Mother's Day Gifts: Zipper Pouch Set

These cute zipper pouches are a darling gift to give someone special this Mother's Day.  This tutorial is written by my good friend Jennifer.  Jennifer is the one who takes me on crazy adventures to find fabric all over Southern California.   She is an amazing sewist and writes a blog called Jennifer Sews Again.  

Her tutorial for these zipper pouches is great - I followed each step and my pouches turned out perfect!  These amazing fabrics are from Blend's Modern Eclectic line.  I love the prints!!!

I love the lining!  What's great about these zipper pouches is they unzip all the way so you can have full access to your items.  I always take mine when I travel.

 I love that they nest too!

 And they make a nice set when paired with a fabric keychain!

Fabric Key Chain Tutorial

Everyday this week I will be featuring a Mother's Day Gift sewing tutorial!!

I like to give my "Mom Friends" a little give on Mother's Day.  I have seen these fabric keychains, or "Key Fobs"  all over blogland and I finally decided it was my turn to have a go at them.  They are a perfect little gift!  These yummy fabrics are Modern Eclectic by Khristian Howell for Blend Fabrics.

Supplies

Cotton belting or webbing - I purchased mine from the Etsy Shop, Everything Ribbons

Key Fob hardware - purchased from the same Etsy Shop

2" strips of fabric

Therm o Web Heat n Bond Hem Tape

Cardstock

Fray Check

Pliers

Cut the fabric into 2" x 10" strips

Cut the cotton webbing 10"

Cut a piece of card stock 1" wide.  This will be the pressing guide.  Center the card stock strip in the center of the wrong side of the fabric.  Press the sides in using the card stock to keep the folds nice and straight.

Using the hem tape, place a 10" piece in the center of the webbing.

Place the pressed fabric piece on top of the fusible hem tape like this:

Press in place

Top stitch the fabric along both sides.  I like to use this Bernina foot #5 and move my needle over 3 or 4 spaces.  It works like a charm!

I took one of those sticky discs that you put on the bottom of chairs and cut it in half and adhered it to my pliers - this will prevent scratching on the hardware.  Fold the Keychain in half matching raw ends. Center the hardware and use the pliers to press in place.

Use the fray check on the sides to prevent fraying.

I think they are so cute!!  And also handy!!

The Maisie Dress

I am in love with this dress!  The fabrics are called Maisie from Anna Griffin.  They are so fun and whimsical!   This dress is the perfect dress to sew if you are like me and collect fabric in 1/4 or 1/2 yard increments.  I rarely go fabric shopping and purchase 3 yards of every fabric I love.

To make this dress you need a peasant dress bodice pattern - or make your own.  I like to wait until the patterns are $1 at JoAnn's fabric then I go crazy!  Peasant dresses are perfect if you want a fast way to construct a dress - no buttons or zippers or lining - Yippee!  Follow the directions on the pattern for the bodice.  I used ones print for the bodice and a different print for the sleeves.

Here are the measurements for the skirt.  This is for a size 6-8 girls.

Collect 10 fabrics you want for the skirt.  Cut them 8.5" x 20" and sew them together like this:
(forgive the photo, it was about 11:30 at night in my mom's kitchen!)

There will be 5 fabrics on the front and 5 on the back.  Sew with 1/4" seams and then zig zagged each seam to prevent fraying - time consuming yes.  Sew the rectangles together to form a giant circle that will be the skirt.  Press seams to one direction.  Sew a gathering stitch along the top of the skirt piece and fit it into the bodice matching side seams.  Sew along gathering stitch, zig zag, then press.

 For the bottom ruffle, cut (4) 3 1/2" x WOF strips.  Sew them together end to end, press the seams.  Sew a rolled hem on one of the edges.  I cheated and used my gathering foot - hoping I would not run out of ruffle - it worked!  This saved time because as I didn't have to fit the ruffle into the skirt - I could use the ruffle like trim instead.  The ruffle foot is one of my favorites!  I had to make a little seam on the side where the 2 ends of the ruffle meet - but it blends in OK.  After the ruffle is sewn on, press the ruffle and top stitch.

Vintage Bunny Skirt Tutorial

The bunnies keep multiplying!  I knew they would make a darling skirt (what's next, throw pillows & tote bags??) This is a simple tutorial for a girls skirt size 6/7 that sews up in no time!  The tutorial is being featured over at the Therm o Web blog.  Click HERE to check it out!!

Burlap Bunny Pillows

I can't get enough of these appliqué bunnies in the Anna Griffin Grace fabrics!!  I had some left over from my Bunny Bricks Quilt so I thought I would make a few burlap pillows for gifts.  They are so cute and sew up really fast.  

Here's how you can make one:

• Cut 2 pieces of burlap 8" x 11"
• I already had the Heat n Bond Lite fused to the bunny, so I just ironed it to the center of the burlap.
• Stitch around the bunny twice using brown thread.
• Pin the two pieces of burlap wrong sides together.  
• Cut a 17" piece of lace and pin in place, tucking the raw edges inside the pillow.
• Sew 1/2" seam around the pillow leaving an opening at the bottom to stuff.  Stuff with fiber-fill and top stitch the opening closed.

They are so cute, and did I mention I love bunnies?  They are the cats of Easter :)

Mommy & Me Aprons

Sally has been begging me for a half-apron for quite some time.  I fell in love with the Remember fabric line designed by Carina Gardner, who I had the privilege of meeting at Sewing Summit!  Her Riley Blake Fabrics are so beautiful.  I love the vintage feel of this fabric line - it's perfect to go in my vintage-inspired kitchen.  The aprons are pretty simple to make.  Here's what you need:

Supplies:
3/4 yard main fabric
1 yard stripe fabric
1/4 yard pink fabric
1/4 yard pocket fabric
2 yards wide lace
2 yards medium lace
2 yards small lace

For Adult Apron:

Cut main fabric 13.5" x 36"

Cut stripe fabric 3" x 36"

Cut pink fabric 4.5" x 36

For Child Apron:

Cut main fabric 9.5" x 30"

Cut stripe fabric 2.5" x 30"

Cut pink fabric 3" x 30"

Sew the strip sets together using 1/4" seams in this order.  Zig zag each seam to prevent fraying.

Press seams in one direction.

Fold pink raw edge (hem) under 1/4" and sew.

Lay the wide lace with right sides together along the hem.  Sew along the edge of the lace about 1/4" depending on the lace pattern.

Fold under and press.  Top stitch in place.

Next place the medium and small lace along the seams of the fabric strips.  Top stitch in place.

To finish the sides, fold raw edges in 1/4" and sew, then fold in 1/4" again.  Back stitch at the start and stop.  This should also secure the raw edge of the lace and keep it from fraying. 

Prepare the pocket…cut:

Adult pocket: 8.5"x 6.5"

Child pocket 6.5" x 5.5"

Fold the top edge in 1/4" and sew.

Press sides in 1/4" and bottom 1/4".  Fold the top down about 2.5" or to your liking.

It should look like this:

Pin the pocket into place.  Of course you can sew 2 pockets or change up the shape.  I am right handed so I put the pocket on the right side of the apron.  Pin in place and topstitch leaving the top open. 

Prepare the sash:

Adult apron cut (2) 5" x WOF and (1) 5" x 21"
Child apron cut (2) 4" x 38" and (1) 5" x 18" - you can adjust the length depending on how long you want the ties.

The idea is to have a waistband portion (the shorter piece) in the center and two ties (the longer pieces) on each side.

Sew the waist band pieces end to end with the shortest piece in the center.  Press seams open.


Sew a 1/4" gathering stitch along the top of the aprons.  Pull up threads to gather.

Lay the gathered piece along the waistband piece like this - making sure to align centers.  Notice right sides are together.

Pin into place.  Sew just this portion sewing over the gathering stitch.

Press the entire waistband under 1/4" - all the way around, like this:

Fold the waistband over so folded edges align.

Pin into place.  I leave my pins in and turn the apron over and sew using the front of the waistband as my guide.  That way the front of the apron looks perfect.  The seam catches the back of the waistband just fine. Continue sewing the entire way around the waistband with a 1/8" seam.

Done!!

I think they are so cute!!  We've already made a batch of orange rolls today!!