sew on button by you.

Now your ready to sew on your button.

Open up journal as shown and slide front and back into pockets by you.

Open up notebook as shown and slide front and back covers into pockets flaps. Once , I’m guessing, my seam allowance was off and I couldn’t get the notebook cover in. I simply cut the the cover and back of the notebook a bit smaller so it would squeeze in. No one was the wiser.

Now on to the pen by you.

Fold your notebook and place the elastic over your button. 

Now on to the Pen

 You'll need a pen that has a clear tube by you.

You’ll need a pen with a clear tube.

Remove ink tube by unscrewing the bottom by you. 

Unscrew pen and remove ink. Mine was as simple as unscrewing the back. Some other brands are a little more complicated.

 

Fold fabric into thirds and push into tube by you.

Measure the length of your tube and cut a piece of cordnating fabric that length by 3/4inch. Apply interfacing to the fabric for easier insertion.

Fold the 3/4 inch side of fabric into thirds and slide into tube.

Replace ink and put the pen back together.

Now your all done.

All Done by you.

I don’t think I’m officially back but I wanted to post this.

This is my first tutorial so let me know what you think. Any suggestion that would make it better would be greatly appreciated. If you use the tutorial and blog or post pictures, please link back to this post. Also let me know how it worked out for you.

My plan is to do a tutorial for all the projects from my give-away. (except the quilt, that was totally improvised) Its a way to document how I did it so that I don’t have to figure it out again. Any suggestions on which one I should do next?

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