Bias Tape

 

Making Boxed Corners!

Boxed corners are not scary or intimidating.  "Boxed" just means the bag will be able to stand up on its own.  

Do you see the squared corner of this bag?  When you first start sewing a tote bag, it's just a flat square or rectangle unless you square the corners.  

There are three different ways of doing this; all easy!

First Iteration of Picnic Placemats

After sewing those crazy quilt placemats, I saw a post online about picnic placemats!  I thought I'd tackle them; they also use smaller pieces of fabric.  The first pictures show my beta versions.  

  

To make the picnic placemat, I used FIVE different colors/patterns of fabric.  The easiest way to do this is by buying fat quarter bundles from Walmart 😊  Fat quarters are precut bundles of fabric.  Of course, you can choose your own separate five selections, but Walmart usually comes through for me with pretty selections.  I also varied the configurations as I made these so no one placemat was the same as another.  Form the cutlery pocket first, then attach to the larger backing rectangle.  Then take  that rectangle and attach it to the bigger rectangle A.  When you attach the 28" ribbon, sew it to the back BEFORE binding.  I attached it to the side opposite the cutlery pocket, but I suppose you could sew it to the other edge if desired.

 

The cutlery pocket is 7 1/2" by 13" (backing).  Line the cutlery pocket after piecing it.  You can use any piece of lining (I used scraps of white fabric).  

Then I really started cranking out the picnic placemats!  Here are finished versions of ones I'm selling now.

 

 

Yellow Crazy Quilt Placemats

 

Crazy Quilts

 

Colored Pencil Rolls

After I kind of mastered crayon rolls, I moved on to making colored pencil rolls.  The technique was basically the same, just wider and taller.  I was trying to think of something similar to a crayon roll that an adult might use.  And. . .lots of adults (but not just adults) are coloring with pencils).

I also thought this could be used with crochet hooks or something similar.  

Here's the BETA version with the top folded over.  This version was designed to protect the pencil tips.  I also made a larger pocket on the side for a pencil sharpener.  I could not find any tiny sharpeners in the stores and was too lazy to order any on Amazon! 

Here's the other beta colored pencil roll I made.

DIRECTIONS TO MAKE A COLORED PENCIL ROLL 

1. Cut two 9 1/2" x 15"
2. Cut one 5 1/2" x 15"
3. Cut one lining fabric 5 1/2" x 15"
4. 28" ribbon, fold in half
5. Cut one 9 1/2" x 15" interfacing

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• Fuse interfacing to back of one 9 1/2" x 15" rectangle
• Sew lining fabric to contrasting 5 1/2" x 15"; fold in half and iron flat
• Pin to fabric with interfacing along bottom
• Mark slots/pockets on 5 1/2" x 15" piece; sew pockets
• Pin top fabric with interfacing and pockets right sides together to other 9 1/2" x 15' piece

*Fold ribbon in half and pin halfway to inside of top and bottom pieces

Stitch all the way around, leaving a 2" to 3" opening for turning

Crayon Rolls

Later during the Corona Virus Pandemic, I started "sewing to sell," starting off with crayon rolls for my grandkids and branching out into a lot of other projects.

This blog will showcase some of them, including directions. 

I initially started sewing jumbo or fat crayon "rolls" for my grandsons.  They're thicker, easier to hold and designed for preK kids.

I wasn't quite sure how to make jumbo crayon rolls - it was trial and error and Googling.  I used fabric that I already had.  Didn't have to buy anything (initially).  Ha haha.

This next picture shows my initial "jumbo" crayon roll along with a smaller "regular" crayon roll.

Here's part of the assortment that I've made. 

 

I'm holding one of the crayon rolls, filled with crayons.  Notice that I'm wearing a flannel shirt.  It was cold!!  This was before the hot Texas summer.