Tuesday, 30 August 2011 03:00

Fall is upon us, and with it comes the classic sights and smells of the season: golden falling leaves, cool foggy mornings, and freshly sharpened yellow pencils. This clever pencil case tutorial is based on our original wristlet project, but we increased the size and added a cute front-buttoned pocket and a bright key ring. Try it in a soft, tiny wale corduroy like we did or experiment with washed denim or crushed velvet. Your pencils are looking forward to it.
Our cool little corduroy zippered pencil case with the cute front-buttoned pocket is an ideal matching accessory for our Perfect Slouchy Book Bag.
The featured fabric is Valori Wells' Nest Corduroy in Autumn Paisley . It came out awhile back, but we found it still available at Fabric.com.

Sewing Tools You Need

Any Sewing Machine (we recommend the Janome 3160QDC)
Zipper foot

Fabric and Other Supplies

Fabric scraps to fit the cutting dimensions shown below: we used Valori Wells' Nest Corduroy from Free Spirit Fabrics in Autumn Paisley for the exterior fabric and Moda Fabric's Bella Solids in Natural for the lining.
NOTE: If you don't have enough scraps on hand, you will need ⅓ yard of exterior fabric (based on a horizontal corduroy wale; ¼ yard will work if you use a plain fabric) and ¼ yard of lining fabric.
9" zipper
1 small carabiner in a coordinating color: we used lime green
3" of ½" wide coordinating grosgrain ribbon for carabiner hook: we used an orange with white polka dots
7-8" of 2.5 mm waxed cotton cord to match fabric: we used dark brown
One ¾" button
Two large-hole wooden beads
NOTE: Hole must be large enough to thread onto waxed cord.
All purpose thread in color to match fabric
All-purpose thread in color to contrast with fabric: we used dark brown
See-through ruler
Seam gauge
Fabric pencil, pen or chalk
Iron and ironing board
Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
Straight pins

Getting Started

From the exterior bag fabric ( Valori Wells' Nest Corduroy from Free Spirit Fabrics in Autumn Paisley in our sample), cut the following:
NOTE: We wanted the corduroy's wale to run horizontally for our pencil case, and so cut all our pieces accordingly.
TWO 10" wide x 7" tall rectangles for case body.
ONE 8" wide x 6" tall rectangle for the front pocket.
ONE 4" x 4" square for the front pocket loop.
From the lining fabric (Moda Fabric's Bella Solids in Natural in our sample), cut TWO 10" x 7" rectangles.

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

Making and placing pocket and loop

Find the 8" x 6" pocket piece.
Press under ½" along both 8" sides and one 6" end.
On the opposite 6" end, make a simple 1½" hem. To do this, press under ½", then press under again 1", pin in place, and stitch close to the fold to finish.
Sew the button at the exact center of this hem line on the front of the pocket.
Find the 4" x 4" loop piece.
Fold it in half diagonally, right sides together, to form a triangle.
Stitch ½" away from the fold. Folding and stitching on the diagonal will make the loop bias-cut, which will allow it to curve without wrinkling.
Trim the seam allowance to ¼" and turn right side out with a safety pin, loop turner or hemostat. Press flat.
Place the pocket, right side up, on the right side on one 10" x 7" exterior piece. It should be positioned approximately 2" from each end and 1" from the top and bottom. Slip the folded loop in place and test its position with the button. Pin everything in place.
Adjust the loop as needed to best fit the button, also making sure the top edge of the pocket stays flat beneath the loop. When it fits just right, pin the ends in place.
Sew the loop ends in place with a line of stitching, going back and forth several times to secure.
Edgestitch the pocket in place along both sides and across the bottom, pivoting at the corners.

Inserting the zipper

The process outlined below is very similar to how we inserted the zipper in our wristlet tutorial. If you are new to inserting zippers, you might want to review this tutorial; there are several additional photos, which help you walk through the process.
Place the finished front of the case right side up on your work surface.
Lay your zipper upside down on top of it (teeth facing down on the right side of the fabric). The edge of the zipper tape should be even with the fabric's raw edge.
Lay a 10" x 7" piece of lining, right side down, on top of the front piece, sandwiching the zipper in between the two layers of fabric. As above, line up the top raw edge with the edge of the zipper tape. Pin all three layers together, being careful to pin through just the top of the zipper. You need to be able to open and close the zipper; you can't do that if you've pinned through the whole thing.
Fold back the lining to reveal the zipper, and zip it open about half way.
Fold the lining back down into position and take the assembled layers to your machine. Attach your zipper foot. Your needle should be in the left-most position.
Stitch as close to the zipper as the foot will allow, removing the pins as you sew.
Go slowly. When you get to the middle, where you can start to feel you're approaching the zipper pull, stop with your needle in the down position. Twist your fabric around slightly and open up the layers so you can access the zipper. Be gentle! Carefully close the zipper. Re-position your fabric and finish sewing to the end.
When finished, your lining piece should be on one side of the zipper and your front piece on the other. Fold the lining and front piece wrong sides together, so the zipper stands straight up, and press.
Repeat to attach the other side of the zipper between the back exterior panel and the other piece of lining.

Final assembly

Find your 3" piece of ribbon. Fold it in half, wrong sides together.
Pin it to the right side of the front of the case just below the zipper tape, as shown below. The raw edges should be flush and the loop facing in. Machine baste it in place.
Un-zip the zipper about half way and fold the case right sides together.
Align the raw edges of the sides and the bottom, all layers, and pin in place.
Using a ½" seam allowance, stitch down both sides and across the bottom, pivoting at the corners. Clip the corners and turn right side out through the zippered opening.
Push out the corners and press well.

Optional French seam

The final assembly steps above work just dandy, but do leave a raw-edged seam allowance on the inside of your case. I made a French Seam to create a finished inside edge.
After attaching the ribbon loop as described above, un-zip the zipper about half way and fold the case WRONG sides together.
Align the raw edges of the sides and the bottom, all layers, and pin in place.
Using a ¼" seam allowance, stitch down both sides and across the bottom, pivoting at the corners.
Trim the seam allowance back very close to your stitching – to about 1/8".
Turn wrong side out through the zippered opening.You'll need to carefully poke out the bottom corners with a blunt tool, like a large knitting needle or a chopstick, but don't be rough or you'll poke right through the seam.
Using a 3/8" seam allowance, stitch AGAIN down both sides and across the bottom, pivoting at each bottom corner and being careful to start and finish as close as possible to the head and tail of your zipper.
Turn the case right side out again through the zippered opening. Poke out those bottom corners again... carefully. And you have a lovely French seam for a clean inside finish.

Zipper pull and carabiner

Clip the carabiner onto the ribbon loop.
Find your length of waxed cord.
Cut one end at a diagonal to make it thin enough to thread through the zipper pull.
Once through the pull, thread a bead on each end and make a knot on each side of each bead to hold them in place. Tie both ends in a knot against the zipper pull to secure.

Contributors Friday, 26 August 2011 03:00

Backpacks are safe and stable... all well and good for the color-inside-the-lines crowd. But if you want something comfortably soft and slouchy, go with the book bag: the wild child of school totes. Our back-to-school book bag tutorial uses a beautiful tiny-wale corduroy, and while we did use a lining – we didn't stiffen it with interfacing. I love the little gold rivets that attach the straps and the cord and button closure. Don't let its laid-back exterior fool you, this bag is roomy and tough enough to carry plenty of books and supplies.
Our feature fabric is Valori Wells' Nest Corduroy in Autumn Paisley. It came out awhile back, but we found it still available at Fabric. com.

Sewing Tools You Need

Any Sewing Machine (we recommend the Janome DC1050)

Fabric and Other Supplies

Fabric for bag exterior: 1¼ yard of 44-45" wide fabric: we used Valori Well's Nest Corduroy in Autumn Paisley for Free Spirit Fabrics
Fabric for bag lining: ½ yard of 44-45" wide fabric: we used Bella Solids in Natural by Moda Fabrics; Fat Quarter Shop has a great selection
Two 1" buttons
Two ¾" buttons
Eight rivets: we used ¼" brass plated rivets
Hole punch, hammer and rivet setting tool
NOTE: See our How To Rivet tutorial for more details on these tools.
18-19" of 2.5 mm waxed cotton cord to match fabric: we used dark brown
Two large-hole wooden beads
NOTE: Hole must be large enough to thread onto waxed cord.
All purpose thread in color to match fabric
All-purpose thread in color to contrast with fabric: we used dark brown
See-through ruler
Seam gauge
Fabric pencil, pen or chalk
Iron and ironing board
Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
Straight pins
Hand sewing needle

Getting Started

From the exterior bag fabric (Autumn Paisley in our sample), cut the following:
NOTE: We wanted the corduroy's wale to run vertically for our bag, and so cut all our pieces accordingly.
ONE 15½" wide x 36½" tall rectangle for the bag body.
ONE 15½" wide x 20½" tall rectangle for the exterior bag pockets.
ONE 8" x 8" square for the interior bag pocket.
ONE 6" wide x 39" long strip for the bag strap.
From the lining fabric (Bella Solids in Natural in our sample), cut one 15½" x 33½" rectangle.

At Your Sewing Machine

Fold the main exterior bag piece in half and press well to form a crease.
Unfold and lay this piece flat, wrong side up, on your work surface so you can see the crease.
Use your fabric pen to draw a line straight across right on the crease line.
Draw two parallel lines to this line, one 1¼" above and one 1¼" below.
Draw two intersecting vertical lines 1¾" in from each side.
The resulting 2½" x 12" rectangle is the bottom of the bag.
Repeat these same markings on what will be the wrong side of the lining.

Exterior pockets

Make a simple 2" hem along each 15½" side of the exterior pocket piece. To do this, fold in the raw edge ½" and press, then fold in again 1½" and press again. Stitch in place close to the folded edge. Repeat for the opposite edge.
Fold the hemmed pocket piece in half and press well to form a crease.
Unfold and lay this piece flat, wrong side up, on your work surface so you can see the crease.
Use your fabric pen to draw a line straight across right on the crease line.
On the right side of your fabric, draw a vertical line down the exact center (7¾" from each side).
Thread your machine with contrasting thread in the top and bobbin.
Stitch in a straight line following the marked vertical line.
Lay the exterior body piece flat, right side up, on your work surface.
Lay the exterior pocket piece, also right side up, on top of the body piece, aligning the bottom crease lines and the raw edges of both sides. Pin the pocket piece to the body piece.
Fold the pinned together piece in half and check to make sure the top hemmed edges of the pocket piece are even when the bottom crease lines are aligned. Un-pin and adjust if necessary to make sure the top hemmed edges are even.
Un-fold, and stitch the pocket piece to the body piece, going right over the top of the existing center stitch line. That's all, just stitch together along the center line.
Sew two buttons in place at the center line, one at the top hem line and a second one just above it.

Side seams and boxed bottom corners

Making sure the pocket panel stays nice and flat from edge to edge, and the top pocket hems are even (as checked above), fold the bag body in half right sides together. The crease line should be at the exact bottom... right at the fold - makes sense, huh?
Re-thread your machine with thread to match the fabric in the top and bobbin.
Stitch both sides together from the bottom to the top, using a ½" seam allowance.
With the bag still wrong side out, the next step is to box the bottom corners of the bag.
Using both hands, pinch and pull apart the bottom corner.
As you keep pulling, the fabric will begin to make a little peak with the corner point at the top and the seam line running down the middle of one side.
Carefully and precisely, line up the side seam with the bottom crease line.
You should also be able to see the placement line you drew earlier (the 2½" side of the bag bottom rectangle).
Pin your folded 'peak' and stitch along this drawn line.
Stitch back and forth along the line two or three times to reinforce. Trim away the peak on each side to about ½" from the seam line.
Turn right side out and push out to form the boxed corners.

Interior pocket

Find the 8" x 8" interior pocket piece. Orient it on your work surface so your fabric design is running the right way.
Fold in ½" on both sides and the bottom and press well.
Fold in along the top ½" and press, then fold again 1" and press.
Re-thread your machine with contrasting thread in the top and bobbin.
Stitch close to the folded edge to create a simple hem along the top of the pocket.
Find your lining piece and lay it flat, right side up, on your work surface.
Position the pocket piece approximately 4¼" from the bottom crease and both raw sides. Pin in place.
Edgestich the pocket in place along both sides and across the bottom, pivoting at the corners.
Fold the lining in half, right sides together, sandwiching the interior pocket to the inside.
If you want, re-thread again with thread to match your lining. Since it is a lining, I didn't bother to switch thread as the seam lines won't show.
Stitch both sides from the bottom to the top, using a ½" seam allowance.
Box the bottom corners of the lining following the same steps you used for the body of the bag.
Set aside.

Strap

Find the 6" x 39" strip.
Fold in half, right sides together, so it is now 3" x 39". Press. Pin in place.
Using a ½" seam allowance, stitch along one short end and all along the 39" side. Leave the opposite short end open.
Clip corners and turn right side out.
Press well, keeping the seam along one edge.
Press in the raw open end to match the sewn seam. Slip stitch closed.
Set aside.

Assembling lining and bag

Insert the finished lining into the finished body of the bag, wrong sides together. The interior pocket should be against the front of the bag.
Push the lining all the way down into the bag, matching up the bottom boxed corners and the side seams. The top raw edge of the lining will stop about 1½" from the top raw edge of the bag.
Turn down the top raw edge of the bag ½" and press. Then fold down an additional 1½" and press again. This second turn will fold the lining along with the body of the bag. Pin in place.
Edgestitch all around the top of the bag. If you have a free arm on your machine, now is a good time to use it.
Hand stitch one 1" button at the center of the top hem on the front of the bag, measuring to make sure it is exactly in line with the two buttons at the center of the pocket panel.
Hand stitch the other 1" button at the center of the top hem on the back of the bag.
Find your length of waxed cord.
Thread a bead on each end and knot to hold in place.
Hook the cord around the back button and tie a knot to secure.
To close the bag, holding both cord tails together, bring them up and over the top of the bag, and loop them counterclockwise around the front button, pulling straight down to secure.