Oilcloth Sewing Machine Cover

I am revamping my craft room.  One goal is for my sewing machine to be out and ready. If I have to dig it out of a cabinet, and set it up, I don't use it as much.  So I am creating a new sewing area, which includes going through and organizing my fabric stash and having it more visible as well. (My fabrics used to be crammed into a large plastic bins - dark and light - and shoved under a cabinet.)

I love my sewing machine, I have had it for over 20 years and it's still going strong.  But in order for it to deserve such prime real estate it needs to look good. So I decided to make it a cool cover. I had a leftover piece of oilcloth (perk for organizing my stash), so it's a bit wrinkled. Oil cloth is easy to use as it doesn't fray, but if your pressure foot has difficult moving over the fabric you can cover the foot with some painters tape (cut it to match the bottom of the foot), or you can buy a teflon foot. Also I have a long stitch (4.5), but practice with what works with your machine.

If you want to make one yourself, here are the simple steps:

1.  Measure the length, width, and height  of your machine. You will cut three rectangle pieces.  One that will go over the sewing machine, and two side pieces.
2. Cut out the three pieces. To figure out the dimensions on the main rectangle - the width should be the length of the sewing machine and the length should be two heights and one width, (plus an inch for seam allowance).  For example my sewing machine is 15 1/2 inches long, seven inches wide, and 12 inches tall.  So my main rectangle piece is 16 1/2 (length plus 1 inch for seam allowance) and 32 (7 + 12 + 12 + 1).  The other two pieces are the width and height, so in my case 8 x 13 (7+1 x 12 +1).
3. Lay the pieces like so, right sides together.

4. Sew the piece together, but this is tricky but simple when you think about it.  The three sides of the small rectangles need to be sewed to the large rectangle, but not the bottom short side that is lined up with the width of the rectangle.  Put a small dot on two corners, a 1/2 an inch from the corner, you can see them in the picture below. So start along the right edge, sew down the side (I didn't use pins because they puts holes in the oilcloth, but I have used clothespins).

5. When you get the the dot, make sure your needle is down. Lift your pressure foot up and snip the top fabric at a 45 degree angle to the dot. (You could do this earlier, but I wanted to make sure I was snipping to the needle).

6. Now this is the tricky part.  Rotate the top piece of fabric so that you can continue sewing straight. The snip allows the top fabric to rotate so the width lines up with the length of the bottom rectangle. Drop your pressure foot and continue sewing straight. When you get to the next dot, do the same thing, leave your needle down, pressure foot up, snip the top piece to your needle, rotate the top piece of fabric, and continue sewing straight. I put my hand inside the pocket that is forming to make sure I didn't sew in a tuck or anything.

7. Do the same thing with the other small rectangle.

8. Invert your cover. I top stitched along the four vertical seams to reinforce it a bit, using my little clothespins to keep it secure.

9. Hemming is optional, as oil cloth doesn't fray.  But I ended up folding the bottom up and stitching around it.

Note: I some tips from Martha's Lunch Bag tutorial, but the instructions are vague and the video skips the hardest part of sewing.

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Travel Scarf with Hidden Pocket

I found some great knit fabric with stripes on one side and lace on the other. It would be great for an infinity scarf.  I also purchased some teal pom pom trim.  And using this tutorial attached it along the length. But before I did, I added a hidden pocket with a invisible zipper. The pocket is big enough from my phone, some cards and cash. Pretty simple!

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Other Travel Accessories

A couple of other travel accessories:

Passport Holders

Martha herself was the source for this one.  Did you know that you can use Modge Podge on fabric and it will turn fabric into almost vinyl so you can cut it w/ clean, unfrayed edges, Martha genius!

Lingerie Pouch

This was a great tutorial for helping me make it - Crafting: Zippered Lingerie Pouch

Jewelry Roll

I basically used this tutorial - Travel Jewelry Organizer by Gwenny Penny

Large Makeup Pouch

My travel back pack fills up better when everything lays flat, so rather than a boxy cosmetic bag and made the lingerie pouch with vinyl lining, and with vinyl pockets.

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Fun Concrete Pots

Click here to see my source of inspiration, as well as some tips and hints.

Above are my supplies.  I used the paintbrush to apply Vaseline to the inside of those three pots. Then while wearing my gloves, safety glasses, and face mask, I mixed the cement into the bucket with the water.  I poured the cement into the pots, shaking it, and taping the sides to help w/ air bubbles, which I don't really mind, makes it look more cement like.  Then after about 5 minutes, I placed the cups to make the wells.

I kept pressing the cups, but you could put rocks in them to keep them down. The cement gets hot. 

After about 20 minutes, I put the pots between some newspaper and then cracked them with a hammer, and then took off the broken green pot form. They were drying really fast and looks like some cracks were forming, so I misted them and put them under plastic. Look at the cool brush strokes from the Vaseline.

I sanded them and it takes out the rough edges and the cracks.  The top is a before picture the bottom is after I sanded it.

I added some white sand to help stabilize the air plant.

Somebody should have cleaned the windows!

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Makeup Travel Pouch

I like matching accessories but it's hard to find a complete collection that fits my needs and style, so because of Pinterest, lots of online tutorials, I committed to making my own set.  This is one of my favorites - a travel makeup pouch.

What you need:

• Two pieces of vinyl/laminated fabric/oil cloth (one clear - I used 8 gauge),  7 1/2" x 15"
• One piece of fusible interfacing or fleece, 7 1/2" x 15"
• Two zippers longer than 7 1/2" (I used 9 inch)
• One piece of outside fabric, 9" x 16 1/2" 
• Thread
• Ribbon
• Zipper foot is extremely helpful

1.  Sew your zippers onto the clear vinyl

Fold over the short ends of the vinyl about 3/8 of an inch. It should stick and hold enough. Now with the zipper face up, center it along this edge of the vinyl. You can't use pins as the holes are visible, so I used clothespins. With the zipper foot, run along the edge of the zipper and the vinyl. Sew both zippers on, with the zippers going the same way.

2.  Attach the clear vinyl to the pattern vinyl

Place the clear vinyl (with attached zippers) onto the other piece of vinyl. Move the zippers into the middle (not like the picture shown). And then baste (I used 3.5) around the whole thing, I used a zipper foot because it's along the zipper on two edges.

Fold in half to find the middle, and the mark. I used a whiteboard marker to it would wipe off. Sew down this middle, not basting. Trim the zipper to match the edges. 

3. Iron on the interface

Center the interface onto the wrong wide of the fabric and iron on.

4. Sew on the ribbon

Flip over the fabric, center the ribbon along the length of the fabric and sew along both edges of the ribbon.

5. Attach the vinyl to the outside fabric

Place the vinyl onto the fabric, fold over fabric twice, pinning as you go. Form 45 degree mitered corners.  Sew all the way around, keep the ribbon straight out, so that it gets sew into the edge as well. And that's it!

 

PS After using this, the ribbon can get a little tedious, so I am going to cut off on side of the ribbon and replace with a button, and sew a loop into the other ribbon, so it just buttons close.
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Making My Own Travel Accessories

I like projects and I usually go overboard (Zoe's dorm room). Well we are planning a trip to Madrid to visit Zoe and I wanted to travel in style (use less plastic grocery bags) and more grown-up. Thank goodness for Pinterest! Here is my collection:

Clockwise from the blue mini hidden pocket purse, eye mask, makeup portfolio, passport holder, jewelry roll, padded toiletries portfolio, laundry duffel, hidden pocket infinity scarf, undies pouch, two duffel shoe bags.

Here is Zoe's mini collection:

Gingham laundry bag, two polka dot shoe bags, one undies pouch, and a passport folder. I also made her a jewelry roll. I will go into details on most of these over the next couple of weeks, stay tuned!

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Christmas Presents

I decided this year to make as many presents as I could. I have a ton of fabric as well as a lot of jewelry making stuff.  So I saw these cute fabric covered notebooks on Pinterest (of course). So I decided to make them. I used this video as a guide and I made myself a prototype.

I also made these bracelets and necklaces for the nieces. (Nephews got whistles, binoculars, and compasses, not home made).

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