How I recovered a pencil case

Life has been so busy lately doing up the house, getting it ready for our new baby. I haven't had any where near as much time as I thought I would to indulge in my love of craft.

This weekend I got up early and by the end of the day, even though I was already worn out from cleaning the house from the mess from all the building work, I made time to fix my old pencil case which I use every day at work.

I love my barbie pencil case!

The sides were giving way and all my stationary would fall out! Not good when working with toddlers!

The zips were still working well and I had considered just recycling the zips but I realised I would need some thing to stop markers leaking through the cotton material so the whole plastic pencil case material got recycled! Go me!

This is how I did it.
 I am no expert. I just give things a go and near enough is good enough for me. So if you want to use my instructions remember you'll need to use your sewing knowledge too. I'll do my best to be clear!

How I recovered a pencil case

I cut my pencil case down to a more portable size, and cut away all the tattered plastic so it could fold out to a large rectangle with the zip done up in the middle.

 I cut the side pocket off and will reattach this later.

 I cut my fabric around the large rectangle piece leaving excess material for seam allowance.

Then I folded over approx 1/4 inch of the short edge of fabric, pressed the material with my fingers to crease a fold ( use a iron if your material wont fold) and sewed it in place so the fold is underneath. This creates a neat edge along the zip. This is much easier if the zip is done up!

Then I had to work out what I was going to do with the second compartment at the side. I also covered this in the same manner with the same material allowing plenty of over hanging material just in case I stuffed it up!

The material now needs to be attached to the sides of the pencil case so it wont bubble. I ran several lines of a fancy stitch which you can see on the photo below. Repeat this on the front back and pocket.

Then I needed to make the ruffles. 2.5 inch of your favorite materials cut into strips 1.5 times the length of your pencil case.

Then fold and sew length ways with wrong sides facing to make a long tube which you turn using a large safety pin.

Run a line of stitching with a large straight stitch and gather. Pulling one length of cotton and carefully moving the material down the thread will achieve this. Careful not to snap your thread. Run a double length of stitching if you haven't done this before. Easier to do this before you start to gather the material.

Then measure out you ruffles on top of the pencil case and sew where you want them.

Don't forget where you place you second compartment you wont see any work under this so measure out what you can and can't see and attach your ruffles accordingly.

Attach you second compartment by attaching the zipper first with right sides together and sew then a stitch down the shorter sides. The bottom will be sewn up later.

Cut back all the raw edges and make sure front and back are even for when you sew them together.

Stitch carefully through the bulk around all three sides ( I bent two needles doing so!).  Make sure your zippers are in the middle so you don't sew them so the can't be undone or done up!

Turn right sides out. The corners were a little tricky to turn out because my pencil case was a plastic material but using a blunt object, end of a rounded spoon is good to carefully tease them out, eventually got it done.

Check your zippers are all good and working. I had an issue with one of my zippers metal ends and had to remove it leaving the zip a little tatty which you can see on the last photo below. I hand sewed a few stitches over it so I wont loose my zip. It works well now. It's only for me so I don't mind the ends being tatty.

One finished personalised pencil case!

Front.

Back

Baby hat day

Well this morning I got up early and made my bread for the week and then because it was raining it was a Sewing day!!

Today was going to be the day I had a go at making sock monkey's but it turned out to be a day I'd make Baby Hat's!!

I was looking through my fave blogs and found a great pattern I just had to have a go at.

 I used recycled materials in this project. A suggestion from my Hard work Heaven man. I didn't want to make them too girly because I'm not sure if they are for a baby boy or a girl. 

I was going to use my partners shirt's (he he) but decided the colours weren't nice enough so I had to sacrifice my own shirts!! They didn't fit properly and at least I didn't have to fork out any extra cash!

These are the two hats cut out

The end result of my first hat. Pretty quick to whip up but I don't have an over locker and this wasn't quite the nice result I was hoping for. I also wasn't pleased that you could see the seams inside the hat.

This is my attempt at adding a lining. Bit harder to do at this stage.

Looking a bit better now and the inside is also softer.

Much better

This is hat number two.

At least this time I know I need a lining so I can preplan how to do it.

Much nicer this time and a novelty knot tied at the top to at some personality.

Or without the knot

Fully reversible

My two finished hats. Much happier with my second hat.

 I think tomorrow might be a sock monkey kind of day!

Some of my past projects

I wanted to show off a few of my past projects. 

This is my mohair bear.

He's quite big and was a bit of a challenge. But I love him just the same. He sits at the end of my bed and keeps me safe a night! I got the pattern from Homespun magazine.

Felt booties. I love these and the idea of homemade shoes. I'd love to attempt this one again with cotton materials. I gave these away as a present for a friend who was having a baby. This is what happens to most of my projects. The pattern was from Homespun Magazine one of my favourite magazines. I love how they have many illustrations of each project to give you a better idea of what you are going to end up with.

This is a mobile I made for a school project while studying my Children's Services Diploma.

I love lady beetles and they go with the babies quilt I made below.

This is my first ever attempt at designing a quilt. Again with lady beetles. I love the colours but I've still got to quilt it. This is just the quilt top. I WILL finish it eventually!! 

These are the bibs I made for my niece. I got the idea from a friend and from working with young children. I found the bibs we had weren't big enough to cover the children's clothes effectively. I wanted mine to cover the babies clothes better. I also love the bibs which pull over babies head so baby can't pull it off five seconds later! I also wanted them to be more fun. I made one side out of fun materials and the other is out of an old tea towel so it is more absorbent. This way it can be reversed for different occasions. 

This hat has been fantastic. I've made two of them now for my friends who have had babies. I love wool which changes as you knit. I find it very hard to put it down. I've tried to use soft yarn so it is more comfortable for baby and I find acrylic wool is great. Not as scratchy and it doesn't come off on your clothes as you knit it.

You can get the pattern from here

This was my most recent present I made for my nieces birthday. It was so simple. Great for a beginner knitter but I would change colours of wool for pants to add more interest as I got quite bored with it. The pattern said to knit it in garter stitch but I chose stocking stitch for a neater look. The pattern is available from here.

 Í made the little jumper for him free hand.

 It' is 24 stitches for the back knitted to the length you like. Then 15 stitch for each of the front pieces. I've aloud extra as mine was a tight fit. Knit till it's the length you like and sew up the front to the back piece allowing holes for the arms to go through. I made a tie for the front by knitting 2 or 3 rows of 20 stitches then threading it through the front and tying it on.