Hi everyone,

Happy Tuesday! We hope everyone is having a fantastic day. Just a reminder: our two holiday giveaways are ending tomorrow…so be sure to get in on the fun if you haven’t yet! You can enter our Kate Giveaway on our Instagram, and our Peacock Garden Giveaway on our Facebook Page. Good Luck!

New Year, New Projects! It’s time to kick-start 2015 with our first How To’s Day. Today we are sharing our DIY Essentials Case – the perfect little companion for all your traveling and organizing needs. This awesome essentials case is perfect for traveling – put all your most used items into one pouch for easy access. So convenient! We know traveling can be super stressful, so compartmentalizing your items can be a real time- and stress-saver!

As well, our Essentials Case makes for a fantastic pencil case or cosmetics case, with its convenient size and soft shape. It also makes for a great case for holding all your beloved sewing supplies. And, not such a fan of daily household items looking “out of place” in your decor? We also love the idea of using our case to cover a baby wipes container or a stack of tissues!

We’ve included two versions of our Essentials Case, so with just an added step, you’ve got two case tutorials in one!

Want to make your own DIY Essentials Case? Click MORE to see the full tutorial :)

DIY Essentials Case Tutorial

TOOLS & SUPPLIES:

Version A:
– 1/4 yard of MIXOLOGY: Herringbone quilting cotton (44” wide) from Camelot Fabrics in 2144-0043 for the Main fabric
– 1/8 yard of MIXOLOGY: Herringbone quilting cotton in 2144-0034 for the Accent fabric

Version B:
– 1/4 yard of MIXOLOGY: Woven quilting cotton (44” wide) from Camelot Fabrics in 2143-0037 for the Main fabric
– 1/8 yard of MIXOLOGY: Woven quilting cotton in 2143-0036 for the Accent fabric

Either version:
– 1/3 yard of fusible cotton interfacing (44“ wide) from Camelot Fabrics in White
– (1) 7” closed-end zipper in a coordinating color
– Paper printer
– Basic sewing supplies: Sewing machine (with zipper foot), needle & coordinating thread, iron & pressing surface, scissors & fabric shears, straight pins, fabric marker & pencil/pen, measuring tape & straight-edge ruler

NOTES:
1. Please wash, dry & iron your cotton before beginning, and trim the selvages.
2. Unless otherwise indicated, use a 1/2” seam allowance throughout.
3. Backstitch at the beginning & end of each seam.
4. RST = Right Sides Together

CUTTING & PREP:

1. Print the Essentials Case Template PDF and join the pieces according to the numbered triangles. Cut out the pattern pieces.
2. Trace & cut (2) of each pattern piece from the quilting cotton, as indicated on the templates.
3. Place all (4) pieces of cotton on your ironing surface, Wrong Side facing up, and cover them with the fusible interfacing, glue side down. Press well to bond the layers, and trim any excess interfacing.
4. Close the open end of the zipper by stitching back and forth across the top of its teeth with a zig-zag stitch. The stitch length should be set to zero, and the width should be just enough to straddle the teeth.

ASSEMBLY:

1. With the zipper foot mounted on the right-hand side of your machine’s presser foot and the zipper partly open, pin & sew (1) side of the zipper tape to (1) Main piece as shown. The zipper’s teeth should be against the fabric’s Right Side.
When you approach the zipper toggle, lower the needle into the work and lift the presser foot. Slide the toggle underneath the presser foot so it’s out of the way, lower the foot, and continue sewing.
Begin and end this seam 1/2” from the edges of the fabric, and sew as close as you can to the zipper’s teeth without running over them.

2. Mount the zipper foot on the left-hand side of your presser foot, and sew the second Main piece to the second zipper tape in the same manner as the first.
Press the seams away from the zipper.

3. Sew (1) Accent strip to the bottom of the work, RST. Begin at the center, using your zipper foot where the seam runs just below the bottom of the zipper. Switch to a regular foot for the rest of the project.
Sew the second Accent strip to the top of the work; you won’t need the zipper foot here.
Trim any excess length, and press the seams away from the zipper.

4. Sew the short ends of the work together, RST. Press the seam open.
5. Open the zipper. Arrange the work so the seam from Step 4 is centered over the zipper, and sew the ends of the “tube” closed. Press these seams open.

Version A – Turn the pouch Right Side out and press it lightly for a nice flat finish.
Version B – You’re almost there; one more step!

6. Box the corners:Press (1) corner so the end seam you just made runs directly upward from the point of the corner. The seam joining your Accent strip to the Main fabric will intersect the end seam; sew directly over this join. We recommend folding back the seam allowance of the Main/Accent join, away from the corner.
Trim the corner 1/2” from the seam, trim the corners and press the seam open.

7. Turn you pouch Right Side out through the open zipper. Poke out the corners, and you’re done!

We hope you have enjoyed our first DIY project of the year! We’re super excited for the amount of creativity and awesome-ness to come. Have a wonderful day, everyone! :)

Happy Sewing!