Lace Clutch

 My daughter and I located this wonderful chambray and cream stripe at a thrift store almost 6 months ago.  I love it.  It speaks to me. I just couldn't find the right project.

 I looked at skirts on Pinterest.  I considered a few tops.  Perhaps an Envelope System Wallet.  Nope, nothing seemed to be a worthy enough project to warrant putting scissors to the lovely pile of stripes. 

 Well, this is what I finally designed!  I do love it!

For all of you DIYers out there, I made this little clutch following the same directions as in my ZIPPERED POUCH TUTORIAL.  The only exceptions include:
1. adding lace to front and back outer panels first.
2. adding pink hand stitching next
3. adding key ring and lanyard hook with arm strap. The lanyard hook is attached to zipper pull.

If you aren't much of a sewer or just don't have time, you can find this little clutch in my ETSY SHOP! Thanks for stopping by!

Baby Bib and Burp Cloth Tutorial

Nothing more exciting than making a gift for a friend whose family has just expanded!  Initially, I wasn't sure what I wanted to sew for her so I went looking through my pinterest board for inspiration!

I ended up recycling a pair of blue jeans into a bib and appliquing a burp cloth to match.

Here are my inspriration pieces!

(please click here to be taken to website: Thimblythings.com)

I was drawn to the colors and simple decorative stitches.  I made a few changes after my sewing machine decided that it would have no part in pretty stitches...ugh.  I did not use ribbon, but instead used a scrap of my favorite fabric.  I think I had about a quarter of a yard hanging around.  Ric rac was used along the top.  I then penciled in the baby's name along the bottom and used a simple backstitch using embroidery thread.  While this site offered the styling inspiration, I needed a template to use, since baby bibs have long been gone from my house. 

You can download this template in real sizing by clicking HERE.  Be sure to check out Clover & Violet as well, because the baby bibs there are cute too!
The burp cloth was made using a cloth diaper and simpling appliquing the name to the bottom corner.  I am very low tech and as soon as I get some extra time on my hands, I will write a tutorial on how I did this. 

Thanks so much for visiting!

 

Tutorial for Fabric Envelopes for the Envelope System Wallet

I have received so many questions involving a pattern for the Envelope System Wallet, especially concerning the fabric envelopes.  I thought for a long while that I would make a pdf pattern and sell it in my Etsy Shop.  But as time went on, I realized that the main point of the Envelope Budgeting System was saving money.  So here is my 100% free fabric envelope tutorial!

Step 1: Cut out 2 rectangles of fabric that measure 7 3/4 inches by 8 inches.

 Step 2: Fold one of the rectangles in half length-wise (it should measure 3 7/8 inches by 8 inches). Pin the sides. If you are using two different fabrics, this will be your outer fabric.

 Step 3:  Sew a half inch seam along each side (top remains open).

 Step 4: Trim the edges to 1/4 inch and cut off the corners.  This will reduce bulk and make your envelope look much more professional and neat.

 Step 5:  Repeat steps 2 through 4 EXCEPT on one side seam, leave about 2 to 1 1/2 inches open at the folded edge.  It is difficult to see in the picture below, but my fingers are marking my open area.  This fabric will be your lining if you are using two different fabrics.

 Step 6:  Turn the out fabric right side out. Push out the corners and iron well.  Place the outer fabric inside the lining so that right sides are facing each other.

 Step 7: Line up the side seams and pin.  Match up the raw edges along the top and pin also.

 Step 8: Sew a 1/2 inch seam all around the top edge.  Be sure to back stitch where you start and stop sewing.

 Step 9: Trim top edge to 1/4 inch from seam.

 Step 10: Reach through the opening in the lining and pull the envelope all the way through.

 Step 11:  Fold the raw edges of your opening inward and pin.

 Step 12:  You can opt to do two things here.  The most professionally thing to do is to slip stitch the opening closed.  If small stitches are used, someone could almost never find your opening.  If you are making this for your self, you can simply use your machine to stitch very close to the edge of the fabric.

 Step 13: Push the lining into the outer fabric and iron.

 Many people has asked how well the money fits into the envelope.  Well, here it is.  There is a good 1/2 inch on either side of the money and almost an inch at the top.  I have never had a problem with my money slipping out so I do not put a closure on my envelopes unless a customer requests one.  You can always add a small square of velcro to the top if you choose.

My hope is that this tutorial is easy to understand and useful to a great many! May you always have money in your envelope!

Lined Purse with Zipper Tutorial

It has been a while since my last tutorial!  My hope is that a beginner seamstress will find the instructions and pictures easy to use and the expert seamstress will gain inspiration on how to apply this technique to other projects! Let's Go!

Lined Purse with a Zipper!

Materials:

1. 4 pieces of equal sized fabrics. The ones shown here are cut to 8in. x 4.5".

2. 1 zipper, longer than the length of your fabric.

Steps:

1. Place the outer fabric face up andlay the zipper face down on top.  Line the up the edges.  *Notice my zipper is way larger than my fabric.  This is not a problem as I will cut off both sides when I am complete.  The nice thing about using larger zippers is that I can position the zipper pull off my fabric so that I do not have to sew around it.  Using larger zippers mean that I also have a zipper on hand and not one that is too short for my project.

 3. Place the lining fabric face down on the zipper and line up the edges.

 3. Pin all three layers together.

 4. Using a zipper foot, sew all three layers together.

 5. Remove pins and it should look like this!

 6. Iron seams, fold back lining and iron again.

 7. Place second piece of outer fabric face up. Then place zipper on top face down.

 8. Place lining fabric face down on top of zipper and line up all edges.

 9. Pin the three layers together and sew together as before.

10. Remove pins, iron seams, fold back lining and iron again.

11. One side should look like this:

 12. The other side should look like this:

 13. Pick up just the lining pieces so that the right sides are together.

 14.  Place on table with lining right sides together and outer fabric pieces together.

 15. Unfold one side and unzip zipper half-way.  This is a crucial step and yet soooo easy to forget.

 16. Pin edges together.  Zipper should be folded toward the outer fabric. 

 17. Sew around edges with 1.2 in. seam and leave about a 2in opening on the side edge of lining fabric.

 18. Trim edges and clip corners.

 19. Yes, cut right through the zipper on either side.

 20. Reach through the opening and turn the purse outside in!

 21. Once turned, pull lining out and finger press the opening.

 22. Sew the opening closed with your machine as close to the edge of the fabric as possible.  Just go slow. *Note* You can slip stitch this opening closed by hand.  I have found that with the opeing on the side and not the bottom of the lining it is less noticeable and therefore, a machine stitch is not noticed either.

 23. Push the lining back in and iron! Voila!

Gored Skirt Tutorial!

A few calculations are needed before you begin. 

1. Measure your waist and add 1/2 to 1 inch for ease.

2. Divide that measurement by the number of panels you want your skirt to have. (My skirt has 6).

3. Add 1 inch to that number for 1/2 seam allowance on either edge.

4. The resulting number is the width of the top edge of each panel.

5. Now multiply that number by at least 1.5.  I multiplied my number by 3 because I wanted a fuller skirt at the bottom.

6. The resulting measurement is the width of the bottom of each panel.

7. I measured the length of another skirt plushem lenght to get the length of each panel.

8. Sewing right side together, sew entire skirt together. 
9. Turn skirt inside out. Iron all seams open.
10. Place zipper face down on a seam so that the zipper is centered on the seam.
11. Pin in place and sew using a zipper foot.

12. Use seam ripper to open seam in front of zipper.

13. Take a nice deep breath!

14. Make waist band.  Cut a length of fabric equal to waist measurement plus 2 inches.  Width of strip should be 2 inches also.
15. Fold in half length-wise and iron.
16. Open up.  Fold in edges to center crease and iron.

17. Pin raw edges together and sew in the top crease.

18. Flip waist band over, pin and sew very close to folded edge.

19. Take a pic!