AfricanKelli

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What to do with those handmade cards you buy at the local coffee shop? Or order from Paper Source? Or buy in bulk from Etsy? (Or perhaps my favorite new local shop: See SawDesigns. Hello, adorable letterpress creations!)

How about a fabric correspondence envelope, with space for both your cards, stamps and your favorite pen? You could use this to clean up your stationery drawer, or throw it in your suitcase when you travel to keep postcards and an address book handy.

{Yes, I actually travel like this. And yes, if you are in my address book, you’ve more than likely received your fair dose of correspondence over the years.}

Let’s start with fabric selection. Pick two pieces of fabric that are decor weight to give this some heft.

Supplies:

- 2 pieces of decor weight fabric, interior 10 ” x 14 ”

- 2 pieces of decor weight fabric, exterior 10 ” x 7″

- 2 pieces of lightweight fusible interfacing,  one, 10″ x 14″; the other 10″ x 7″

- 1 fabulous button, with needle and thread to attach

- general sewing notions: scissors, machine, ruler, pencil, etc.

Directions:

All seams are 1/2 inch.

Cut your exterior and interior pieces, along with your interfacing. Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of your exterior pieces. Place the exteriors (with interfacing now attached) and interior right sides together. You’ll have two stacks. The 10″ side is the bottom. The 14″/7″ side is the height.

Now, we are going to cut the larger set of pieces  to make the point of the envelope. Pin the 10″ x 14″ exterior and interior piece together.  Use a ruler and a dull pencil and measure 7″ from the bottom of the sandwiched pieces. The wrong side of the either the exterior or the interior should be facing up. Draw a line across the 10″ width at the 7″ (from the bottom up) mark. Now, draw a line from top to bottom at the 5″ mark. You should have two lightly drawn lines across one piece of your fabric.

Starting at the left corner of the 7″ mark and the left-side of the fabric, gently draw a line to the top 5″ mark, creating one side of the envelope point. Repeat on the other side of the fabric, creating the other side. You’ve now drawn a perfect triangle. Trim your envelope pieces accordingly:

You started with rectangles.

Now you have four pieces, two with a triangle top.

Let’s sew these pieces together. As per most sewing patterns, the key is to always sew things right sides together and leave a hole so you can turn it right-side out when you are done. Starting with the smaller 10″ x & 7″ pieces, place right sides together and sew only the top edge closed. (see the above photo) Press with your iron, turn right-side out, repeat seam with a top stitch.

Now, leaving a 3″ hole along the bottom 10″ piece — we are going sew the envelope portion together. Place the 10″ x 14″ (pointy envelope) exterior piece and interior pieces right-sides together. Sew along the outer edge, leaving the 3″ hole along the bottom. Place the other two pieces (10″ x 7″) right-sides together and repeat, leaving the same hole. Clip the corners. Turn both sets right sides out. Using your iron, push out your seams as far as you can. Match up both sets of fabric along the bottom edge (both with 3″ holes). Carefully turn these in and pin. Pin around the entire outer edge of the envelope and top stitch, enclosing your 3″ turning holes. You should now have one giant envelope.

To create pockets for the pen and cards, measure in 2″ from the left-hand edge of your fabric. Run a seam from the bottom to the top of the pocket section (only 7″ tall, not the entire 14″ triangle point!). You’ve now got one large pocket — on the right — for cards and stamps, and one little pocket — on the left, for your pen.

Now, pick a coordinating button to sew on the front of the flap. This is simply for decoration, and to provide a bit of weight to keep the flap down. You won’t create a button hole, so your button doesn’t need to be practical. Go wild!

Add a personal label if you’d like, fill with stationery and a pen and enjoy!

Yay! Letters! Who doesn’t love letters (especially love letters)!

-k

Namaste bag tutorial

Okay, 25 projects and I’m done! I realize this one is a double-post, but you asked for a tutorial. The Namaste Yoga bag:

Cut your exterior (above) and interior pieces 15″ wide by 17″ tall.

For the exterior yoga mat pocket, cut a piece of fabric 12″ x 10 ” (this piece pictured is too big, as you’ll see. This is a live and learn tutorial.)

With the yoga pocket, iron under the 10″ (tall) edges by 1/4″ and top stitch.

Then iron under the 12″ top and bottom.  Set aside.

Turn your exterior piece right sides together and sew 1/4″ seam along both edges and across the bottom.  Set aside.

Random photo of a European candy tin I use for pins. I love these.

Cut an interior pocket piece 15″ wide x 5.5″ tall.  Iron under top edge by 1/4″. Top stitch. Place it as desired on one side of your interior fabric.

Pin the pocket down.

Add a fancy label if you’d like. (I buy my labels here. Yes, they are pricey. They are also fabulous!)

Topstitch along both edges and the bottom.

I also like to add a stitch up the center of the pocket to create a division. These smaller pockets seem to hold keys, cell phones, etc., better.

Now, turn your interior pieces right sides together and stitch down both edges and across the bottom. HOWEVER: leave a 3″ hole in your stitching across the bottom. This is how you’ll eventually turn the bag right-side out. Set aside.

Back to that exterior — to create a bag that looks a bit more structured, we are going to sew and trim these corners. I forget what this is officially called in sewing lingo, but I think it is something like a gusset.

See that seam running down the center? That is actually the seam from the bottom of the bag. Take your first corner and make a triangle with this seam running down the center. This seems (seams?) difficult, but it is very easy. Just try it.

See? Not hard. Now, measure 3 inches in from the point and place a pin to mark where you will sew.

Sew along the pinned line being sure to backstitch at each end.

Then chop off the ends, leaving a 1/4″ seam.

Turn the exterior right-side out and voila — trimmed, structured corners to the bottom of the bag.

Now, about that yoga mat pocket. Obviously this pocket is too big, but the dimensions above are a better fit. Place the top edge of the yoga pocket 12″ from the bottom seam of the bag. You want to create a significant flap in the pocket to allow space for the mat or towel when in place.

Pin this top edge of the pocket 12″ up from the bottom of the bag and top stitch to the front of the bag. (Be sure not to stitch through both layers.)  Now take the bottom edge of the pocket and pin it 5″ from the bottom. Top stitch. Set aside.

On to the handles. There are two options. If you’d like the bag to be cross-body, as pictured, cut two pieces 3″ wide by 45″ long. If you’d like a shoulder bag, follow the same directions but cut your straps 5″ wide by 25″ long.

Iron each strap in half, right-sides together. Then uncrease and fold each half toward the center, as pictured above.

The fold the strap in half again, enclosing all raw edges. Pin these and topstitch along each edge, all the way down the straps.

Now place the exterior inside the interior bag, right sides together.

It seems weird, but I promise this works.

Lay your completed straps out and fold them in half. Be careful to make sure the strap isn’t twisted and pin the top edge of each strap between the layers of the bag, on each side. (This step isn’t photographed.)

If you think of this as a sandwich from the cutting mat up,  it would go: interior, strap inside, exterior, exterior, strap inside, interior.  Leave an inch or so of strap poking above the layers and sew around the top of the bag enclosing them. Trim the remaining strap that is poking between layers. Then pull the bag through the opening you left at the bottom edge of the interior. Press flat.

Then top stitch that bottom edge of the interior closed.

Press the bag and pat yourself on the back. Namaste!

This bag looks to have a saggy butt. It must need to do more yoga.

~K

Makeup brush kit

Finny sent me this sweet makeup brush kit several years ago for my birthday and I’ve used it nearly every day since. I love having fancy brushes and like my mama recently said when jewelry shopping, “Isn’t it fun to be a girl?” Yes. I am so very thankful for femininity.

With that in mind, a tutorial to sew something similar. You’ll need:

- a set of makeup brushes

- exterior fabric 7 ” x 10 ”

- interior fabric 7″ x 10″

- interior pocket 5″ x 5.5″

- interior terrycloth 7″ x 4″

- ribbon at least 7″ long for interior

- two pieces of ribbon 5″ long each for closing tie

Take your interior pocket fabric and after ironing…

Iron under the left hand and top edges 1/4″.  Top stitch the top edge.

Iron a center crease in your interior fabric. Place the interior pocket on the lower right hand corner of the interior fabric. Your bottom and right hand edges should be raw (not turned under.) Pin. Top stitch pocket right, bottom and left hand edges to interior fabric, leaving the already seamed top edge open.

Place your brushes on this pocket to determine their sizes. Draw lines vertically with a blue sewing pen (water soluble) as guides.

Sew from top to bottom along these guides, backstitching along the top edge.

Place your brushes to make sure they fit before continuing. (In this case, I slid two large brushes into one sleeve)

Place your terrycloth on the left-hand side of the interior fabric. No need to turn under edges.

Now add your 7″ of ribbon to the right-hand edge of the terrycloth piece.  Sew along the top edge of the terrycloth, down the center of the ribbon (also catching the right-hand edge of the terrycloth, which is tucked under the ribbon) and along the bottom edge.

I added terrycloth because it’s nice to have a place to clean off your brushes in between uses. And when your pouch starts looking like Rainbow Brite, just throw it in the washing machine, iron flat and refill.

Now find your two pieces of 5″ ribbon for your closing tie.

Place these 5″ up from the bottom edge of your interior fabric with 1/4 ” protruding.  (See that little bit of ribbon poking out on the right-hand side of this?) The ties should mostly remain sandwiched between your interior and your exterior. Place the exterior right-side down on top of the interior fabric. Pin. Sew around the edges leaving a 3″ hole.

Those raw edges will be enclosed in this process. It’s sewing magic!

With that hole, turn your makeup brush pouch right-side out. Press flat. Top stitch with a pretty thread.

See? Pretty.

Add your brushes.

Tie tight and wrap for the holidays. Voila — Christmas beauty!

~K

Advent begins today, some 26 days before Christmas. I don’t remember ever celebrating advent with any great fanfare as a child, but have coveted intricate and beautiful advent calendar traditions during the last few years. I am particularly fond of this calendar and this homemade version. {How amazing would it be to receive a sweet note each day?}

This season means different things to Christians. For me,  it is a great time to prepare. It provides 26 days to find reasons to be thankful, be mindful in prayer, and to get my heart and home ready for the Christmas season. Cheesy? A bit. Truthful? Definitely. I am a sentimental girl.

I didn’t participate in Black Friday this year and don’t plan on buying a thing for Cyber Monday either. The older I get, the less the stuff seems to matter. I don’t need a thing. Most in my life are equally blessed. And let’s be honest — all you need is a $.50 newspaper to be reminded the most important things in life cannot be purchased or wrapped — love, fidelity, health, sanity, peace. The very last thing I needed this weekend was to sacrifice sleep for the celebration of consumer gluttony. (If I want to celebrate gluttony, I prefer to do so in the comfort of my own home with a piece of pizza in one hand and bottle of wine in the other.)

Instead, my list of handmade items is long and my list of tiny intentional acts of beauty is longer. This year, I’m celebrating Christmas with Christ in mind — He who fed the poor, spent time with the lepers, advocated for love and peace. Needless to say, I’ve got a lot to learn.

I’ll be posting a project each day for the next 26 days. Some take considerable time, while others are conquered within minutes. I hope there will be something included that strikes your fancy. I wish you and your loved ones a holiday season abundant with the very best of life!

Adventathon: 1 Children’s Art Portfolio Tutorial

Supplies needed:

• Exterior fabric 18″ x 11″
• Interior fabric 18″ x 11″
• Interfacing 18″ x 11″
• Interior crayon/marker pocket fabric 7″ x 8″
• Two pieces of ribbon, each 10″ long
• Wax paper
• Art supplies

Directions: Iron all fabrics. Iron/sew interfacing to wrong side of exterior fabric. Set aside.

Take interior pocket material and iron under top (7″) edge, 1/4″.

Repeat, ironing same seam again under another1/4″, hiding raw edge.

Repeat with right-hand (8″) edge of pocket. Top stitch top seam.

Iron center crease on right side of interior fabric. Align the folded under right-hand edge with the center crease of the interior material:

Pin down pocket side edges and bottom. Stitch 1/4″ from edge of pocket material securing pocket to interior fabric. Do not sew down top edge you’ve already hemmed.

Now, pull out your markers, crayons, pencils, paint brushes or whatever art supply you’d like to gift in this porfolio. Measure the width of these items. We are going to create a series of pockets for each of these by running hems from the top of this pocket to the bottom, backstitching at each end.

I created 8 of these lines, measured equally across the pocket, to hold a packet of markers.

Now, measure the drawing pad you’d like to include on the other side of the interior fabric.

Find the center of the right-hand side of your interior fabric, 3-4″ from the top edge. Draw a line measuring the length of your drawing pad, adding 1/2″. This pad was nearly 5″ – so my line was 5.5″.

Very carefully, snip this line open with a pair of scissors.

Tuck the back cardboard edge of your drawing pad into this hole to make sure it fits. If it doesn’t, make the hole a bit bigger on either side.

Now hem a small zigzag stitch in a coordinating thread around the hole (buttonhole stitch) to close the raw edge.

Place the exterior fabric — with interfacing already attached — on top of the interior fabric with right sides matched.

Measure 6.5 inches from the top of the left and right hand sides of the portfolio and tuck your pieces of ribbon between the exterior and interior pieces, leaving at least .5″ outside to pin and later stitch. Sew both sides together with a 1/2″ seam. No need to leave a hole to turn right sides out. Clip the corners, trim any excess including that extra bit of ribbon and then pull the right sides through your drawing pad hole. Iron flat, pushing out the corners carefully. Top stitch in a coordinating thread.

Now, measure several pieces of wax paper to place in the center of the portfolio for stamps/stickers. Carefully run a tight zigzag stitch down the left-hand side of the wax paper to secure to the portfolio. This also creates a center binding for the portfolio because you are stitching through all three layers (make sure your bobbin thread matches your exterior fabric.) This step is entirely optional. Wax paper doesn’t hold up well and if your artist is too old for stickers, skip it.

Add a label if you’d like.

Place the drawing pad in the hole by securing the back cover.

Add your art supplies

And stickers

Voila — a children’s art portfolio.

Other variations may include thank you notes, stamps, stationery, etc.

Tomorrow: a favorite holiday recipe

~K

Find the space you are interested in gardening. Survey this for type of soil, etc. Is the soil horrible? Is there no soil — such as this space? Then consider starting on top of the existing ground.

Even this can produce.

Gather shredded paper, cardboard, coffee grounds and kitchen refuse.

Layer 1 — cardboard. Cover your space with one layer of carboard

Layer 2: shredded paper

Layer 3: garden refuse — in this case left over palm fronds

Layer 4: coffee grounds. Ideally you want about 10,000 times what I was able to produce for this project today. We’ll be adding more. You can’t have too much.

Layer 5: Kitchen refuse. Granted, it is better if it is added as compost, but considering I am traveling tomorrow — I went through the pantry and fridge and got rid of everything that wasn’t going to be eaten in time. So, we’ve now got whole fruit and vegetables out there in the process of decaying. With 100+ degree heat, this shouldn’t take long.

Layer 6: Water.

Now we must add a considerable amount of soil. I’m going to buy as much manure as my little car will haul so we have a layer to actually plant. We’ll plant on top of this soil and water top down. Within a full growing season, ideally this will all decompose causing the compacted earth beneath it to become great, healthy soil.

And so the salsa garden begins!

{These were placed in the sun to dry for their seeds, but I couldn’t help but note the humor.}

~K