Craft Along with GIY: Things with Wings

The theme for the September Craft Along with GIY is Things with Wings. All month, I've been sewing zipper bags and pocket pack tissue holders. I made one of each for myself in a purple bat print fabric.

A benefit of sewing your own zipper bag is that you can make it exactly the size you want. Mine is just large enough to hold the stuff I normally carry. It fits perfectly in my small purse along with the tissue holder and my wallet. :)

To share your Craft Along with GIY project:
1.  Add the Craft Along with GIY icon to your blog post. Link the icon to this page:
http://gothityourself.blogspot.com/p/craft-along-with-giy.html
2.  Leave a comment with a link to your project. If you're not a blogger, you can link to your webpage, Instagram, or anywhere else readers can see it. (Please link directly to the project page.)

I will compile the links on the Craft Along with GIY page.

Sewing Projects in Progress 3

I am continuing to work my way through my stash of fabric scraps. I've made a variety of pillow covers, tissue holders, and bags.

And I've matched up most of my assorted zippers with fabrics to make more zipper bags.

The good news: I have used up about two thirds of my cotton fabric scraps.

The bad news: I don't know what I am going to do with all these things.

Sewing Tutorial for Pocket Pack Tissue Holder

Pocket pack tissue holders are my current favorite sewing project. They are a great way to use fabric scraps, and they're a nice handmade gift or stocking stuffer that is truly useful. They're also super easy to make and therefore an ideal project for the beginner sewist (or the pro who wants a break from complicated projects).

The ones I make hold a pack of tissues and have a pocket to hold a small bottle of hand sanitizer (or lip balm or sunscreen or any other little necessity). At the opening for the tissues, there is a slight overlap, which keeps the holder from gaping open. Here is the tutorial.

To begin, select your fabrics. Quilting cottons, broadcloth, or similar fabrics work best. You can use one, two or three coordinating solids or prints.

Next, cut your fabrics. I use graph paper to make a pattern; you can use a ruler or other method if you prefer. You will need three pieces of fabric (measurements are in inches):

• 8.5 wide by 6 high for the inside; this will also show as the trim around the opening
• 7 wide by 6 high for the outside
• 7 wide by 7.5 high for the pocket

In this example, I used solid black for the inside/trim, orange bat print for the outside, and white bat print for the pocket.

Fold the pocket fabric in half horizontally and press.

Place the pocket fabric face up on top of the outside fabric face up, matching the raw edges at the sides and bottom.

On top of this, place the inside/trim fabric face down, matching the edges at the left side, top, and bottom of the fabric stack. Stitch along the left side (about a .25 inch seam).

Slide the inside/trim fabric to the left, and match up the edges at the right side, top and bottom of the fabric stack.

Stitch along the right side. (Not shown, optional: Finish the raw edges with a serger.) You now have a loop of fabric.

Turn the loop outside out. One side will show the inside/trim fabric.

The flip side will show the outside and pocket fabrics with a bit of the inside/trim fabric.

Flatten the loop so there is an equal amount (about .5 inch) of inside/trim fabric to the left and right of the outside and pocket fabrics. Press.

With the outside and pocket fabrics facing up, fold one edge of the flattened loop toward the center 2 inches.

Fold the other edge toward the center 1.75 inches.

Stitch along the top and bottom.

If desired, finish the raw edges with a serger.

Turn outside out. Push out the corners to shape. (If you serged the seams, the corners will be more rounded than pointy.) Done!

Make another two or three... or twenty. ;)

Sewing Projects in Progress 2

As mentioned in my last post, I have been working on some sewing projects using fabric scraps. Small zipper bags are a good way to use scraps, but I'd never made any because, for some reason*, I thought they would be difficult.

*Probably because I looked at the directions on a commercial pattern. They make the process much more complicated than it needs to be.

But thanks to online tutorials, I discovered that making little zipper bags is actually quite easy.

The real hurdle in making zipper bags for fun is the expense of the zippers. In retail stores, they are about $2 or $3 each. I turned to Amazon and ordered an assortment of 25 zippers for $10.

I got a variety of very nice colors... and two freebies. :D Now I can have fun matching up fabrics with zippers and making lots of little bags!

Sewing Projects in Progress

With my cabinet project and flooring installation both on hold until I can address the subflooring problem, I opted to spend my weekend sewing. I wanted to use some of my fabric scraps, and found some ideas on Pinterest.

One was a holder for a pocket pack or travel pack of tissues. I tried a few tutorials, and ultimately cobbled together a design which combined three of them. It has a pocket to hold a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

Once the design and measurements were settled, I made a holder. It was sort of fun, so I made another. And another. And another. And another...

I finished nine and have another nine about 75% done.

If anyone is interested, I'll do a tutorial. The holders are super easy to make. Though I'd feel like an enabler because making these little things is rather addictive! :)

Craft Along with GIY: September 2017

It's September 1 and time for a new craft-along. :)

During September, I will work on a craft project for the monthly theme. Around September 28, I will post my completed project. You can share a link to your project on that post or at any time during the month on this post. On September 30, I will compile the links on the Craft Along with GIY page.

To participate:
1.  If you're a blogger, add the Craft Along with GIY icon to your post. Link the icon to this page:
http://gothityourself.blogspot.com/p/craft-along-with-giy.html

2.  On either this theme announcement post or my completed project post, leave a comment with a link to your project. You can link to your blog, webpage, Instagram, or anywhere else readers can see it.

Your project can be big or small. It can be in any style, goth or otherwise. The fun is in the crafting! :)

The theme for September is Things with Wings. As always, you can interpret this broadly. Just combine your craft of choice: 

• painting
• woodworking
• jewelry making
• sewing
• knitting
• sculpting
• or any other type of crafting

and a thing with wings:

• dragon
• owl
• butterfly
• bat
• raven
• fairy
• beetle
• or any other winged thing

Creativity is encouraged!