What a bit of fun making iPad covers/zippered pouches . Mini tutorial.

 I am going to be doing a tutorial night at some point this year at my quilt group. We only have a 2 hour session so the project has to be quick, useful, achievable (without much to do at home) and fun.

So I searched Pinterest and YouTube to look for suitable projects. I came across a cute pouch. I then studied a few YouTube’s and mix and matched to come up with mine. 2 at a time pouches.

You can do them so they are exactly the same or completely the reverse of each other using the same piece of fabric.

I’ll try to explain how I made them step by step. 

1. Quilt your 3 layers together 

I marked mine with masking tape and quilted them one way

Moved the masking tape and crosshatched the other direction.

and trim to 24” high * 20” wide. 

Then mark down 6” from the top left. Also from the bottom right.

Cut from point to point.

You will need a 1 * 25” continuous zip with 2 zipper pulls OR 2 * 25” dress zips.

Binding/contrast fabric…. 2 lengths 2” * 24” ironed in half lengthwise

……. 2 lengths 2.5” * 24” ironed in half lengthwise

2 lengths 3” * 24” for the wrist strap (ironed like bias binding)

Optional … 2 rings or d rings for the wrist strap.

Now, lay the wrong side of the zip on to the wrong side of the angled cut.

Sew the 2” folded strip onto the right side of the zip. Matching the raw edges.

(Oops, my zip is a bit wavy.. don’t stretch it)

Peel off one side of the zip and put aside for the second pouch.

Fold seam allowance under and top stitch the zip to the pouch fabric.

Then iron over the binding to cover the raw seam and top stitch down on the right side of the pouch.

Slide the zipper pull on to one side with the rounded edge first.

Have fun getting the second side on.

Fold over and trim the side edge even

Now to make the wrist strap. Using the 3” wide bias folded piece top stitch down each edge. Then cut a 3 “ length. Thread through a ring / d ring. Attach to the side seam edge about 1” from the top of pouch.

Turn wrong side out making sure you leave the zip half open.

Align the edges and pin or clip.

Attach the binding as you would on a quilt.

Fold through the left over wrist strap and attach around the ring.

And you are done.

Now for the second one. You can make it exactly the same or sew the zip to the opposite side of the quilted piece

This will make another pouch but with reversed colours and zip opening from the other direction

2 easy identical pouches finished

My Farmers Wife busy weekend

 Due to all my holidays I had fallen behind in the Farmers Wife blocks I was supposed to have sewn. 

I was 10 behind. I know they are only 6" blocks but they do take time.

Anyways, my quilt group had a sit n sew day yesterday and I knew what I needed to do. Friday I had to clean my sewing room, print out the patterns I needed and choose my fabrics. I achieved this and the car was packed for a great sewing day ahead.

Here they are.

Block 82 took me until lunch break to sew.

off for a little walk to get lunch and back again to the machine. Block 31 was quick

starting on Block 105

Block 91 called Strawberry Basket. I even had fabric that had strawberries on it.

I managed to get 4 blocks stitched and continued on Sunday to finish off the other 6 blocks.

Block 51

Block 102

Block 67

Block 79

Block 96

Block 21

Here they are all together. I choose colours without having my blocks up on the wall. Clearly, I will have to move some blocks around to mix up the reds and similar fabrics.

I am all caught up and ready for next weekend. I am going on a little sewing retreat to meet the other ladies I am sewing along with. 4 days together to get to know each other. There might be 4 or 5 of us. I am really not sure. We are taking the van and camping on one of the ladies house block. Yes, hubby is coming too and we are making a good weekend of it. 

Hopefully we will get a few blocks made and share some tips.

I'll be thinking of all you Scrub Stitchin ladies who will be sewing along too at your retreat.

Should have been Happy 30th birthday today

 Yes, my son should have been 30 today.

My daughter bought these beautiful flowers for me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN.

Happy Easter and Slow Stitching Sunday.

 Wishing everyone a very happy Easter.

We are enjoying our weekend while I am sitting here stitching on this beautiful Sunday.

I am working on my sashiko

Here I am working on a special project for a friend.

We needed a little shade so my quilts came in handy.

Oh it must be happy hour.

A nice G&T. Thinking of you Sue.

All settled in.

Trying to get the van level was a task.

An old gold mine shaft.

Hard Hill reserve. Wedderburn.

Gold mine

Lovely water tank mural. Beautiful colours.

Linking up with Slow Stitching Sunday.

Crochet dolly bed and blanket

 I have been using up mums yarn. There was a box of 5 ply. I like making the C2C pattern blanket. I wanted to make a rectangular sized baby blanket but instead of decreasing on one side I mistakenly decreased on both sides making it square. By the time I realised I was not going to unpick. I continued and finished the blanket.

My work colleague has a little girl so I am giving it to her for a dolly blanket.

Years ago, mum and I, used to make a little crochet bag that also made a dolly bed. I thought I would make one for her too to use up the leftover yarns.

 It is made with an empty margarine container as the base.

Then a crochet lining for the inside

Next is the outer part of the bag

A nice frill for the top of the bag, a mattress, pillow and mini doll blanket

Put in a cute little doll/teddy

Here it is with the bigger dolly blanket

And the bag is closed ready to take and play

A very cute little set for a sweet little girl.