Slim Pencil Case (free tutorial)

Hello lovelies, happy Sunday to you all!

I've been playing around with some simple pouch ideas lately as I looked for just the right pencil case to keep in my purse and I'm happy to say this Slim Pencil Case is what I came up with.

I love how quick and easy to make this pouch is, and its compact size is just perfect to keep a few essentials in. Which got me thinking that some of you might like to make a Slim Pencil Case (or two) for yourselves as well, so I put together this tutorial for you. Enjoy :)

Finished Size: 7 ½'' wide x 2 ¾'' tall

Materials needed: 

two (2) - 8 ¼'' x 3 ½'' rectangles of quilting cotton for exterior

two (2) - 8 ¼'' x 3 ½'' rectangles of quilting cotton for lining

two (2) - 8 ¼'' x 3 ½'' rectangles of fusible fleece

one (1) - 7'' metal or nylon zipper

one (1) -1 ¾'' long 1/2'' wide ribbon for side tab

one (1) - 6'' long leather string for zipper pull (optional)

You will also need: sewing machine (with zipper foot attachment), coordinating thread, iron, sharp fabric scissors, wonder clips and/or pins

Seam Allowance (SA): use 1/4'' SA unless otherwise noted

Instructions:

1. Adhere fusible fleece to wrong side of both exterior panels. Use hot iron and lots of steam, make sure to press through the exterior fabric and not directly onto the fleece.

2. Fold ribbon in half, pin it about 3/4'' down from top edge along left side of one exterior panel. Use 1/8'' SA to stitch it in place.

3. Bend zipper tape on both ends of zipper at 45 degree angle towards wrong side of zipper tape. Baste within seam allowance either by hand or by machine to secure in place. 

4. Center zipper right side down along the top raw edge of exterior panel with basted ribbon (zipper pull will be on left side). Align zipper tape with panel's top raw edge, clip or pin to prevent layers from shifting and use 1/8'' SA to baste zipper to exterior panel.

5. Now place lining panel right side down along exterior panel's top edge (zipper is sandwiched in between lining and exterior panels). Clip or pin to hold layers together, add zipper foot to your sewing machine and use scant 1/4'' SA to stitch along the pinned/clipped edge taking the pins/clips out as you sew. Press the panels away from zipper.

6. Attach second exterior panel and lining to second zipper tape following the same directions.

7. Attach regular presser foot to your sewing machine and use 1/8'' SA to topstitch along exterior panel ONLY as shown in photo below. Repeat for second exterior panel. Use hot iron and lots of steam to press lining panels away from zipper.

8. Open zipper about half way, align exterior panels on top of each other and linings on top of each other as well, pin or clip to prevent layers from shifting. Sew all the way around the edges making sure to leave about 3'' opening in the lining's bottom edge for turning. Use fabric scissors to trim corners, press the seams open.

9. Turn the pouch right side out through the opening in the lining. Use your fingers to make bottom corners nice and pointy and push out the zipper. Stitch the lining closed. Push the lining gently into the pouch, give it one final press, remove all the stray threads, and add a leather zipper pull if you wish.

All finished. Pretty easy, isn't it?

I hope you give this cutie a try. 

Wishing you all a happy and creative day. Svetlana

Denver Tote in two sizes (new pdf pattern)

Hello friends, happy Monday to you all!

I'm excited to share my newest tote bag pattern today.

 Denver Tote comes in two sizes and not only does it make a perfectly stylish everyday tote bag, it works great as a project bag as well. (some of you might be familiar with this bag design as the larger version was featured in Issue 61 of Love Patchwork and Quilting magazine)

This is an easy, beginner friendly pattern that comes together pretty effortlessly in very little time, especially when one uses leather handles like I did. You can, of course, substitute cotton webbing for leather, or you can make your own fabric handles (instructions on how to do that are included with the pattern).

I used designer bark cloth for the exterior of my totes and duck canvas for the lining. Print canvas, denim, or home decor fabric would also work great for these totes.

FINISHED SIZE: large - 11'' wide on bottom x 12'' tall x 6'' deep 

                            small - 9'' wide on bottom x 10'' tall x 4'' deep

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

MATERIALS NEEDED for a large size of Denver Tote:

fabric A (exterior) - 1/2 yard

fabric B (lining) - 1/2 yard

fusible Interfacing - 1 yard

(2) 3/4'' wide leather for handles - 21'' long

16 – 18 mm magnetic snap

(2) 3/8'' wide cotton ribbon - 45'' long

Please note: This is a measure and cut pattern meaning there's no need for templates as the pattern works best when all the pieces are cut using rotary cutter, self healing cutting mat, and acrylic ruler.

I'm offering this pattern at a 25% off discounted introductory price for the next 48 hours (now through Nov. 14th, midnight central time). No coupons needed, price is automatically adjusted during checkout.

Click here to purchase the pattern.

Thank you all for your support. It means the world to me :)

Happy sewing. Svetlana

Craftsy classes sale

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to pop in real quick to let you know that now through Nov. 11th you can purchase all Craftsy classes (including my Giftable Projects class) for $20 or less.

Exciting, isn't it? Just click on the banner below to be taken to Craftsy website.

Wishing you all a happy and creative weekend. Svetlana

Disclaimer - I am a member of Craftsy Affiliate Program and will receive a small portion of sales through this site.

scrappy quilt

I love working with my fabric scraps and recently I've been feeling it was time I turned some of my beloved scraps into a quilt. 

I sort of knew what color palette I was going for, but I had a very hard time deciding on a pattern. I wanted something simple, not too time consuming for either cutting or piecing, preferably something improv so I could add and subtract fabric pieces as I went. I know, right? Easier said than done. 

And then I came across this quilt by Suzuko Koseki in her fantastic book Patchwork Style and I knew this was the way to go.

I loved the idea of different widths and lengths of fabric combined into one cohesive look. I think scraps are really great for quilts like this since you can let the scrap size dictate the size of the block and thus very little fabric gets wasted.

 I randomly pieced the scraps together and once I had enough rows pieced I spread them out on the floor to see the final layout. Of course Lola was no help. This happened pretty much every time any fabric got placed on the floor, grrr!

This is going to be quite a large quilt (for me anyway), it's about 70'' x 90''. 

You know what I'm mostly excited about? Hand quilting this beast!

Yes, you heard it right. My plan is to completely hand quilt the whole quilt. I'm so looking forward to hours and hours I will spend working on this beauty :)

I don't use any hoops or frames while hand quilting as I find them too cumbersome. I usually like to spread my quilt on our dining table and work on it like that, ...

... or I sometimes just plop myself on the couch with the quilt in my lap and get stitching.

What have you been working on lately? Any long term projects?

Svetlana