Sweet Scissor Keeper

 
Sweet Scissor Keeper

This might be my most favorite free pattern ever!

It is from Emma Jones Vintage Sewing Box 

She is a wonderful designer from the UK.  The link to this pattern is here.  The front of her scissor case has an English Paper Pieced Flower, which is also included in her pattern.

I replaced the flower with a cute piece of fabric.  This makes it a quick and easy handmade project that needs no sewing machine - just a relaxing evening with a needle and thread in your hand, while watching a good movie.  

inside scissor keeper

I finished this bunny last night.  Isn't it perfect to show off a favorite scrap of fabric?  It is ideal for a small 3 1/2" pair of scissors but the pattern is so easy to enlarge if you need a travel case for a larger pair of scissors.

It is also wonderful for holding clips, embroidery bobbins and thimbles!  All those small items that are hard to find, once you lay them down!

I added a fabric stamp to the back.

Materials Needed:

• 8" x 6" Fabric for the front exterior of the case 

• 8" x 6" Fabric for the back exterior of the case

• 8" x 6" Felt for the interior 

• 8" x 6" Foam  to add structure  

•  Bias binding 32" long, 1 1/4" wide (when the folds are opened out) 

• A small snap fastener 

 

Instructions:

1. Print out the templates and cut out 2 oval shapes from the felt and foam.  Now cut a front piece and back piece.

2.  Make a sandwich by stacking your front, then your foam and then the felt on the back and pin or clip to hold the 3 layers together.

3. Take your bias binding, unfold the edge and line up with the raw edges. Hold in place with clips all of the way round, making sure to turn in one end of your bias to hide the raw edge, and to overlap the other end inside.  Hand stitch in place using 1/4" seam allowance.  

4. Turn the binding to the wrong side and stitch down in place.  

5. Sew a snap fastener onto the felt side, at the top, in the middle.

6. Repeat steps 2-5 and layer up your back fabric, foam and felt for the back of the case.  (First I added a fabric stamp on the back.) Attach the binding and add the other half of the fastener. 

7. Place both halves of the case together with the felt sides facing each other. Use clips to hold in place.  Stitch the two halves together, leaving an opening at the top wide enough for your scissors to fit in

Gifts to Comfort

  

             Gifts to Comfort

   So, service projects are always fun during the holidays, right?    

Last year my husband and I really enjoyed ourselves, staying up into the wee small hours of the morning,  sewing miniature quilts for the Cache County Humane Society.   

You can see a little more of that adventure HERE. 

About October of this year, this cute PATTERN caught my eye.  

It is found on the very fun blog named Wee Wonderfuls.   It is a free download.   Very generous.  

This blogger's delightful book is also called Wee Wonderfuls and can be found HERE. 

 It is definitely on my wish list.

How cute would these be to donate to a shelter, along with a warm blanket for a child?  I was sold on the idea, for sure.   The pattern was quick to download and print off.  

When I showed my darling husband the printed copy, he jumped right in and traced the pattern onto muslin scraps. 

When our family got together at Thanksgiving time, I had already made little kits (the plastic zipper pouches I found at Walmart for $1.97, in the cosmetic bags section of the store).  All that was left was to pop in an embroidery needle and some floss.   How could anyone refuse to grab one?  

We had a lot of fun and good conversations, watching movies and stitching away.  As you can see, everyone's doll turned out a little different.   

When Thanksgiving was over and I got home, all that was left to do was to sew the doll to another piece of fabric, turn right side out and stuff a little batting inside.  I am still in the process of doing a little blind stitching to close the  open seams.

I found these cozy inexpensive blankets at Wal-Mart. The dolls look cute tucked into the blanket label.   Something is missing, though, don't you think?   It definitely needs a candy cane tucked in, too!

Hexagon Pocket Gifts

Hexagon Pocket Gifts

Materials Needed: 

5 cardstock hexagons - all the same size

  5 fabric scraps at least 1/4 inch larger       than your cardstock hexagons

  1 piece of felt at least 1/4 inch larger than your cardstock hexagons

  6 inches of bias tape or ribbon

  D-Ring or Swivel Hook (optional)

    INSTRUCTIONS:

Lay out your 5 cardstock hexagons. 

Two of the hexagons will be folded and become pockets.

Another two hexagons will become the back and the inside of your project.

That leaves you one hexagon! This is the one that you will work on first. 

  

This hexagon will be the front of your project.  That means it needs to be cute!  

Examples could be a favorite fabric, a piece of vintage embroidery,  a quilt piece or a fussy cut fabric in your stash.   

The three examples above are:                 

1)  A bunny from my favorite quilter, Susan Smith.    Her website is here.  Then I
added some applique fabrics to make the flowers that the hare is standing on.

2) Two embroidered birds.  Pinterest has hundreds of embroidery patterns.   I happened to think this one was cute.   I appliqued the birdie's clothing, including pockets on the little female  and a pink cape.  The boy's coveralls  needed to be blue It was a vintage pattern from the 1940's or 50's.

3)  If you Google search "Heather Ross fabrics" you will find my favorite fabrics to fussy cut.  This Volkswagon Bus is a vintage fabric that is hard to find.   I saw it on this wonderful blog here .  I had a small piece of it in my sewing fabric closet that I had tucked away.  It was waiting for a cute project.  

   Heather Ross has many adorable fabrics.  I am excited for her new collection that comes out in November.  It features donkeys.  Her last fabric collection had a cute deer.   Etsy has many of her fabrics to choose from. 

Okay, so if you have decided on what you want to feature on your front hexagon, the hardest part of the project is over!

Wrap  your selection  around your cardstock.  Make sure you have at least 1/4 inch excess on all sides. This will be the front cover of your needlebook.   I liked the crisp look with the cardstock in, so I just left it there.

Trace your shape and cut out the one felt piece the same size as your hexagon.  Pin the wrong side of your front hexagon to the wool felt.     Machine stitch very closely  from the edges, sandwiching in  one end of your bias tape at the top, in between the two hexagons. 

All that is left is the bottom.  This requires  the rest of your 4 cardstock hexagons.

 First put 2 of the fabric wrapped hexagons wrong side together.  Then fold the other two to make the pockets and place them .  on top.  Carefully stitch the whole "sandwich" together.                   

Leave the top open to insert the other side of the bias tape.  This can be a little fiddly and is easiest if hand sewn.

(I folded one of the pockets in half to hold some embroidery thread.  I folded the other pocket with just one fourth of the hexagon.  This holds a small pair of scissors.)

 If you slip some needles in the felt on the top, this completes a cute little mending kit  that holds the  basics:  thread, scissors and needles. 

What if you need a gift for a friend that has no interest in sewing?  Just replace the pocket that holds the thread with Post-It Notes and the scissor pocket with a half pencil!  

Voila! - it becomes a handy note holder.   For the note holder, make sure the size of your hexagon is at least 3 inches.