Scripture Tote Tutorial II

Remember this? Well, I finally made a step by step tutorial for it.

When I made my first scripture tote I thought it was a pretty easy project but once I started doing the tutorial I realized that it might be more of a "moderate" sewing level than and "easy" sewing level project.

But having said that, I hope this tutorial will make it easy for you to make your very own!

Things you will need.............


*Sewing machine

*Scissors

*Thread to match your fabric

*(1) Placemat-(14" X 19") thinner placemats work better than thicker. Bed Bath and Beyond, Pier 1, Target, and Linens and Things have good selections.
*Main fabric- size of placemat, adding about 1-2 inches to the length

*(2) Handle fabric- 3" x 16 1/2"

*Tie fabric- 4" x 4o"

*(2) Belt loop fabric- 2 1/2" x 4 1/2"

*Pocket fabric- 5" x 8" or any size you desire

*(2) Interfacing for handles- 1 1/2" x 16 1/2"

Plus any extra accessories you might want to add such as....
Buttons, fabric flowers, a monogram key ring, etc
I used all fat quarters for this project. I had to piece together the tie but other than that the fat quarters were just the right size.

Okay, so here we go..................

1) Cut out all fabric pieces.

2) Cut Main Fabric same width as placemat. Add about 1/2" to top and bottom.

3) Fold and iron about 1/4" all around pocket piece. Sew top stitch on the top fold of pocket. Place on placemat in desired area and pin in place. Sew sides and bottom. Leaving top open.

4) Fold placemat in half with pocket on the inside. Stitch both sides. (I followed the seam that was already on the placemat which was about 1/4" in.)

5) Trim extra fabric off to reduce bulk.

6) Fold placemat so you can make the corner (should look like this). Sew 2" in.

7) The placemat should be taking on a nice "tote" form at this point.

8) Trim off corners to reduce bulk.

9) Iron belt loops. Fold one side in about 1/4". Fold other side a little bit bigger. Fold both sides in to measure 1" and press. Repeat process 3 more times.

10) Pin belt loops to main fabric. 2 1/2" down. 3 1/2" apart (give or take to make all the belt loops even).

11) Sew all the belt loops on. The edges will be raw but don't worry the tie will cover it.

12) Sew sides of main fabric, right sides together. About 1/4" (seam width should match the seam width of the placemat in step 4).

13) Fold sides in and sew corners in 2".

14) Trim corners to reduce bulk.

15) Fold handle fabric in half (right sides together) and place interfacing on top. Sew 1/4" seam.

16) Turn inside out and press.

17) Add top stitch to both sides of the handle. This will add a nice finish look to your handle and give it added strength.

18) Fold tie fabric in half (right sides together). Sew 1/4" seam.

19) Turn inside out and press.

20) Cut ends to a point on both sides.

21) Fold fabric under to create the pointed look.

22) Sew top stitch.

23) This parts a little tricky because you are going to want the seams to lay underneath the bag not on the side. This way the bulk of the seam won't show. So, match up corners of placemat and main fabric and sew 1/4" seam on one side.

24) Then fold main fabric underneath placemat, pin and sew other side. This will seam awkward to sew but will make a big difference in the look of the bag.

This is what it look like after it's sewn on both sides. See how the corner seams turn to the inside of the tote? That's what it should look like.

25) Turn main fabric right side out and pull it up tight around the placemat.

26) Fold extra fabric down and pin in place for a finished look.

27) Pin handles in place. I placed mine right above the belt loops.

28) Almost there!

Sew top stitch all the way around top of tote. Sewing a second stitch just under the handles main stitch, giving extra strength to the handle.

29) Add on the belt loop, tie and add any extra embellishments you may want.

and Your done!! You rock!

Now you can sport your new tote next Sunday, every bodies going to love it!

I really enjoy sharing my ideas but I love seeing how your projects turn out even more. So..... if you make this scripture tote using my tutorial send an email my way!! I would love to see how it turned out. :)

(Oh, and this tutorial is for personal use only. Thanks!)

Heather Bailey's Pear Pincushion

I never thought I could get this excited about a pincushion. But, just look at it! How could you not get excited about something this cute?! :)

This is Heather Bailey's Pear Pincushion pattern. I've had the pattern for awhile now but just haven't got around to making it. I just couldn't find the right color of felt for the leaves. Luckily my good friend Katie (from Mia Moo Designs) went to the states recently and was able to find some mossy green felt for me at Joann's. She's the BEST!! It wouldn't have looked the same without it.

Ivory Flower Girl Tutu

I was hired to make two flower girl tutu's for a friends wedding coming up in July. I thought it would be a fairly easy thing to do considering that I've made tutu's before. It wasn't until I started making them that I realized this was going to be a bit of a challenge. Because they are so full it was hard to get all the fabric to line up right and the satin sash showed every mistake I made. But, I finally figured out how to make it work and I love how they turned out.

I didn't make the big flower on the front. My friend bought it at Forever 21. She wanted me to design the tutu's around it. I used three different colors of tulle to get the right color of Ivory- white, cream and beige. I used 4 layers of white, 4 layers of cream and one layer of the beige.

I used two big hook and eye clasps to close up the tutu. Then covered the stitching with the little "YO YO's" to give it a finished look.

I used this website (HERE) for my inspiration with this tutu.

This tutu measures 24 1/2 inches around the waist and 30 inches from waist to floor.

My first felt flower

I keep seeing these super cute felt flowers out there and had to try one for myself. I don't know exactly what I did to get this look, I know I did a lot of folding and hand stitching:). Anyway, I really like how it turned out and the girls love it! I a huge sucker for flower bows and I'm excited to add this to the girls collection. I can't wait to make more. If you know of any felt flower tutorials out there let me know I would love to make different styles.

Doll Dress

Love the doll but not her dress??? No problem... just make her a new one:).

My girls were invited to a birthday party for their friend, Mia (her mom is Katie from Mia Moo Design). Anyway, I found this cute doll at a store near our house but she needed a little bit more style. So, to accomplish this I made her a dress out of some scrap fabric that I had at the house, which happened to match a dress Mia's mom made her (check out her dress here). I added a few hair clips and a neclace to add to the present. Here's how it turned out.

I think she liked it! :)

(Don't you just love Mia's dress? The party had a Mermaid theme and her mom made her this dress to match it. So cleaver! Want to see more of her party look HERE!)

Oh and I made this cupcake bead for her too. I saw one similar to it at Bead Divas and had to see if I could recreate it. I used Sculpty clay for the bottom of the cupcake and the frosting. After I cooked it I added some sparkle to the frosting with nail polish, and sprayed it with a high gloss craft spray. Then to finish the look I put the red bead on top for the cherry. It was a fun, fast and easy project and one that I will do again!

Giraffe Rattle/ Taggie

My latest creation. Want to make it?!:) Here's the tutorial.

Things you will need:

Scissors

Staight Pins

Scrap fabric for front of giraffe

Fuzzy fabric for back: Chenille, Minky, or any other type of Fuzzy fabric

Stuffing, Rice or Beans

Needle and thread

Assorted ribbon to match front fabric

Sewing Machine and Matching Thread

Rattle/ Jingle Bell (oppional)

Let's begin!! Print off PATTERN. Layout your front fabric face up, pin on pattern and cut. Layout back fabric face down, pin on pattern and cut. Cut out ribbon (4-5 strips about 4 inches), cut a scrap piece for tail (1 1/2 inches wide, 4-5 inches long), cut small piece for bottom of tail out of back fabric.

Fold tail fabric (both sides toward middle), then fold in half and sew down the side for a finished edge.

Pin all of the ribbon and the tail to the front fabric. Loops in, pins out (see picture). Place back fabric on top and pin. Making sure not to catch the tail and ribbon except for sides that need to be. (Does that make sense?)

Sew all around the giraffe with a small seam (1/4" or smaller), leaving an opening on the back to turn inside out. (This space can be on the back or in the inseam of leg, you decide where you want it. If you are adding a rattle your best spot for the hole will be the back). Turn fabric over and make sure seam has caught all of fabric. Clip notches around all the curves (nose, legs, ear, neck, inside legs, etc). Turn inside out and make sure all corners are pulled out and rounded nice and flat. This will help give the giraffe it's cute look:)

Stuff Giraffe with stuffing, beans, rice or anything else you prefer. I like to do a little bit of rice and stuffing together (I like how it makes it feel, soft and squishy). If you are going to add a rattle this is where you will add that in. Sew up opening.

Fold over tail and sew a few stitches (this is optional, I just like the tail hanging down instead of straight out). Sew on the fluffy part of the tail (this can be done with sewing machine or a needle and thread. I used a needle and tread with this one because the fabric is so fluffy).

Now your Giraffe is complete!! Great job!

You can add this to a baby shower gift for that added extra special surprise or keep it for your little one to play with. Hope you ENJOY it!!

I would love to see how yours turns out. Just send me the link. Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Tutorial used for Persoanl Use Only. Thanks!

Mia Moo Design made one, check it out HERE and HERE!

Want another cute rattle idea go to HERE on Homemade by Jill. She has some super cute ideas.

Scripture Tote Tutorial

I'm the Young Women's President in my ward and for the New Beginnings program I thought it would be fun to give the girls a scripture tote. Luckily I only have two girls in the program so I can spoil them a little bit. :) I came across this blog {It's a Girl Thing!!}. I loved how her totes turned out. So I took her idea and expanded on it. ( Go HERE for the tutorial.) I wanted to make sure that the tote was lined and had a place for a pen and the Personal Progress book. So I used the placemat for the lining and added a pocket on the inside. Instead of using ribbon for the handles I used coordinating fabric that was lined with canvas to give strength. I also added the belt loops and a tie to add some character. I can't wait to give the girls their totes!

Want a step by step tutorial on how I did my scripture tote? Leave me a message saying so and I'll see what I can do! :)