Sketch Wallet

I have wanted to make a wallet with a  zipper enclosure for a while. Choly Knight from Sew Desu Ne offered up a free tutorial a week or so ago and I got inspired.

Really inspired. Before sewing it once through, I added all sorts of amazing bits.
Which is bad!
Note to self: Please try to sew items the first time as per directed.

Above is my second attempt which is so much better than the first one.


Below is my first attempt.

What? You can't see what could be made better?

I immediately had to add a  see-thru vinyl zippered pocket. The attachment is onto the spine, which is floppy. I ironed on some SF 101 to the spine before sewing but it isn't enough. And then to add another pocket for it to support. Ahem.

After turning acrobatics, it comes out pretty wrinkled. Attempting to iron it smooth, I scorched my pretty Summersville fabric store.

Then, I got my iron too hot because now my interfacing won't lie smooth. Anymore.
(I pre-shrunk that interfacing too!)
I hated - okay - disliked the pellon decor bond 803 that Choly had you add to the outer sections to stiffen them up.
On a good note, I did not burn a hole in my vinyl pocket.

I also tried out a metal zipper because I had one in the exact length. I actually liked the metal teeth on this wallet, but there wasn't enough sub-structure to support this heavier zipper.

I love how my second one turned out.

First off, I used a nylon zipper - as called for in the directions! and following my recent success at putting zipper pulls back onto zipper tape, made it a double pull zipper. You can unzip from both directions.

Secondly, I ditched my awesome extra vinyl pocket. I may add it back in.

Thirdly? I looked around my sewing room for something to add to make the outsides stiffer. I found these disposable meat cutting boards. I originally bought these for camping but they have migrated into my sewing room for making templates.

So useful here. I cut two a little smaller than the outside dimensions, rolled them up and inserted them and mushed them into place with my fingers. Then I sewed this seam shut (open from turning it inside out).

Musing on needing a stiffer outside, I thought about inserting peltex (pellon 70) inside but that stuff is thick - about 1/16" thick. The plastic was much thinner and works perfectly.

Seriously awesome sturdy sketch wallet.
Now, I need to go shopping for a sketch book that fits.

Have you jumped on the adult coloring book bandwagon?
Zentangle anyone?

 
Blue sketch fabric is from Riley Blake's "Rocket Age".
Ticket fabric came from Japan.
Cork fabric (New love - it does NOT fray and looks amazing) was purchased from this seller.    The cork helped to give this structure as well - home dec weight. 

Rocket Baby Quilt

I sewed this up yesterday afternoon. It's a baby quilt  for a friend of mine.
I was thinking she was having a boy.
She's having a girl.

oh boy!

So this will probably go into my etsy shop.
This first photo is outside - see how the orange is orange?
Next photo inside my sewing room - see how the orange went red?

When taking photos, quilters not only have to worry about lighting more, they have to figure out how to show that the seams are straight. Mine all  look catty-whompus  in these photos. I assure you all my little quarter-inch seams match.


I wanted a blue, orange & gray theme to my fabrics. Since I don't quilt (almost never), most of my prints  --are prints, not solids. It was difficult to find enough 'solids' to offset the definite airplane and elephant theme going on.

Just goes to show you that you can never hope to have enough fabric.






Testing out a binding material. This light and dark airplane material is all over the quilt top in the above photos. I don't know whether to use this fabric.
I'm not real fond of light-colored anything for boys but it seems to work.

This is more of the quilting I like as it was not monotonous figuring out fabric placement in my no pattern sew-as-you-go way.






It's a busy quilt, but then, boys are quite busy.
Right - off to start that girl's quilt....

Check out Gina's Etsy store - she makes the most amazing wedding treasures.

Summer Excess

The Summer of Excess.
Bumper crops on  both the Raspberries and Blueberries and the Fabric.

I may have had a moment at Fabric Depot last night.
I had seen a new line of airplane fabrics when I was there a few weeks ago and I lusted after them.

I already had to go to the fabric store for some thumb hooks to attach a strap to a bag.
The sheer 40% Off All Fabrics overwhelmed me.
There was no contemplation at all of what I will make with these fabrics.

Not exactly what I was looking for but the cheapest. $1.89 each. This is why I cut hardware off bags I find at garage sales.

This is my favorite -- the biplanes and the postmarked letters. Done in my favorite color combo of aqua and orange.

This is a line by Riley Blake in the same color combo featuring old comic book advertising.
----Just because I had a dog named Rocket - which I will never repeat because that dog zoomed off like a rocket.
---just because I like airplanes and other things that fly....

 I covered my blueberry bushes last week and did the first picking this morning.

It's been cool and wet and humid this week. They will reach their peak in the next week or two.

I need to go to the store this morning and buy plain yogurt to make my Blueberry yogurt muffins. I can't eat them but everyone else loves them.
Someday, I might try to make it a gluten-free, no dairy, no weirdness recipe.
For covering, I look for bridal netting at garage sales or buy some at Joanns/Walmart. Secured with clothespins.

 We still have some straggling strawberries to pick.

My final piece of fabric was found at the cutting counter. From wide stripes to thin stripes - she was making a maxi-skirt for her daughter. Having no control at all last night, I bought some too.
It will look good for the 4th of July party.