Victoria Wallet Instructions/Tutorial

As promised here are the instruction for the wallet I posted on September 23.


Victoria Wallet (4 ¼”h x 7 ¼”w, closed)
(10 ¼” h x 7 ¼”w, open)

Materials:

½ yard of cotton fabric
¼ yard of interfacing (I used Pellon décor Bond® 809)
Snap fastener (or no sew hook and loop tape)
Matching thread
Evaporating pen or chalk marker (I prefer chalk markers)

*** All seams are ½” unless otherwise noted. ***

Cutting:

1. Cut 11 ¾” x 8 ½” from cotton fabric and interfacing for outside of wallet.
2. Cut 24” x 8 ½” from cotton fabric for inside of wallet.
3. Cut 8” x 8 ½” from cotton fabric for checkbook/extra pocket.

Assembly:

1. Iron interfacing to wrong side of outside of wallet. Make sure to iron out all wrinkles/puckers/bubbles on right side of outside of wallet.
2. Lay the inside of wallet on a flat surface to mark lines for folding. The folds will hold bills and credit cards.
3. Draw lines across the width of the inside of wallet 5 ¾” (line 1), 8 ⅜” (line 2), 10 ⅞” (line 3), 12 ⅝” (line 4), 14 ⅞” (line 5), and 16 ⅝” (line 6) down from top of inside of wallet. Measure and mark carefully, this step is very important. If done incorrectly, the bill and credit card holders may not fit.

4. Fold at line 1, right sides together, and iron to form a crease. When folding, always make sure that the sides of the inside of wallet are aligned with each other.

5. Unfold and fold at line 2, wrong sides together, and iron to form a crease.
6. Unfold and fold at line 3, right sides together, and iron to form a crease.
7. Unfold and fold at line 4, wrong sides together, and iron to form a crease.
8. Unfold and fold at line 5, right sides together, and iron to form a crease.

9. Unfold and fold at line 6, wrong sides together, and iron to form a crease.
10. Fold lines 3-6 according to creases. Pin in place.

11. Draw a center line 3 ½” long, starting at line 2. If done correctly, you will have marked a line 3 ½” long, 4 ¼” from sides.

12. Place a few credit cards in the folds to make sure they fit properly. Remove cards.
13. Sew two times over drawn line (4 ¼” from sides). This line divides credit card holders so that there are now 4 credit card holders.
14. Fold the remaining lines according to creases. Pin in place.
15. Baste ¼” from raw edges, making sure to catch folds. Basting will hold folds in place.
16. Fold checkbook/extra pocket in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and iron. If done correctly, this pocket should now measure 4” x 8 ½”.
17. Lay checkbook/extra pocket on top of inside of wallet, so that the sides and bottom raw edges are aligned.

18. Pin and baste (¼” from edge) around sides and bottom to hold checkbook/extra pocket in place.

19. Iron to flatten.
20. Place outside of wallet and inside of wallet, right sides together.

21. Pin and sew around all 4 sides, leaving a 2” opening for turning.
22. Clip corners.

23. Turn right side out through opening. Slip stitch closed.
24. Iron both sides of wallet.
25. Topstitch around all four sides of wallet, 1/8” from edge.
26. This step is optional, but I highly recommend it. Draw a line 2 ¼” and 6 ½” down from top (wallet folds). Sew on top of these lines.

27. Center “male” fastener ½” – 1” down from top of wallet. Make sure that the decorative side of the “male” fastener is on the outside of wallet.

28. Attach fastener following manufacturer's instructions.
29. Center “female” fastener on outside of wallet, placing it where “male” fastener will meet the “female” fastener. Make sure that the decorative side of the “female” fastener is on the inside of wallet, under the checkbook/extra pocket.

30. Attach fastener following manufacturer's instructions.
31. Fold wallet and snap shut.

Enjoy! Please feel free to send questions/comments. I would love to hear from you.

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Moda Bake Shop Mill House Inn Tote

Once a month a group of us meet to quilt together. One of my fellow quilters suggested that we try the Moda Bake Shop Mill House Inn Tote pattern (thank you Caryn). So this past Saturday, I completed the bag in reds/pinks. I made the strips on the top of bag a bit longer. I love handbags!

A bit under the weather

I have been comforting a cold for the past few days. However, I have still been able to hand sew (otherwise I would have gone crazy just watching television). I am proud to say that most of my unfinished projects (UFOs) are now done. I only have two more to go...

These are the pictures of the ones I have completed. I had made four blocks with wool and cotton fabrics. Although the blocks were all done, they were not sewn together or quilted. I decided to make a table runner out of the cotton blocks (picture 1) and a wall hanging (picture 2) out of the wool blocks. Then out of sheer boredom I hand drew a picture of a rose on a linen napkin and back stitched with pink/green floss (picture 3). I like the way it turned out, but I think I will try to use a split or some other stitch on the other napkins. Then I will think of what I could do with them (small pillow, pin cushion, etc.).

On another note, I have been working on a new wallet. I have not drafted instructions for them, but I will. They will be posted (for free) when I have completed them.

Butterfly Tablecloth

I have been collecting linens and handkerchiefs for a long time now. I thought that one day I would use them in a quilt. The other day, I took out 4 handkerchiefs and decided to make a table cloth for my card table. I folded the handkerchiefs to form the shape of the butterfly and stitched around the edges using a blanket stitch. Then I hand stitched each butterfly's antennae a bit different. I looked through my stash and found fabrics with a butterfly motif which I used for the border. I liked the way it turned out and now I have a nice summer table cloth.

Friendship Star Quilt and a Painted Box

After I finished my flower pin, I went back to quilting and finished this Friendship Star Quilt. I am realizing that it is way too hard for me to quilt really large quilts (my neck gets really tense),
so I was really glad this was the size of a lap quilt. This is another one of my unfinished projects that I can cross off my list, the list is finally dwindling down.

On another note, two years ago I received this box in a Christmas Gift swap. The box was neat, but did not go with my decor, so I decided to paint it black and gold. I also added 4 feet and a top nob, hope the wood glue holds everything in place. I am not sure it goes any better with my decor, but I am determined to find a place for it.

Flower Pin

So while I was busy quilting (one of my UFO's), I decided to take a break. I decided to make a flower pin following directions from theobjectproject.typepad.com site (Tea Cup Flower Series). Of course I did not follow the directions fully, I made it a pin instead of pin cushion and I added 4 smaller petals to fill the empty spaces. I like the way it came out and it was very easy to do. I think I made it in under half an hour. Guess I should get back to quilting...

Another UFO Finished-Out of the Box

Several years ago I was in a monthly block swap where you were passed a box with instructions on completing a block. Every time I completed a block for the box owner, I made an extra block for me to keep. I made the blocks so that they would measure 6" square (finished). I then kept adding to this collection by making a few blocks after each quilt I made (with the leftover fabrics) or when I had some time between projects. I did not want any two blocks to be the same, so it became a challenge (a fun one) to search the Internet and my quilt books for new block designs. I pieced, appliqued, paper-pieced, and made dimensional blocks. I learned new techniques along the way. When I had a little over 110 blocks, I decided it was time to sew them together. This is the result. I appropriately named it Out of the Box.

I will eventually get around to making a quilt from the blocks in my box.

Pictures of the crocheted items

As I promised, here are pictures of the items I purchased from Greystone Gardens. The first one is of a hand crocheted 100" x 100" tablecloth. The price had as "as is" printed on it, so I thought I might cut it up and use it in various projects. However, when I got it home and took a good look at it, it only needed a few stitches here and there. So now I think I am going to fix it and use it on my dining room table. The second picture is of a small doile, it measures about 6", I liked the colors/flowers. And the last picture is of a pink doile which I love because of its shape.

Vacationing at the Berkshires

We decided to take a family vacation before school starts. We ended up in a town called Hancock in the Berkshires (Mass.). Here is the view from our resort. It is of the sky runs at Jiminy Peak.

All the way in the top right hand corner is a wind turbine. It was kind of neat watching it turn.

During our stay, we visited Pittsfield, Lenox, Adamstown, and North Adams. Adamstown was a quaint college town (Williams College). The buildings were so pretty with their ivy covered walls. I loved the small stores in Lenox and North Adams. In Pittsfield there was this great cafe called Dotties that was decorated chabby chic. It was very comfortable with plenty of seating, indoors and outdoors. The coffee and food was the best in the area. Here is the picture of my cappuccino.

Right next door there was an antique store called Greystone Gardens that was having a 75% off linens, so you know I bought a handful. After I wash them, I will post some pictures. I couldn't believe that I was able to buy a large tablecloth for under $20.

We also visited the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield. Thank God there was an exhibit on frogs, otherwise, it would have been a complete bust. The museum was more like a children's museum. I did have fun trying out one of the Pub puzzles. Can you tell I am really trying to concentrate? I did eventually figure it out.