Trinket Case

Those of you who follow me on Instagram know that our family has had a rough few months. My dad fell off a ladder at the beginning of March, shattering his wrist and injuring his knee. He finished three difficult months of recovery from wrist surgery and physical therapy last week, but had to begin the process all over again yesterday after undergoing a necessary knee surgery. On top of that, my oldest daughter Bunny had a terrible breathing attack two weeks ago, followed by trips to the emergency room and several days in the hospital. She's since been diagnosed with asthma and has been taking medicine around the clock. We capped off the week by having all three of my girls come down with a nasty cold. Put this together with sleepless nights, hours of grading to wrap up the school year, and the general stress of the past few months, and well, we're just a bit worn out over here. So when my dear friend Becca agreed to pick up a few goodies for me at Sample Spree last weekend, it was like a little ray of sunshine in the gloom.

Look at these gorgeous bundles of Trinket by Melody Miller and Les Fleurs by Anna Bond. The colors, the designs...they just make my heart sing. The ladies at Cotton + Steel continue to impress me with their skill in creating color stories and collection themes.

It seemed like sewing up a small colorful project would be the best kind of therapy right now, so I immediately broke open the Trinket bundle, which might just be my favorite yet of Melody's beautiful collections. These prints just seem to hum with happiness. I especially love the spools, but I'm just as fond of the whistles, phones, and those sweet smiling daisies. It was so much fun fussy cutting these squares to create the front of a boxy patchwork case.

I used one of the linen floral prints for the sides and back panel. The selvage was just too lovely to leave out, and I carefully trimmed it to fit along the zipper opening.

I added leather for the side tabs and zipper pull, making a wonderful contrast to the bright prints.

Between you and me, when I stepped back to look at the finished case, I was so happy that I almost wanted to cry. Because even though little joys may not solve our problems, they're sometimes just enough to help us find the strength to carry on.

The Stationery Kit Tutorial

As promised, here's the free tutorial for the Stationery Kit I shared with you on Monday for the Paperie Blog Tour.

This little kit is perfect for holding stationery (of course!), to-do lists, recipe cards, EPP projects, embroidery projects, school flashcards, craft supplies, and whatever else you brilliant people come up with to tuck inside.

I think this would make a fabulous Valentine's Day gift. Just pop in a few goodies from the dollar section at Target (notepads, short pencils, page flags, maybe even a gift card), and you've got an adorably useful gift for your kid's teacher, your best friend, or just about anyone else in your life! If you make one of these and share it on Instagram, please be sure to tag it #stationerykit and tag me too @fabricmutt.

Okay, let's sew!

Cutting Instructions

Cut 6 low volume squares 2 x 2'' for cover patchwork.

Cut 6 saturated color squares 2 x 2'' for cover patchwork.

Cut 1 rectangle 6 x 6 1/2'' for back cover.

Cut 1 batting rectangle 7 x 11'' for cover interfacing.

Cut 1 rectangle 3 1/2 x 5'' for envelope pocket.

Cut 1 muslin rectangle 2 1/2 x 3 1/2'' for envelope pocket interfacing.

Cut 1 rectangle 3 1/2 x 4 1/2'' for envelope exterior.

Cut 1 muslin rectangle 3 1/2 x 4 1/2" for envelope exterior interfacing.

Cut 1 rectangle 3 1/2 x 4 1/2'' for envelope lining.

Cut 1 rectangle 6 1/2 x 10 1/2'' for kit lining.

Cut 1 muslin rectangle 6 1/2 x 10 1/2'' for kit lining interfacing.

Cut 1 rectangle 7 x 10 1/2'' for inside pocket.

Cut 1 muslin rectangle 3 1/2 x 10 1/2'' for inside pocket interfacing.

Other Materials

2'' long piece of twill tape

2 metal snaps (You can substitute other fasteners like Velcro or a hair elastic & button if needed!)

adhesive basting spray

chopstick or turning tool

spool or other object with a round edge
pencil

*Note: all seams 1/4'' unless otherwise noted

Make the Cover

1. Arrange the 2 x 2'' squares in a 3 x 4 grid as shown above, alternating low volume and saturated prints. Sew them together to form a 5 x 6 1/2'' cover.

2. Fold a 2'' long piece of twill tape in half, wrong sides together, so that the short ends meet. Baste the short ends together 1/8'' from the short end. Center those short ends on the left side of the bottom left hand square of the cover and baste in place.

3. Use the adhesive basting spray to fuse the wrong side of the patchwork cover to the 7 x 11'' piece of batting. Keep the cover toward the right 7'' side so that there will be room for the back cover as well. Quilt as desired.

4. Sew a 6 1/2'' side of the back cover piece to the left 6 1/2'' side of the front cover patchwork piece. Use adhesive basting spray to fuse the wrong side of the back cover to the left side of 7 x 11'' piece of batting and quilt as desired.

5. Trim the excess batting off the cover. Your final rectangle should be 6 1/2 x 10 1/2''. 

Make the Envelope

1. Fold the 3 1/2 x 5'' rectangle in half, wrong sides together, so that the short ends meet and slip the matching piece of muslin between the two halves of fabric. Top stitch 1/8'' from the fold. 

2. Following the manufacturers instructions, center the stud end of the snap about 3/4'' from the pocket fold and attach securely in place.

3. Stack the pocket on top of the lower short end of the envelope lining piece so that the edges match up and baste in place. Fuse the 3 1/2 x 5 1/2'' piece of muslin to the wrong side of the envelope exterior with adhesive basting spray.

4. Place the pocket lining and envelope exterior pieces right sides together with the top of the envelope (the flap that you'll be able to see) pointed away from the pocket. Use a spool to trace and trim rounded edges on the flap corners.

5. Stitch all the way around the outside of the rectangle, leaving a 2-3'' gap on one long side. Trim the seam allowance down to 1/8'' except for where the opening is.

6. Turn the envelope right side out through the gap, carefully pushing out the corners with a chopstick. Push the raw edges inside the gap, press, and stitch 1/8'' all the way around the envelope. 

7. Attach the socket end of the snap to the flap of the envelope, carefully matching it up so that it will work correctly with the other half of the snap.

Make the Lining

1. Fold the inner pocket rectangle in half lengthwise and press. Slip the 3 1/2 x 10 1/2'' piece of muslin inside, fusing it down with adhesive basting spray if desired, and top stitch 1/8'' from the fold.

2. Place the envelope on the left side of the inner pocket, about 1 1/4'' from the left edge and 3/8'' below the inner pocket fold. Make sure that the envelope flap is open. Spray a bit of adhesive basting spray on the main back of the envelope (not the flap) to hold it in place. 

3. Stitch the envelope down by sewing over the original 1/8'' top stitching on the pocket part of the envelope and then sewing across just underneath where the flap folds down.

4. Fuse the 6 1/2 x 10 1/2'' muslin to the wrong side of the kit lining piece. Baste the inner pocket in place along the lower edge of the lining. Use a pencil or hera marker to trace a line down the center of the lining and the inner pocket, and then stitch over it to divide the pocket and lining in half.

Finish the Kit

1. Place the kit cover and lining on top of each other, right sides together. Sew all the way around the outside of the rectangle, leaving a 3-4'' gap on the top long edge, preferably over what will be the back cover. Trim the corners.

2. Turn the kit right side out through the gap, gently pushing the corners out with a chopstick. Push the raw edges back inside the gap and press. Top stitch 1/8'' from the edge all the way around the cover.

3. Center the socket half of the other snap about 1/8'' from the right side of the cover and attach (both these snaps will go through the inner pocket as well). Attach the stud half of the snap to the opposite side of the kit lining, making sure that both halves match up correctly. Fill the kit with goodies and enjoy!

Smoothie Block Laptop Case

It's really easy for me to fall into a rut when it comes to block design. Most of the time, I'm perfectly content to just sew together a stack of squares and call it good. When I feel the need for something new, the best way to start is usually by sitting down with a pad of graph paper and my colored pencils, and that's exactly what I did to prep for today's book tour post. 

Picture courtesy of Blossom Heart Quilts

My friend Alyce has just published an e-book called DIY Block Design which is full of tips for creating your own quilt blocks. She covers all the basics of design, particularly the dreaded mathematics that go into quilting. You'll find charts in here that are absolutely priceless, giving you all the math for common shapes like half square triangles and flying geese in a wide range of sizes. If you're a beginning quilter or if you struggle with the numbers, I highly recommend getting a copy of this little e-book. 

Alyce asked if I would talk a bit about my own design process for today's post, so I thought I'd walk you through the development of a project I made this week.

I've been needing a new laptop case for my Chrome Book which we bought earlier this year, and I wanted it to feature a quilt block on the front. After a bit of doodling at my desk the other night, this is what I came up with. I liked the mix of strips and half square triangles, although I wasn't sure about the size of the quilt block. Math seemed to demand a smaller block centered on the case with a border around it, but I wanted the block to be bigger.

After some thought and a bit of time at the cutting table, I settled on this design -- almost the same except that it features four half square triangles in each corner rather than the original nine. For a project this small, I didn't mind settling for fewer but larger squares -- especially when it meant that I could fussy cut bigger pictures from each print. 

This is the fabric stack that I pulled for the project before making alterations to the block, so sadly many of these prints didn't make it into my project. I've saved all the extra squares, though, and I have no doubt you'll be seeing them in the future. I called this fabric audition "Juice Bar" on Instagram, and I've decided to name my new design the Smoothie Block since it reminds me so much of pieces of fruit being spun around by the blades of a blender. Of course, since there's nothing new under the sun, I have no doubt that this block already exists under a more dignified name. That's the reality of quilt design when you come in on the heels of centuries of creativity. But seriously, I'm craving a Strawberries Wild smoothie from Jamba Juice right now as I type this...

I added a strip of black yarn dyed Essex linen to the bottom of the block for a finished look to the case. A large piece from a recent checkered text print by Suzuko Koseki paired with the same linen made the perfect backing, and I lined the case with a sweet floral print by Aneela Hoey from Hello Petal. A button and hair elastic are currently my favorite type of closure for just about any case. It's easy, and it just looks cute. 

I am so grateful to Alyce for pushing me out of my comfort zone to try something new. I adore this little case, and it will be getting lots of use in the coming months. If you'd like to design a block of your own, there will be a link-up at the end of October as well as a weekly challenge on Instagram. Prizes will definitely be involved, and you can get all the details here. Just look at the inspiration that Alyce has lined up this month...

October 1 - Let the games begin!

October 2
Heidi @ Fabric Mutt
Christa @ ChristaQuilts
Angie @ Gnome Angel

Week 1: Inspiration

October 7Ros @ Sew Delicious

Leanne @ Sewn By LeanneAmy @ And Sew We Craft

October 9

Jennie @ Clover & Violet
Jane @ QuiltJane
Melissa @ My Fabric Relish

Week 2: Sketches

October 14

Jen @ Faith And Fabric
Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts

October 16

Sandi @ Crafty Planner
Anne @ Play Crafts
Jess @ Elven Garden Quilts

Week 3: Making

October 21

Joy @ Quilty Joy Joy
Linden @ Vine Lines Quilting
Cassie @ Cassandra Madge

October 23

Keera @ Live Love Sew
Janice @ Better Off Thread
Michelle @ Factotum Of Arts

Week 4: Finishes

October 28
Kelly @ A Place Of My Own
Abby @ Color Bar Quilts

October 30 - Linky opens!

Happy sewing, my friends!

Homestead Jet-Set Case & Giveaway

I'm so happy to be a part of the Homestead Blog Hop for my friends at Birch Fabrics today! Homestead is a sweet new collection by Emily Isabella featuring daisies, blackberries, and a cast of friendly animals in her whimsical depiction of life on the farm. I decided to use my fabric bundle to make a modified version of the Jet-Set Case from my book, Sew Organized for the Busy Girl -- just perfect for a child's school supply pack.

I can't tell you how much I love this collection's color palette. The colors are soft yet modern, and while many of the prints are child friendly, there are several that would be at home in projects for any age level. I made my Jet-Set Case a little different from the original project. The case itself is about 3" narrower, making it easier to fit inside a child's backpack. I also switched out the Velcro fastened vinyl pocket for a simple cloth pocket with no closure, making it a great place to stash a set of flashcards or a pocket journal. The zipper pocket and removable pouch are a nice size for pencils, crayons, erasers, glue sticks, and all the other tools in a typical school kit.

I'm so delighted with how this project turned out, and my three girls are a little jealous that it will be heading off to the Birch Fabrics Quilt Market Booth instead of staying with us!

Meanwhile, Birch is having an incredible giveaway to celebrate the Homestead Collection: 1 yard of each fabric in the collection -- either poplin or knit! You can use the widget below to enter...

Win 1 yard of each print from Homestead by Emily Isabella!

Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour as well. All these talented people have great projects to share with you! 

9/22: Lucky Lucille
9/23: The Fabric Mutt
9/24: Brindille & Twig
9/25: The Crafty Kitty
9/28: SOTAK Handmade
9/29: Brooklyn Pattern Company
9/30: Craft Buds
10/1: Miss Crayola Creepy
10/2: Sew Can She
10/5: Simple Simon and Co.

Happy sewing!

Confessions of a Kindle Convert

I always seem to be the last one to jump on a new trend. It's not that I have anything against progress, mind you. Most of the time my reasons are either financial or motivational -- a nice way of saying that I can be a cheap stick-in-the-mud unless we're talking about something near and dear to my heart like fabric. So when the first e-readers hit the market a few years back, I wasn't interested. Nothing could tempt me to choose that little screen over holding a real book in my hands.

It's taken me a while, but after letting my husband talk me into getting one for my last birthday, I've found that there's room in my life for a Kindle. I've only bought a few e-books so far, but I must admit that it's incredible to be able to click that purchase button and instantly have them ready to read. It also works wonderfully for big books which are just plain exhausting to lug around with you everywhere. I'm finally getting past the first hundred pages in Shelby Foote's massive Civil War trilogy -- which I've started and given up on at least half a dozen times over the years -- and it's just as fascinating as I knew it would be.

Of course, a new electronic device means a new case, and I had so much fun sewing a little sleeve for my Kindle. I went with a patchwork log cabin design, using prints from some of my very favorite designers. This time I decided to hand quilt instead of using my machine, even adding two french knots at the center of those flowers on Ayumi's adorable teapot. The case is backed in brown linen and lined with a Paris map print. I finished it off with a leather button and hair elastic for the closure. It's simple and sweet...just the way I like it.

So for those of you who've been holding out like I was, give in. Get yourself an e-reader. You don't have to use it for everything, but it's pretty great for a lot of things.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to 1861...

Lotus Pond Glasses Case

My little Bear started wearing glasses just over a year ago. She wasn't much over six months old when we noticed that she had a lazy eye, but her doctor was kind enough to hold off on ordering her glasses until she was three years old and had some chance of keeping them on. When I think of how irresponsible I was with my own glasses as a child, I've been pretty impressed with how quickly and calmly Bear accepted her pair as a part of life. It may have something to do with the fact that my little sweetheart is blind as a bat without them. Everyone from the eye doctor to his nurse to the guy selling the shockingly thick pair of lenses to us at Costco kept insisting, "Make sure she wears them all the time. She really needs them."

Those of you who have children who wear glasses know that those lenses stay clean for approximately fifteen minutes out of every day, so we've learned to keep a large supply of lens wipes on hand to help with the constant smudging. Bear has been begging me to sew a case for her glasses, preferably one with a compartment for wipes too. I was thinking through ideas of how I wanted to design it, when it suddenly occurred to me that all I had to do was enlarge my key pouch tutorial from earlier this month. And the rest is history.

All the prints in this project come from Lotus Pond, Rae Hoekstra's adorable new collection for Cloud9 Fabrics. I've been excited about this fabric since I saw the first images months ago, and it's even better in person. I love her color choices (nowhere else have I seen that perfect shade of kelly green) and those sweetly whimsical illustrations. I'll definitely be buying more of this collection in the months to come.

Two yards of Feather River from Birch Fabrics is still up for grabs until Friday night, so stop by my Giveaway Day post to get your name in the drawing if you haven't done it yet. I've had so much fun getting to know more of you this week through your comments on that post. Meet me back here on Friday, and I'll have a winner for you!

April Showers Case

I picked up a great preschool quiz set at Costco last night which will be perfect for Bear, and you know what that means...a new case for me to sew! I've been sneaking glances at my April Showers layer cake for the past few weeks, just dying to make something with those lovely new prints. Today I finally broke them out and paired them with some luscious Momo Mochi Dots in Teal. I'm already planning to order more of these gorgeous linen prints in other colors.

The case has a cherry red zipper and is lined with a collage print from the Ecletic Elements collection. This fabric is such a fabulous neutral -- I have yet to find a print that doesn't look great beside it.

The four workbooks and star quiz pen all fit neatly inside with room to spare. I like that this case will grow with the girls. Later on it will be perfect for holding a sketch pad and art supplies. For now it's helping me keep school clutter at bay...and making me happy every time I see it.

Bear's Birthday Present

My little Bear will be turning four on Sunday, and my husband's parents are arriving in town any minute to spend the weekend with all of us. There are a hundred things on the to-do list, but I wanted to quickly share the patchwork case I made for Bear's birthday present, which is a Leapfrog Scribble & Write. So many toys and videos are designated "educational" these days, a label which can be widely overused as far as I'm concerned, but all my experience with Leapfrog products has been fantastic. I think we own every one of their dvds, and I can't believe how much my daughters have picked up from them. Mouse has learned all of her letters and their sounds, just by watching "The Letter Factory" a million times.

Using some yarn dyed essex linen in leather, a fat quarter from the Fox Hollow collection, and a few 2.5" patchwork squares, I whipped up a quick gadget case last night. There's a strap so she can carry it around with her, padding to keep the toy cushioned, and velcro for easy access. Best of all, I can give it to her in the case so it doesn't have to be gift wrapped.

Make that ninety-nine things left on the to-do list.

Linking up to Finish It Up Friday.