MY KINDLE COVER



Can you tell I like bright colors?  I love my Kindle!  This so easy to drop in my purse and I also keep it by my bed to slip the Kindle in when I am done reading.



Materials Needed:

9 x 12 inch piece of batting

2 fat quarters or enough fabric to make 3 pieces of 9 x 12 fabric and a scrap

Heavy duty Interfacing (Decor Bond by Pellon works well)

1 inch of Velcro

Chocolate

Coffee

Music

Good looking man rubbing your shoulders

OK...on to the directions!

1. Use an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper as your pattern. Yup...computer paper!  Cut out three pieces of fabric from that pattern. One will be the outside and two will be the lining and the inside pocket. I prefer to have the two fabrics for the inside to be a different color but that is up to you.

2. Cut out two pieces of fabric for the closure tab that are 1 3/4” x 3”. I prefer matching the outside fabric but you can get funky with that if you want!

3. Cut out all the same size pieces again this time cutting it out of iron-on heavy duty interfacing and iron to wrong side of all pieces. I like to use the Décor Bond by Pellon. You can iron on all the interfacing onto the fabrics beforehand and cut it all out at once.

4. Take one of the inside fabrics and cut off ½ inch off the short side. It will now be 8 1/2 x 10 1/2. Fold that in half, wrong sides together, matching short ends. This will be your inside pocket for the Kindle. It will now be 5 1/4 x 8 1/2. You can top stitch this or add some kind of decorative stitch to the folded side.

5. Now round off all outside corners using a spool of thread including one end of the tab pieces. DO NOT ROUND OFF THE FOLDED SIDE OF THE POCKET…only round off the bottom edge of that piece. It really doesn’t matter what spool you use, just so there is not a definite corner because it will get hard to turn right side out. A regular large size spool is great. It has about a 1 1/4 inch diameter.

6. It is at this time that you will add Velcro to the front cover and to one side of the tab. I placed one piece of Velcro about 5/8 inch from raw edge of outside piece on one side. See photo of the completed pouch. The other piece of Velcro went to the inside edge of the tab. Once that is done you can sew the tab pieces together, turn right side out and top stitch.

 





How to layer it all together:

Place a piece of cotton batting down first, then put the outside piece down on top of that with right side up, now the inside pocket with right side up (if there is one) matching the bottoms of the two pieces. Next lay the last lining piece down with wrong side up. Pin everything in place. Sew all the way around with a scant 1/4 inch seam allowance leaving a 3 inch opening on the bottom side for turning. Clip corners and trim edges, Turn right side out. Press it all out nice and flat.  I steamed mine so it would keep its shape.  I stitched real close to the edges, probably about 1/16 of an inch away. This will give it definition and also close the opening. No need to hand stitch closed.

For beginners you might want to stitch down the pocket to the first fabric first and then do all of the fabrics together.

Now for the final finish.  Grab that chocolate and coffee, read your Kindle and let your man rub your shoulders.  OK...we will all be happy with the chocolate!

This and the next photo show how I put on the Velcro



I added a little button for decoration only.  It has no function except to be pretty. 
You could add a YO YO or any other embellishment also.

Here I am trying to show you how I stitched close to the edge. 
 I think it is important but it is up to you.



Here is how it fits nice and snug into the pouch. 


Hope this helps someone!











THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG or on it!

The Friskies Brand has the cutest cat on it!

These are the bags that I recycled out of the cat food bags they have now.  I seen the idea in a quilt magazine but they were using Old Roy Dog Food bags.  Well, our dog is so spoiled he wouldn't think of eating that, I had to resort to using cat food bags.  They are the same woven plastic and very durable.  I thought it would be a great bag for taking toys and towels to the beach (some else besides me!) or carrying things for a picnic. It is water resistant and can be wiped clean.

Materials Needed:

1 used Cat Food Bag

1/2 yard of Paw Print or other fun fabric

Scissors or Rotary cutter, ruler and mat

Sewing Machine and Thread.

I first washed out the bag very well.  I washed the inside and the outside using antibacterial soap.  Come on, you never know where it's been!  I use the bathtub for this.  I would not stick that in my kitchen sink by any means...again, I don't know where it's been!  BUT...that's just me.

I cut off a bit of the top and a bit of the bottom using a straight edge ruler and rotary cutter but use what you can and make sure it is straight.  You might want to watch the pattern of the bag so you leave the best part of the picture intact.  I try to end up with about a 20 inch tube of the bag to work with. 

Cutting and preparing your fabric

Iron your fabric so it is nice and flat then match the selvages on one side and cut the following pieces.
One 5 inch strip the width of the fabric for the top binding of bag

Two - 4 inch strips the width of the fabric for handles

Cut off the selvages on all strips and discard

Set aside the two 4 inch pieces for the handles.  We will do that later.

Taking the 5 inch strip, fold over about 1//2 inch on one short end and press.  It should look like the photo below:

Next fold the 5 inch strip in half length wise, matching raw edges together.  It will now be about 2.5 inches by 42 inches or whatever the width your fabric was. 

Putting on the Top Binding

The 5 inch strip you just prepared will be sewed onto the TOP edge of the bag.  Place the folded strip flush with the raw edges to the top of the bag making sure you are starting with the end that is folded over.  Use a 3/4 inch seam allowance.  Yes, 3/4 inch...you will need that for strength when you fold over the top.  Start sewing about 2 inches in from the folded short end.  Sew around until you are about 5 inches away from the beginning. 

Tuck the end INSIDE the beginning piece so you know where to cut it off so there is about 1 1/2 inches of the binding fabric inside the starting part.  That is why we left the first 2 inches not sewn.  You will stick the final edge into the folded edge and then go back to sewing the 3/4 inch seam allowance through all layers together.  The folded edge will now be on the outside and it will look nice and neat and one continuous piece.  You can hand stitch together if you want...I didn't.

Next fold the folded edge of the strip up and over the top of the bag to the inside of the bag.  It should be a little bit longer than the inside stitching you just did.  I pin it in place.  Make sure it is nicely pulled over the top edge and flat.  That is why you need a 3/4 inch seam allowance, you have a nice edge to pull the fabric over.  I top stitch in place from the outside of the bag using about 1/4 stitching from the bottom edge of the binding.

Now for the handles 

There are many way to do this and if you have a special way to do it, fine. 

First fold over the 4 inch strips in half lengthwise and press.  Now open the strip back up and now bring the raw edges to the middle fold you just formed by pressing.  Do one side at a time and press.  Now fold those two sides together and top stitch it all together.  These should be about 1 inch wide now.  Cut these pieces to 28 inches or less if you wish.  Now top stitch on each side to hold it all together.  You can get creative and also sew on rickrack or use a decorative stitch. 

Flatten out the bag and measure in 5 inches from each side.  I place a pin there on both sides of the bag.  You should have 4 pins marking where the handles will go.  You can either place the handle on one side or the other of the pin or eyeball it to be in the middle of that pin.  Be consistent with whatever way you choose.  Also make sure you have the best side be the outside of the handles.  Be sure also not to twist them as you sew them on.   The end of the handle should line up with the bottom of the top fabric binding on the inside of the bag..  I sew a nice square and stitch across the edge like the photo below:

Now for the bottom of the bag 

Turn the bag inside out.  The flattened out bag should have the side creases to the outside of the bag and the handles should line up.  I sew a 1/2 inch seam across the bottom of the bag.  Now flatten out the sewn corners so that the bottom seam lines up with the sides seams forming a triangle.  I measure in about 3 -4 inches across that and mark it with a permanent marker.  See photo below:

Fabric from some other project used here.

Using that marker line as your sewing line, sew across this triangular piece.  You can cut off the excess to about 1/2 inch but check it out first by turning it right out and making sure it is right.

That is about it.  Now don't get "catty" about your special bag...there are plenty more to recycle!

Vintage Tablecloth Bags

Here was one of my last fun projects. This was a Christmas gift for my daughter. I made 2 shopping bags out of a vintage tablecloth for her. She does wonders with anything that is old...including her father and I, so I knew she would appreciate it.

First of all I was taken on a wonderful day antiquing and quilt shop hopping with some really great girlfriends for my birthday. Yeah, I know, it is tough turning 29 AGAIN. I think this is 25 years in a row now for that special birthday. Anyway, I bought this tablecloth at an antique store knowing that my daughter would just love it. I looked it over and seen it had a hole in it but decided to get it anyway. OK...I got it home but decided that hole was a bit much. I decided right then and there that I would make a table runner out of it and also a couple shopping bags. I got pretty excited about that. I was smiling and talking to myself like I do...the whole time I sewed them. I couldn't wait for her to open them!

When I finished them I just loved them! I did patch that hole and then I cleverly put a pocket over it. No one will ever know! I do so want to make some for myself!!

I hope I can spend another day with my friends to go hunting for some more vintage tablecloths! That was just too much fun!

The Denim Bag

I made this little bag from a pattern that is on here:
http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/quarterlychallenge/APQ_QtrlyChal3.pdf

It was really easy and I just used some of my old denim pants. If you knew me you would quickly realize that I must have had quite a bit left over to use for something else. Well, yes, that is true, one pair of my old jeans could probably make a queen size quilt. On the other hand, an old pair of my husband's jeans would barely make an eyeglass case.

This was really was a fun one to do. I lined it with red hankerchief material and put lots of pockets on the inside. You put the long handle through the short handle to carry it.

A NEW BAG FOR AN OLD BAG

Here is another bag that I designed for a friend for Christmas. I have seen her several times since but do you suppose I have remembered to bring the gifts?

Anyway, I thought she needed a bag to bring her stuff in to work with. I had to laugh when I made this for her because I thought of her the whole time. She normally comes flying into work, holding her wonderful Coach purse, a plastic grocery bag of newspapers, an extra coat or something draped across her arms. Hair still flowing in the breeze from riding her motorcycle...summer only!

She is either going to need this larger tote or a shopping cart stolen from a grocery store! I can't wait to give it to her. Oh, and there are Godiva Chocolates in there too!

DESIGNER BABY BAG

Here is a photo of a diaper bag and a little chenille blanket that I helped make for a friend. She came over and we designed a diaper bag. I think it took longer than we thought because we did not get the bag done that day. We got a little side tracked. Had to pull out the stencils, rubber stamps, paintsticks and rubbing plates. Felt like a kid again! But after 11 hours I had to let her go...we had so much fun! We will plan another day! Woohoo!