creatin

wltt9 f i

+ thre
I

faux leather <

+SUEDE
----- .. ------

draft a

- pattern
in a snap!
'
FEATURES
12
luxe look-alikes
Tech niques a nd ti ps fo r
sewing faux leather and suede
LINDA TURNER GRIEPENTROG

24
drafting a
custom skirt
Learn how to drape and
sew a sk irt cu stom ized PROJECTS
to yo ur 1
m easuremen ts 38
SANDRA GEI GER fabulous felt
Get creabve with woo l fe lt DEPARTMENTS
32
in 11 colo rful designs
recycle runway babyville
sewing 1n. boutique sleeping bag
3 dimensions ~8 project sew wrld + more
Meet felt designe r sew deluxe
Anne Kyyrb Qui nn Showcase Luxu rio us texture 5 ed itor's note
NICOLE SMITH w it h leathe r and suede projects 6 what's new + cool
S sew bout iq ue
s~
modern holiday 22 wish list
Sew f un proj ects for ce lebra tin g 67 sewin g basics
the holidays in style
144: sew in sp ired
betz white
60
surface tension
Expe r i m ent w ith fa bric ma nip ulat io n
1

for uniqu e texture effects

-----'-~
,-, ----------
!
- ----~- ~- ----~ - ~----- -~- . ---~~--~- --
I -------------------------------------------------------------~----------------------------
-- ---- -------- ------- ----

ON THE COVER: Wool Petals Pillow by Kevin Kosbab, page 47

 *
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-- -- ____ 't . __ t. F

'
I
1

I Cf!tEATINO WITH ABRIC THREAD
I

' Tricia Waddell

EDITO'R IN CHIEF
'I MANAGING EDITOR Stefanie Berganini
' PROJECTS EDITOR Ka trina Loving
'I
4
DESIGNER Charlene Tiedemann
I

PHOT OCRAPHY Joe Hancock unless othcnuisecredited PHOTO STYLING Pam Chavez
HAIR &: MAKEUP l{athy McKay ILLUSTRATION Ann Sabin Swanson
TECHNICAL. EDITORS Rebecca I<cmp Brent, I<cvin Kosbab, Kerry Smith, Bernie Kulisck
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Nico le Smit h
COPY EDITORS Karen Levy, Veronica Patterson

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Trish Faubion PRODUCTION EDITOR Nancy Arndt

PRODUCTION DESIGNER Kate Binder

PUBLISHER Tohn P. Bolton, Esq. EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Pokey Bolton

MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR Julie Macdonald ADVERTISING MANAGER Barbara Staszak
AD TRAFFICKER Melissa Marie 'Brown MARKETING DIRECTOR Mary T(inCannon
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Bob I(aslik CIRCULATION MAHAGER fodi Smith

RETAILERS If you are interested in carrying this magazine in your store please contact us at:
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Interiveave Stitch (ISSN': 2r60-6838) is published five times peT y aT by Interweave Press I.LC, 2or E. Fourth
St, Loveland, CO 805 37-5655. (970) 669-767 2. All contents of this issue of Inte1weave Stitch a.re copyrighted
by Intenvea.ve Press LLC, 2or r . All rights reserved. Projects and information are for inspiration and personal
use only. Reproduc Lion in whole or in parl is prohibile<l, excepL by permission of Lhe publisher. Interweave

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tised in Interweave Stitch Nor does Interweave Stitch evaluate the advertise r<;' claims in any \vay. You
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Love every project more w ith the B,ERNINA 3 Se r~ es..

Step :u p t o a m achii ne that wo1

n 't ho l.d' yo u back: The BE.RNI NA 3 Seri es. Our affordabl,e new liine 1

combines su.perior perform1a1nce, outst and ing dura'b ility and incredi lb le Sw~ss en.g in,eer'ing ..

Lear'n m ore about t he m.a(hi1

ne you've been longi ng f or .a t 1
www. .be:rni.nausa.com/3series.

I'M ON A MISSION.
My goal is to encoi1rage and inspire all my friends
(\ve're friends, right?) to sew with fabric types they have
never sewn with before. No\iv, don't get me v..rrong I
love beautiful q11ilting cottons just as much as the next
person, and I have plenty of the:rn in my stash. But lam
really drawn to fabrics \vith interesting textures and
fiber characteristics-from doupionni silk and satin
to sweater knits and i1ubby wool tweeds to luscious
velvets and corduroys, and the list goes on and on.
Texture totally hooks me, and even if I've never
sewn a particular fabric type before, I am not deterred.
Some sewing tips, the right machine needle, and a little
bit of stitching practice 011 test swatches are all you
need to expand your fabric horizons.
So ou.r Winter issue celebrates texture. Ifs the perfect
time of year to \Vork with heavier, textured fabrics and
sew something that not only looks good but also feels
good to touch. Jn the pages that follow, \Ve'IJ show you
check it out
For full-size
pattern .do cads,
online extras, the
Stitchblog, and
the Sew Daily free
eNewsletter, go to
interweavestitch.com
editor's note
exciting projects yOll can make \vi th wool felt plus
se"ving techniques and projects for faux suede ai1d
leather. You'll also lear11 tvays to make yottr own texture
by manipulating fabric to create smocking, pin-tucks,
trapun,to, exposed seams, and more. And just for fun,
we'll get you ready for the holidays with modem gift
ideas and decor for enterta"ning in style.
Need a little inspiration to get motivated? Check
out our profile on Anne Kyyro Quin11 and see the artis-
tic designs she creates with wool felt. Then learn how
to draft two versions of your o\vn_custom straight skirt
that \vill take you from the office t o a holiday party.
Oh, yeah, we have some sewi11g to do. Let the fun
commence!
Happy sewing!
bidtz W({J.r.LaL,U
sti tchs uh mi ssions@i nterweave. con1
--
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interweavestitch.com *
 ~

sewing room
.

--- - -----~-- -- - --------- ---- ------ ---- ----------- -------------~-------------- --------------------------------------------------

Editors 1 pic ks for p rodu cts,
too ls, boo ks + notions
Text NICOLE SMITH
what's new +cool
--- --- ---- - ---~- - -- --- - -- --- ----------------s-- -~- ---------- ------ ------ ----------------- - ~----- --- - ----- -- --

Transfer your own designs onto fabric

surfaces and more with ease using
I RON-ON TRANSFER PENS from Sulky.
Simply trace your design onto paper then
iron the de.sign directly onto your project.
The transfer process works on anything
that can withstand the iron's heat- fabric,
wood, needlepoint canvas. and more. Sulky,
sulky.com, $4.49 for colored pens; $6..99 for vvhite.

Create stylish ornaments and

jewelry with the MY CHRISTMAS
ZIPS pattern set by Robin Mackin-
tosh. The set includes instructions

Find the motivation you need to create

your own fashion designs in the
- for using zipper tapes to create ten
fashionable and unique projects. Use
them to decorate the tree, give as a
BURDASTYLE SEWING HANDBOOK. gift, or adorn a present. Indygo function,
BurdaStyle recruited designers from indygojunction.com, $9.99.
its global online sewing community
to contribute projects, photos of their - --
sewing spaces, and sewing advice for
this inspiring book. You'll also find five
master patterns that are fully customizable 1
including a skirt, top 1 dress, and coat along
with fifteen projects based on those patterns. The BurdaStyie
Sei;,ving Handbook by !\fora Abousteit with Alison Kelly, Potter Craft, $29.99.

------ - -----------~---- - ---~---- ~ --------- -- ------~--~-~------- - ---- ~= --------~---

Vintage fabric lovers everywhere will adore the DRESSMAKING

COLLECTION from Vintage Notions by Amy Barickman. Based on
the style and imag,e ry of her book Vintage Notions, the fabric collec-
tion features images of retro notions and other stitching nostalgia on
cotton fabric. The Vintage Workshop, thevintageworkshop.con1
Adapted from articles that appeared
in Threads magazine, the THREADS
SEWING GUIDE is a terrific reference
to have in your sewing room, covering
)'
topics that are useful for both novice
and advanced sewers. You'll find ev-
erything you need here, from choos-
0 )
ing fabrics and seams to tailoring and
couture techniques. Threads Sewing Guide:
A Complete Reference from A nrerica ;s Best-Loved
Sewing Magazine, Taunton, $34.95.

6 ............. .............. .. . - .. ................ ...............

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tee

RESULTS
Twelve Ways to Add
.. __,,.--- Texture to Fabric, Craft
and Mixed-Media Projects
Add a touch of handmade whimsy to your home with ubbi g Plate Roundup. by Shelly Stokes,
these delightful EMBROIDERY WALL ART KITS is your perfect craft room companion for
from Penguin & Fish. They're available in six differ- creating visual and tactile textures for
ent designs, each featuring a loveable animal. The kits fabric, craft and mixed-media projects!.
contain everything you need, including instructions, Emboss metaL foil fabric, make gelatin
fabric, embroidery floss, needles, ribbon, and an em- prints - and more! Pre~order your ca y
broidery hoop. When finished, each design measures 8 .. today! See website for details.
(20.S cmJ in diameter. Penguin tI'Fish,penguinandfishcom, $18.
NOW ON
------- -- -- .... ------ --- - ~----- - ---- FACEBDDK

The new S" (12.5 cm) long

PRECISION APPLIQUE
SCISSORS from OLFA are
perfect for sewers looking
to get into tight spaces to
cut precise edges or remove
stitches. The large handles
are ergonomically designed
for both left- and right-handed
sewers and the stainless steel
blades are strong enough to
cut through multiple fabric
layers .. OLFA, olfa.com, $24.99.

Great things
come in small
packages with
these SEWING
CARDS by fabric
The Pa1ntstik Place
designer Valeri
Wells. Featuring
stylish projects www.cedarcanyontextiles.com
with complete in- 877 .296.9278
structions inspired by her
sign ature prints, the cards ar e each about the size of PAINTSTIKS RUBBING PLATES
a traditional greeting card and make great gifts. The STENCILS 'BOOKS PATTERNS
patterns include quilts, accessories, garments, toys,
crafts, and more. Valori Wells, stitchinpostcon1, $3-6.
.. - ........ -- ............... - ........... .. ... .. ......... .. ... ..
...
7 ..
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int erw eavestit ch.com


sewing room

Fro,m inspiring people to, hot

sew trends, check out the news from
around the sewing world.

----~-------------------------------------------------------------------~

stitched it fro1n require her to remain stand-

ecycle
Runway
Creati ng w ea rab le
art fo r e nviro nm enta1
awa reness
Text LINZEE KULL McCRAY
Most of us de1nand more from a dress than
just good looks- at the very least. we'd like
t o be able to sit down in it. But that's not
important to Recycle Run\vay creator and
artist, Nancy Judd She's happy if a dress
she creates raises awareness, even if the
glass shards, rusty nails, or junk mail she's
ing to make a point.
'Taking something our culture has
a visceral reaction to ~nd makin.g it into
something elegant and beautiful really gets
my juices flu\ving," says Judd, \vhose Recycle
Runway garments include a textural fa1Lx
fur coat of discarded video and cassette tapes
and a flirty ruffled skirt and bolero made
from inner tubes.
The idea of turning resources destined
for the du1np into one-of.a-kind fashion.
grew from a project Judd initiated t.v hen she
served as the recycling coordinator for the
city of Santa Fe, ew Mexico. 'Waste doesn't
exist, only \ivasted resources," she says.
Today, companies such as Target, Toyota,
and Delta Airlines commission her work.
She also shares her wearable eco-fashions
in educational workshops and exhibitions
arou11d the country. tributes of the materials really suggested the
Like any se;,vist, Judd derives inspiration style of the dress," she says. "For me, creativ-
from her "fabric..~ A recent example is a com- ity is about being given a set of parameters
m.ission for the to;,vn of Lincoln, Oregon. and then problem solving."
When she learned that plastic bags in the Though fu:dd learned her sewing con-
ocea11 posed a problem for the community struction methods by refashioning vintage
she worked with Lincoln residents to turn dresses as a teenager, she sees herself as a
those bags into a jellyfish gown. "The at- sc11lptor more than a sean1stress. Her work,
she says, isn't about encouraging people to
\vear or make clothing out of trash. It's abo1lt
getting people to think about resources
i11net.v ways. "I believe each of us has the
ability to make a positive mpact on the
environment and the people around us," she
says. "When \Ve apply ou.r creativity to the
challenge of living lighter on the earth, fun,
amazing. and inspiring things can happen...

c{;~ 1 F~~ more information,

(j 1 VISlt RECYCLERUNWAY.COM.

Far Left: Environmental Steward-ess,

sewn f rom worn-out leather seat covers
from Delta p lanes wi t h a cape mad e from
safety cards, Sky Magazines, o ld p lane
t ickets, and pret zel wrappers. Left: Tireless
Couture, made fro m b icyc le inner tu bes
and car ti res. Above : Glass Even;ng Gown
(worn by Nancy Judd), ma d e from 12,000
JAY STURDEVAMT p ieces o f recycled glass. "' - - --
... 8
* stitch
 BABYVILLE
BOUT QU -
DIY dia,,pers for
crafty pa rents
Text TRICIA WADDELL
Fueled by natural and eco-conscious
parentir1g trends and the rntern et, cloth
diapers are making a huge comeback.
Cloth diapers have long been considered
a more budget-friendly option than
disposables; and today, crafty parents of a
new generation are se\iving custom-made
diapers for their little ones. Popular online
forums such as Diaper Sewing Divas and
Cafe lvlom have been hubs for support and
information on sewing cloth diapers and
diaper covers. But many parents lament
hov.r little information and product Sllp-
port there is for cloth diaper sevl1ng.
\\Then Jean Kiev]an, a designer and
craft-industry consultant, was search- Top: Sew colo r-coordinated
ing for diaper-set\ring reso11rces to Ol1tfit cloth diapers with fun
embel lishments. Right:
her netv grandchild, sh saw a gap in the The Babyvill e Boutique
market that needed to be filled. "I began line includ es pre-cut
diaper fabric, trims.
lookin g for diaper patterns and foun d closu res, and more.
there \Vere only a fe\V in the retail stores,
and the fabric and other needed supplies
had to be ordered through catalogs or
the Internet," says Kievlan. ir ltsed \Vhat
was available and made a fev.r diapers and elastic, colorful plastic s11aps, colored
covers, but I was not completely satisfied EZ-Adjust Tape, and buttons for closure
with the results. I knew there had to be options. The diapers can be personalized
a better way to construct the diapers, so with coordinating custom-designed
I started drafting my o-..vn pattern. \A.Tith labels and apph ques.
the help of some online research, I finally To support the program, Prym has
n1ade a cloth diaper that really fit my new published nvo sixty-page sewing project
grandson." Having worked in the craft books by Kievla11 and Joos, Cloth Diapers
industry, she recognized an opportunity Ji.Ila de Easy and Baby Essentials N!ade Easy:
to offer better patterns and a more conve- Quick Projects for Baby ff Nursery, featl1r"
nient \vay to purchase Sl1pplies. ing related baby seivving pTojects such as
So sl1e teamed up with Ellie Joos, a bibs, changing pads, and diaper bags. The
r -------------------------------~
n1arketing consultant a11d craft-industry prodl1Ct line :i.s available at Jo-Ann Fabrics, l
I

veteran, and Prym Consun1er USA to Hancock Fabrics, and Hobby Lobby.
create Babyville Boutique, a diapering and
accessory line. The line features \iVater-
proof, breathable polyurethane laminate
(PUL) fabrics that are color-coordinated For more information visit
in prints and solids, packaged as 21 x 24" BABYVILLEBOUTIQUE.COM.
(53.5 x 6r cm) diaper cuts, plus foldover

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ~

9 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 THE
THE ,

PROJECT
Help'ing the homeless
one stitch at a ti:m e
TextLINZEE KULL McCRAY

Flo V\Theatley never forgot the day that a homeless man

appeared and helped her and her very sick son negotiate the
New York subway system. He carried their suitcase, led them
to transfer trains, and managed to hail a cab on that rainy day.
Though Flo never saw the man again, she never forgot his
parting words-"Don't abandon 1ne."
www.sewingworks hoJ2 ..com 800.466.1599
Initially, Flo wasn't s11re how to honoT his request. Then
she noticed a man asleep under a bridge, covered by a pink
blanket,.and realized what she could do. Sl1e wo11ld l tSe her
sewing skills to make simple sleeping bags.
Thus was born the Sleeping Bag Project. During the first
year in 1985, she and her family used un11eeded clothing to
stitch eight 7 x 7-foot quilts th.at \Vhen folded oveT and tied
shut could serve as sleepi11g bags. They named their efforts
My Brother's Keeper.
Since that ti1ne, hundreds of thousands of the simple
sleeping bags, affectionately nicknamed "Ugly Quilts," have
been distribl1ted. There are groups n1aking and distributing
sleeping bags in all fifty states and in countries outside the
United States.
The Sleeping Bag Project's website bas clear instn1c-
tions for creating the bags, which are inexpensive, q11ick
to construct, and make a great group project. The exteriors
typically are pieced from large pieces of clean used fabrics,
including clothing, linens, an d drapes. The inner layer is
made of recycled blankets. mattress pads, fiberfill. or light
"veight clothing. The layers are tied with doubled crochet
cotton; fabric belts or men's ties stitched to the bags keep
them securely rolled when not in use. Check out the organi-
zation's website for a list of shelters that receive the bags and
suggestion.s foT finding local organizations that can help you
distribute them.

For more information, visit

THESLEEP NGBAGPROJECT.ORG

10
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sewing room
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look-a likes
Faux leather and suede can
add luxu rious texture to
your next project with these
sim,p le sew ing t echniqu.es
Text Ll.N DA TURNER GRl.EPENTROG

IT WOKS LIKE LEATHER and acts like leather, but is it really leath-
er? Chances are good it isn't! It could be one of the realistic-looking,
animal-friendly options available at today's fabric stores.

FAUX LEATHER
Coined from a combination of the words "plastic" and "leather;"
pleather came on the scene in the 1970s. Some pleathers are made
to mimic their on-the-hoof counterparts, with embossed pattern~
ing for crocodile, cheetal1, snakeskin,. and so forth. Others are inade
to be totally inod, in bright, shiny finishes and bold fasl1ion colors.
Pleather is made from polyester, polyurethane, polyvinyl chlo-
ride (PVC) or a combination of these synthetic fibers. It's lighter than
leather, easier to care for, and less expensive. Some pleathers can be
hand\\rashed a11d others simply wiped clean with a da1np clotl1.
This fun fabric usually has a knit or woven. backing for easier
sewing and to add a bit of stretch to the finished garment Pleather
is available in many weights, from light\veight and supple animal-
skin patterning to heavier-grained upholstery \Veights. The big ad~
vantage: there's no worry about cutting bet\veen holes or matching
hides when the fabric con1es by the yard.
To make sewing easier, choose a pattern with simple lines and
few construction details. Raglan sleeves work better than set-in ANN SABl'N SWANSO N
sl eves. Avoid darts if possible. And it's best to purchase a little

12
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extra fa bric on which to practice stitching before you begin sewing

I Clamped seam 4 I Zig zag top-
your project. ready for stitching sti.tched seam

SEAMING 2 I Single top- 5 I In-seam

Use clips to hold layers in place for sewing or use a light applicat' on stitched seam buttonhole
of glue stick, but only \vi.thin the seam allowances (figure 1). 3 I Double top-
Se\\r "vith a Teflon. foot to keep the fabric moving evenly. This is stitched seam
especially important '1vl1e11 you Se\\r on the right side of pleather. If
you don't have a Teflon foot, place tissue paper or tear-a\t.ray stabi-
lizer along the stitching line.
Use a longer than normal stitch length because small stitches
may perforate the pleather and weaken the seam. A s1nall (9/65)
Microtex (sharp) needle will help minimize visible needle holes. Tf
you're se,ving on heavy pleather, increase the needle size.
Topstitching seams with a long stitch (3.5 min) helps to hold
them in place. Seam allov.rances ca11 be opened or turned to 011e
side, and topstitching can be done \Vith a straight or zigzag, depend-
ing on the desired ]ook (see figures 2, 3, and 4).

CUTTING
\.\Tl1en you cut a project from pleather, cut a single layer at a time.
If you ml1st Cltt a double thickness, fold the fabric wrong sides to-
gether to avoid having the layers stick together. Cltt projects using
a "with nap" layout to avoid shading concerns and place pins only
\Vithin the sea1n allowances - pin holes are permanent! Better yet,
use "veights for cutting.

PRESSING
Depending on the fiber content, pressi11g strategies vary, bt1t don't
ever press P\TC pleather or it \Vill simply melt. The knit backing
on the \vrong side can be pressed v.rith a cool iron and press cloth.
Tf you need to tame seams, use a clapper or wooden jron stick to
"press" seams open or to one side.

HEMMING AND CLOSURES

Hemming can be done by hand, catching the knit backing only, or
hems can be machine topstitched. For closures, think about zippers
or hook-and-loop tape, depending on the garment styling. Bast-
ing tape \Vorks \Vell to hold zippers in place for stitching. In-seam
buttonholes are great on pleather (figure 5), but inachine-stitched
buttonholes often tear the fabric surface. If you choose to use snaps,
reinforce the area \Vi th interfacing before inserting them.
ANN SABlN S\iVAf\lSON
13
i nterweavestitch.com *

sewing room
.-
TOO SOF
THE TRADE
Check w ith your machine
dealer for these accessory
feet to help wit h sewing t hese
quirky fabrics. All of them help
keep the fabric layers feed ing
even ly so you get professiona l-
Looking st i tch~ ng .
ROLLER FOOT
FAUX SUEDE
In soft contrast (literally) to pleather,
Ultrasuede is a polyester microfiber/poly-
LEATHER ROLLER FOOT
urethane faux suede. The fabric is non-
\voven, so cut edges won't ravel.
Looking very much like real
suede, Ultrasuede is available in three
\.Veigh ts- Ultrasuede Llgh t, U1 tr a.suede
Soft, and Ultrasuede Ambiance. Decorator
weights are also available. Look for solids,
embossed patterning, and anin1al prints.
You'll find more than one hundred colors
TEFLON FOOT as 'vell as pattern combinations.
Unlike real leatl1er, Ultrasuede breathes
\Vhe11 you \Vear it, and it's resistant to
damage by abrasion, so it tends to look new
longer than its real suede cousins. It can
be handwashed or m.achine-vvashed an.d
machine dried--0r dry-cleaned.
Most Ultrasuede is difficult to ease, so
avoid patterns with set-in sleeves and otl1er
close-fitting details. It's also a good idea
WALKING (EVEN-FEED) FOOl to avoid styles with darts, unless you can
convert them to soft gathers.
Because Ultrasuede is costly, try a small
project, such as a belt or bag to get a feel for
the techniques before tackling a garment.
Make a muslin to test-fit any garment
14
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0
1"11
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a
n
~~~:=::=:=:::=::........::=-~-==~:::=~ A
before cutting into the suede. Changing
seams in Ultrasuede isn't an option because
needle holes show. I11 areas \.Vhere inter-
facing is needed, opt for fusible and trim
a\vay all seam. allowances before fusing it
i.n place.
CUTTING
Because ifs non\voven, pieces ofUltrast1ede
can be cut up to 45 degrees off grain, often
saving fabric from the pattern layout
diagram. Use a "with nap" layout to avoid
shading. Pin only,vithin the seam allov.r~
ances because pin marks can be permane11t,
particularly in light-colored fabric. Use
sharp scissors or a rotary cutter and cut a
single layer if possible-the fabric is dense.
NEEDLE NOTES
Use a size 80/ I2 llniversal-point needle on
Ultrasuede for tl1e best stitching quality. If
you have a problem \vith skipped stitches,
try a Microtex (sharp) needle. When you
ltse heavier thread for topstitching, choose
a larger 11eedle to accommodate the thread
size. A double needle \vorks well for top-
stitching - ltras1Jede because it keeps stitch
rows parallel.
SEAMING
Use ro to r2 stitches per inch \Vhen seam.'ng
Ultrasuede and a slightly longer stitch for
topstitching.
There are two . ltrasuede construction
methods - conventional and flat. They can
be used separately or together, dependi11g
on the project and the fabric \Veight.
To sew a conventional seam. pl<ice
the pieces right sides together and place
narrov.r basting tape between the layers
\Vorry about layers slipping as you sew.
To create a lapped seam, follow the
genera] guideline that front Japs back, as
at shoulders and side sea1ns. Trim a\vay
the seam allo\.vance on the overlap sec-
tion of the seam but leave the full sea1n
allowance on the underlap. T ,I P
Lap the seam allowance on the under- Avoid the tem.ptation
lap to the trimmed overlap edge, placing a to use a leather needle
on either pleather or
narro\v strip of fusible \Veb such as Steam-
Ull trasuede because
A~Seam2 1.-inch or !/4~inch tape bet\veen
1

the wedge point wi II

v.rithin the seam allo\.vance to prevent slip
page (figure 1; page 16). Alternatively, you
can use clips to hold the edges together.
On Ultrasuede Light, hold the seam taut
while stitching to avoid puckering.
Flat constn1ction utilizes lapped seam-
lines. This method works \.velI on heavier
weights because seams are fused in place
before stitching, and y u don't need to
the layers. Using a press cloth to protect damage the fabrics.
the fabric. fuse tl1e layers togetl1er fro1n
the wrong side. Another option is to use
basting tape to hold the layers together for
stitching.
vVhen YOll joi11 garment sections,
such as collars and facings. fuse the layers
\VIong sides together and trim off outer
seam a.llo\;v.ances through both layers.

GREAT NOTIONS
Steam-A-Sea m2
Keep ing t hese creeping fabdcs in line
X-inch fusible
requ ires some ingenuity, and t hese
products can help w ith the task.
web tape

2
Collins
Basting Clover
Tape Wonder
Clips

7 ~ 0

Schmetz
Microtex
Needle

lS
i nterweavestitch.corn *

sewing room
PRESSING
Always use a press cloth ben.veen the iron
and the Ultrasuede to avoid dam aging the
fabric surface. If yol1 do11't, there can be a per-
manent shine or iron i1nprint. A sy11tl1etic
iron setting and steam work well.
When pressing, it's best to press from
the vvrong side, but you should also use a
napped cloth under the fabric right side
to protect it. Press lightly~ using the full
weight of the iron can leave a sean1 allo\v-
ance imprint on the fabric right side.
A conventional seam is usually pressed
open after stitching, using a \Vooden clap-
per to help flatten the seam itself. For a
n1ore tailored look, the sean1 allowances
1n ay be pressed to one side.
TO PSTITCHING
Because of the nature of Ultrasuede,
almost all seams and edges need stitch-
ing to help keep then1 flat and create a
professional appearance. A lapped sean1 is
edgestitched along both seam allov..rance
edges . A conventio11al seam is topstitched
on either side of the seam, or if the seam is
pressed to one side, the topstitching goes
through all three layers.
To successfully topstitch Ultrasuede,
use a Teflon foot, a roller foot (regular
16
* stitch
HEMMING
Most Ultrasuede edges are sjmply left raw
and topstitched, as opposed to turning m1der
a hem and creating bulk witl1 an additional
layer. On Ultrasuede Light, a traditio11al hem
fi1tish can be appropriate as \vell.
Decorative :scissors or rotary blades
can be used to add fun to Ultrasuede cut
edges, whether in hems, along seam Iines,
,_ or as trims (figure 3).
0
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z TRIMS
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Because Ultrasuede doesn't ravel, it's perfect
:;:;:;:
for cutting into fringe and other trims and
edge finishing. For fringe, use scissors or a
or leather version), or a v..ralking (even- rotary cutter and ruler to slice a strip into
eed} foot on the machi11e to keep the the size and shape desired.
fabric feeding evenly. If you choose not to
topstitch seams. use a light application of LINDA TURNER GRIEPENTROG is
fabric glue to hold the seam allo\~ances the owner ofG vViz Services. She loves sewing,
in place. quilting, and all things fabric. In addition to
writing, she leads fabric-shopping tours to Hong
CLOSURES Kongfor the American Sewing Guild.
Ultrasuede is ideal for zippered or snap
closures, but it also works well v.rith boxed
or in-seam buttonholes (figure 2). To make ?~~& For more information
a boxed buttonhole, simply straight stitch
a rectangular box vvhere you \Vant the but-
::JQQ-., ~:~ ~~~:n~~~:,:bout
~)\V using Ultrasuede, visit
tonhole and cut the center. You can also use \...__/U ULTRASUEDE.COM.
welt buttonholes.
1 1Lapped seam
with basting tape
2 I Boxed buttonhole
3 I Edge treatments from
decorative sciss,o rs
 ty penning _on
I r, I
for, your own design makeover

the newest
fabric
collection
from

enn1n
Ty's ,~ates. t collection ,draws ,0 1n
1,nsp;ration, from nature and uses, a
sta.mp,f ng technique to giv,e the patterns
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2011 Westminster Lifestyle Fabrics, a division of Coats plc.

All Rights Reserved

n
 BOOK EXCERPT
Artist Al"sa Burke creates exciting texture by

~ IE W,w i layering handprinted textiJes, fabric scraps,

I collage materials, and stitching . Learn one o f
her fabric collage techniques and' get creative
Creating with Stitch and M1Xed Media with color and texture in your next project.
by Alisa Burke

18

* St itch
THERE IS NOTHING MORE BEA.UTIFUL
tha.n a surface fi lled w ith layers o f co lor
and texture. Rega.rd l ess of th e techn ique I
i
I'm using, I am a lways looking fo r ways I
I
to establish the look and feel of layers by I
I
comb ining differen t techn iques a.nd materia.ls I
I
on top of each other. W ith this tech niq1ue, you I
I
can easi ly mix alternat ive .m aterials, su:ch as I
photog raph1s, w ith fabr ic. I
I
I
j
J

WHat YOU'LL neeo:

I
:Plain or painted, dyed, or printed I
fabriic for background l
Scraps of f abric and alternative j
materials j
Pins or f usib le web I
Sewing machine I
I

l Select a fabric for the background. Select bits

and pieces of fabric and alternative materials
that you want to incorporate into the surface
(fig. 1).

2 Create a rough layout for the placement of your

fabric and materials (fig. 2).

3 Pin pieces to the surface or use a fusible web to

secure fabric to the background (fig. 3). I
l
l
I
 - --- ----- -- ---- - ---
-~
-~-
=-=-----~--- --- - -- -- -------- - ~--

4 Use stitching to sew along the edges and

within the pieces, as desired (fig. 4). You
can use straight stitching, zigzag, or free-
motion stitching.

5 Add smaller pieces on top of the large

pieces and to fill in small spaces (fig. 5).

6 Vary your stitching to add interest and

texture (fig. 6 ).

7 Continue to add layers on top of layers

until you are satisfied with the surface
(fig. 7).

20 ........ ... .....

* st itch
-- -- ----- ---- --- - - --- --
- ~

- --- -

Va RIATiON:
QUILTED LAYERS

To use this technique and c reate a sur-

face vvi:th a qu ilted look and tex t ure, first
b aste a q u ilt sandwich" w it h a 1p iece of
1
fabric as the top layer, a layer of bat -
ting in the m id dle. andi a bottom layer o f
fabric fo r the back~ng. Baste wit h lo o se
handst itches or pins. Re;p eat the steps
1

above for the ~aye rs and surface d es[gn .

Wh 1 i le layering, keep 1in m in d the concept
of co nt rast layer light on t op of dark to
create a vi1sua l push and pu ll bet \Neen Adding a layer of batting and a backing fabric g i ves
layers. Keep you r color scheme i1n m ind your piece a quilted appearance.
a n d st ic k to it . Ex p er iment vv ith d 1iffere nt
shapes and sizes of fa bric layered on top
1

of each other.

Stitching the quilted layers.

Creating With Stitch and

Mixed Med,ia + DVD
by Alisa Burke

$26.95, Interweave

21
interweavestitch.com *
 w"s,h l1st
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2 I These dainty acorn pierced I

I I This bird print hobo bag feat ures an
adjustable strap that lets you wear it over
your shoulder or across your chest. It's
lined in contrast ing cotton twill and has
plenty of roomy poc kets inside. A magnetic
1 snap closure keeps your belongings sa.fe.
Sweet Pea Totes, etsy,com/shoplsweetpeatotes, $46 .
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earrings are cross-stitched on I
20-count cloth. At 11 mm in di-
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will charm any jewelry fan with 3 I Screen-printed by hand, the 20" (Slcm) 1
their tiny stitches and adorable Ashley Pine Pillow showcases pines '
motif. The Pin Pals, etsy.comlshopl inspired by the Maine countryside. Made :
from vintage reproduction bark c loth~ it
thepinpals, $15.
is the perfect addition to any modern
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6 I Embrace the outdoors I

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stitch
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interweavestitch.com *
 ::i:::
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Have you ever imagined

being a designer, art-
fully draping a garment
in muslin, choosing the
perfect fabric and trirn.s,
and making your own
original creation? It's
. t h,an
easier ' you t h"nkl
i .. . .

II
1I

--
YOU CAN :D RAFT TWO VERSIONS of a stylish skirt
customized to your measurements, one for the
office and t he other for that special holi day party.
Plus, you'll have a pattern you can use over and
over again! All lt takes to make your own designer
or iginal is a few simple techniques and the help of a
f rie nd to ensure accurate m easuring and p inning.
DRAFT THE SKIRT PATTERN
Let's start by creating the pattern in cotton muslfn,
customized to your measurements. Here's what
you'll need:
Fabric
Cot ton muslin for drafting custom pattern (see
Step 4 for information on calculating necessary
yardage)
Other Supplies
---+ Sewin g thread
---+Contrasting thread for basting
. Grosgrain ribbon (long enough to wrap around
your waist with a 1" [2.5 cm] overlap)
-> Clear gridded acrylic ruler
---+ Fabric-marking pencil or pen
---+Safety pins
---+ Fine-point permanent markers in b lack and red
---+ 24" (61cm) hip or form curve (such as Fairgate Vary
Form Curve) or print and assemble the fu ll size Hip/
Form Curve PDF from interweavestitch.com
Notes
---+ For explanations of ter ms and techn iques, see
Sewin g Basics, pages 67-74
. Stitch all seams from t he waistline toward t he
hem
Take Your Measurements
The key to draftin g a well-fitting pattern is taking
accurate measuremen ts. You'l l need a friend's help
to get t he most accurate measurements. When you.
begin drafting and fitting the m uslin pattern, you
can use a d ress for.m if you have one or ask a fr iend
to help you f it the m uslin d irectly on your body.
A.. Using a measuring tape, measure from your
'V' waist (or where you wou !l d li ke the finished
skirt to sit) down to the d esired skirt le ng th. Add
6" (15 cm) to t h is number and record rt as the
length measurement.
- - -- ---------
~ Measure around you_r natura l waist (or aro_und
. , , your body at the point where you would like
the top of the finished skirt to sit. such as at high
hip). Record this as your waist measurement.
Measure around your hips at the fullest poin t,
and re cord this number as your hip measure-
ment. This point may be closer to your waist or
thighs. Just make sure you are measuring around
the w idest point on your lower body.
A,._ Lo~ k at yo~r recorded measurements fo r
'V" wa1:st and hip. Use the larger of the t wo
measurements fo r the fo tlowing ca lculation: d ivide
the measurement by 2, then add 6" (15 cm). Reco rd
this measurement as t he front muslin w idth. Repeat
to find t he back muslin width, but add 8" (20.5 cm);
record this measurement for back muslin w idth.
Use your recorded measurements for length, fron t
muslin w idth, and back m uslin w idth to calculate
the muslin yardage you'll need. For example, if your
front muslin is 24" (61 cm) w ide x 18" (45.5 c m )
long and your back muslin is 26 (66 cm) wide x
1
'
18" C45.5 c m) long, you wou ld need 1 yd (91.5 cm)
of 45" (114.5 cm) w ide muslin. If you're concerned
natura~
about uneven cutting or wa.nt a lit t le w iggle room,
waist -t--31-
add M- Yii yd (11.5-23 cm).
Cat the Muslin
.A.. Cut one pfece of muslin for t he Front, using
'V" the recorded length and front muslin w idth hips~
measurements. Fold this p.iece in half lengthw.ise
wfth right sides together to form a crease. Mark the
center front of t he muslin along the crease w ith a
fabric marker.
A._ Cut one p[ec. e of mus.l in for t he Back, using
"V' the recorded length and back muslin w idth measure ..... - - - - -
1
measurements. Fo'ld t his p iece in hal,f lengthwise to desired
length
with right sides tog.ether to form a crease and press.
M.ark this as the center back cu t t ing line w ith a
fa bric marker.
MEASUREMENT TYPE RECORD MEASUR:EMENT
Length measurefmm waist toaeslredi length+ 6" 115cm)
Waist measurearound natural waist orwh ere skirt will sit
1
Hip measure arou11d the body at widest point
Front ;musUn widtb seeStep 4; hipor waist measurement divided by 2, + 6" [15 cm]
Ba.ck musLin width see Step 4; hipor waist measurement dividedby 2, + 8" [2G.5cm)
29 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 t
I
On the Back musilin piece, draw a line low fo r the waist ease. You shou ld also have a I
1" (2.5 cm) to each side of the center combined hip ease of about 3" (7.5 cm); this
I
crease and parallel to it, marking the lines means you should have an extra ~ (2 cm) of
along the entire length; these are the seam space between your hip and t he seam line at I I zipper mark

lines. Cut the muslin along. the center crease.
Fit t'h e Muslin
A.._ Pin the two Back muslin pieces to-
"V' gether along the center back edges,
with right sides together. Make a mark on
the drawn seam line 9" (23 cm) f rom the top
t he front and back of each hip for a combined
tota l of 3" (7.5 cm). You may need less ease
II
w ith a kni t or stretch fabric; the ease can be II S:l~t mark-+
adjusted during the final fitting of the skirt.
There may be some puckering at or be low t he II
waist that wi ll be corrected w ith darts.
~ If ~he ~ uslin f its and ha~gs smoothly at
II figure 1

edge. for the zipper opening, then mark 7" 'V' this point, you can go d .1rectly to Step II
(18 cm) up from the bot tom edge, for the sl,it. 13. If more fitting is requ ired, you'll need to
Baste the back pieces together between the add darts. To mark darts on the Back pieces, II

I I
marks with a 1" (2.5 cm) seam allowance; this find the p in that marks the halfway point

seam w ill be at the center back (figure 1). Pin between the center mark and t he side seam.
the Front muslin p iece to the basted Bac.k Pinch together the excess fabric to fo rm a fold II

muslin piece, r ight sides together, wi th the
pins close to the edge and parallel to the side
seams, leaving the skirt very loose.
,,A,. Place the grosgrain ribbon around your
"V' waist or the wa ist of the dress form at
the point where you wou ld like the top of your
finished skirt to sit Overlap the ribbon ends
at center back and pfn together. c .arefu ll y put
the sk irt on w ith the wrong side out. Remove
the p ins from one side seam if necessary to
1
facilitate getting the muslin in p lace and re-pin
the side seam.
~ Pin the muslin in place so that the top
'V"' edge of the muslin is about l" (2.5 crn)
and pin. Then, continue to smooth the fabric
agafnst the body below the pin. The dart II
shou ld come to a natural point against the
body (darts usually extend 3- 5" [7.5-12.Scm]
II
below the waist). Pin the rest of the dart fo ld II figure 2
layers together. Repeat this process at the
ha lfway point on t he opposite sfde of the
II
' ..
center mark and then again for the left and
I I
rig ht side of the Front Continue adjusting the
darts and side seams (equally on each side) as I I
necessary to achieve a good f it (figure 2).
~ Use a fabr i ~ marker to clearly mark
II ..'
~ along the side seams on the Front I I
muslin. Make sure the side seams are stra ight r

above the top edge of the ribbon; if you're f it- down fro m the hip to the hemline. Mark along II
ti.ng the muslin on your body, have your friend each side and down the center (folded edge)
pin the muslin to the ribbon at the f ro nt and of each da.rt (figure 2). Finally, mark along the
II
figure 3a
back, being careful not to stick you w ith the bottom of the ribbon all the way around. Make II
pins. These pins may need to be adjusted as sure everything is c learly marked.
the muslin Is fitt ed. Close the zipper opening ~ Remove all pins, s:t a~ id e the ribbon, I I
~ and take the muslin p ieces off.
securely with safety p ins.
.A... Move t he side seam pins about 1"
I I
~ (2.5 cm) c loser to your body on each Create the Muslin Pattern II
side. Continue to move the pins toward ~ Thi s step w il'I require the permanent
your body equally on each side until you ~ markers. Place a large sheet of poster I I
figure lb
are p leased w ith the fi t You' ll need to pin
about }2" (13 cm) of ease into both front and
board or opened paper grocery bags on your
work surface to protect it from the markers
II
bac k. The ease w ill all ow you to move and sit b leeding through the fabric. Lay the Front II
comfortably a,fte r the skirt is constructed. To muslin p iece, marked side up, on your work
add ease, find the hal fway point between the surface. Use a b lack fine-point marker and a II
center mark and one side seam and mark w ith
a p in. Next, find the halfway point between
ruler to straighten the dart lines (figure la;
adjustments shown here in green fo r clarity).
II z
0

the pin and the side seam. Pinch together a Smooth out the side-seam marki ngs using the II r.f)
z
<:(
~
Ni" (3 m m) deep p l:eat and pin. Repeat on the b lack marker and the hip curve. Place the hip
II
r.f)

:z
other side of the center .mark. The combined curve along one side seam near the top edge. (Il
<(

I I
fJ")
ease for front and back w ill equa l 1" (2.5 cm). Use the hip curve to help you create smooth, z.
:z
Adjust the side-seam pins if necessary to al- gently curved side-seam lines (figure 3a). <(

II figu re 4

26
stitch
1I
I
Reverse the hip curve and use it to help you
smooth ou t the waistli ne markings on each
p iece (figure 3b).
~ L_ook at your m ~slins; t~e left and right
'V'" sides may be slig htly d 1,fferent-for
example, one hip may be higher or .larger
than the other. Unless there are noticeable
diffe rences in the two sides of your body,
even out the sides of the musHn, using the
marked seam lines for the side that fi ts best
and hangs smoothly as your guide. If there
are noUceable d ifferences in the two sides of
your body, foll ow t he tfp for adjustments for
uneven body shapes at right.
.4..,. Place the Back muslin, right side down,
~ on top of the Front muslin, aligning
the center marks made in Step 11. Trace the
corrected smooth side-seam lines onto the
musli n Back; the side seams on the Front a nd
the Back must match. Use the instructions
in Step 15 to adjust or smooth the da.r t and
waistline marki ngs on the Back.
~ Baste all darts, then baste ~h e Front
'V' and Back together at t he side seams.
Pin t he grosgrain ribbon onto t he inside
of the muslin with the bottom edge of the
ribbon aligned w ith the drawn waist line. Try
the muslin on, again pinning the back z ipper
opening c losed w it h safety pins.
~ Check t he fit, the position, and the
'V"" length of the darts. If anything doesn't fit
smooth ly, you may need to make some adjust-
ments. Mark any changes with the red perma-
nent marker (figure 4). Be sure to adjust both
sides equally for an even fit. Remove basting
and re-baste at the new lines where necessary.
~ Then, try on the skirt again. Move
~ around,. sit down, and walk up stairs to
be sure that you have enough ease to allow
free movement. If you don't, you'll need to
adjust the pattern to allow for :m ore ease. 1
Make
sma ll adjustments, marking changes w ith the
red marker and then rebasting. Recheck the fit,
continuing to adjust unt il the f it is right If the foit
fs too loose, you may need to bring in t he side
seams; if the fit i.s too tight, you may need to let
the side seams out and/or adjust t he amount
of ease in the pattern.
A.._ Because a straight sk i.rt may ~ra.vel up-
.,.,,, ward, check t he hemline by s1tt1ng, down
while you're wear ing t he muslin (be careful of
the p ins!). This check is especially important if
you' ll be constructing the skirt in a woven fab-
ric that has Httle or no stretch. Mark the desired
finished length w ith the black m.arker.
, ADJUSTMENT FOR UNEVEN BODY
SHAPE WHEN CUTTING FABRIC
If your skirt needs to fit differently on each side, lay the skirt fabric
f lat on the cutting table with the right side facing up. Place t he mus-
1in Front pattern flat, right side up, on to p (instead of cutting on t he
fold). The Back p ieces w ill be cut separately in the same manner.
~ Ask yourself if the wa ist ribbon is . wa ist line on the Front and Back p ieces. Draw
"V'" w here you want the top of your skirt a cutting lrne 2" (5 cm) below the marked
to sit. Adjust the ribbon up or down until it hem. Place t he Front and Back muslins right
feels comfortab le. If t he ribbon location has sides together and mark the front and back
changed, mark the bottom edge of the rib- side seams w ith lines or notches in two
bon with the red marker. p laces along the seam to help you match the
~ ~ake all necessary ~hanges by r~mov seams when p inning and stitching. Cut the
~ 1ng and then re bashng seams. Pin t he muslin on the newly drawn cutting lines.
hem up and baste the ribbon onto the waist.
Try the muslin on again and mark .a ny final MAKE YOUR CUSTOM SKIRT
.a djustments tf necessary. Be sure that all final Now t hat you have drafted a pattern accord-
dart and seam lfnes are clear.ly marked. (If you ing to your measurements, you can make a
have several adju stment lines, cross out o ld fabulous skirt! Here, we .show h.ow you can
ones or mark the f ina.1lines in a way you'll rec- take the same patt ern and change the look of
ognize.) Remove the basting stftches. Press it by your cho ice of fabric, trim, and f inishing
t he muslin fl at with a dry iron, being carefu l techniques.
not to stretch or distort the fabric.
SKIRT A Office Skirt
Finalize the Pattern Make a daytime skirt perfect for the office i:n
A..., The marked lines on t he musl.in are wool t weed w ith a contrast or coordinating
~ stitch ing lines; do not cut on these lines. b ias-bound waist and a back slit.
Add 1" (2.5 cm) seam a'llowances on the side
and center back seams, echoing the curves of SKIRT B-Party Skirt.
the seams, fo r the cuttin g line. This w ill all ow Sew a festive skirt for a holiday party in a
you to make slfght altera tio ns to the skirt. b lack double kni t with a peter.sham ribbon
Add a !12" (1.3 cm) seam allowance at the wa istband and feat her fringe trim.
~
u
0
<..'J
z
..;;:
I
l.U
0
-,

Fa1'ric
-:> 54" (137 cm) w ide woo I tweed (skirt A;
1
shown: dusty pink) or wool double knit
(skirt B; shown: b lack); see Notes for infor-
mation on ca lcu lating yardage
---+4 5" (11.4 .5 cm) w ide cotton fabric for b ias
strips or X'' (13 c m) wide double-fold bias
tape (skirt A ; waist measurement + 6"
[15 cm]; see .N otes)
Other Supplies
---+ Sewing t hread to match fabric
---+Contrasting thread for bast ing
---+ Handsewing needle
1" (2.5 cm) w ide petersham ribbon (skirt .B;
waist measurement x 2 + 6 " [15 cm])
-:> 6~" (16.5 cm) w ide feather fringe (skirt B;
hip measurement+ 6" [15 cm]; shown:
black)
---+ 9" (23 c m) all-purpose z ipper to match
fabric
~" (1.3 cm) f lat sew-on hook and eye
(skirt B)
. Size 2 hook and eye (skirt A )
---+Dressma ker's carbon paper
---+Tracing wheel
---+ Fabric-marking pencil or pen
Walkin g foot for sewing machfne (optional
for Skirt B; see N.otes)
- > Press cloth
28
stitch
Size Shown
SK IRT A: Wa ist 27~" (70 cm); Hip 39"
(99 cm); Length 22" (56 cm)
-? SK IRT B: Waist 27'' (68.5 cm); Hip 39"
(99 cm); Length 20Y:i" (52 cm)
Notes
For explanations of terms and techniques,
see Sewing Bastes, pages 67- 74.
---+ To calculate necessary fabric yardage for
your f~in ished skirt, p lace your finali zed
pattern flat on your work surface and
measure the length from waist edge to
hem edge, then add 1h yd (11.5 cm). For
example, if your length measurement is 18"
(45.5 cm), adding v.t yd (23 cm) wo rks out
to % yd (68.5 cm). The extra Y4 yd (23 cm)
should g ive you some w iggle roo m to
account for shrinkage, uneven cutting at
the fabric store, and so forth. Ma ke sure
that the w idth of your fabric w ill allow you
to cut the front and back of the skirt side
by side (with both p ieces oriented in the
same direction). If the fabric w id t h won't
accommodate this orientation, you'll need
to add to your yardage to accommodate
side-by-side p lacern.ent.
Zfgzag, overcast, serge, or pink all raw
edges on woo l knit fabric.
---+ The Hong Kong Finish met hod is recom-
mended to finish the seams on the wool
tweed fabric (see the sidebar on page 29). If
you plan to use the Hong Kong Finish, you'll
need enough 1" (2.5 cm) wide bias strips to
bind all raw edges (excluding the waist edge).
---} Use a wa lking foot or dual-feed sewin g
machine for the best resul ts when working
w ith knit, slippery, or stretchy fabrfcs to
prevent puckered seams.
Stitch all seams from the wa istline toward
the hem.
-? A p ress clo th should be used for all pres.s-
ing on the wool fabric.
---+Extra fabric yardage may be needed to
match p laid s, prints, or napped fabric.
Pretreat all fabrics in t he manner that you
plan to clean the finished garment.
To make your own ~" (1.3 cm) w ide double-
fold bias tape fo r skirt A, cut 2 IS" (5.3 c m)
w ide b ias strips from the cotton fabric, jo.i n
the strips w rth diagonal seams to create t he
necessary length, and then fold t he joined
strip into double-fold binding (refer to Cre-
ate Binding on page 73 for assistance with
cutting, seam ing, and fo lding the b inding).
Cut the Fabric -
Refer to the tip on page 27 for instructions on
cutting the fabric for uneven body shapes.
A.. Fold the skirt fabric in half lengt hwise
'V' with the right sides and selvedges
together. Fold the muslin Front pattern in half
along t he center front Hne and p lace on the fold
of the skirt fabric; pin in place. Pin one muslin
Back piece onto t he fabric w ith t he center back
edge parallel to the fabric selvedges (do not
p.lace on the fo'ld). Cut around both p ieces.
,,A.,, Transfer darts, si~e-seam ~otches, z~pper
""V p lacement marking , and sltt p lacement
lines (slit is for skirt A only) to the wrong side
of the fabric w ith dressmaker's carbon paper
and a t rac ing wheel. Use tai lor's tacks (see
sidebar on page 29) instead of a tracing whee l
if you use delicate fabrics such as some silks or
napped fabrics. If you're not sure if the tracing
marks w ill be visib le on the right side of the
fab ric, test the tracing w heel on your fabric.
Assemble the Skirt
~ Staystitch 1fi" ( 1 cm) fro m the waist
'V" edge of all skirt pieces, using a stitch
len gth of 2 m:m, to prevent stretching. Stitch
all darts from the top seam lfne to the point
and tie off the loose threads at the end. Press
the darts toward t he center.
.A._ Pin the Back pieces right sides toget her
"'V along t he center back edge. Baste to-
gether f rom the wa istlfne edge to the zipper
marking. Change t he sUtch length to 2.5 mm,
t ie off or backtack to lock the stitches, then
stitch to the slit mark (for skirt B, stitch all the
way to the bottom edge), and Ue o ff or back-
t ack. Press the seam allowances open.
A.. Insert the zipper, referring to the Cen-
V"' tered Zipper Application instructions at
right. Finish the seam all owances, using you r
desired method (zigzag stitch, overcast, serge,
Hong Kong Finish, or p ink). Samp le ski rt B
was f inished w ith serging; sample skirt A was
finfshed using the Hong Kong Finfsh method
(see the Hong Kong Finish instructions at
right for t his technique).
.A...Wfth right sides together, p in the Front
"V" and Back pieces together, match[ng the
alig nment marks or notches. Baste the side
seams w ith 1" (2.5 cm) seam allowances. Try
the skirt on and check the fit. Make adjust-
ments to t he side seams if necessary. Stitch
the side seams along the basting stitches. Trim
the seam allowances to %'' (1.5 cm), press the
seam aUowances open, and t inish as before.
 ...
CENTERED ZIPPER APPLICATION _.. -
Note: Always seuJ fron1 the bottom ofthe zipper to the top, on each side ofthe zipper, to
prevent any distortion.
0 Se\vthe gaTm1ent seam by machine-basting (4.0 mm stitch length) the zip-
per opening's seam allo\vances together. Reset the inachine for a normal stitch
length (2.0-2.s mm) and stitch down from the zipper notch to the lower edge.
Press the seam allowances open.
fJ Attach the zipper foot to yottr machine and adjust it so the needle is to the left
of th_e foot.
0 With the \vrong side facing up, position the garment so the waistline is
toward you. Place the closed zipper face do'vn on the seam, with the top stop of
the zipper ;Is'' {1.5 cm) belo\v the \vaist edge and the zipper coil (teeth) centered
on the seam line (figure 1). Pin in place. TAILOR'S TACKS Used for transferring
0 With the \vtong side still facing up, beginni11g on the right-hand side of the markings from a pattern to garment sec-
zipper tape,.machine baste (4.0 mm stitch length) the zipper in place along the tions, these handy thread snippets are easily
zipper guideline, beginning at the bottom stop of the zipper, and stitch toward removed without damage. Take several loose
the top stop of the zipper. Remove the pins as you Se\v. stitches through the pattern and fabric layers
leaving abo11t a l u; (2.5 cm) loop of thread.
9 Adjust the needle so it is to the right of the zipper foot Beginning at the
After all symbols have been marked, sepaTate
bottom stop, machine baste the left-hand side of the zipper along the zipper
the fabric layers and snip the thread between;
guideline, removing the pins as you sew (figure 2). Reset the machine stitch
length to 2.0-2.5 mm. carefully remove the pattern.
0 Tum the garment so the right side faces up. Adjust the needle so it is to the Take a small stitch, at the point to be marked,
left of the foot Beginning at the seam line just below the bottom zipper stop, sew through all layers and leaving a tail of abo11t 1
1
'

across the zipper tape and seam allov.rance, perpendicular to the searn, stopping (2.5 cm). Take an,other small stitch, through all
jt1st to the outside of the machine-basted stitches.. Pivot with the needle do\vn layers, directly over the previous stitch, leaving
and sew parallel to the basted stitches all the way to tl1e waistline raw edge the thread loose to create about al'' {2. 5 cm)
(figure 3). loop. \\Then marks are all co1n.pleted and the
0 Adjust the needle so it is to the right of the foot. Place the needle in the pattern paper has been removed, separate the
same place below the bottom zipper stop where you started the stitches in fabric layers so that the thread loop is extended
Step 6. Se\v across the zipper tape and seam allo\vance, stopping just to the between the layers. Cut the threads, leaving a
outside of the machine-basted stitches. Pivot with the needle down and sew to tailor's tack in each layer.
the \Vaistline ra\v edge.
0 Remove the basting stitches with a seam ripper or small sharp scissors. Press
the zipper, using a press cloth and a moderate iron temperature to avoid melting HONG KONG FINISH Using 1' 1

the zipper coil (ftgura 4). (2.5 c1n)-wide bias strips, place a bias strip right
sides together with one seam allowance, rav:,r
edges aligned. Keeping the other seam allow-
ance and garment fabric oi1t of the "vay, se"v
t 01,....-..;"--
\
I
\vith a 1/4" (6 mm) seam allowance. Press the bias
'
I
I
I strip over the seam and then fold it over the
.searn-allo\\rance edge to the back (no need to
turn under the raw edge of the bias strip; it will
- I
I be left exposed on the underside of the seam
I I allo\vance). Pin in place, then st'.tch in the ditch
- - I I from the right side of the seam a]lov.rance to
- - !
1

1 I
secure the underside of the binding in place.
I I
I ''
'
r '
I
'I
I
I
:- l
I I .... _...
I I
f I
r

figure l flgure2 flgUl"B (I \

29 ........
 II
II
II
2"
II (5 crnl

II
II ,
FINISHING
II > ' \

Skirt A I

'

Use premade 12" (1.3 cm) double-fold
bias t ape or cut 214" (5.5 cm) wfde bias
II I
I
,,
~

strips of cotton fabric and make your own II ,r,
' '
bias tape according to the Create Binding
instructions, option A on page 73 . You' ll need II
figure Sa
a length of bias tape to equal the original
waist measurement p'lus 6" (15 cm). Unfold
II
the b.ias tape and pin to the right side along II
the waistl ine edge, aligning the raw edges
and extending the ends 1" (2.5 cm) beyond I I
2"
1''
1[5 crnl
the zipper opening on each side (figure Sa).
Stitch the bias tape to t he wa istline edge w it h
II center of ribbon
(2.5an]
finished

a J6'' (1.3 cm) seam allowance. Press the seam

I
allowance upward. I I -- -. - -- -
A._ Fold the cut edges of t he ~ias tape
"V" around the edges of the Zipper open- I I J

ing (encasing raw edges), then refold t he b ias I l '

'
tape along all original creases and fo ld it over 'I
the waistline edge, encasing the raw edge. I I ''
,
Slip-stitch or b l.fndstftch the binding in p lace
on t he wrong side of the skirt. Stit ch the hook
I I I
I ,
I
1 ~

and eye in place on the interior of the waist- I I

figure Sb
~ 1 I

band above the zipper.

,A._ Pin the hem in p lace and try the skirt I I
"'V" on; adjust the hem if necessary.
~ To form mitered corners at the bottom
I I
~ of the sli t where the bottom and slit I I
hems meet, unfold the hem., t hen fold as
shown in figures 6 and 7. Conttnue to Step I I
11 to hem. If you use the Hong Kong Finish
method, refer to figure 8 instead.
I I ~
;;:;;

~ Blindstitch the hem rn place (by hand I I I lB._

""
(1)

~ if you use the Hon9 Kong Finish; if you

f i.nish w ith a serge, zigzag, or sim il ar method, I
you may prefer to blindstitch by machine)
and press.
I -- ----- ----------
I hem edge
Skirt B figure 6 figure 7 figure 8
~ Fol d the petersham ribbon in half I
'V" w idthwise and mark the center fold :z
a
line. Ma.rk a center lin e down the entire length + lfl
z
of the ribbon. Pin the ribbon to the wrong ~
lfl
z
m
<(
lfl
z
z
..:;l'.

30
stitch
s1ide of the waistline, w ith the waistliine edge
aligned with the line on the ribbon and the
center back .li ne on the ribbon p laced at
~
the zipper ope ni ng on the right-hand side. u
0
(_)
Extend the cut edge of the ribbon 2" (5 cm ) z
<(
beyond t he 1left-hand side of the zipper open- I
LU
0
.i ng (figure Sb). Baste t he ribbon in place %" I

(1 cm) from the waist line edge.

Fold the ribbon at t he center bac k li ne toward
the right side o f the skirt, enc losing the raw
edge of the sk irt. Pin in p lace, lin ing up all
ribbon edges. Turn t he cut edges at the
left-hand side of the zipper opening under to
form a l" (2.5 cm) tab. Edgestitch all edges of
the ribbon. Stitch the hook and eye in p lace
on the interior of t he waist band above the
zipper. Refer to Feather Fringe at right to add
the feathered trim.
--
feather
0 Mark a chalk Line where the top of the fringe header (the sat in ribbon or
other material holding the feathers); will be placed. The feathers should extend
just beyond the hem .. Press a crease on this Une with the fabr ic right sides
tog,e ther to form a tuck. Before stitching, you'll hide the header of your chosen
trim inside the tuck. Adjust as necessary to hide the header.

GET CREATIVE
Try t his skirt pattern in many fabrics and
have fun w ith trims and embelli shments. Add
pockets, use d ifferen t wa ist band t reatment s,
or change the length to a m iniskirt. Most
9 Pin the fringe to the skirt w ith the top of the header aligned with t he
crease, so that the header is completely hidden within the tuck; overlap the cut
fr i,nge ends to avoid a gap. Place the pins on the wrong, side of the fabric (on
the inside of the skirt). You'll need to place the pins at the tower edge of the
header to avo.id pinning i.nto the adhesive that is holding the feathers in place.
1

importantl y, make It you!

8 Fro.m the wrong side of the skirt, attach the fringe w i,t h Long handstitches
RESOURCES along the lower edge of the fringe, stitching through two layers of fabric and
Mood Designer Fabrics for black woo l the fringe. Avo i:d stitching all the way through to the outermost layer; those
double k nit, aubergi ne/beig.e so lid tweed st iches would be vis ible from the right side of the skirt. This method will se-
woo l, Y2'' (1.3 c m ) w ide b lack fea t her cure the tuck with the top of the fringe inside it.
fri nge, r (2.5 cm) w ide black petersham
ribbon, moodfabrics.com. 0 With the skirt sbll
Red Rooster Fabr,ics Harvest Tow n Collec- inside out, press the
tion, Pattern #19906-G'RYl for b ias binding, tuc k fla t imake sure
redroosterfabrics.com. the folded edge of the
tuck faces up toward
SANDRA GEIGER is a teacher, designer, the waist), protect-
and writerfor sewing publications. She enjoys ing the fabric with a
sharing her sewing enthusiasrn, especially with press cloth and being
her daughter Sara Boughner; You can see their ca refu Lto avoid press-
combined talents a.t praticallyposhkids.com or ing the feathers. In
practic allyposhlcids.etsy. com the future, if the skirt
requires cleaning , you
may need to remove
t he f r inge if it can't
be washed or dry-
cleaned.
ANN SAB IN SWANSON

31 ..
interweavestitch .com *
 profile
SEWING IN
The unique textile cr,e ations o,f
Anne Kyyro Quinn
Text NICOLE SM ITH
\VHEN YOU FIRST SET EYES UPON a tvork by Anne Kyyr6 Quinn,
it's hard to i1nagine the piece is made co1npletely from fabric .
However, upon closer inspection, you find that each layer is made
from roo 0/o wool felt se\vn precisely into place. Quinn's ability
to manipulate textiles is unique; she creates \Narks of art th.at
resemble rigid architecture an d organic plant life, often at the same
time. \i\Tith t11eir tactile surfaces, pleated details, and eye-catching
colors, the \vorks almost deman d to be touched.
BROADENING SEWING HORIZONS
Currently residing in London, Quinn creates nterior textile designs
that can b e found in cities across tl1e globe, including in London,
Chicago,. Paris, Helsinki, and Beijing. But she began h er adventl1res
32
in the arts and crafts world as a child growing up in Fin.land. ir have
al\vays \Vorked v.rith a needle and thread, sewing various little proj-
ects or \Vorking decorative hand stitches," says Quinn. "Ho\vever,
\Vhen I received my first sewin,g machine for my eleventh birthday,
I started to make clothes. Since then, I've always enjoyed se\ving
and especially 1naking home furnisl1ings. Much of my childhood
\Vas spent creating little projects. often out of felt. I have always
been dra\v11 to the arts and crafts, and textiles in partict1lar seemed
to satisfy my creative thirst growing up."
To develop her artistic skills, Quinn studied textile design at
Lon don Metropolitan University, and she eventually received h.er
masters in Design and \ Tisual Culture. About making the big move
to England, Ql1inn says. "My Finnish hometO\vn was small, and I al-
ways knew that I v.rould have to leave to broaden my horizons and
really explore my creative potential. I have always been creative
and especially like working with bright colors, maybe as a contrast
to the snow-blanketed enviromnent in Finland!" Ho\vever, Quinn
makes frequent trips back home to see her family an d enjoys being
reminded of \:vhere her design aesth etic was nurtured.
Far Left: Anne
Kyyro Quinn.
Left: Sewing and
manipulat ing feJt
with a sculptural
.approach.

TANTALIZING TEXTURE
In 1999, Quinn launched her textile studio \vi.th only six designs.
Her love of creating home furnishings blossomed into developing
intricate interior textiles includingwa11 hangings, curtains, table
accessories, upholstery fabrics, and more. Using only high-quality
v.rool felt in her unique designs, she has become one of Britains
leading fabric designers.
\!\Then she first started out. Quinn made all of the wool felt
herself. However, she now scours the globe to find j11st the right
fabric for her pieces and has a tean1 of sewers helping with the
stitching. "I .spend a great deal of ti1ne carefully soi.1rcing the
roo 0/o wool felt that I use in my work," Quinn says. "Over the
years, I've explored many fabrics fro1n all over the \VOrld. The
fe lt I ttse m ust really prese11t my designs in the \r...ray I envision
them. I choose textiles that have rich color and a t actile qu ality
that I translate into my design work. Because my work plays "\Vith
shadow, the forn1s I create rely on the \Vay that the textiles can
be n1anipulated and h old their shape." Her experience in actually
making the textiles developed her acltte eye for high-quality fe lt.
Top: Corrugated-
Effect storage Box
and Table Runner
with Cutout Shapes.
from Quinn's book
Felt Furnishings.
Below: The Tulip
Acoustic Wall Pane ~I
shows Quinn's artistic
take on felt.

33
- ........
n terweavesl1tch .corn
 I choose textiles that have ric/( ~and a fu.clife rt;~~
that I Umt,slidc into my dcr~ work. Because my work)7~
with p~ the/Br/Hp I create rely on the way that the
,tq<tif!e,s can be 11Uti:f'ulided
and hold the Ir ,,s~e.
-AN E KYYRO QU I N

PLAYING W .ITH FABRIC
Recently, Q11inn expanded her love of creating interior textiles by
developing a book ,;vifu Potter Craft called Felt Furnishings. "I wanted
the book to include projects that could be made and used in the home
while also sho\\rcasing the potential of felt fabric," says Qtrinn. "The
projects are simple but they detail interesting techniques that can
be used in other l1ome furnishings. Creating the projects gave me
the opportunity to do a lot of experimenting, vvhich is a great \vay to
develop as an artist."
Felt Furnishings showcases Quinn's unique style through hventy~
five decor projects you can create using a home sevving n"lachine. A
true expert in her n1edi un1, Quinn \valks yo11 through eacl1 design,
including how to select the fabric and then hovv to engineer it into
jaw-dropping textures. She encourages readers t o play with the fabric
t o develop one-of.a-kind motifs, while sho\ving them how to create
ottomans, throws, pillows, curtains, and n-iore. When asked \vhich
project \vas her favorite, Quinn simply replies. "I'm very proud of the
snippedpleat throw because it's so sin1ple and yet so effective. The
design 'happened' through experimentation, and I t1li11k the throvl is
a fantastic addition to any room."

SCULPTURAL APPROACH
For inspiration in designing the pieces found in Felt Furnishings as
well as her professional large-scale v.rorks,.Quinn turns to her sur-
roundings. '"I look to nature ai1d aichitecture to inspire my \Vork,"
Quinn says, v;.rhich is evident upon first glanc at any of h r textile
designs. "I have always enjoyed traveling, and thro11gh n1y explora-
tion of n,ew countries, I've foU.nd iI1spiration in sjmple organ jc forms,
vivid coiors, and buildings. My work uses both organic and linear
fonns arranged in simple compositions that play on shadow and
light. I am fascinated by the way tl1at n1aterial often considered to
be two-din1ensional ca11 be manipulated to create three dimensions.
This experimentati n with texture has really d1iven the foctts of my
work. The way in \Vhich the material is designed, hand cut, and ap-
pJied takes my work far beyond surface expression to create unique,
special forms. "
Quinn's sculptural approach to textile design has set her apart
from otl1ers in the indt1stry. Her works are as pleasi11g to the hand as
they are to the eye. From her humble begi1mings of felting wool solo
in her studio to her now internationally successfttl business, Anne
Kyyro Quinn has carved out a unique spot for herself in the design
i,,vorld, where she will continue to push the limits of sewing and
textile design.

NI.COLE SMITH is a Stitch contributing editor living in Brooklyn, New

York. Find her online at styleschen1atic.com.

For more on Anne Kyyr6 Quinn,

check out ANNEKYYROQUINN.COM.

Q uinn's. Lo,la Ottoman

appeared in Carri,e Bradshaw's apart-
ment io t he movie Sex in the City 2.

..........
'lt S itch
 A new threa f01 very

Featuring Little Apples

by Aneela Hoey

on for Moda Fabrics

Apple Dumpling Pattern

ta . 0 by It's Sew Emma

S w. Qu" ft. C ate. Your Passion mands t.

35
- ......... - ---~-------------
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JACKIECLARKD SIGNS.COM ~~- ---- ON THE GO TRIO PATTERN

36
... -- -
* st itc h
Delight 11n the warmit h and sparkle of
the winter season by exploring rich
textured fabrics and embellishment.
Enjoy 32 BEAUTIFUL PROJECTS
from wh1imsical t,o elegant and cel-
ebrate the creative possibilities and
tactile qualities of fabric and stitch.
yin+ yang scarves
This clever construction method lets you
create t\iVO unique scarves made from
interlocking blocks. First, fe]t woo] S\Veaters
with cool colors and ones VJith warm colors.
Next, cut the felted wool into bJocks and as-
semble a cool scarf and a warm scarf. Then,
stack the two scarves, cut through both
layers lengthwise in a lon_g curving Jine, and
reassemble into t\iVO fun ne\\rcompositions.

DESIGNED BY Sigrid Arnott

[project instructions on page 77]

'39 ........
 lily pillow covers
Brighten up your living room \vi th
graphic felt pillov..rs featuring lily
appliques in contrasting colors. The ap-
piiques can be embellished \vith hand
embroidery or free-motion embroidery
using a darning foot The pillo\v back
features a lapped zipper closure .

ee DESIGNED BY Josee Carr ier
[project instructions on page 80]

silver dolla1
r rug
Penny rugs use tiny circles of fabric for small
mats. Change it up with bigger circles sized for a
floor mat. Thiel{ outerwear \Vool from a coat pro-
\rides a stable base for appliqued and embroidered
details that echo the negative space between the
circles.

DESIG.N ED BY Kevin Kosbab

[ project instructions on page 81)

... 40
* stitch
wool peta,ls pillow
Bring texture and style to any room
with this lavish throw pillow. Raid your
closet. the thrift store, and your scrap bin
for wools of all ki11d.s, \Vorking in a broadly
monochromatic palett to unify the design.
DESIGNED BY Kevin Kosbab
[project instructions on page 83]
 II \ I"')
1 "r'll l
I I t I~ & .
"'I "

cT Pf (fit

trio sewing
mac:hine cover
Many sewing enthusjasts love antique sewing machines.
Now you can make your O'IJm in applique form to adorn a
felt sewing-machine cover with handy side pockets. Feature
your favorite fabric scraps in front of each mini-machine and
bri_ng a touch of retro style to your se\\iingroom. And make a
pin cushion to match~

DESIG:N1ED BY Ayum i Ta ka hashi

[ p ro ject instru c t ions on pag e 86 ]

....
interweavestitch.com *
 cheezy + friends
finger puppets
Looking for a fun and easy holiday
gift? You'll encha11t the kids in your
life with Cheezy and his cheese-loving
mouse friends. Quick to :n1al{e, these
playful finger puppets \\rill inspire
creative storytelling for young and
old alike.

DESIGNED BY Ca rrie Bloomston

[project instruct ions on page 89]

...
* stitch
 piece-of-cake
sketchbook
Create a whimsical sketchbook cover t11at can
be easjlyrestocked vvith pencils and paper.
Grab it on your way out the door, and your
child will happily fill ~t with masterpieces
vvhile you run err~nds or get a bite to eat.

DESIGNED BY Heidi Boyd

[ proj.ect instructions on page 93]

,
-

winter woolies ..
-
Ill

nappy cove r 1

This lightly felted wool n,appy cover
is bright, fun, and functional. Use it
over cloth diapers to ensure your baby
stays dry. Because wool is naturalJy
1noisture-resistant, breathable, and soft,
the nappy cover will provide all the
warmth and comfort your baby needs.

DESIGNED BY Erin Cullen

[proj ect inst ructions on page 95]

I
\
I

in
Felting is a great way to recycle garments with a wool fiber
content of at least 50/o to create new projects. The higher the
wool content, the more the fabric can felt. Look for cashmere,
merino, and other animal-hair fl.hers. Depending on the look
that you want for your .f inished project,. you can use flat,
cabled, or otherwise patterned knits; patterned wovens; or
heathered wools. Teclmically, the wet-felting process de-
scribed here is called fulling; the fabric shrinks and the yarns
interlock to create a thicker (fuller), nonraveling .m aterial.

FELTING TIPS
How to create felted wool ~ Cutt ing off hems, seams., and
fabric from wool sweaters ribb ing/ribbed bands elim inates
To disasse mble sweat ers in pre paration for fe lting, carefully cu t off th e sleeves puckering and makes t he fabric
at the armho le seams. Cut t he sl eeves open by cutt ing alo ng eac h underarm lie flatter.
seam. Cut the shoulde r seams open fro m the arm hole to the ne ckli ne. On eac h
~ Felted wool does not fray, so
sweater, cut alo ng one of t he sweater's s ide seams to open l.t fla t. If you do not
finishi ng. raw edges is not requi re d
wa nt the other side seam to be a part of your fabric, cut ft off, too. The edges of
!th e exception to th :is is that light-
fi ne or li ghtweight knit s may need to be zigzag ged or serged to prevent r aveling
weight knits may req ui re an edge
befo re the felt ing is complete .
f inish prior to felting to cont ro l
raveli ng).
Three factors are essential for fe lting to occu r : heat [c hoose a hot setting on
yo ur washing mach ine L agitatio n (choose a setting appropriate for heavily ~ Kn itted gar ments te.nd t o have
so iled clothes], and mo isture. Agitation locks t he sca les alo ng the fibe r surface
1
the most stretch going around the
1

together, and th e mo isture and heat fac ilitate th e fe lting [fu ll:ing] process. Add - body !in the crosswise direct ion),
in g a little detergent t o the mrx assi sts tn felti ng the fi bers. so ~f your knits are only lightly
felted (i.e., some stitc h definiti on
iMo nitor the fabric during feU ing and stop the process when the wool fs suf- rema ln sl: keep that in m ind when
ficie ntly felted; once the fibers Interlock t he process Is irreve rsible , so don't you plan and lay out you r patterns
allow the materfal to sh rin k too much. If the wool comes ou:t of the washing for felted fabrfc projects . lf your
cycle felted t o your satisfaction , you may lay it fla t to dry. Otherw,jse , to ach ieve knits are f ully felted, this won 't be
greater de nsity, toss the wool in the dryer, set at a warm or hot t emperat ure. a factor in cutting patterns.

47 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 -

LEATHER FLOWER
BROOCH
Inspired by Victorian metalwork,
this contemporary brooch combines
a smal1 amount offaux leath er and
fabric with notions in a clever way.
The versatile motif can also be fea-
tured in a choker or hair accessory.

DESIGNED BY Ruth Singer

[project instructions on page 99]

... 48
* stitc h
 ,
APPLIQUED
MESSENGER BAG
Combin"e faux suede and leather
to embellish the flap of this roomy
messenger bag made \vi.th decorator
fabric. The appliques add graphic
texture to the outside of the bagj
while the inside features large
pockets that can accommodate
a laptop and more.

DESIGNED BY Carol Zentg raf

[project instru c t ions o n page 100]

. .... 49 . ......
OUT+ ABOUT BAG
Combine leather with a graphic
print for a stylish everyday handbag.
.Accented with large grommets and
print fabric straps. the roomy handbag
has a r ned interior that can hold a1l the
essentials you need.

DESIGN ED BY Tris ch Price

[ project instructions o n page 101]
WRAP BELT
Play with contrasting textures by
mixing matte and shiny faux leathers
in the same colonvay for a one-size-
fitsall adjustable belt. Inspired by
Japanese obi belts, the t\vin-needle
topstitching reinforces seams and
adds a decorative touch.

DESIGNED BY Tricia Wad de ll1

[ project instructions on page 104]

91 ..
interweavestitch.com *
SUEDE-TRIMMED
JACKET
\iVith layered strips of coordinating
suede along the hem and sleeves, you
can add a designer touch to any jacket.
Finish it off with a suede facing on the
lapel. Use this technique to accent a
jacket you're sewing from scratch or
to update a store-bought jacket

DESIGN1ED BY Carol Zentgraf

[project Instructions on page 105]
 Coud Fabrcs
:(),0010 certified org,an c co,tton
Afford:,a b :l e & be,.a ut.iful
Retailing under s12 0 yd

- I

th~ cc Iler~ gl!W.. ~

taking
great _
photos

S3. ..
interweavestitch.com *
Sewsomet~ing stylish fo:r the ..
,.;:., ~

~holiClaxs,, from fast and fabulous gift,s

and cozy wearalbles to contem,po,rary
I '

home decor for festive ,get-togethers.

With solid fabrics playring homage to the color-

\tVhee l lights of Christmases past, this skirt is sure to
put holiday cheer m1der your tree. Easy construc-
tion lets the festive print do the-design work, so you
can keep up with the o stle of the season.

D SIGNED BY Kevin 1-\0Sbab

[p roject instructions on p_age 109]
This comfy sleep set will keep you
warm and cozy throughout the holi-
day seaso11. The cotton robe is lined
with super-soft lVIinkee and has
handy pockets. The pajama pants
are so fast and easy to sew that you'll
want a pair in every color.

DES.I GNED BY Jackie Cla rk

[ project instructions on page 110]

SS
-------
interweavestitch.com *
 An antique silver ornament tree inspired the
design of these easy-to-sew placemats. Choose a
few favorite fabrics to sho\vcase and use raw-edge
appJique and sjmple thread painting for embel-
lished placemats that will add a special touch to
any holiday table.

DESIGN E.D BY Jacq uie Gering

[project instructions on page 112]
..

--
- -
-
-

- .
--=~=

Decorative garlands are a gorgeous
way to use up scraps of felted
S\.veaters or felt fabric. Try this
vibrant design for its rainbo\vof
colors combined 1vvith a sprinkling
of vintage buttons or dra".v on a
muted palette for a softer look.

DESIGNED BY Ruth Singer
_,
[project instructions on page 113]
I I

Zipped up it looks like a wallet,

but unzip it and out pops a handy,
sturdy, and adorable tote bag! Have
fun mixing fabric prints and zipper
colors for a unique look.

DESIGNED BY Jil Cappuccio

[project instructions on page 114]

57 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 +fir.art

These classic ornaments will add

a burst of color and handcrafted
elegance to your tree. Thick red wool
felt is the perfect background for
simple white embroidery stitches.
The secret to their rigid shape is an
invisible cardboard lining trapped
between the two felt layers.

DESIGNED BY Heidi Boyd

[project instructions on page 115]

Sew charming tea to\vel, con-

structed from absorbent waffie-
\veave cotton and embellished
\vith a forest of appliqued trees.
Because this tea towel is quick to
sew, you can make a pair in no
time for a lovely hostess gift.

DESIGNED BY Lisa Cox

[ project instructions on page 116]

SS ...
* stitch
 Inspired by holiday lights,
this bright table runner is sure
to add a p p of color and a splash
Qf mo9,ern design to your table
this seasori' c;:ombine patchwork,
I

I cjuil~~g. ap\Jlique, and hand

l ~mbrc)idery ~o 'mal{e a custom table
I

t n.J;nX.ler in yo favorite colors.

I <J '

l \I I
,.
\ I I
'
~

\ .
QESl(i,_,ED
1
1
Y. Micbelle 'L izcanq
Cpr~j~1ct in~t.r~~tid~~ . ~r page. 1~.~T:.
I \ l I I ' I '' ,~ ~
I 11I \ 'I
1l 1 U
~ ,, 1\
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..'
' ' ,
 chain-Li nk trapunto pillow
U?date the timeless ad -' .
n1que of trapunt ? ded-qu1lt1ng tech-
OWlth mah"
"".' amodemmotif . cmemethods
d
gives the raised h : Usmg lustrous silk
. c am links a t
against the he - . exture boost
av11y quilted background.

DES~GNED BY Kev in . . . -
... 60 [pro1ect . Kosbab
instructions on page 123]
stitch
exposed-seams jacket
Play with exposed seams in this unlined,
semifitted boiled wool jacket. Use con-
trasting thread to highlight the graphic
lines of the seams and finish off the
jacket \vi.th a 'Zipper closure. The variety
of seams makes it easy to customize the
jacket to your measurements.

DESIGNED BY Katrin Vorbeck

[project instructions on page 124]

61
..............
 patchwork poncho
Refashion cashmere and wool
s\veaters from a thrift store to create
a cozy cowl-neck poncho that will
keep you stylish and warm all win-
ter. The wide belt slits make it easy
to create shaping,.and the whip-
stitching around the patchwork
panels adds textural interest.

DESIGNED BY Paula Corley

[project instructions
on page 127]

... 62
* stitch
pleated pin-tuck
pocket handbag
Inspired by the sixties-style pleated
skirt) this roomy bag showcases a
pleated pin-tuck pocket. Use fun
prints to create your own decorative
binding to stitch around the handles
and the top edge of the pocket Add
hand-e1nbroidered snowflakes to the
pocket for the fin"a1 touch.

DESIGNED BY Ayumi Ta kahashi

[p roject inst ructions on page 129]

63 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 mod mini-purse
This mini-purse is a great size
for when you "i;Vant to travel a little
lighter. The mod shape and chunky
hardware make this bag a fun acces~
sory, \vhile the smocked panel lets you
show off your sewing skills.

DESIGNED BY Katrina Loving

... [project instructions on page 133]
* stitch
 T u
, c...._ .

CHRISTMAS
Projects + Ideas
'
I
INCLUDli G I
I
Mixed-1
media proJec s t
I
I
PAPER, F L AND 1

FABRIC CRAFTS
IHan,d embroi1dery designs
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Special Issue. Only $9. 99 ! DIV ENTER A NING
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Supplies are l"mited, so order today~ a11d ntuclt ntore!

. t c-~

70
~!-l

'~ ...

CHECK OUT OUR NEW UPDATED ONLINE STORE!

Tons of New Product! --------
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Imported Lac,es, Fine Fabrics, Cool Trims,
Must-Have Notions, Patterns From Your Favorite 11

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Ready-To Blanks, Mac:h ine Embroidery Designs, I

Step-by-Step DVDs, & 1More .! '

II ONLIN.E PURCHASE ,ONLY
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Cannot b e used with other discou nt offers or coupo ns.

Sewing Tips, Project Ideas & Product Specials! Expires December 31, 2011 COUPON CODE: STITCH 1 lFREE

II
Sign up jar our iveekly e-newsletter at wwiv. marthapullen.com I www.ma.r thapullen.com
'
 0

perfect for laundering: la ender

cashmere wool alpaca unscented
cotton silk mohair ... and morel al p "'

a w o e new spin on Lau dry!

and On The Go Clothing CarerM Line

For People YV110 Sew

rd yle COm An Online Sewing Commun"ty

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CONNECT WITH US II faoebook.com~BurdaStyleSews @BurdaStyle

66
... -- -
* st it ch
 * GETTING START:E'D
SEWING KIT
The follo"'ring ite1n s are essential for your sewing kit. lvlake
sure you have these tools at hand before starting any of the
pro1ects:
0 ACRYLIC 'R ULER This is a clear flat ruler, \vith a n1ea-
sming grid at least 2" (5 cm) \vide x 18" (45.5 cm) long. A
rigid acrylic (quilter;s) ruler should be used v.r11en work-
ing with a rotary c11tter.
0 CLOTH MEASUIR ING TAPE Make sure it's at least
60" (152.5 cm) long.
0 CRAFT SCISSORS Use these for cutth1g out paper
patterns.
0 DRESSMAKE,R'S SHEAR.S These sharp long-bladed
scissors are used to cut fabric.
0 EMBROIDERY SCISSORS These small scissors are
used to trim off threads; clip comers, and do other intri-
cate cuttin.g v.rork.
0 FABRIC MARKI NG PENS & PENCILS Availablein
several colors for use on light and dark fabrics; use them
for tracing patterns and pattern markings onto you.r fabric.
0 HANDSEWING & EMBROIDERY NEEDLES Keep
an assort1nent of sewi11g and e1nbroidery needles in dif-
ferent sizes, from fine to sturdy.
0 IRON, IRONING BOARD & PRESS CLOTHS
An iron is an essential tool when se,vin g. Use cotto11
ml1sli11 or silk organza as a press cloth to protect delicate
fabric surfaces from direct h.eat.
0 PATTERN PA!PER Have some pattern paper or other
large paper (such as n"ewsprint, butcher paper, or pattern
tracing cloth) on hand for tracing the patterns from
the pat1em insert. Regular office paper may be used for
templates that will fit.
0 Pl N.KING SHEARS These scissors with notched teeth
leave a zigzag edge on the cut cloth to prevent fraying.
0 SEAM GAUGE This small ruler with a movable slider
is used for marking hems, checking seam allowances,
placing buttons, and more.
Basic tools, techniques
& t erms you'll need
for the projects in
this issue.
,0 SEAM R'I PPER Han dy for quickly ripping out stitches.
0 SPIKED TRACING WHEEL & COLORED
TRACl.,N G PAP'ER Use these tools for tracing
patterns and markings onto your fabric.
0 STR AIGHT .PINS, & PINCUSH:ION Alv.rays keep
lots of pins nearby.
0 WEIGHTS Pattern weights or small rocks are great for
keeping fabric in. place 'i.vhile dra\ving. pinning. and cutting.
* OPT.IONAL ... but good to have.
0 FRENCH CURVE .J!. \.. te1n plate of n1etal, plastic, or wood
that includes many curved edges for constructing smooth
curves.
O NEEDLE THREADER An inexpensive aid to make
threading the eye of the needle super fast.
0 POINT TURNER A bluntly pointed tool that helps push
out the comers of a project and/or smooth seams. A knit-
ting needle or chopstick can also be used.
0 ROTARY CUTTER & SELF-HEALIN:G MAT Useful
for cutting out fabric qlrickly. Always use the mat to protect
the blade and yom \vork surface (a rigid acrylic ruler
should be used with these to inake straight cuts).
,0 TAILOR'S CHALK Available in triangular pieces,
rollers, and pencils in various colors, tailor's chalk is useful
for marking cloth. Some forms (such as pov.rdered) can
simply be brushed away~ refer t o manufacturer's instruc-
tion.s for recommended rem oval m_eth_od.
'O TAILOR'S HAM A firm cushion used \Vhen pressing
curved areas of gam1ents to preserve the shape and pre-
vent creases.
'0 THIMBLE Your fingers and thumbs \vill thank you.
0 ZIPP.ER FOOT This accessory foot for your maclrin.e has
a narrow profile that can be positioned to sew close to the
zipper teetl1. Zipper feet are adjustable so the foot ca11 be
n1oved to either side of the needle.
67 .....
int erw eavestit ch.com *
 *
PATTERN SYMBOLS & MARKINGS
Here is a quick reference guide to the
symb,o ls and m .a rkings on the patterns.

, -- CUTT ING 4t DARTS Angled tines show where the

I ,
, 'N OTCHES Notches are triangle-
: stitch'ng will be, and the dot shows ,' shaped symbo ls used for accurately
~

: you the position of the dart point (sig -

1

, / m atching seams. P,i:eces to be jo ined w ill

'
patterns have / nating the point, at the end of the dart, _,' have cor:responding notches.
,,
different cutting / where your stitch ing should end). ,'
,, PATTERN DOTS Filled circles indicate
1

lines for each : '

.

r
,, ,,' that a mark needs to be made (often on
size. ' ,
'
''
~
,'
r
,' the right side of the fabric!. for place-
I
I
,' ,
I
! ' ,, ' ,
,' ment of elements such as a pocket or
'
' ; .J II" -
tZ
- - - - -
_____ .............. ~
-- -
-
-
. -.
- - -
- . .
- - - --
I ~---.------------------------~
- - ---- -- - ...... - ~ - ----
--=-':"------------ - - - - - ~ - _. _ - j - - - -
I

-

,
~ - '

---------------;,. . ----
a dart point Mark by punching through
the pattern paper only, then mark on the
\
. lie ~
- - 11
._(J_. rlr
., : ---- -- - ---- -- -- .....
, -- ------ --- ----,--- ,, -- .. -
~ ~ :i,:: 11 1 ,' .' fabric through the hole.
i 111 , , 1:
11.. ' I ,
'
,
,
I '~
I I , I
.,,, : j ' t' ,.
1: j'
'11 ~ ' ,
.1 ' ,
, ,
~11 Ji.r ,~ ~~ ,'
I This is a grainline m,arkin9 with arrows
l!!li ,-' ~
,' '
I
' f '
-. ~1, , ;
I
I
pointing to the ,edge of the pattern. Place
11
- ~,j ' ~ ;
I

~
I .~~.: f ;,,, ; the pattern edge on the fold of the fabric
I . I ,,
! ,. I , so that your finished piece will be twice
1/ , ,.
, the size of the pattern piece, without hav-
' c ing to add a seam. Do not cut the fold.
, ,
0
<l>
I
,'
(,)
I 1 m
~ I
,' c. ,, GRAINLINE- - The double- ended
- - -- arrow -
i :
I I I ,' should be parallel to the lengthwise
I
I
I
I :~ >'
'" ~ I
I
grain or fold unless marked as cross -
.
I wise.
.: I I
I

I
I ~-
___ - ,BIAS GRAINLINE Th is grain line is
I
I
I diagonal and ind icates that the pattern
piece should be cut on the bias .. The
"true bias is at a 45-degree ang le to the
straight grain of the fabric.

-- _~ - - SLASH LINE The dashed line ind icates

that the pattern needs to be slashed
-- --- -- along the line. Slash to the dots only, if
-- ,~--

I
t
I
I
.... -- -- present. If there are no dots, the pattern
I r --
- - -,
I :
I
should be slashed from edge to edge
j I
i ~
along the entire line. Slash ' ines will be
j I
labeled as such.
I
1

~
I
I
I
l
I
I
4 - - - - --
--- -- - -- -- -- BUTTON & BUTTONHOLE
.P LACEMENT M,A RKS
Sol id lines ind icate buttonholes. A large
I
I I open circle :is t he button symbol and
I
I
I
I
,
':-. ..... - - - ~"' - - - ....,,.. -- _ _... - - .. - - - - - - - - - - ~ - - - - - -- - -- - .. - .. - - - - - - - - ....... ... __ ---
shows placement.
1_ -.~~~- - ~~--: ~-:. :.- --=-=-=--:=_=..":..--=-=~--~~.= ~-:_=-:=- -=.----: .::-:...~==-~--:.= ~-=-~--":"::.-_-_=._::;-~::: L
CB: Center Back
CF: Center Front

... 68
* stitch
PATTERN INS,E,RT GUID:E A quick
reference to the full-size patterns on the insert.

LAYOUT, MARKING+ CUTTING GUIDELINES
D The pattern insert features overlapping patterns, so you may
not want to cut patterns or templates directly from the insert.
Instead, use pattern paper (or other paper such as newsprint) or
pattern tracing cloth to trace the pattern pieces you need from the
insert and then cut out your traced pieces. Regular office paper
maybe used for small templates that win fit. If necessary, use a
light box or bright window for tracing.
El If you are cutting pattern pieces on the fold or cutting two of
the same pattern piece, fold the fabric in half, selvedge to selvedge,
with right sides together or a:s indicated in the cutting layout or
instructions.
l] All pattern markings should be on the wrong side of the fabric
unless otherwise noted.
II ay tbe pattern pieces on the fabric as close together as possible.
Double-check that all pattern.pieces cut "on the fold'' are placed
on the fold.
D Make sure all pattern pieces are placed on the fabric "Vvith the
grainline running parallel to the lengthwise grain unless a bias
grainline is present or as othenvise noted.
D Use "Vveights to hold the pattern pieces down and use pins to
secure the comers as needed.
IJCut pieces slowly and carefully.

...... __
---
""'
(

--
l


!
I'

,
~

I.
'

/'. -
I '

69 ....
interweavestitch.com *
 GLOSSARY OF SEW'ING TERMS
+ TECHNIQUES A quick reference to the technical
sewing terms used throughout the project instructions.
BAC'KTACK Stitching in reverse for a
short distance at the beginning and end-
ing of a seam line to secure the stitches.
Most machines have a button or knob
for this function (also called backstitch}.
BARTAC!K A line of reinforcement
stitching often placed at areas of stress
on .l garment. Bartacks are created with
short zigzag stitches (by machine) or
whipstitches (by hand).
BASTING Long, loose stitches to hold
something in place temporarily. To baste
by machine, use the longest straight-stitch
length available on your machine. To baste
by hand, use stitches at Ieast %'' (6 mm)
long. Use a contrasting thread to make the
stitches easier to spot for removal.
BIAS The direction across a fabric that
is located at a 45-degree angle from the
~ength\\rise or crosswise grain. The bias
has high stretch and a very fluid drape.
BIAS TAPE Ivlade from fabric strips cut
on a 45-degree angle to the straight grain,
t11e bias cut creates an edging fabric that
will stretch to enclose smooth or curved
edges. You can buy bias tape ready-made
or make your o\vn.
CLIPPING Tnvolves cutting tiny slits
or triangles into the seam allowance of
curved edges so the seam wiU lie flat \Vhen
turned right side out. Cut slits along con-
cave curves and triangles (with points to-
ward the seam line) along a convex curve.
Be careful not to clip into the stitches.
DART This sf tched triangular fold is
used to give shape and form to the fabric
to fit body curves.
EASE/EASE l;N \Vhen a pattern directs
to "ease" or "ease in," you are generally
70
stitch
sewing a longer piece of fabric to a shorter
piece or a curved piece to a straight piece.
This creates shape in a garment or object
without pleats or gathers. To ease, 1natch
the ends or notches of the uneven section
and pin together (or pin as instructed
by the pattern). Continue to pin the
remaining fabric together, distributing
the extra fullness evenly, but making sure
that the seamlines match up as smoothly
as possible (you will be smoothing the
excess fullness away from the edge); don't
be afraid to use a lot of pins. Stitch slowly,
smoothing as necessary to ease the pieces
together as evenly as possible, being care-
ful not to catch tucks in the seam.
EDGESTITCH A ro\l.r of topstitching
placed very close ( - " [2- 3 mmj) to an
edge or an existing seam line.
FABRIC GRAIN The grain is created in
a Y.1oven fabric by the threads that travel
lengthwise and cross\vise. The lengthwise
grain runs parallel to the selvedges; the
crosswise grain should always be perpen-
dicuJar to the lengthwise threads. If the
grains aren't completely straight and per-
pendicular, grasp the fabric at diagonally
opposite comers and pull gently to restore
the grain. In knit fabrics, the length\vise
grain runs along the wales (ribs), parallel
to the selvedges, v;.rith the crosswise grain
running along the courses (perpendicular
to the wales).
F l'NG ER- PRESS Pressing a fold or
crease with your fingers as opposed to
. .
using an iron.
FUSSY-CUT Roughly cutting around a
shape or mobf, leaving an extra margi.n
of fabric around the shape/motif that is
usually trimmed or hidden later.
GATHERING ST.ITC:H ( machine)
These are long stitches used to compress
a length of fabric before se\ving it to a
shorter piece. To gather. set the machine
for a long stitch length (3.0-4.0 mm; use
the shorter length for lighter-v.reight
fabrics) and loosen the tension slightly.
\Vith the fabri,e right side up, sew on the
seam line and again '/s" (3 mm) from the
seam line, ''rithin the seam allowance.
Sometimes you will be instructed to place
the first line of stitches '/s" (3 mm) from the
seam line within th.e body ofthe gannent
so the stitches don't become tangled in
the pennanent seam line. Leave thread
tails at each end and do not backtack. Pin
the fabric to be gathered to the shorter
piece rjght sides together, matching edges,
centers, and pattern markings as directed
in the pattern. Pin at each mark. Grasp the
bobbin threads from both lines of stitching
at one end and pull gently. Work the gath-
ers along the thread until the entire piece
is gathered and lies flat against the shorter
fabric piece. Pull the bobbin threads from
both ends to gather long pieces. Stitch the
seam, then remove the gathering threads ..
GRAD ING SEAM ALLOWANCES The
process of trimming seam allowances to
different \vidths to reduce bulk and allow
the seam to lie flat The seam aJlowance
that will lie to the interior of the project is
trimmed the 1nost, leaving the seam allow
ance that will lie closer to the exterior of
the project slightly v.rider.
GRAINLINE A pattern markingshov.ring
the direction of the grain. Make sure the
gTainline m.arked on the pattern runs par-
alJel to the lengthwise grain of your fabric,
unless the grainline is specifically marked
as cross\vise or bias.

1:N TERFACING/INTER'LINllNG Mate-
rial used to stabilize or reinforce fabrics.
Fusible interfacing has an adhesive coat-
ing on one side that adheres to fabric
when ironed. Interlining is an additional
fabric layer between the shell and lining;
used to change the garment drape or add
structure or \Varmth.
LINING The inner fabric of a garment
or bag, used to create a finished interior
that covers the raw edges of the seams.
MITER Joining a seam or fold at an
angle that bisects the project corner.
Most com_mon is a 45-degree angle, like
a picture frame, but shapes other than
squares or rectangles will have 1niters
\vi th different angles.
NAP Texture (created by weave struc-
ture) or directional print or design that
requires all pieces to be cut from the
fabric oriented in the same direct] on.
OVERCAST STITCH A machine stitch
that wraps around the fabric ra\\T edge to
finish edges and prevent raveling. Some
sewing machines have several overcast
stitch options; consult your sewing ma-
chine manual for information on stitch
settings and the appropriate presser foot
for the chosen stitch (often the standard
presser foot can be used). A zigzag stitch
can be used as an al temative to finish raw
edges if your machine doesn't have an
overcast-stitch function.
PINK To trim with pinking shears;
\\rhich cut the edge into a zigzag pattern
to reduce fraying.
PLACKET A placket is a :finished
garment opening. 1nost often at the
1ocation of a garment closure. A placket
can be finished by hemming or \vith
binding or a facing. Plackets are often
seen on sleeve vents (above the cuff)
and are also used at neckline and waist
edge openings, often in conjunction
v.rith buttons or other closures.
PRES:H1RIN,K Many fabrics shrink
when washed; you need to wash, dry,
and press all your fabric before you
start to sew, following the suggested
cleaning method marked on the fabric
bolt. Don't skip this step!
RIGHT SIDE CRS) The front side, or
t he side that should be on the outside
of a finished garment On a print fabric,
the print will be stronger on the right
side of the fabric.
RIGHT Sl'DES TOGETHER The rigl1t
sides of two fabric layers should be fac-
ing each other.
SATl.N STITCH (MACHI.N E) This is
a smooth, completely filled column of
zigzag stitches ach.ieved by setting the
stitch length to 0.2-0.4 mm. The length
setting should be short enough for
complete coverage but long enough to
prevent bunching and thread bui1dup.
.S.E AM ALLOWANCE The amount of
fabric between the raw edge and the
sea:m.
SE.LVEDGE This is the tightly \oven
border on the Jen gt hwise edges of wo-
ven fabric and the finished lengthwise
edges of knit fabric.
SHELL The outer fabric of a garment
or bag (as opposed to the lining, \hich
will be on the inside).
SQUAR.ING UP After you have pieced
together a fabric block or section, check
to make sure the edges are straight and
the measurements are correct. Use a ro-
tary cutter and a rigid acrylic ruler to trim
the block if necessary Because you might
trim off the backtacking on seams when
you square up, machine stitch across any
trimmed seams to secure.
STAYSTITCH:I NG A line of straight
stitching (through one layer of fabric),
used to stabilize the fabric and prevent
stretching or distortion. Staystitching is
usually placed just inside the seam line,
often at curved edges such as armholes.
*1
STITCH IN THE DITCH Press a previ.-
ously seW11 seam open or to one side.
Lay the seamed fabric right side up
under the presser foot and se\\r along
tl1e seamline "ditch!' The stitches will
faII between the two fabric pieces and
disappear into the seam.
TOPSTITCH Used to hold pieces finnly
in place and/or to add a decorative
effect, a topstitch is simply a stitch that
can be seen on the outside of the gar-
ment or piece. To topstitch, make a line
of stitcl1ing on the outside (right side)
of the piece, usually a set distance from
an existing seam.
UNDERLINING Fabric used as a back-
ing for the shell ofa garment to add
structure and/or aid in shaping. It is also
sometimes used to m<ll<:e a transparent
fabric opaque. Underlinings are cut to
the size and shape of each garment piece
and the t\0 are basted together and
treated as one during construction.
UNDERSTITCHING A li,ne of stitches
placed on a facing (or lining), very near
the facing/garment seam. Understitch-
ing is used to hold the seam allowances
and facing together and to prevent the
facing from roIJing tO\Vard the outside
of the garment.
WRONG SIDE (WS) The wrong side
of the fabric is the underside, or the
side that should be on the inside of a
finished garment. On a print fabric, the
print v.rill be lighter or less obvious on
the wrong side of the fabric.
71 ..
int erw eavestit ch.com *
 STITCH GLOSSARY
A quick reference to the handstitches
used throughout the project instructions.
,
SPLIT STITCH T

I Working from left to right, bring th e needle

up at l , insert at 2 , and bring the needle

~-
:
up near the r ight end of the previous stitch
[between l and 2 , at '3J. inserting the needle
1. into the threa d to split the thread in two.
'
I

2 When you're wor king with muU.iple strands

of threa,d, insert th e needle between the
strands.
I

BLANK:ET STITCH.&
Working from. left to r i1ght, bring the needle
up at l and in sert at 2. Bring the needte
1
back up at 3 and over the working thread.
Repeat by making the next stitch in the same
manner, keepi ng the spacing even.
FRENCH :KNOT .A.
. Bring the needle up at l and hold the thread
.. tau t above the fabric Po.int the needle toward
.
' your fing.ers and move the needl.e in a circular
' motion to wrap the thread around th e needle
once or twi1ce. Insert the needle nea r l and
l
hold the thread taut near the knot as you pull
;
the needle and thread through the knot and
the fabric to complete.

2
'' , BACK.S T:ITCH Y
'' '
,''
. ,
Work i.ng from righ t to left, bring the needle up
, '
f '

.' at 1 and insert behind the starting point at 2 .
3 Brin g the needle up at 3 , repea t by insert ing
l
at 1 and bringi:r1g the needle u.p at a point that
is a sti.tch length beyond 3 .
-- :
SLIP STITCH
Working from right to left, join two pieces of
fabric by tak in g a 1116- 1/4" (2-6 mml ~ong stitch
CROSS-STITCH .&. into the folded edge of one piece of fab r ic and
Working from r ight to Left, bring th e needle up bring ing the needle out Insert the need le into
at l , insert at 2 , then bring the needle back -==-:~~ IJE.2:::::::;:;:_3... ~ the folded edge of the other piece of fabric, di-
,.. .. '3 rectly across from the poin t where the thread
up at 3 . Finish by inserting the needl e at 4 . ,.
Repea t for the desired number of stitches. ,, ,, emerged from the previous st.itch. Repeat by
..
! I
,/
inserting t he need-Le into the first pi.ece of fab~
r ic. The thread will be al most en tirely hidden
inside the folds of the fabrics.

3 . I

/ ,/
2
I '

BLIN.DSTITCH
/:BLI ND-HEM STl.TCH .&.
Used mainly for hemm ing fabrics where an
inconspicuous hem is difficult to achieve (this
stitch ,is atso useful for securing binding on the
wrong side). Fold ~he hem edg e back abou t
~/4" ~ 6 mm). Take a small stitch in the gar'm ent,
picking up only a few th reads.
WHIPS TITCH T
Bring th e needle up at l , insert at 2 , and bring ' STRAIGHT STITC,H /RUN N.1ING ST.ITCH .&
up at 3 .
Working from rig ht to teft, make a straig.ht
sti tch by bringing the needle up and insert
at l , 1/a- 1/~" .[ 3-6 m1m) from the starting point.
To .m ake a tine of runn ing stitches (a row of
straight stitches worked one after the other],
bring the nee,d le up at 2 and rep ea t.

72
stitch
 *

CREATE BINDING
CUTTIN.G STRAIGHT STRIPS
Cut stri ps on the crosswise gra in, from
selvedge to selvedge, cutt ing t o t he width
indicated in the project instructions. Use
a rota ry cutter and stra ightedg.e to obtain
a straigh t cut Remove the selvedges and
jo in the stri ps w ith diagonal seams.
1 1
:
'
FOLD BINDl'NG T
A. Doub'Le-fold Binding Th is op ti.on will
create bindi ng that is simila r to pack-
aged double-fold bias tape/bind ing. Fold
the st r ip in half leng thwise, w ith w rong
stdes together; pr ess . Open up t he fold
and then fo ld each long edge toward the
wro ng side, so that t he r aw edges m eet
in t he middle (1). ;Refol d th e bindi ng along
t he exisl:ing center cr ease , enclosi ng the
r aw edges [2 1, and press again.
B. Double-layer :Binding This opt ion
creates a double-thickness bindi ng w it h
on ly one fo ld. This binding is often favo red
by quHters . Fold t he stdp i.n hal f lengt h-
w ise w it h wrong sides togethe r; press.
the pressed end of the binding strip}. Refold
the bind ing along all the cr eases and
t hen fold it over the project r aw edges to
the ba.ck, enc tos.ing the raw edges {there
are no creases to worry a.bout with option
BJ. The folded edg e of the binding strip
sho uld just cover the stitches vi sibl e on
the project back. Slip-st itch t he bind ing in
place, tuck ing in th e corners to complete
the m iters as you go ('3).
r - - - - - - - -- - - __ _ .-:. _
1

-----------------
2
2

C UTTING BIAS STRIPS

Cut strips to the w idth indica ted in the
project instructions. Fold one cut end of
the fa bri c to m eet one selved ge, for m ing a
fold at a 4:5- degree an gle to the selvedge
(11. Wit h t he fab ri c placed on a self-
healing mat, cut off the fo ld w ith a rotary
cutter, using a stra ig htedge as a guide
to make a str aight cut. With the str aight-
edge and rotary cutter, cut strips t o t he
appropriate wid th (2 1. Join t he st ri ps w ith
diagonal seam.s.
BINDING WITH
MITERiED CORNERS . .....
If using double -layer binding (option B below)
foUow the alternate italicized instructions in
parentheses wherever you see them.
0 pen the bind ing and press 1/i'' (1.3 cm ] t o
the wrong side at one short end (refold the
binding at the center crease and proceed).
Starting w ith the fo lded - under end of
the bi nd ing, place it near the cen ter of
the fi rst edge of t he project to be bo und,
ma te i ng the raw edges, and pin in place.
Begin sewing near the ce nter of one edge,
along the f,i rst crease (at the appropriate
distance from the raw edge}, leavi.ng seve r~
al inches of the bi ndin g fa bric free at the
begi nn in g. Stop sewin g 1f4" (6 mm] befo re
1

reaching the corner, backtack, and cu t the

DIAGONAL SEAMS
FOR JOl'N ING STRIPS &
Lay two strips rig ht sides together. at
right angles. The area where the strips
overlap for.m s a squa re. Sew diagona lly
ac ross the square as shown above. Triom
the excess fabri c 1/4" (6 m m) aw ay from
the seam line and press the seam alLow -
ances open. Repea t to jo in all the strips,
forming one l ong fabric band .
threa:d's. Rotate t he project 90 degrees to
positi on it for sewing t he next side. Fold
the bi nding fa bri.c up,, away from the proj-
ect. at a 45-degree ang:le (11. then fold it
back down along the project raw edge [2 ].
This fo r ms a miter at the corner. Sti tch
the second side, beg inn ing at the p r.oject
raw edge {2 ]' and endi ng 1f4" (6 mm.I fro m
the next cor ner. as before. Con tiinue as
estab l ished unt il you have compl eted the
last corner. Continue stitc ing u nti l you
are a few i nches from the beginn ing edge
of the bi nd ~ing fa bri.c. Ove rlap the pressed
b egi~ nn i ng edge of t he bindi ng by lh" (1.3
cm, or overlap .m ore as necessary for
secu rity) and trim the worki ng edge to
fi t. Fi1nish sewing the b inding {opening the
cenrer fold and tucking the raw edge jnside

73 .....
interweavestitch.com *
 0 DAHLIA PURSE fJ APPLIQUED MESSENGER
by APRIL MOFFATT Project photo on BAG by CAROL ZENTGRAF Project
page 42; instructions on page 85. photo on page 49; instructions on page 100.

8 HANDY SACK by JIL CAPPUCCIO

0 PLEATED PIN-TUCK POCKET
Project photo on page 57; instructions on
HANDBAG by AYUMI TAKAHASHI
Project photo on :P age 63; instruct ions on
page 114.
page 129.

--*
I I
()
 El COLOR-WHEEL TREE SKIRT II MATRVOSHKA DOLLS
by KEVIN KOSBAB Project photo on by HEIDI BOYD Project photo on
page 54; fnst ructions on page 109. .p age 44; instructions on page 91.

0 WOOL PETALS PILLOW 0 SCANDINAVIAN REINDEER

by KEVIN KOSBAB Project photo on +HEART ORNAMENTS by HEIDI
page 41; instructions on page 83. BOYD Project photo on page .5 8; instruct ions
on page 115.

...
click to downl,o ad the 0
N
0:::
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~
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s
z
z
w
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(/)

PATTERNS + TEIM PLATES U)

<l
 *
Download full-size templates+ pattern
PDFs at interweavestitch.com for the
fol lowing projects in this issue:

...
* stitch
 . , 'I '

'"Riua~SOn ' R1i\/'~'~' ;va111 1 11.j~' Y ,~ ;

1

Al"t" Quilting
~
Wo,rksh,ops, I

Laughter, Learning, and

frJendship in a Relaxing and
Inviting Envlron,m ent
3 & 5 .Day Cfasses, Ch arming Rooms in an
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24-hour Ac;cess to Studio, Great Food

LfZ Berg Oct 16-22, 20 I I

Gloria Loughman Oct 23-29, 201 1
Carol Shinn Oct JO-Nov 5, 20 I I
Katie Pasquin iMasopust Nov 6-12, 20 I I
Sue Nickels Dec -4, 20 I I
Melinda Bula Dec 4- 10, 20 I I
Paula Nade'l ster n Mar 18-24, 20 12
Carol Taylor Mar 25-3 I, 20 12
Laura Wasilowski Mar 31 -Apr 3, 20 12
and Many Mo,r e in 20 I,2 . . .

Introducing 42 Call Toll-Free 1-888-665-0044

Ask for our full-color brochure
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More
for 2011 r~-----------------------~-------,
Because you asked for them, the designers at Sulky have created I

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Ideal for Quilting, Appliqueing, Serging and Embroiderin,g Batiks, I

Mottled Solids> Florals or any Multi-colored or Shaded Fabric.

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To instruct and inspire you, look for ' Blendables the modern
our fabulous) new, project-filled book
~tli!J
Color Th.rie< d:o.
C'otto11
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Blendables and Solid Color Cottons! _,.Tl~'
The quilted, inked wallhanging, "Desert
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Express yourself with
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75. ..
interweavestit ch.com *
 I Am Jumper for Jlo y
I Am Hello Halter
I Am Barely Ruffed
I Am Sassy Sundress
I Am Twice As Nice
I Am D,ainty Drops
I Am Magical Insets

How cute
can you be?
I Am Shift Into Tunic
I Am Cute Contrast
I Am Very V-Neck
I Am Pleats & Petals
I Am Mandarin Empire
I Am Baby Bateau
I Am Simply Standup
I Am Sweetly Gored
I Am Tiny Tucks
I Am All the Trimmings
i Am Raglan to Riches
I Am All Wrapped Up
I Am Sweet Sweet Ties
I Am Tripled Tier
Am Sew Buttoned Down
I Am Kimono Cut
I Am Box-Pleated Wonder
I Am Satin Doll

Sew 25 adorable dress designs

that will maxiimize your closet's
simplicity and style. No complicated I n Cuk l>res

pattern pieces and cutting instructions 25

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I Am Cute Dresses: 25 Simple Des.igns to Sew

Sato Watanabe I 120 oages 7 1.1i x 1O I $22.95
Paperback VV'rt:h pattern insert ISBN: 978- 1-59668-35 1-8

~~i) INT RWFAVE

llU interweavestore.tom

fab lous
Yin +Yang Scarves
by SIGRID ARNOTT {from page 39}
FAB,RIC
-6-8 ad ult-s.ize , nonb ulky, merino or
merino -blend sweaters, at least 3- 4 in
warm colors and 3- 4 in cool or neutral col-
ors [see Notes; warm colors shown: rusty
orange, deep cri.mson, deep burgun dy,
and plum purple; cool colors shown: tea l.
smoky blue, pea green, cool ta upe, and
brown/black heather]
OTHER SUPPLIES
-3 spools of thread in coordinating1war.m
hues (see Notes; shown: deep burgundy,
crimson, and hot pink]
- - 3 spools of thread in coordinating cool or
neutral hues (see Notes; shown: deep teal,
aqua blue, and pea g reenl
-2.0/80 twin sewing machine needle
- Rotary cutter, rigid acrylic ruler, and self-
healing mat
- Chalk pen (Recommended: Clover Chaco
Wheel Linerl
- Tape [Recommended: painter's tape or
transparent ta pe)
-Press clot h
- 1,ron with steam capabilities
- Seam sea lant (such as Fray Check)
-Zigzag foot fo r sewing machine
FINISHED SIZE
- Each scarf: 7" x 58" I18 x 147 .5 cm I
.NO.TES
-For explanations of terms and techniques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67- 74.
-The two sample sca rves include fabric from
a combination of seven adult-size merino
and wool/merino-blend sweaters and vests
that had been felted. If you use sweater
vests, you will ne ed four or fi ve of each color
gro up. Merin o is preferred because when
it is felted it is smoother and more pliable
than other wools.
-. When selechng colors for your scarves,
choose a minimum of three warm co Lors
and three cool colors. For the samples,
fou r warm colors and five coo l co lors were
used. A blue undertone to all of the co lors
helps unite th em visually. The coo l a nd
warm co lors yo u select should con trast
wi thou t clash in g. Other color fa milies also
work wel l. For example , try bright or pastel
co lors combined w,ith neutra ls. Blues and
browns contrast well with winter whites.
Grays and black work with almos t anything.
-For added interest, thread co lo rs can be
brighter than th e fabric colors.
- Beca use this project uses recyc led
materials, it is not possible to rep licate
the samp le scarves exactly. Rather than
ma king an exact copy, enjoy the materials
you have. Exact co lors, s izes, and arrange-
men t of blocks are less importan t than
taking time to select a coordinating group
of colors, creating a pleasing arrangem.en t,
and carefully cutting and sewin g the pieces.
-For th e sample scarf, a twin needle and
feather stitch were used to join the fe lt
pieces. A zigzag or other decorat ive stitch
may be used in stead . The opt ion to quick ly
drop the feed dog on yo ur sewin g machine
is helpful, but not requ ired.
PREPARE AND CUT THE FABRIC
D To fe lt sweaters, refer to the sidebar on
page 47. Disassemble the felted sweaters by
ca refu lly cutting off the sleeves at th e armho le
seams. Cut th e sleeves open along the under-
arm seams. Cut the shoulder seams open from
the armhole to the neckline. Cut the sweater's
side seams so t hat the front and back are two
separate pieces. If ribbing prevents the fron t
and back from Lying flat, cut it off.
D Using a rota ry cutter and rigid acrylic
ruler on a se lf- healing mat, cu t t he sweater
front, back, and s leeves into 7" (18 cm) wide
horizon tal bands, across the width of the
sweater and the s leeves. Square up the short
ends of all the pieces.
El Cut the bands into larg e (5-6" [12.5-15
cm] long). medium [about 3" [7.5 cm] longl.
and sma ll (1 112-2" [3.8- 5 cm] long) rectangles
[so yo u will have rec tangles that are 7" [18
cm] wide x the various lengths specified!.
The cut rectan gles wi ll now be referred to as
"warm blocks" and "cool blocks." It is not es-
sentia l to have exact meas urements, and you
can cu t to your Li.king and accord.in g to how
much fe lted fabric you have in each color. Set
as id e leftover pieces to use for prac tice with
how-to
the seaming technique. As an exam ple only,
for th e two Sa'mple scarves, t he following
pieces were cut from the 7" (18 cm ] wide
bands of felted wool.
From the warm colors: Warm Color 1: cut 1
each at 51/2" (14 cm), 5" (12.5 cml, and 3;; l7.5
1
c.m) wide, and cu t 2 at 3 1h" (9 cmJ wide. Warm
Color 2: cut 1 at 5" [12.5 cm) wide . cut 2 a t
3" (7.5 cm l wide, and cut 3 at 2" [5 cm) wide.
Warm Color 3: cut 3 at 2" [5 cm l wide and cut
2 at 1 1h" (3.B cm] wide. Warm Color 4: cut 5 at
2" (5 cm l wide.
.From the cool colors: Cool Color 1: cut 1 each
at 6" l 15 cm !. 5" [12.5 cm). and 3" (7.5 cml
wide. Cool Color 2: cut 2 at 5" [12.5 cm l wide
and cut 1 each at 41/2" [11.5 cml and 3" !7.5
cm ! wide. Cool Color 3: cut 2 each at 2" (5 cml
and 11/{ [3.8 cml wide. Cool Color 4: cut 1 each
at 3" (7.5 cml and 31/2' (9 cml wide. Cool Color
5: cut 4 at 1112" (3.8 cm) wide.
ASSEMBLE THE COLOR BLOCK PANELS
D On a large flat s urface [s uc h as a design
wa ll or clean flo or), arrange th e warm blocks
into a length .of abou t 60" (152.5 cml. with the
7" (18 cm) s id es abutting each other. Be s ure
to ailternate block sizes and co lors. When yo u
are happy with your arrangement of warm
blocks, follow t he same process to arrange
th e cool blocks. It is a good idea to keep your
arrangement of warm blocks nearby so th at
as yo u work with the cool blocks you can
check to make sure that the block widths wi ll
be offset when the cool and warm co lors are
join ed Lengthwise, side by s id e lStep 14]:. For
example, you won't end up with 3" [7 .5 cm)
wide cool blocks aligned evenly with 3" [7.5
cm) wide warm blocks.
For an example of layouts that would work
well, refer to figure 1 on page 78 [select
dimensions g.iven only as examples for some
idea of scale used in the samples]..
II Stack th e wa rm blocks in t he orde r in
wh ich you arranged them. Do the same for
the cool blocks.
El Insta ll the twin need le on your machine
and thread your machine with two warm color
threads [refer to your sewing machine m.an ual
for informat i.on on th reading your machine
for a twin needle I. Use your third warm color
thread In the bobbin. Select a decorative or
zigzag stitch to sew the bloc.ks together and
ma ke sure yo ur zigzag foot is installed. On the
samp le scarves, a feather stitch was use d.
II Before sewi ng the blocks tog ether, do a
test ru n on unused blocks. Refer to the s ide-
bar, Sewing Abutt ed Seams on page 79, for
t ips on stitching this type of seam. When yo u
feel comfortable with th e techni que, sew th e
warm blocks together in the order in which
you stacked them, startin g with the top two in
t he s tack. Make sure you abut th e 7" (18 cml
edges of the blocks and alig,n the outside
edges. Abut the third block to the second one
an d sti tch them to gether, and so on unt il yo u
have joined the Last block in the stack. You
have completed the warm color scarf panel.
>>
77 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to

El Remove the warm color threads and

rethread your machine with your three cool
co lors. Sew t he cool blocks together in the
same manner as in Step 7. You have com-
pleted the coo l co lor scarf panel.
El Trim off any excess t hreads tha t may
extend beyond th e outside edges of the scarf
panels. Nex t, use a rotary cutter and ruler to
square u p the edges that extend beyond the
bartacks.

ASSEMBLE THE SCARVES

ll!l The two scarf panels may end up being
slightly different Lengths. Lay the Longer
piece on your cutting mat with as much
length as possible on top of the mat . Place
the shorter pan el on top and trim the longer
piece so that both are the same le ngth .
Refer to figure 2 for assistance with Steps 11 aligned. To replicate the curves in the sample IE When you are pleased with the curved
and 12. scarves, a t each short end; measure up 4" line, and with both scarf panels still stacked
(1 O cm] from the bottom long edge and use togeth er, beginn ing at one short end, cut on
mNow it is time to pla n th e curved line yo ur cha lk pen to make a mark. The marks the Line using a rotary cutter. Unless you have a
that you will cut through the warm and coo l
will indicat e where you will begin and end very large mat, you may need to make this cu t
panels to create the two finished scarves. You
your curved Line. Next . draw four or five very in sections. If so, cut a portion and then very
will be cutting both the cool and the warm gentle curves along the length of th e scarf, gently move the stacked, uncut portion of the
scarf panels lengthwise into two sections, with the valleys of the curved Line 31/::t [9 cm ] panels onto the cutting mat. Cut the remain-
resulting in four .pieces. Next, you will take
from the bot tom of the panel and t he peaks in g portion. You will now have two warm scarf
one of the warm panel sections and join it to of the curved line 51h" (14 cm) from the bot- sections and two coo l scarf sections, each with
one of the cool panel sections. You wi ll
tom. At this point cons ider, for the purpose curves running lengthwise down the panels.
repeat that with t he remaining warm and
of assembling th e fin ished scarves, that both One section of each co lor will be narrower than
cool sections. One finished scarf wi1LL have
of the panels are fa cing right s i.de up. Note: the othe r. Keep all of the sections fa cing right
two long wavy outside edges. The other If you want to create cu rves t hat differ from side up (as you had them Vi1hen you cut the
scarf will have two long straight outside th ose on the sample scarves, keep in mind curved linel and remove the top sections.
edges. that sewing gentle curves (as shown) wil l be
IE Lay your still- stacked p.a nels on the easier than sewing curves that are spaced IIINow you are ready to assemb'le th e
more closely together. scarves. With the rig.ht s ides of all of th e sec-
cutting mat, with a ll of the outside edges
tions faci ng up, select the narrow side of the

3" 1%"
[5 cm ~ (7.5 cm l 13.2 cm]

5H 11 6" 4 'h"
[12.5 cm ] 115 cm ] [11.5cr I

' '

'
'

' '
'
'
' ' ,,

. - --
'

I ' '

I
- ' '

. l
[12 .5 cm ]

1 Yi" 3 2" 2 'h"

(3 .8 cml l7.5 cm] 15 cm] 16.5 cm)

78
stitch
 how-to

3"
175 cm l

-4"
5 'l.i " 3 1/, " 1
110 cml
114 Cf ] 19 cml

figure: 2

warm panel and the wide side of the

cool panel and abut them with each other
along their curved edges, interlo cking
th e curves. Tape the two sides togeth er at
the peaks and valleys of the ir curves. With the
remain ing warm and cool sections, abut the
stra ight edges with each other, so that the
curved edges will become the outside edges
of the finished scarf. Tape the straight edges
togethe r every 5-6" (12.5-15 cm; figure 31.
E Using either your three warm color or
three cool color threa.ds. sew the center
seam of each pair of ab utted sectio ns, follow -
ing the same process used to join the color figure :3
blocks. Sewing abutted pieces to gether along
a cu rve is a bit more challenging than sewing
straight pieces, so stitch slowly and make IB Trim off excess threads and press each scarf SIGRID ARNO TT is a writer and textile
sure you feed the abutted sections through using a press cloth and Lots of steam. l,f it looks
the machine evenly. As you sew, remove Like any of the seams that join color blocks are
junkie. See n1ore of her creative projects at
the strips of tape before your pre s.se r foot separating on the outside edges, put a dab of Analog Me, analogme.typepad.co~n
reaches them. seam sealant on those spots to lock the seams.

SE.W ING ABUTTED SEAMS

Abt1tted seams are used to sew pieces of fabric together with- needle (or if using a t\vin
out seam allowances or when you \Vant to reduce the bulk needle, the centerline be-
created by other seaming methods. When exposed seams are tween the t\vo needles),
part of the overall design of a garment or an accessory, abutted so that the stitches will
seams are a good option. Using decorative or zigzag stitches catch both sides equally.
are ideal for joining abutted pieces together. It's a good idea Begin stitching with a
to practice th is seaming technique with your selected fabrics, bartack. Prnt the presser
before you begin sewing your project foot down /s" (3 mm)
1

1. Set your machine to your desired decorative or zigzag stitch,
\Vith a short stitch lengtl1(about r.5 mm}. The ideal stitch
width varies from one fabric to another and also depends on
the look that you desire. Another important factor to consider
:is v.rhether you plan to use a single or a twin needle. \;\.Then
using a twin needle, before setting the inachine to the \videst
stitch \Vidth, carefully test the stitch width by hand-turning
the machine's handwheel. Doing so will alleviate the pos-
sibility of the needle striking the n1achine's needle plate and
breaking the needle or damaging yot1r machine.
2. After you have established the stitch width, on a flat surface,
lay tvvo pieces offabric side by side and align the edges- those
inside the edge of the
abutted fabrics and lower
the n edle. Next, either
drop the feed dog (if your machine will allo\v) or set the stitch
length to o mm. Stitch back and forth three times in the same
spot and then either raise the feed dog or return the stitch
length to its original setting. Continue sewing the seam. If you
use strips of tape to hold the two fabrics together, remove the
strips just before the presser foot reaches them. \Vhen you
reacl1 the opposite end of tl1e sean1, bartack again, in the same
manner.
Note: Sometimes \Vhen you sew different fabrics together

that are being joined should abut, while tl1e edges that are
perpendicular to the seam should align for a contin.uous edge.
Tf you \vish, tape the abutted pieces together, using a fe"v strips
of painter's tape or transparent tape. At your macl1ine, begin-
ning at one end, align the abutted edges with the center of the
\vi th abutted seams, the fabrics may feed differently through
the machine. You may need to slightly slow down the feed on
one fabric by pressing down on the fabric behind the presser
foot. Reducing the presser foot pressure (if your machine will
allow) helps keep clistortion to a minimum.

>>
79 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to
Lily Pillow Covers
.by JOSEE CARRIER {from page 40}
. necessary. The sti tches will be less visible
oow:N LOAD THE FULL~SIZE
1
TEMPLAT'ES FOR THIS PROJECT
AT INTERWEAVESTITCH.COM
FABRIC {See Notes)
- 1/2yd (46 cm) of 36" (91.5 cm) wide (or
wider) fe'lted wool for appliques and back
panel [Al [sh own: hot pink or maroon)
-. 16 " x 16 " [40.5 x 40.5 cm} piece of contras t-
ing felted wool fo r Front Panel (Bl (shown:
light green or grayl
OTHER SUPPLIES
-Coordinating th read for sewing zipper to
back panel
-C oordinating thread for overcasting the
panel edges [if usin g a fa bric that could fray)
-6-strand emb roidery floss or mach ine
embroidery thread in a contrasting color
(shown: purple or turquoise)
- Hand or machine embroidery need le
- Darning foot fo r sewing machine
- Zipper foot for sewing machine
-1 6" [4 0.5 cm) zipper to coordinate with
fa bric B
-1 6" x 16 " [40 .5 x 40. 5 cm) sq uare pillow
form
- Serger (op tional)
- 18" x 18" [46 x 46 cm ] piece of pattern
paper, wrapping paper, etc.
- Lily Pillow Cover templa te PDF at
in terweavestitch. com
FINISHED SIZE
- 15" x 15" [38 x 38 cm; see Notes]
NOTES
-For exp lanati.ons of terms and techniques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67-74.
- For the pillows shown here, woo l coating
and cashmere> were used. They were fe lted
using a. washing machine and dryer. Othe,r
nonfraying fabr ics, such as Ultrasuede,
are also suitable for the appliques. Many
fabrics can be used for the pane ls; 'if th e
80
stitch
fabric ravels, overcasting the edges is
recommended for a cleaner and tonger-
lasting resu lt.
-The final size of th,e pillow cover is smaller
than the pillow form. A taut cover will give
the pillow a firmer Look.
- When doing free-motion embroidery with a
darning foot, don't forget to Lower or cover
the feed dog and adjust any other settings
as instr uc ted in your sewing mach in e man-
ual. Test th e stitch settings on scrap fabric
to check th e thread tension and adjust as
on thick felt if the tens ion is very ti ght; the
thread wi ll sink into the lofty fab ric.
CUT TH E FABR.IC
1
II If necessary, trim fab ric B to 16" (40.5 cm)
square for the Front Panel [the background
for the Uly appliq ue). If the fabric frays,
overcast the edges with a sewing m.ach in e or
serge r.
El From fabric A, cut:
-On e 16" x 4" [40.5 x 10 cm l piece for Back
Panel 1
-On e 16" x 15" [40.5 x 38 cm) piece for Back
Panel 2.
If the fabric frays, overcast the edges with a
sewing machine or serger.
Ell Down load and assemb le the Lily Pillow
Cover template PDF from interweavestitch
.com. Trace the temptate in the cen te r of
the 18u :[46 cml paper square. Care fully
cut out the petals and circ les, keeping the
background in ta ct, incl ud ing the 1" [2 .5 cml
margin on all s ides. Pin the petal and circ le
te mp la te pieces to the righ t side of the
re mai ning fabric A and cut out.
APPLIQUE THE PILLOW FRONT
D Center the background paper from Step
3 over the Front Pane l. Pos ition each ap-
plique piece on the Fron t Panel within the
corresponding opening in the paper. Baste
or pin the appliques in place. Remove the
paper temp late.
l!I Baste the outer edges of the app lique
pieces [those along the raw edges of the
Front Panell by stitching th ro ugh both lay-
ers 1/~ " 16 mm] from the panel edges. These
stitches Lie within the seam a llowance and
wi ll be hidd en in the finished pillow.
Ill Attach the applique pieces us in g one of
the fo llowing techniques:
-H andstitch with 3 or 4 strands of embro i-
dery fl oss around th e edge of each petat
using a blanket s titch. Use 4 s trands and
a split stitch to sew a spira l inside each of
the flower center circ les.
-Set your machin e for free-motion st itch ing
[refe rring to the machine manual! and
attach a darning foot. Sew 1/s-1/4" [3-6 mml
inside the edge of each petal, stitching
around each petal severa l times to create a
sketchy appearance. Repeat to stitch a spi -
ra l inside each of the flower center circ les.
II Remove the basting threads or pins from
Step 4.
MAKE THE PILLOW BACK
El Fold 1" (2.5 cml to the wrong s ide along one
16" [40.5 cm) edge of the Back Panel 2 piece
and press. Align th e edge of one zipper tape
with the cut edge of the hem, with th e zipper's
right side against the hem. Install a zipper foot
on t he sewing machine and sew 1/s" (3 mml
from the zipper teeth through a ll layers, at-
taching the zipper and securing th e hem.
D Align th e edge of the second zipper tap e
with one 16 " [40 ..5 cm ) edge of Back Panel
1, right sides together. Using a zipper foo t.
sew the zipper to the fabric 1/4" r6mm) from
the zipper teeth. Fo ld the fabric and zipper
tape to the wrong side a long the stitches and
edgest itch the fold through a ll laye rs.
Bil Trim th e assembled back panel with zip-
per to measure 16" x 16" [40.5 x 40.5 cm).
FINISH THE PILLOW
mPlace the applique d fron t panel and as-
sembled back panel right sides together, with
the zipper partly open . Stitch al l four edges
with a 1/2" (1.3 cm ] seam allowance, clip the
corners, and turn th' cover right side out.
Work the corners into shape and insert the
pillow fo rm th rou9h the zipper opening. Zip
the back closed.
JOSEE CARRIER is a stay-at-honie mom
who previously worked in engineering. In her
free time, you can find her in her sewing room
creating with fabrics and threads and design-
ing projects of her own. Lean1 n1ore about her
projects at thecham1ingneedle.blogspolcom.

~fillWlr IDJ@~ )fil@15
by KEVIN KOSBAB {fron1 page 40}
FABR IC
- 1 long wool coat OR 1 yd (91.5 cm) of 36"
[91.fi cml wide wool fe lt [see Notes ; shown:
gray)
- 28 scraps of wool felt, each at least 31/z"
x 3 1/i'"' (9 x 9 cm). for a ppliq ues (s hown:
greens, aquas, blues, and oatmea l)
- 23" x 33" (58. 5 x 84 cm ] piece of nons li p rug
bac king. {see Notes}
OTHER SUPPLIES
- 1 yd [91.5 cm) of 21 1/2" [54.5 cm) wide se lf-
adhesive tear-away stabi li zer
-1/2 yd (46 cm] of fus ible web
- 8 1h yd (7.8 m) of 1/2" (1.3 cm l wide cott on
twill tape (shown: black)
-.. Sewing threads to mat ch felt scraps
- Embroidery fl.a sses to match felt scraps
- Contrasting upholstery thread [shown :
wh rtel
- Hand-embroidery need le
- Pin king shea rs
- Open-toe or clea r applique foot for sewing
mach ine {optional)
- Silver Do llar Rug templates at righ t
FINISH ED SIZE
- 25" x 35" (63.5 x 89 cm.I
NOTES
- For explana tions of terms a nd techniques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67- 74.
- A men's winter coa t, 75/D wool and 25.tD
nylon, was used to obtain the background
wool. for the sample rug. The fabric had
pa rt ially fe lted during normal wear, indica t-
ing th at it was a good cand idat e for further
felting. The nylon adds strength to the fa bric
[many commercially avaHab le rugs a lso
blend wool with nylonl. but higher a,mounts
of syn thet,ic fi ber will prevent the wool from
feltin g. Depending on the amount of felte d
wool your ch osen coa t yie lds, make the rug
larg er or smaller by adding or subtracting
circles.
- When s ubs tituting woo l felt for the coat.
loo k tor thick fe lt or purchase heavy woo l
fabric and felt it yo urself. A doub le layer of
th inner fe lt may be needed .
- Look for rug bac king w~ t h an open grid
construction. Some backi ngs are denser,
more like nonslip shelf liner, but open
spaces are necessary for the upper laye rs
of the r ug to adhere to the stabilizer. The
open back in g is also easier to trim away
fro.m t he spaces be tween t he circles.
templates
circle
st ar
how-to
- Because rug backing is slight ly tac ky, some
stabilizer may remain att ached t o it when
torn away. As tong as most of the rug back-
ing is exposed, small bits of stab ilize r will
not affec t its functioning; if you pre fer, use
tweezers to remove them.
- Instead of using the Circle template, the
circles fo r the sample were cut wi th a die
cutte r using a 5" I12.5 cm) diameter circle die
for qu icker, more consistent cutti ng. However,
tracing the Circle template onto the fabri c and
cutting with conventional methods may allow
you to fi t more shapes on the availabl.e fa bric.
- The open spaces in the rug may presen t a
tripp ing hazard, especially for high hee ls, s o
this rug is best used in a low-traffic area.
PREPA.RE TH.E FA.BRIC
Cut the coat apart at all seams, rem.oving
the lini ng, pockets, a nd fasteners. The la rgest
section of fabric will likely come from the coat's
back, but sleeves, large patch pockets, and
shoulder yokes may also yield usable fabric.
Wash fabric pi@ces in hot wa ter with a
small amount of detergent then machine dry.
You may want to wash the fabric in a m~sh
bag to tra p Unt that could clog the wash in g
machine. Empty the lint trap of the dryer peri-
od ica lly during the drying cycle as well.
>>
81 ..
interweavestitch .com *
 how-to

CUT THE FABRIC dery floss. For the sample, several co lors of
Usin g the prov ided template on pa-ge 81, floss were used in shades that matched the
cut 35 Circles from the fe lte d coat pieces. felt on the app liq ue s.

Trace the Star template onto t he paper ASSEMBLE THE RUG

side of the fusible web 28 times, leaving at ll On a design wa ll or a secondary work
least 1/;." [1.3 cm) between shapes. Cut out surface, a rrange the embellished circles in
each shape roughly lf4" [6 mm) outside the five rows of seven circles each, distributing the
drawn tine. Following the manufacturer"s in- embroidered circles and applique colors even ly.
structions, fuse each shape to the wrong sid e
of one of the assorted felt scraps; use steam ' Peel 5" ~ 12.5 cm ] of the stabilizer's .re lease
if necessary to ensure a good bond . Cu t out paper from one short end and fold it back on
each shape along the lines. itself. Adhere the rug backing to the exposed
stabilizer, plac ing the sho rt end of the back-
El Cut the following lengths from the twi ll in g 1" (2.5 cm) in from th e short end of the
tape, using pinking shears to prevent rave Lin g: stabi lizer. Center a 201/2" (52 cm ] tw ill tape
- Seven 20 112" (52 cml strips for vertica l tapes strip vertically on th e exposed s ta bi lizer and
- Five 31;1h" (80 cm l stri ps for horizontal tapes finger- press to adhere. P lace the five 31 1/2"
[80 cm) tapes perpendicu lar to the first tape ,
EMBELLISH THE C.IRCLES ot gradually on the curves. Sew to the points 4" 110 cml apart, with the top and bottom
ll Fuse one Star shape to the center of each of the Stars, pivot 90 degrees with the needle tapes 11/," [3.8 cm) from the long edges of the
of twenty-eig.ht Circles. Us ing thread to match in the background fabric, sew a few stitches stabi lizer, and finger- press to adhere (figure
the Star applique and an open-toe or clear ap - across th e po in t, and pivot another 90 degrees I). The rug backing and horizontal tapes will
plique foo t if available, sew around the edges to continue sewing the next curved side. extend on to the paper-covered portion of the
of the Star with a zigzag st.itch 2 mm wide stabilizer; 'leave them Loose for now.
Using chalk, trace the Star temp late on
and 0.8 mm Long . The righ t-hand swi:ng of the the center of each of the rema in ing seven felt ' Fing er-press the first column of five
needle s hould be just outside th e applique Circtes. Embroider the shape by hand with a circles onto the stabilizer, centering each
edge, on the background fabr ic, with the bulk backstitch, using a ll six strands of embroi- over one of the twill tap e int ersec tions.
of the stitch falli ng. on the apptique fabric. Piv- The circles shou ld ab ut each other. Mark

f 0.ld b ac k

r. ~
, - -

T
~ release paper

-
I 11

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figure I
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82
stitch

the vertical cen ter of the column of circ les
with chalk,. making sure the vertica l tape
is directly below (figure 1). Topstitch a long
the marked Line through all layers wi th up-
holstery th read, backt acking a t the ends .
to join the co lumn of circles to the twill
tape and rug backing ..
mCareful ly peel back another 5" (12.5 cm ]
of the release paper and adhe re the rug
backing and horizontal ta pes t o the exposed
s tabi lizer, mak ing sure the tapes rema in
s traight. Finger-press anothe.r 2011/2" (52 cm)
vertical tape to the center of the newly ex-
posed secti on of stab ili zer, then finger-press
the second column of circ les on top, mark,
and sew as described in Step 10. Repea t
this entire step to sew the remaining five
co lu mns of circles, ma king s ure the ends of
the horizonta l tapes are caught in the stitch-
ing on the last column. Do not remove the
stabilizer.
Mark the hor izontal cente r of each circle
row with cha lk, mak ing sure the marks align
wit h the horizontal twill tapes. Topstitch
along the marked lines as for the ve,r tical
topstit ching .
Gently tear the stabilizer away from the
back of the rug {see Notes). Carefully trim
the rug backing about 1/4" (6 mml inside
each woo l circle, removing the backing from
the open sections between the drctes. Be
especia lly careful not to cut the twil l ta.pes.
Spread the rug out. bac king s ide down, and
trim any ba.ck ing that rema ins visible.
KEVIN KOSBAB is afreelance writer; an
editor,. and a pattern designer:.He designs
n1odern quilts and sewing projects for a variety
of niagazines, and you can find his Feed Dog
Designs patterns in stores and on the Web a.t
feeddog.net.
Wool Petals Pillow
by KEVI N KOSBA.B {from page 4 1}
FABR IC
yd 146 cm ) of 36" 191.5 cml wide lor
- 1/ 2
w.ider] woven wool fabric for base and
backing l Main; shown: burgundy)
1
- 7" x 4" (1 8 x 10 cm] or Large r pieces of
abou t 30 wool fabrics in assorted coor-
dinated colors and patterns !see Notes),
(shown: red, orange, maroon, and brown
tones]
OTHER SU PPLIES
- Polyester fiberfill
- Coordinating sewing thread
- Strong thread for sewing buttons
-Handsewing needle
- Long upholstery or do ll-making needle for
handsewing {optional}
- One 11/2" (38 mm) coverab le button
- One 3/t. " [ 19 mm) 2-hole sew-through button
- Pinking shears
-Tai lor's chalk or chalk penci l
- Woo l Peta ls Pi,Llow templates on the
pattern insert s ide 8
FIN ISHED SIZE
-1 4" [35.5 cm] in diameter, including petals
how-to
NOTES
- AU seam allowances are 1/4" :[6 mm l unless
otherwise noted.
- For exp lanatio ns of t erms and techn iques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67-74.
- Choose a variety of fe lted scraps in re lated
col.ors for the pillow's peta ls. The sample
uses a mix of fe:lted woven woo ls, wool-
blend fe lts , and recycle d felted garments
for a rang.e of thicknesses and textures.
unified by co lors ne ighboring red on the
color whee l :[from orangey brick reds to
pluml. The fe lted garments used for the
samp le were standard s tockinette knits .
but cable- knit or ribbed sweaters wou ld
add further texture.
- To felt wool ga rmen ts, cut them apart at
the seams, wash the pieces in hot water
with a sma ll amo unt of de tergent. and
dry. Be carefu l tha t lint doesn't clog your
washe r or dryer.
- Woo l has a tendency to s tick to itself,. but
if the petals are too floppy for your liking.,
Li ghtly need le fe lt t hem to each othe r and
the base fabric.
CUT THE FABRIC
II Using the provided templates, cut the fo t-
lowing pieces as d,irec ted.
From the Main fabric, cut:
- Two 12 1/2" (31.5 cm) circles; transfe r rings
and center marking to t he rig ht side of one
piece only
-1 circle for the coverable bu tton as di-
rected by man ufacturer's instructions
From the assorted felt scraps, cut:
- 20 Large Petals
- 28 Medium Petals
-. 8 Sma ll Petals
- 20 l.n-Seam Pe ta ls
ATTACH T:H:E PETALS
Refer to figure 1 on page 84 for assistance with
the following instructions.
El Pin ten Larg.e Petals to t he rig.ht s ide
of the marked Ma in fa bric circle, poin ted
ends out and rounded ends along Ring A,
as shown in figure l on page 84. Space the
petals even ly around t he circle. Topsti tch V~"
(6 mm) outs ide Ring A to secure the pe tals.
Pin the rema ining ten Large Pe ta ls to the
base over the gaps between the peta ls in
the previous round. Topstitch outside Ring A
again, sewing over the previ.ous stitches, to
secure the second round.
El Pin a round of eigh t Medium Peta ls to the
circle in the same way, along Ring: B, and
topstitch 1/4" [6 mm) outside the ring. Pin and
sew another round of eigh t Medium Peta ls
over the gaps between the previous round's
pe tals.
D Pin a round of six Medium Petals to the
circ le in the same way, a long Ring C, and
to psti tch in place; this time the petal sides
will touch. Pin and sew the remain ing six }}
83 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to
Medium Petals, centering each petal between
two peta ls of the previous round.
Ill Pin fou ,r Small Peta ls to the circle, radiating
out from the cente r point; the rounded bases
of the pe tals wiH overlap slightly. Topstitch in
place with a ring of st itc hes 1h" (6 mmJ fro m
th e center poin t. Pin and sew th e remain -
ing fo ur Sma ll Petals on top, cen tering each
between two pe tals of the previous round.
Iii Loosely fold the Large Pe tals toward th e
center and pin to keep them free of the outer
seam line. Pin the twe nty In-Seam Pet-
als along th e circle's edge with their poin ts
inward and the ir wide bases ma tching the
bases raw edg e, even ly spacing th e In-Seam
stitch
Petals so they fal l in t he gaps be tween the
La rge Petals' po ints. Baste the In-Sea m Pet-
als in place 1/a" [3 mm) from the outer edge;
l.eave t he Large Petals pinned out of the way
(figure 21. Th is piece will be the pillow front.
ASSEMBLE THE PILLOW
D Pin the Ma in fabric circles right sides
together, making s ure the La rge. Med iu m,
and Small Petals are ou t of the way. Sew the
circles to gether aro und the edge. catch ing
the In-Seam Petals; Leave a 4" (10 cm) open-
ing for turning and stuffin g. Pink the seam
allowances to release the cu rved edge. Turn
right side ou t throug h the open ing.
El Stuff th e fi berfi ll thro ugh th e pillow open-
i~ ngto the desired ful lness. Slip-stitc h the
.f igure I opening closed, making sure the basting
sti tches joining the In-Seam Petals to the
base at th e ope ning are hidden in th e seam.
Note: Each n ew
round of petals II Follow th e manufact ure r's instr uctions to
added is shown cover the button form with the Main fabric
outlined in red circle from Step 1. Thread a needle with
to help you keep a doubled length of strong thread [a long
track, while previ- needle is very helpful fo r th is ste p) and hide
ous rotmds of pet- the th read ta ils inside the pillow a.t the center
als already in place fro nt. Secu re the covered butto n to the center
are shown outlined fro nt with a few stitches, then br.ing the need le
in black. all the way through the cen ter of the stuffed
pillow, exiting at cente r back. Pass the need le
through one hole of the 2- hole button, then
through the remaining hole and back through
th e pillow, exiting behind the covered button.
Pull the th read tig htly to cinch the center of th e
pit.low, a nd then pass the needle through the
covered button's shank. Repeat several times
to cinch the pi.l'low securely, the n tie off a nd
conceal the thread tail within th e pillow.
KEVIN KOSBAB is afreelance writer, an edi-
tor, and a pattern designer. He designs modern
quilts and sewing projectsfor a variety ofmaga-
zines, and you can find his Feed Dog Designs
patterns in stores and on the vVeb atfeeddog.net.
in -seam
petals - - .. ..,
-- ' ""'-.....
figure 2
 how-to

- Use a heavy-du ty need le when sewing this
project, such as a size 90/14 or 100/16
jeans/den im needle. The faux leather
s traps and the many layers of this purse
need a strong need le for smooth sewing.
- A Teflon presser foot may be usefu l when
stitch i.ng the faux leather.
~Press a ll fabric [other than the faux
leather! before beg inning .. Do not apply
heat to t he faux leather.
cure the pocket. Use a removable marking tool
to draw a li ne from top to bottom on the pocket,
'2:31~ " [7 cm) from the pocket's right edge. Top-
stitch a long the Line to divide the pocket.
l1 With two Side Pockets right sides together,
stitch across the top and bottom edges only.
Turn the pocket right side out and press. Top-
s titch the upper edge on ly, 1/ 4" and 1/2 " [6 mm
and 1.3 cm) from the edge. Repeat the ent ire
s tep with the remaining Side Pocket pieces.

CUT TH'E FABRIC

Be sure to transfer all pattern .m arkings to the
fabric wrong side as you cut the following pieces.

D Cut the fol lowing pieces as directed, using

FABRIC
- 3/4 yd (68.5 cml of 54" (137 cm) wide home
decorator- we ight fab ric for purse shell
[Ma in ,; shown: Premier Prints, Large
Houndstooth in Stone/Denton)
3
- /4 yd (68.5 cm l of 45" 111 4.5 cml wide
osnaburg or other cotton or linen fabric for
purse Lining !shown: natural osnaburgl
-
1
/ 4 yd (23 cm ] of 54" (137 cm) wide fa ux
leather for straps {shown: yellow-tan
embossed)
-.. 12" x 24" [30.5 x 61 cm) piece of wool fe lt
for dahlia flower (shown: Nationa l iNonwo-
vens Woo lFelt in wh ite)
OTHER SUPPLl:Es
- 11/4yd [1 .1 m)of44" [112cmwideheavy-
wei g ht f.us ib le interfacing
- Matching sewing thread
-. Four 1" (2.5 cm ] D rin gs
-.. Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Point turner [or s imilar tool such as a
chopstick)
- Tefl on presser foo t {optional}
- Large safe ty pin
- Bulldog clips or tape
- Dahlia Purse pattern and t emplates on t he
pattern insert side A
Fl. NISHED SIZE'
- 9" h.igh x 13" wide x 5" deep wit ho ut straps
[23 x 33 x 12. 5 cm l
NOTES
- Seam a llowances are 1/i" [1.3 cm) un less
otherwise no ted.
- For explanations of terms and techniques
see Sewing Basics on pages 6 7-74.
-. Although any type of fabric can be chosen
to make this purse, home decorator-
weight fabric is recommended, because
it adds much more s tability and ho lds the
boxy shape of this purse we ll.
the provided pattern.
From Main fabric, cut:
- 2 Purse Pane ls on the fold
- 2 Side Panels
- 4 Side Pockets
From lining fabric, cut:
- 2 Purse Pane ls on the fo ld
- 2 Side Panels
- 2 Interior Pockets
From the faux leather, cut:
- 2 rec tangles, 3" x 20" (7.5 x 51 cm) for
Handles
From the fusible interfacing, cut:
- 4 Purse Pane ls on the fo ld
- 4 Side Panels
- 4 Side Pockets
- 1 l.nterior Pocket
Ill Fuse the interfacing pieces to the wrong
sides of the correspond in g Main fabric and
lining pieces, following t he manufact urer's
instructions.
MAKE THE PURSE ELEMENTS
EJ Fold a scant 1/ ;" [1.3 cm) to the wrong s i.de
along both long edges of one Hand le piece.
Use clips or tape to ho ld the hems in pla:ce; do
not use pins or press with an iron. Topst1tch
11A" (6 mm) from each 'long edge .. Turn another
scant Vi.'' [1 .3 cm) to the wrong side on each
Long edge and top stitch 1/ , " [6 mm l from the
ASSEMBLE THE SHELL AND LINING
new fold. Repeat to make the second Hand le.
Us e the Ma;n fabric pieces for the following
No t e: The fa ux leathe r's thickness and stiff-
instructions until instructed otherwise.
ness may consume extra fabric in t urning the
he ms. Adjust t he amount of fabric fo lded to Pin one of the assembled side pockets
the wrong side as necessary for hand les that to one Side Pane l, right sides up, with th e
finish 1" (2.5 cm} wide. topstitched upper e dg e 21h" [6.5 cm) be low
th e panel's upper edge. Stitch across the bot-
El Stitch the two Interior Pocke ts righ t sides tom edge of the pocke t, 1/4" [6 mm ]' from the
t ogether, leaving an opening between t he
edge. Baste the side edges of the pocket to
do ts. Cli p the corners and turn right side
the panel, 3/a" [1. cml from the raw edges .. Re -
out. Work t he corners into place with a point
peat th e ent ire ste p wit h the remaining s~de
t urner or other to ol and then press the pocket
pocket and Side Panel. These assemb led
flat. Edgestitch the top edge of the pocket.
pieces will now be referred to as s ide panels.
D Place one lining Purse Panel right s ide up Ill Place the two side panels righ t sides
on your work surface and pin the assemb led
together and stitch the center bottom seam .
interior pocket, right side up, 2" [5 cm) above
Press the seam a llowances open . P:lace the
t he bottom edge and cen tered side to side .
seamed side pane ls on one Purse Panel,
Edgesbtch the sides and bottom of the pocket.
Backtack sec urely at the start and finish to se- right sides together, aUgning the seam with )'-
the center bottom notch on the Purse Panel; 'I

as ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to

pin together between the dots only. Stitch

between the dots. Clip the side panel sea m
a llowance at the dots, clipping to, but not
1

Trio Sawing;
through , the stitches. This releases th e s ide Machine ,C over
panel seam allowance for turning the corners. by AYUMI TAKAHASHI {from page 43}
Ill Position one s ide pane l along the side of the
purse pane l, matchingi the raw edges. Pin to-
gether:, making sure that the side pockets are
flat. Starting at t he corne r, stitch to the upper
edge. Repeat to attach the other side panel to
the remaining side edge of the purse pane l.
mJ Repea t Steps 8 and 9 to stitch the free
e dge of the side pan e ls to the rema in ing
Purse Panel, and then turn the purse right
side out. Press all seam allowances open as
well as yo u can to complete the purse she ll.
II Repeat Steps 8- 10 w.ith the li ning pieces to
assemble th e purse lining, ig noring references fron t, enclosing the D ring. Repeat to attach
to the side pockets. Leave a 4" [10 cm) open ing: the hand les to the other three tabs. one
in one side panel/p urse panel seam near the
handle on the purse front and one on the
center bottom. Leave the lining wrong s.ide out.
purse back. Make sure that all t he purse tabs
FINISH THE PURSE ASSEMBLY are folded and stitched equally.
iE With the shell purse right side out and the CREATE THE DAHLIA EMBELLISH:MENT
lining purse wrong side out, slide the lining over Plug in your hot glue gun to allow it to heat up.
the shell, aligning. all seams; right s ides will be
together. Pin and then stitch all the way around ID Use the provided temp la tes to cut the fo l-
the top edge. Trim the corners and clip the lowing from the felt:
curves. Carefully pull the shell purse through -. 20 Large Peta ls
the opening in the lining to turn the bag right - 16 Med i,um Petals
side out. Using a point turner or similar too l, - 1 Circle
work all the corners and edges into place. Press
- 1 strip, 3" x 20" (7.5 x 51 cml
the top edge of the purse well. Topstitch the top
edge of the purse 1/t [6 mm) from the ed9e. ml Fold the felt strip in ha lf lengthwise and
make clips 1/z" (1.3 cm) deep into the folded
IE Slip one end of one handle throu gh a D edge every 1/4" [6 mm). Starting at one end,
ring. Fo ld 1" [2.5 cm) of handle fabric to the
ro ll the folded strip to make the flower center.
wrong side and edgestitch to the hand te, en-
Stop every few inches to secure the roll with
closing the D ring. Repeat this process with
needle and thread. Allow s uccessive rows of
both ends of each hand le.
clipped felt to li e a bit Lower than the previous
DJ Making sure tha t the dght side of the rows. form ing a rounded half- ball. Continue
hand le is facing out, wrap the narrow tab at rolling th e str ip and securing with thread and
1

the top of one purse side through a handle 0
ring from fron t to back. Fold 1/z" [ 1.3 cm) to
the wrong side and edgestitch to the pocket
iigure l
needle unti l the entire s trip is sec ured.
i& Fold the sides of one Petal toward the cen-
ter of the right side so that they overlap slightly,
making the petal base abo ut 31.i" r1 .9 cm) wide
(figure 1). Secure with a dot of hot glue near
the base. Repeat with a ll the remaining petals
of both sizes. When all the petals have cooled,
start gluing the Large Petals in place, overlap-
ping the outer rim of the felt Circle 1/t." (6 mm1.
Next. glue the Medi~ u m Petals to the Large
Peta ls, with their bases roughly match ed.
Handsew the rolled strip to the cen ter of the
circle, covering th e petals bases. Use a larg.e
safety pin to secure the flower to the outside of
the purse so that it can be changed out. Enjoy !
APRIL MOFFATT con1esfron1 a long line
ofsew.ing divas. April hon1e-schools herfour
children, ages eight to fifteent and in her free tin1e
designs textiles for various publications. She
shares her ideas and patterns at her website,
apri1moffattdesign. com.
FABRlC
3
- /4 yd [69 cm I of 72" (183 cm) wide felt for
main cover and pockets [Main; shown: blued
-3/a yd (34.5 cm) of 45" (114.5 cml wide prin t
cotton fabr ic for binding (A; shown: bl.ac!k/
white Le ttering print)
-
1
/a yd (1 1.5 cm.) of 45" (114.5 cml wide prin t
cotton fabr ic for trim below bind ing at t op
edge [8 ; shown: black/white po lka dotl
-1/& yd (23 cm] of 45" (11.4.5 cm) wide print cotton
fabric for pocket backings re: shown; gray and
gold squares with black Lettering on white]
-6 assorted print cotton fabric scraps. each
at Least 2" x 2" [5 x 5 cm ]. for patchwork
applique
- Felt scrap to contrast the Main felt, at
least 31/2" x '12" [9 x 30.5 cm]. for sewing
machine applique (shown: gray)
- 3 different felt scraps to contrast the Main felt,
each at least 1/2" x Y2" (1.3 x 1.3 cml. for spool
appli.q ue (shown : green, white, and yellow)
- 3 fe lt scraps to contrast the Main felt, each at
least 2" x 21/2" 15 x 6.5 cm), fo r word applique
on back of cover (shown: yeUow and wh ite]

86
stitch
 how-to

- Solid cotton fabric scrap , at least 6"x6" From fabric C, cut:

[15 x i5 cm), for backing of pa tchwork
applique
-Cotton scrap for appli que on the back
cover (shown: vin tage-style notions labe l
print, 2Va"x3 3/4" (7.3 x 9.5 cm])
OTHER SUPPLl .ES
- . /e yd [1 6 cml of fusible web
1 From t he solid cotton fabric scr.ap, cut:
- 1/4 yd [23 cm ] of Ligh t weig~ ht interfac ing
-. 1~ yd (23 cm ] of h" (1.3 cml wide lace trim
1 1
[shown: black)
-Cotton sewing thread to match lace
-Cotton sewing t hread to match Main fe lt
-Cotton sewing thread to match binding
- Cotton sewing t hread to match trim be low
binding
- 4 co lo rs of 6-strand embroidery floss to
match spool applique felt co lors and sew-
ing machine applique tea color !shown:
green , white, yellow, and ligh t grayJ
- Embroidery n@edle
-Rotary cutter, rigid acrylic rule r, and
se lf-healing mat
- Fabric glue [optional)
-Q ui lt basting spray
-Sewing M'achine Cover temp lates at r.ight
FINISHED SIZE
- About 151/i" high x 181/i" widex11" deep
[39.5 x 47 x 28 cm)
NOTES
- All seam allowances are 1.h" [6 mm ] unless
ot herw ise noted.
-For explana tions of terms and tec hniques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67-74.
-Th e samp le was sized to fit a 12" high x
17" wide x 81/2" deep 130.5 x 43 x 21.5 cm)
sewing machine; adjust the size of the
pane ls to fit your machine if necessary.
-Two 11 1h" x 61/2" [29 x 16.5 cm) pieces for
Pocket Backing
From each Of the 6 assorted print cotton
fabric scraps, cut:
-Two 11h"x 11/2" (3 .8x3 .8 cm ) pieces for
patchwork appl.ique
- Three 21/2" x 2i/2" (6.5 x 6.5 cm] pieces for
patchwork app lique backings
From t he l.ightweight interfacing, cut:
- Two 11 1h" x 61h " [29 x 16.5 cm) pieces
APPLIQUE THE FELT SCRAPS mach ine applique t o the Left of it, leaving 1"
(2.5 cm ! of space in be tween, then place the
El Use the provided Felt Sewing Machine remaining sewing machine applique another
Applique template to cut three sewing-ma-
1" [2.5 cm) to th e left. Place on e spool ap-
ch ine-shaped pieces from the appropriate felt plique on top of each sewing machine [refer to
color (shown: gray); use the Spool tem plate the photo above for placement). Applique the
to cut three spool-shaped pieces from the sewing machines and spools onto the panel by
felt scraps (shown: green, white, and ye llow). either handstitching [using small whipstitches
Position one sewing machine applique on one just over th e edge of the applique to keep
Front/Back Panel piece 3" [7.5 cm) from the them relative ly hidden) or using fabric glue.
bottom and 21..'4" (5.5 cm ] from the righ t- hand (For the sample, the sewing machines were
side of the panel. Posit ion another sewing hand appliqued and the spoo ls were glued.]
templates
felt sewing
machine applique

CUT THE FABRIC

D Cut the fo llowin.g pieces as directed:
From Main felt, c.ut :
- Two 19i/2" x 151/2" [49 .5 x 39.5 cm) pieces for
Front/Back Panels
- Two 111/2" x 151/z" (29 x 39.5 cm l pieces fo r
Side Pane ls
-Two 111/2" x 61/z" [29x 16.5 cml pieces for
Pockets
From, fabric A, cut:
- Two 2" x 111/2" [5 x 29 cm) strips for Pocket
Binding
-O ne 3" x 19 1/z" [7.5 x 49 .5 cmJ strip for Top
Bindi ng
- Two 3" x 36" [7.5 x 91.5 cm l strips for Bot- letter
tom Binding template
From fabric B, cut:
- Two 21/2" x 19 1/z" (6.5 x49 .5 cm] strips for
Trim {appears below the top binding on the
sample)

>>
87 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to
El Using all six strands of embroidery floss
to match the spool, backstitch a straight
line from each spool to t he top of the sewing
machine above the needle, as shown in t he
photo on page 87. Using all six strands of the
fourt h color of embroidery floss (shown: light
gray!. take a single straight sti tch about 3/ 16"
[5 mm) long from ea ch machin e into the Main
felt to represen t th e mach ines' needles.
113 Create three two-by-two patchwork pan-
els from the six differen t co tto n print pieces.
Begin by placi ng two of t he pieces right sides
to gether and seaming along one s ide. Repeat
to make five mo re two-patch rows, using the
same fab ric pairings for each row. Join the
two rows with the same fab rics a long t he ir
long edges, each fabric in opposite corners,
to comp lete a panel [see the photo on page
87). Repeat to make two more pane ls.
l!I Pin the assembled patchwork panel to t he
solid cotton piece, righ t sides together, and
sew all edges, leaving a 1" (2.5 cm) opening.
Turn right side out through the opening. Press,
turn ing in the seam altowances at the opening,
and topstitc h about V1~" 12 mm) from a ll edges,
closing the opening. Repeat the same process
fo r two more panels so that you have three
patchwork panels with fin ished edges.
Ill Position a patchwork panel on top of a
sewin g machine ap plique as shown in t he
photo on page 87 and tack a corner of th e
panel by hand to attach it. Repeat the same
process for the remain ing patchwork panels,
positio ning them in the same manner on the
remaining two sewing machine appliques.
This piece is now the fron t panel.
II Trace the SEW letter template onto the fus-
ible web's paper backing, leaving at least 1/2" (1.3
oml of space between each lette r; note that th e
te,mplates have already been reversed. Rough ly
cut out each individual piece, leaving a small
.margin of fusible web arou nd each .. Fuse one ap-
plique letter to the wrong side of each remaining
felt scrap, following the manufactu.rer's instruc-
tions. Cut out the pieces. following the traced
outlines, and remove th e paper backing fro,m
each piece. Position the letters in the horizontal
middle of th e remaining (unembellished) Front/
Back Panel with the W about 21//' [6.5 cm) in
f,rom the right-hand edge, arranging th e letters
88
stitch
as shown .in the photo at left. Fuse the pieces in
place. Using thread that matches each letter..
applique the p.ieces to the front/back panel with
a topstitch about 1/s" (3 mm) inside the edges of
each letter. This is now the back panel..
DI If you have chosen a print design to use as
embellishment on the back pane l, cut a piece
of fusi ble web a little larger than the desired
fin ished size of the appli que. Fuse the web
to t he wrong side of the print fabric , directly
behind the des ired area. Trim t he fabric/web
to the desired fin is hed size. then remove the
pap er backing. Fuse the appliqu e piece in
place on the back panel (see the photo at left
for th e arrangement use d on t he sample!.
Cut two leng ths. of lace equa l to the top and
the botto m edge measureme nt of the cotton
appliq ue and topstitch them in place using
the thread that mat ches th e lace co lor.
ASSEMBLE THE COV,ER
D Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of
one cotton prin t Pocket Backing piece. Fol-
lowing the ma nufact urer's instructions, use
qu ilt basting spray to attach the interfaced
Pocket Backing piece to one fel t Pocket
piece, wrong sides together.
D!ll Make a 1/2" !1.3 cm) wide double-fold bind -
ing as follows: Fold one Pocket Binding strip
in half lengthwise, with wron9 sides together,
and press. Th en, ope n th e strip and fo ld the
two long edges t oward th e wrong s ide to
meet at the fold Une in the midd le and press.
Open the bind in g, align one Lo ng raw edge
with the top lo ng edge of the Pocket piece.
r ight sides tog ethe r, and sew on the fold line
nearest the edge. Fold the binding over the
edge and slip -stitch to attac h the bind1in g on
the backing side of the Pocket.
ml Position the Pocket on one of the fe lt Side
Panel pieces with the wrong side of the Pocket
and the right side of the felt Panel tog ether and
a short bottom edge alig ned. Use a 1/a" 13 mml
sea.m allowance to baste a ll th e edg es of the
Pocket to the Side Panel except the to p edge.
IE Re peat Steps 9-11 to add t he remaiining
Pocket to t he other Side Panel.
iE1 Joi n th e cover panels: Sew one of t he as-
sembled s id e pa.nels to t he front panel wit h
right s id es together, aUgning a long edge of
the si de panel with a short edge of the front
panel (the edges with the sewing machine
appliqu es and th e pocket shou ld be toward
the bottoml. Repeat th e same process to at-
tach the rema in ing side pa nel to the opposi te
sho rt edge of the fro nt panel. Sew the short
edges of the back pane l t o the rema in ing
long sides of the side panels with right sides
together. Turn the cover right side out.
IE Create a long s trip of 3/4" [ 2 cm) wide
bin ding for the botto'm edge by sewing the
short ends of the two Bottom Binding strips
toge ther with a diagona l seam (see Diago nal
Seams for Joi ni ng Strips, page 73J. Fold the
binding as described in Step 10.
IE Open the binding and align and pin one
long raw binding edge t o the bottom edge of
the cover, right sides together. Start sewing
at a point that is about 4" ~10 cm) from the
end of the bindi ng and sti tch the binding to
the cover along th e fold nearest the edge.
Sew all the way around the cover, stopping
about 4" (10 cm) from the point where you
started stitching. Trim the loose end s of t he
binding so they ove rla p by about 2" [5 cm).
then press 1/i" [1.3 c.m) to t he wrong side
at each e nd . Overlap the e nds , then fi nish
sewing the bind in g to the cover. Refo ld
the bind in g a nd turn it to the wrong side
of th e cover. Slip-st i,tch the binding in place
on th e inside of th e cover.
ID With t he panels fo lded wrong sides togeth er
at the seams, topstitch the seams, jo.ining th e
s ide pa nels to the front and back about 1/B" (3
mm) from. the seam line, leaving the corner
sea m unstitched whe re it intersects with bind-
ing. Backtack when starting and stopping.
llJ Fold th e side panels in half with right sides
together, bringing the vertical center of the
side pane ls in toward the middle of the cover
so that the front and th e back panel corner
seams are aligned. Make sure that the s ide
panels are folded exactly in the middle so
that the to.p edges of the side. back, a nd fron t
an~ all aligned (figure 1). Pin in place. Sew
thro ugh all layers along the top edge, 11/' (6
mml from the edge, making s ure the folds in
the side panels are secured in th ~ stitching.
ID Fold under 112" [1.3 cm) at both short ends
of the fab ric B Tri m strips with wrong sides
toget her. Then, fold the strips in half length-
wise wit h wrong sides together. Align the raw
long edge of one of the st rips wit h the top
edge of the cover and baste the strip in place.
Baste the remaining folded strip along the
top edge on the oth e r side of the cover.
1,
figure I

fig ure 2
iE Create a 3f4" (2 cml wide binding for the top
of the cover with the Top Binding strip, fold ing
as described in Step 10. Unfold the binding -
and then pin it atong the top edge of the cover,
a li gning the edges as in Step 1:0 and lett ing
1h" 11.3 cm) of the binding extend past each
side of the cove r. Sew the binding to the cover
along the fo ld Line nearest the aligned edges,
then refold the binding on the sewn line on ly.
Fold the short ends of the bind.ing: i.n toward
the back of the cove r to enc lose the side edge
(figure 2). Fold the bind ing lengthwise over
the top edge of t he cover and slip-sti tch it in
place on the bac k side of the cover.
AVUMI TAKAHASHI was born and raised
in Japan but now resides in Northern California.
She is passionate about creating things from
scratch and shares her craft projects and easy
sewing tutorials on her blog, Pink Penguin, at
ayu1nills. blo gspot. conz.
by AYUM I TAKAH ASH I {fro1npage 43}
DOWNLOAD THE PROJ ECT
I N.STRUCTl:ONS AT
INTERWEAVESTITCH COM
:C heezy + Friends
Fin9er Puppets
by CARRIE BLOOMSTO'N {from page 44}
FABRIC (FOR 3 MICE)
-
1
/1. yd [23 cm) of 36" (91.5 cm l wide wool or
woo l-blend fe lt for mouse bodies {M.a in;
shown: heather gray; see No tes)
- Small scraps of woo l or woo l- blend felt
in complementary colors for cheese and
outer ears rshown: light pink fo r ears. bu t-
ter yellow for lar9e cheese top, and gold fo r
large cheese base)
- Sma ll scraps of cotton or linen fabrics
for m ou se inner ears, faces, and noses
[shown: pink cotton prin t for inner ea rs,
taupe linen for faces, and fuchsia pin k
cott on for noses]
OTHER SUPPLIES
- Thread in contrasting and comp lementary
colors [see Notes; shown: black for v1his-
kers a:nd light ye llow fo r armsl
- Embroidery fl oss Uor eyes; shown: black )
-- Embroidery need le
~ Fabric marking pencil
- Darn ing presser foot for sewing machine
[optional; see Notesl - - 1 La rge Cheese Top [fe lt or cotton fabr ic)
- Cheezy and Friends temp lates on page 90
F.INISH ED SIZE
- Each puppet meas ures 4"x 4" (10 x 10 cml.
how-to
NOTES
-- For exp lanations of terms and techn.iques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67- 74.
- All of the s titching is done by machine .
except for the hand- embroidered eyes.
- Because yo u are -working with sma ll
pieces, edgestitch them in pl.ace just inside
the ou ter edges, with short stitches [V11i"
[2 mm]L Sew s lowly, for best results. If you
prefer, sew the pieces tog,e ther- and stitch
a ll of t he deta ils - by hand.
-. Suede, faux suede, or heavy cotton would
a lso work for Main fabric .
- In additi on to the cheese -hole details ma.de
with s.mall pieces of fabric, the samples
include holes that were ad ded by free-
motion mach ine stitching, using a darning
foot. with the sewing mach in e's-fee d dog -
dropped. Refer to your sewing machine
manua l for assistance. The same look can
be achieved without fre e-m.otion stitch ing,
1
by simply sewing the pieces together very
slowly with short stitches (l/1t [2 mm]J.
- Use contrasting thread in a darker shade than
the Main felt to stitch the whiskers and another
shade to outline stitch the cheese parts. Use a
lighter complementary shade to stitch the arm
shapes and to sew the faces to the bodies.
CUT THE FABRIC
Cut out the following pieces by eithe r pin -
ning the templat es to yo ur fabrics or holding.
the tem plates in pl ace with your finge rs . The
fa bric type used in the samp les is indicated
in paren theses.
- 3 Body Bac ks (felt)
- 3 Body Fronts (feltl
- 3 Faces [linen or cotton fabric)
-. 3 Under Faces (fe lt)
- 6 Ou ter Ears (cut 3, cu t 3 reverse; fe lt)
- 6 Inne r Ears [cut 3, cut 3 reverse; cotton
fab ricl
- 1 La rge Cheese Base (fe lt)
- 3 Noses [cotton fabric)
- 3 Cheese Ho les (cott on fabricJ
- 1 Cheese Hunk [felt)
- 1 Cheese Wedge Base !felt]
- 1 Cheese Wedge Top [fe lt)
>>
89 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to

Complete the follow ing instructions for each
of t he three mice .
ASSEMBLE THE FACES
El With the right sides facing up, place an Un-
der Face on top of a Body Fron t so that the top
edge of the Under Face is slightly below the top
edge of the Front. This will give added dimen-
sion to the Face. Next, lay the Face on top of the
Unde!r Face, aligning the top edges of the two
pieces. Pin in place. Using coordinating thread,
machine edgestitch aro und the perimeter of
the face,.just inside the outer edge.
El Lay a Nose on top of the Face so that it
overla ps the Face and the Front. Edgestitch
th e Nose in place.
D Using a contrastin g thread, stitch a few
whiskers onto eac h face, by sewing straight
lines. Sta rt at the outside edges of the nose,
stitch toward the outside edge of the Front.
For more visib le lines, stitch over them one
templates
or two more times. In the samples, each edges of the Top pieces ali.gn with the outer
mouse has a combination of three or four edges of their co rresponding Base pieces.
whiskers on each side of the noses, and each Edgestitch the pieces togethe r.
whiske r was stitched twi.ce.
II Carefully move and place the assembled
Cheese pieces on the Fronts. Orien t t hem
ADD THE ARM+CHEESE DETAILS
so that they partia lly cover the lower ends
D Trace the arm outlines from the Body of the ir stitched arms. Us ing a contrast-
Front tem plate onto the Front. using a fabric ing threa d, edgestitch the cheese pieces :in
marking pencil [trace the design us i.ng a light place just inside the outer edges. Next, Lay
tab le or bright window if necessary). Q,r if you a cheese ho le on each piece of cheese and
prefer, freehand draw the arms. The samples edgstitch them in place. With free-motion
show that the mouse that is ho ldin g the machine st itch.ing, sew a few more ho les in
Large Cheese Base/Top has straight arms. the pieces of cheese, if des ired [see N otesl.
The other two 'mice have curved arms. Using
a lighter contrasting thread, stitch the arm
ADD THE FACIAL DETAILS
outlines onto the Fron t.
El Thread you r embroidery need le with four to
D Assemble the cheese pieces. For one five strands of your embroidery floss together
cheese, lay th e Large Top on top of the Large and then make two small French knots on
Cheese Base. Frnr the next cheese, Lay the each face for the eyes. Yo u have assembled
Cheese Wedge Top on top of the Cheese the Body Front.
Wedge Base. Note tha t part of the outer
II Lay one Inner Ea r on top of one Oute r Ear,
align:ing the bottom edges. Make sure that you

under face
cut 3
body front
(Straight arms)
\ cut I
I I

\ I I
I nose
\ , I cut '.3
\. I / ' ; /

''
\
\ I
/
/
-.... ,_ .
I
t
;

... -- ,,,,,,
.;

' ......
\. ' . --- - - - '
outer ear
cut 6 (cut 3,
cut 3 reverse)
b o dy front
(curved arms)
cut 2

0
che.ese
hole
c ut 3
face
cheese wedge top cut '.3
cut 1 ___,....

~
cheese
.....,,
wedge

body back
cutl
cheese
hunk
~inner ear
cut 3 cut l cut 6 (cut 3,
cut 3 reverse)

large
cheese base cheese
cutl
~- wedge base:
cut I

90
stitch

are matching up Li ke pieces [Outer Ear pieces
tha t were cut reverse should be .matched with
Inner Ears pieces that were cut reverse). To
add dimension, with r ight sides of t he layered
ears, use your fin gers to fo ld them in half
ve rtically, along the fold lin e [indicated on the
Inner Ear temp late). About 1/4" [6 mm) from
the bottom edge, machine stitch three or four
s titches across the fold, backtacking at the
beginning and end of the stitching . Unfold the
layered ear and finger- press it at th e stitched
end, to revea l a small pleat in the laye red ear.
Repeat with a second Inner Ear and Outer Ear,
using the pieces that are the mirror images of
the pieces that you just stitched tog eth er.
FINISH.ING
ml Place the pleated, assembled ears on top
of the wrong side on one Back in loca tions that
are pleasing to you. The bottom edges of the
ears should be 1/~" (6 mm] below the top edge
of the Back. The indentation formed by the fo ld
in each assemb led ear should be facing up. Pin
in place. You have assembl.ed th e Body Back.
mWi th wrong sides together, place the as-
sembled Front on top of the assembled Back,
aligning the outside edges and pin in place.
Us.in g a coord.inating thread, edgestitch the
assemb led Front and Back pieces tog ether.
Backtack at the beginning and end of th e
stitch in9. Do not sew the bottom edges closed.
C.A RRl.E BLOOMSTON is an abstract
painter;.designer; mama, blogger, seamster; entre-
preneur; and recovering art-school~girl who is con~
stantly inspired by her kids. She created SUCH
Designs in 2010 to showcase "her inventive sewing
patterns. See more at her website such-designs
.com, and her blog, suchitysuchblagspot.coni.
Matryoshka oils
by HEIDI BOYD {from page 44}
FABRIC
Tie Shawl Doll (A):
- 1/~ yd (23 cm] of 36'' (91 .5 cm) wide felt t 1;
shown: black]
- /4 yd (23 cm ] of 45" (1 14.5 cml wide cotton
1
print [2; shown: black flo ral!
-./&yd (23 cm) of 45" [1 14.5 cm] wide cotton
1 -1 Ti e Shawl Front
print (3; shown: green flora l]
-Craft square.s [9"x12" [23 x 30.5 cm]] or
scraps of felt in flesh tone. t urquoise, and
pink (or desired colors)
Flat Shawl Doll (Bl :
-
1
/4 yd (23 cm) of 36" [91.5 cm] wide felt (1:
shown: red ]
- 11~ yd (23 cm) of 45" [1.14.5 cm] wid e cotton
print 12 ; shown: pink/red check)
1
- /4 yd (23 cm) of 45" [1 14.5 cm l wide cotton
print (3; shown: red fl oral)
-Craft sq uares [9"x12 " [23 x 30.5 cm]) or
scraps of felt in flesh tone . brown, pink.,
blue, ho t pink, and yellow !or desired colors)
OTHER SUPPLIES
-Fusib le web (such as Hearn Bond ]
- . Polyester fib erfill
-Coord in at ing sewin g threads
1
~W hite e,mbro id ery floss
- Hand sewin g and embroidery need les
~ Press cloth
-Tailor's chalk or removable fa bric marking
pen [Recommended: Frixio n pen)
-Point tu rner or simi lar to ol (s uch as a knit-
ting needlel
- Matroysh ka Dolt pa ttern and templates on
the pa ttern insert side A
FINISH ED s.1zE
- [Each doll) 12 . . high x 7112" [30.5x19 cm l at
widest po int
NOTES
-Seam allowances are lf4" [6 mm) un less
otherwise noted.
- For explanations of terms and techniques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67-74.
-The samples use Woo lFelt from Nationa l
Nonwovens. The felt's fiber content is
35%i wool/65/o rayon. It is avai lable a t
loca l craft/fabric stores, or check with
nation a lno nwovens .com .
- When usi ng a large print for the doll base or
shawl, fussy-cut the piece to feature the fabric
print effectively. Fabric yardages assume the
base is cut on the crosswise grain; it may be
necessary to buy more fabric for fussy-cutting .
Fat quarters can be used. Fat quarters are
fabric cuts often sold (alone or in color-
how-to
coordinated sets) at fabric and qui lt stores. Fat
quarters are generally 18"x 22" [45.5 x 56 cm).
CUT AND PREPARE THE FABRIC
Instructions specific to doll version A [Tie Shawl)
or do ll version B [Flat Shawl) will be indicated
with the corresponding letter (A) or (Bl. Specif-
ics for each version will be indicated in the same
manner on the pattern and templates.
Tie Shawl Doll (A):
-From fabric 1, cut 1 Matroyshka Do ll Base
- From fabric 2, cut 1 Matroyshka Do ll Base
From fab ric 3, cu t:
-1 Shawl Back
-1 Ti e Shawl Facing
-From flesh tone [or desired co lor) felt, cut
1 Face
-From pink (or desired color) fel t, cut 2
Cheeks
From blac k [or desired co lorl felt, cut:
-. 1 Hair
-. 2 Eyes
From turquo ise (or desired color) felt, cut 1
Collar
Flat Shawl Doll (Bl :
- From fabric 1, cut 1 Matroyshk a Doll Base
-From fa bric 2, cut 1 Mat royshka Doll Base
-From flesh tone (or des ired co lor) felt, cut
1 Face
-From pink (or desired color) felt, cut 2
Cheeks
From brown lor desired color) fe lt, cut:
- 1 Hair
- 2 Eyes
- From red [or desired colorl felt, cut 1 Scal-
loped Collar
From the desired felt colors, cut:
-1 La rge Flower [shown: bluel
-1 Medium Flower Circle (shown: hot pink;
edge will be trimmed i,nto petals later)
-1 Small Flower Circle [shown: yellow; edge
will be trimm ed into petals lated
(B only; skip to Ste p 3 for Al Trace the Flat
Shawl Front and Back Shawl te mplates onto
the paper side of the fusi ble web. Roughly
cut the pieces. leaving a small margin
around the tem plate outlines. Following the
manufacturer's instructions, fusi? the web to
the wrong side of fabric 3. Cut out th e fab ric
along the traced outlines.
ASSEMBLE THE DOLLS
(A only,;. skip to Step 4 for Bl Place the Tie
Shawl Facing onto the Tie Shawl Front, righ t
sides together, m.atching the dots and raw
edges. Shorten your machine s stitch length to
1.B mm. Sew the two pieces togethe r from one
out side dot to the tip of the point, Vs" (3 mml
from the vertica l centerline (figure 1.) . Pivo t
with the need le down and stitch to the dot at
the top of the centerline, gradually reducing })
the seam allowance to noth ing. Pivot again
91 ..
int erw eavestit ch.com *
 how-to

your machine with match ing t hread and set

it for a zigzag stitch 3.0 mm wide and 1.4 mm
long. Sew along the bottom edges of both
shawl pieces. Position th e presser foot so one
swing of the needle falls just over the edge of
th e app liqued piece, overcasting the raw edges.
Ill IA onlyl Place the Collar in the center of the
doll's head, over the shawl fabric. Edgestit ch the
collar with matching thread. (B only) Lay the
Scalloped Collar in the cente.r of the doll's head,
over t he shawl fabric, and pin. Do not stitc h.
II Cen ter the Face over t he [stitched [A]
or pinn ed [B]) co llar. Th read a handsewing
needle with matching thread and use small,
a lmost invis ible whipstitches to tack the
edge of the face to the doll.
(B only) Miake s ure yo ur stit ches penetrate
both t he face and the collar to attach them
firmly to the do ll base. When t he collar and IE Th read th e embroidery needle wit h three
face are securely attached,. remove t he pins. strands of whit e embroidery floss and make
a French kno t near the center of each eye.
Ill Position the Hair at t he top of t he fac e and
pin. Thread the machine wit h matc hing t hread mPosition one Cheek under each eye.
and edg estitch t he hair in pla ce. Continue Thread your handsewing needle with match-
stitching, add ing free -flowing stitches to ind i- in g threa d a nd whipstitch the edge of ea ch
cate the way ha ir naturally falls. Stitch both on Cheek to a ttach it to the face , keeping the
and off the felt ha ir, making "stray strands" to stitches small a nd inconspicuous.
add visual in terest and fram e t he face. IE] Use a fab ric marking pen or chalk t o draw
[I Position one Eye on either side of t he face . a simple upturned mouth on the lower face,
Edgest itch the Eyes in place wit h match ing between t he cheeks. Using: thread to match
th read. Extend t he stitching beyond t he outer the hair and eyes. topstitch dire ctly over the
edge of each eye to make two elongated drawn line. Remove any ma rks still vis ible.
zigzag eyelashes.
and stitch back to the point, gradually widening
the seam allowance to 1/a" [3 rnm) at t he point
Pivot once more and s titch to the third dot
Cut along: the centerline to the dot but do not
cut through the s titches (figure I). Trim the
seam a llowance along the curved edges to 1/a."
[3 mm). cli p to [but not thro ugh I the outer dots,
and trim t he points diagonally to reduce bulk.
Turn the po.ints right side out and use a poin t
tu rner or sim ilar tool to work the fabric into
position. Press the tie edges flat. conti nuing to
press the seam allowance to the wrong side
a'long th e bottom edges of th e shawl, from the
dot to the side edge. Return the machine to
regular stitch length before continuing .
IJ (A only) Position the prepared shawl fron t
on the fabric 2 Base, matc hing the raw edges.
Sew t he pieces together Va" [3 mm) from the
r '
I
edge. Press 1/i.'' [6 mm) to the wrong side along I
I
\

the bottom edge of the Shawl Back. Pin the

I
'
I I
11
I l ''
Shawl Back to th e fab ric 1 Base, matchin g th e I
I
I
I
\
....
I I
raw edges, and stitch the pieces together Ya" T I
I
I

[3 mm) from t he edge. (B only) Place the Flat

I
'I
I
J
'' I
'I
Shawl Front on the. fabric 2 Base, righ t s ides I
I I
'
I
I
I
'
I
I
l I I
up, matching t he raw edges. Fotlowi,ng the 'I l
,' I
I I
'
manufact urer's instructio ns, fuse th e Shawl I
'
'''
I

J'
I

to the Base. Repeat to fuse the Shawl Back to I'

'I ' I
th e fab ric 1 Base. Use a press cloth to avoid ' I
I

creating shine on t he felt. '\ $

' I
I
I '
' ,
I
Ill (A only) Thread the machine with mat ch- ' 'I I
, J

ing thread and edgesbtch the pressed bottom ''

' '' I
,'
figure I '' L I I '
edges of the shawl front and back. Stitch the ' .. _, ,, ' '
I I

shawl front only between the dots and the side

edges, leaving the t ies free . (B only) Thread

92
stitch
 how-to

FABR IC stretches to accommodate pencils. It's

lE Stack the doll back and front right sides to-
ge ther. Pin and machine stitch a round the ou t-
side edge of the doll with coordinating thread,
leaving a 3" (7.5 cm) opening in the flat bottom
edge. Reinforce by stitching over the seam a
second time. Trim the corners diagonally and
clip the curves. Turn the doll righ t side out.
Stuff the do ll tightly with fiberfill, beg inning
wit h the head, then the stomach, and fina lly
the Lower body. Slip-stitch the opening closed.
(B only) With small sharp scissors, trim
the edges of the Sma ll and Medium Flower
Circles into tiny petals [these don't need to be
exact or even ). Stack the three felt flowers to-
gether and attach them to the doll just unde r
the front shawl opening by sewing through
the centers of the flowers.
h yd (46 cm ] of 45" (1 14.5 cm) wide cotton
- 1
print (Main; shown: orange/tan do tsl
1
- h yd [46 cm] of 36" (9 1.5 cml wide fe lt
(Contrast 1; shown: Nat ional Nonwovens
35/o woo l felt in beigel
- 1/~ yd [23 cm) of 45" (1 14.5 cm) wide co tton
print (Contrast 2; shown: floral)
- Craft squares (9" xl 2" [23 x 30.5 cm]) or
scraps of felt in aqua, pink, red, and orange
or desi.red colors [shown: Xotic bamboo fe lt)
OTHER SU PPLIES
- Fusible web
- Two 15" (38 cm) lengths of 3/e" [1 cm) wide
ribbon {shown: olive green grosgrain)
-Sewing thread (shown: beigel
-H andsewing needle
- 81/2" x 11 " [21.5 x 28 cm) sp iral- bound
sketchbook
- 6 colored pencils or crayons (shown: 31/2" [8.9
cm] long Crayola Pip-squeaks colored pencils]
- Ro tary cutte'r, rigid acrylic ru ler, and self-
healing mat
-Pinking shears
-Fa.bric marking pen or chalk pencil (R.ec-
ommended: Frixion pen]
- Sketchbook Cover templates on pages 93- 94
FI NISHED SIZE
- 91h" wide x 11 11'." high [23.5 x 28.5 cm] (c losed)
NOTES
- Seam aUowances are 1/," [6 mm) unless
otherwise noted.
- For explana tions of terms and techniques,
see Sewing Basics on pp. 67~74 .
appliqued by hand t o avoid distorting the
front cove r.
CUT THE FA BR.IC
From the Mai n fabric , cut:
- One 19" x 113/.t (48.5 x 30 cm.I rectangle for
Shell
- Two 5" x 1 l'l/~" [1 2.5 x 30 cm.) rectan gles for
Flaps
From Contras t 1, cut:
- One 19" x 11 3/4" [48.5 x 30 cm) rectang le for
Lining
- 1 Cupcake Base. using the provided tem-
plate be low
From Contrast 2,. cut:
-Two 5" x 11 3/A" [12.5 x 30 cm) rectan gles for
Flaps
- Reserve remaining fabric for applique
From aqua (or desired color) fe lt, cut:
-1 Cupcake Pocket, using the provided
template
- One 3/a" [1 cm,] Circ le, using the provided
template
From pi nk (or desired color) fe lt, cut :
-1 Flower, using the provided template
From red (or desired color) felt, cut:
- One 11/e" [3 cm) Circle, using the provided
temp late
From orange (or desired color) felt , cut:
- One 7/s" (2.2 cm) Circle, using the provided
template
ASSEMBLE TH E COV'ER
Fold the Shell in half lengthwise to find the
=

HEIDI BOYD is the author often books with centers of the short edges and mark each edge
North Light Books, most notably the Simply - The cupcake pocket is m.ade wi th fe lt that with a p.in. Position a ribbon at each mark,
Beautiful series. She has a.ftne-art degree and got t e .m plate
her start in professional crefting as a contributor
to Better Homes and Gardens books and tnaga-
zines. Visit her at heidiboyd.blogspot.coni

JPJ~@=@~ ~~ ~~@IIDlli~
by HE IDI BOYD {from page 45}

cupcake base

>>
..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to

Sew one Main fabric Fla p to each end of outside the applique, overcasting its raw
the Lin ing. You have crea ted th e cover lining. edge, and stitch the cupcake top to the shell.

PREPARE AND ATTACH THE CREATE AND ATTACH THE

with 1" (2.5 cm) of ribbon extend.ing beyond the
fabric edge, and pin. Pin or tape the main por-
tion of the ribbons to th e Shell near its center to
keep the ribbon away from the seam lines.
Sew one Contrast 2 Flap to each end of the
She ll, catching the ribbons in the seams. You
have created th e cover shell.
CUPCAKE TOP
Trace the Cupcake Top template onto the
paper side of the fusible web . Ro ughly cut
out th e shape, leaving a margin around the
tem plate outline. Following the manufactur-
er's instr uctions, fuse the web to the wrong
side of a Cont rast 2 sc rap. Cut out th e fabric
along the temp late outline.
- Unfasten the ribbon on the front of the
cover she ll and move it out of the way. Posi-
tio n the prepared cupcake top on the she ll,
2 1h " (5.5 cml below the top edge and 2" 15
cm) from the right- hand flap seam . Fuse the
app liq ue to th e she ll according to t he web
manufacturer's instructions.
Th read the machine wi th coord in at in g
thread and set it for a zigzag stitch 3.0 mm
wide and 1.6 mm long. Position the presser
foot so one swing of the needle fal ls just
PENCIL POCKET
I] Trans fer the markings f.rom the template
to the fe lt Cupcake Pocket. Trim the to p of
the Cupcake Pocket with pink1in g shears, cut-
ting away just a sliver of fe lt.
' Center the Pocket piece on the Cupcake
Base, wit h the Pocket raw edges Va" (3 mml
in side the Base edges. There will be extra
fabric in the Pocket piece. Pin the layers
toge the r between the marked lines, easing
the extra fa bric into place even ly across the
Cupcake Base. Machine st itch along each
ma rked line. Edgestitch th e Pocket side and
bottom edges to the Cupcake Base. You have
now created th e cupcake pocket.
IE Spritz the cupcake pocket piece with water to
soften the felt Insert the pencils into the divided
pocket slots to stretch the felt and then allow it to
dry. Whipstitch the assembled cupcake pocket to

template

medium
circle

larse
circle

0.
...,
0
G)
..'4
I.II ....
&
;:I ~
u
I
u
0
0.

flower

stitc h

the shell, overlapping the cupca ke top 1h" [1.3cm).
Remove the pencils to make stitching easier.
FI NISH.ING
Place the felt Flower at the top of the
cupcake. Stack the felt Circles from biggest to
smallest over the center of the flower, whip-
stitching each to the Circle below. Whipstitch the
layered fe lt circles to the fabric cover, catching
the center of the pin k flower in your stitches.
iE P.in the ribbon ends to the shell to !keep
them out of the seam. Pin the lining to the
shell, right sides together, aligning the raw
edges and seams. Sew a ll. four edges, Leavi ng
a 2" 15 cml opening along the bottom edge
of the back (non-appliquedl cove r. Trim the
corners diagona lly to reduce bulk. Turn t he
cover right side out t hrough the opening; be
mindful of the pins ho lding the ribbon .
IE Turn t he raw edges to the wrong side a long
the opening and press the cover's outer edges.
Fold the fla ps to the lin ing side along the seam
and pin them in place . Edgestitch the entir e
perimeter of t he cover, closing the opening
and securing the fla ps. Be mindful of the
added fabr ic th.ickness at the flaps. Unp i!n the
ribbons. Tuck the sketchbook covers into the
flaps and fi ll the pocket with co lored penci ls.
HEIDI BOYD is the author often books with
North Light Books, most notably the Sfrnply
,Beautiful series. She has afine-art degree andqot
her start in professional crafting as a contributor
to Better Homes and Gardens books and maga-
zines. Visit her at heidibayd.blogspot.com
--- -------------- ---- ---------------
Winter Woolies
Nappy Cover
by ERIN. CULLEN {from page 45}
DOWNLOA D THE FULL-SIZE
PATTERN FOR T:HIS PROJECT
AT INTERWEAVESTITCH.COM
FABRIC
- 1 size Large worn.e n's wool sweater to felt
(see Notes for requirements if you use pre-
fe lted woo l; shown: medium-gray]
how-to
OTHER SUPPLIES the lengthwise grain of the fabric so that the most
- .About 55" (139 .5 cm) of 5/a" (1.5 cm) wide . stretch goes around the body. Referring to ti~
nylon/spandex fold-over elastic [see Notes; I , cut one Nappy Cover from the felte d wool,
shown: bright redl transfe rring all pattern markings with a fabric
-Coord inating sewing thread marking pen. The mar.king for the long piece of
loop tape should be on the right side of the Nappy
- 1O" [25.5 cml of 3h" [2 cm) wide hook-and-
Cover and the m,arkings on the tabs for the two
loop tape !such as Velcro!
short pieces of hook tape should be placed on the
- Rotary cutter, rigid acrylic ru ler, and self- wrong side [inside) of the Nappy Cover. Note: The
healing mat notches on the size Small pattern are indicated
-Fabric marking pen with Lowercase letters [e, for example); the
-Sharp scissors notches on the size Large pattern are indicated
with uppercase letters IE, for example). The ref-
- Small container of Li quid or cream Lanolin
[optio na l; see Notes) erences to the notches' uppercase and lowercase
letters wiU be used when attaching the elastic in
- Winter Woolies Nappy Cover pattern PDF at Steps 3-8.
interweavestitch.com
ATTACH T.HE ELASTIC
FI NISHED SIZE
- Small [0- 6 months!: 14" 135.5 cm) from top II With the right side of the Nappy Cover facing
to bottom, 1'5" (38 cml from tab to tab up, beginning at the center of the hook tape
- Large [6-24 months!: 16112" (42 cml from top
placement marking that is located be tween
notch f [Fl and notch a [A), unfold the elastic
to bottom, 18 1/ 2" [47 cml from tab to tab
and align its center crease [which runs the
- Shown in size Small length of th e elastic] with the outside edge
of the cover [you w.ill be stitching the elastic
NOTES toward notch a [A]J. Pin in place. This is where
- .. For explanations of te rms and techniques you start encasing the outside edges of the
see Sewing Basics on pages 67-74. cover with the fold-over elastic.
-Refer to the DIY Felting. s idebar on page 47
for felting ti ps. If you want to use a wool - IJ Beginn ing at the edge you just pinned in
blend swea ter. make s ure the woo l con tent place, and using a multisti tch zigzag stitch,
is at least 80/o. bac.ktack a few stitches, and white stre tching
th e elastic as .m uch as you can, sew toward
- If yo u already have fe lted wool, for size S.mall,
notch a [A). Be careful not to stretch t he fabric
you will :need a piece that measures at least
and that the center crease of the elasti c is
15"x16" [38 x 40. 5 cm]. The 15" (38 cm] length
aligned with the outside edge of the cover.
runs with the grainli ne. For size Large, you
Continue sewing and st re tching until you reach
will need a piece of fe lted wool tha t measures
notch b !Bl. If you need to stop, make sure the
at least 171/2" x 19 1/2 [44.5 x 49.5 cm). The 171h"
need le is in the down position.
(44.5 cm] length :runs with the grain line.
- Fold-over elastic has an indention/crease
down the center on one side of t he elastic.
The indenta tion becomes a guide li ne fo r
applying the elastic, like you would for folded
bias tape. Many sewists use fo ld-over elasti.c
for making diapers and baby headbands.
Check wit h your loca l sewing/craft s tore, or
visit sewsassy.com or sewzannesfabrics
.com. If you are a resident of Austra U.a, you
can find it at nappiescovered.com,a u.
-To create a moisture barrier, the finished
nappy cover will need to be Lanolized. Lano lin
comes in various torms, inc luding liquid and
cream. One brand that can be widely found is
Lansinoh. Check with your local pharmacy or
genera l variety stories such as Target.
CUT THE FABRI C
D Refer to the DIY Felting sidebar on page 47 for
information about preparing felted wool. D,isas-
semble the felted sweater by carefully cutting it
open along both side seams and both underarm
seams. If you have pre-felted wool, skip to Step 2.
El Before cutting, dete rmine which side of
the felted wo,ol you want to be the right side
[outsidel of the nappy cover. Also, determine
the directional stretch of the fabric (usually the
crosswise direction has the most stretch, which
means that the grainline should run parallel to figure I >>
99 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to
l!I Stop stretch Ing th e elastic and continue
sewin g it in place untit you reach notch c (C).
Iii Once again, s tretch the elastic as m.uch as
you can without stretching the fabric and con-
tinue sewing until you reach notch d (DI.
I.I From notch d !D), continue sewing the elas-
tic in place, wi thout stretching it or the fabric
until you reach notch e (E).
IJ Stretch the elastic as much as you can until
you reach notch f [Fl.
El From notch f [Fl. continue sewing the elastic
in place until you reach your starting point.
Overlap the beginning and end of the elastic
by abou t 1'4" [6 mm), and then backtack a few
stitches to secure. Trim off any excess elastic.
ATTACH THE HOOK~A. ND-LOOP TAPE
II!] Cut a 7" (18 cml length of loop ta pe. Use a pair
of sharp scissors to round th e corners of the piece
to avo id scratching baby's skin. With right sides
facing up, lay the piece of loop tape on the front
of the nappy cover, aligning the tape within the
marking you transferred from the pattern. Sew
the tape in place, around the perimeter, just inside
the outer edge, using a straight stitch.
mCu t two 3" (7.5 cm) pieces of hook tape and
one 1" x 3" (2.5 x 7.5 cm) piece of loop tape.
Round the corners on a ll of the pieces. Note:
On the sample, the 1" x 3" [2.5 x 7.5 cm,] piece
of loop tape was used to cover th e hook tape
located on the ri.g:ht-hand tab , so that the cover
96
stitch
would fit a very lightweight baby. If you are :not
sewing the nappy cover for a li ghtweight baby
and do not want to add the loop tape, you can
eliminate it; skip the last part of Step 13.
IE Lay one piece of the hook tape on top of one
of the tab Location markings, on the wrong side
of the nappy cover, Align one end of the piece
within the marking, leaving a 2" [5 cm] overhang
to form the hook-tape tab. Use a straight stitch to
sew a rectang le to secure the hook tape in place.
IEI Repeat Step 12 to sew the n~ma in ing piece
of hook tape to the other tab location. Attach
the 3" [7.5 cm) piece of loop tape to the oppo-
s ite side of one of the hook-tape tabs by sewing
a straight s titch all around the perimeter.
II To Lanolize your nappy cover, use the following
instructions. In a 2-gallon [7.7 l] (or larger) pot
or bucket, place a pea-size amount of lanolin.
Pour enough boiling:water into the pot to dissolve
the lanolin. Add some warm water and place
the nappy in the water. Add more warm water to
cover the nappy cover. Soak for a minimum of 1
hour or overnight. Remove the nappy cover from
the water and gently squeeze it out. Line dry.
ERIN CU'LLEN is a work-at-home mum
with two young boys. She liues in Tasmania,
Australia, and collaborates with her mun1 on
their website, S\veepy (sweepy.weebly.con1), and
on a blog chronicling their sewing adventures at
sweepysews.blogspotcont
Felted Sweater Mittens
by CAROL ZENTGRAF {from page 46}
FABRIC
-1 or 2 woo l sweaters; see Notes
OTHER SUPPLIES
- Lau ndry detergent
-Plain white paper or tracing paper
-Penci l
- Washing machine and dryer
N01TES,
- All seam allowances are 1/~" (6 mm l unless
otherwise noted.
-For exp lanations of t,e rms and techniques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67-74.
- When selecting sweaters. make sure they
are at least 80/o wool and look fa r interest-
ing colors, designs, or knit patterns. After
fe lting, designs and patterns will appear
compressed and can result in interesting
effects.
-.. Choose 2 different sweaters to make con -
trasting cuffs as in the sample.
-Fron t-loa ding washers may not agitate the
sweaters e no ugh fo r satisfactory felting .
-. To block a felted sweater, smooth and t ug
it into shape on a towel-cove red surface
while still damp. Ma ke sure design lines,
cab les, and other features are straight and
the thickness is consistent throughou t. Al-
low the felted fa bric to dry completely.
FINISHED SIZE
- Varies by preference
PREPARE THE SWEATERS
D Place the sweaters in the washing ma-
chine with a small amount of detergent and
wash on a high-agitation setting in hot water
with a cold rinse. Repeat the wash cycle two
or three times until the sweaters have shrunk
and thickened, and you can no longer see th e
individual knit stitches; if possible, check the
sweaters before th e cold rinse begins and
repeat the hot-water cycle if necessary.
El Place the sweaters in a dryer on hig:h
heat until they are almost dry, then remove
and block into shape (see Notes). Let them dry
completely on a flat surface.
DRAW THE PATTE.RN AND MAKE
THE MITTENS
El Place one hand on a sheet of plain white or
tracing paper. Using your other hand, draw a
mitten shape around your hand and the first 2"
(5 cml of your arm below the wrist. Red raw a
smooth outline at least 1" [2.5 cml from the outer
edges of your hand, depending on how Loosely
you want the mittens to fit. Cut out th e pattern.
 how-to

D Use the pattern to cut four pieces fro'm a

felte d sweater, reversing two of the pieces.
El With right sides together, sew two mittens
together, leaving the cuff edge open. Clip the
.seam allowances in the curve between the
hand and the thumb. Repea t with the two re-
maining pieces. Turn the mittens right side out
and press into shape wi th steam and high heat.
l!I To make the cuffs, measure around the wrist
opening of the mitten and add 1/z" [1.3 cml.
D From swea ter fa bric remaining aft er cut-
t ing the mittens or f rom a contrasting felted
swea ter, cut two cuffs, measuring 3 1/z" ~9 cm)
x the Step 6 measurement.

El Fold one cuff in ha lf, right sides together,

and sew the short ends together. Repea t wi t h
the second cuff.
IJ Place one cuff inside an asse.mble d mitten
wi th the r ight side of the cuff facing the wrong
side of the mitten. Align the raw edges and
match the cuff seam to the outer m itten seam;
pin. Sew the edges together. Repeat to join the
second cuff to the other mitten.
ll!J Turn each cuff to the outside of its m itten
and steam-press into shape.

CAROL ZENTGRAF is a writer, designer,

and editor, specializing in sewing, en1broidery,
textiles, painting, a.nd decorating..She designs for
several n1agazines and fabric company websites.
Carol is also the author ofseven home decor
sewing books.

>>
97 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 --

Inside 1:hrs/lfl/z,, atirutat i-fSt~l,te, you'ill dlscover:

MAKE IT Q ICK! Fun, festive projects to make in
an afternoon, including an iPad sleeve, smartphone covers, a
fabric scrip bracelec. gifc card wallets. and more.

HOLIDAY DECOR Projects for the home, rnclud ing a

coordinating tree skirt and firep lace screen ensemble, stitched candie
wraps, a screen-princed and beaded holiday gadand, and more.

OR AMENTS With ideas that extend beyond the holi,day season, projects inc 1ude no-sew 1

portrait ornaments, mfxed-media col lage ornaments, rag ball ornaments, and hand-painted bird
ornaments.

GIFTS Featuring stitched Aora~ brooches, hand-dyed pacchvvork pillows, a coordinating tab le runner
and coasters set, a laptop bag, place m.ats, journal covers, bags for wine bottle gifting, and more.

(9)\Jew-/ RECIPE SECTION Our contributing artists share their favorite fam i ~y recipes.

Etii> I RWEAVE
110 shop.quiltingdaily.com Above; Art by Diane Rusin Doran, Cynthia Frenette
Right (from top ro bottom): Art by Barbara Delaney, Malka Dubrawsky. Frieda
866 -949 -1 646 Anderson

Leather Flower Brooch
by RUTH SINGER {from page 48}
FABRIC
- Scrap of medium-weight Leather or suede,
at least 4" [10 cm) sq uare [shown: blue; see
Notes)
-. 2 sc raps of fe lt, each at least 2" [5 cm)
sq uare [these will be cut into circ les)
OTHER SUPPLIES
- . 113 yd [30.5 cm) of 3/s" (1 cm l wide silk ribbon
or bias-cut strips of medium-weight fabric
[shown: ligh t blue s ilk douppionil
-. Polyester sewing thread
- Leathe r handsewing needle (optiona l; leath-
er needles have a square head on them)
- Round buttons: one 14 mm and one 20 mm
[ '~16 " and 3/.1 ")
- Awl !option all
- Fabric glue suitable for leat her
-Brooch safety pin
-Ba llpo int pen to mark on the lea ther/suede
-Utility/craft knife and self- healing mat for cut-
ting leath er/suede (or sharp fab ri.c shears]
-Leather Brooch tern.plates (above right)
FINISHED SIZE
- 3" [7.5 cm) in diameter
NOTES
- For explanations of terms and techniques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 6 7- 74.
-A medi um-weight leather or suede works
best for this project. Soft/lightweight suede or
leather will droop and not hold its shape well,
and a heavywei.ght leather is too hard to cut
into sharp points and can be difficult to sew.
CUT THE FABRIC
D Using th e provided templates and a ball-
point pen, trace 4 Base pieces onto the wrong
side of the leather or suede and cut ou t.
Note : It might be easier to cut the curves on
the Base pieces with a utility/craft knife [be
sure to cut over a self-healing mat to protect
your work surface] instead of scissors. Use
whatever is most com fortable for you.
El Using the provided Circle te mplate, cut
2 Circles from the fe lt. Handsew the brooch
pin, centered, onto one of the Circles using a
whipstitch and set asi.de.
ASSEM .BLE THE BROOCH
El Use a matching thread and sew sma ll
r unn ing stitches in a zigzag fashion on the
ribbon, as shown in ligure 1.. Pull up the
thread to gather the ribbon to about 3" [7.5
cml long and sew the ends together to create
the ribbon rosette (f2gura 2). Set aside.
II If you want to glue rather than sew the
leather, ski:p to Step 5. Each leath er Base
piece has a smatl notch. Curve one Base piece
so the notch closes up and the leather curves
s lightly. To sew the leather, try stitch i,ng near
the notch with just the lea ther needle and
thread first. If the need le goes th rough eas ily,
stitch th e leather to the center of the felt Ci r-
cle [without the safety pinl, taking one or two
stitches on eith er s ide of the notch, closing up
the notch as you go. If the needle won't easily
go through the lea ther, you will need to use a
fine awl to make the holes prior to sti tching.
Two ho les on either side of the notch will do.
B Put a dab of glue on the wrong side of on e
of the lea ther Base pieces, on either side of the
notch. Leave until tacky as directed on the glue.
When ready, .stick the first side of the leather
of the buttons over the rosette and base
tog ether. Stitch th e rosette in ptace th rough
figure 1
figure 2
how-to
base
c ircle
tem
. plates-
close to the center of th e felt Circle rwithout the
safety pinl. then close up the notch and stic k the
other half down, so the leather curls up slightly.
Hold in place a minute or so to be sure it holds.
D Repeat either Step 4 or 5 to attach the
rema in ing Base pieces to the felt Circ le;
overlapping the previous Base piece each
time so t he second Base piece ha lf overlaps
the first and so on. Leave a. small space
in the center so you can sew the button
through. Fasten threads t o each other if you
have used stitching. Leave the glue to set
before you move on. This assembled piece is
the brooch base.
II Sew the two buttons together, placing th e
sma lle r button on top of the larger button
and securing them through the cen ter holes.
D Place the ribbon rosette over the con-
s tructed brooch base piece, centering it on
top of the leath er pieces; test the position
the center hole of the base pieces, being sure
to catch the fe lt circle. If necessary or desired,
loosen or tighten t he gather of the rosette to
fit attractively on the brooch. Stitch the but-
tons on top.
FINISHING
El Position the felt circle with the brooch pin
on the back of th e constructed brooch base
a nd whipstitch around the edges to jo in the
two felt circles together.
RUTH SINGER is a British textile artist with
a passion for repurposing old n1aterials..She ap-
plies her long-standing love oftraditional sewing
techniques to contemporary designs. She is the
author ofThe Sewing ~ible and Sew Eco. Find )'"
out rnore at www.ruthsinger.conz. .,
99 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to
Appliqu.8d
Messenger Bas
by CAROL ZENTGRAF {from page 49}
FABRIC
- 1114 yd (1.1 ml of 54" (137 C'm) wide home-
decorator fabric for bag shell !Main; shown:
brown botanical print)
-
3
/4 yd (68.5 cm) of contrasting 54" [1:37 cmJ
wide home-decorator fabric for lining and
pocket binding (Contrast A; shown: off-
white geometric design on orange)
- 5/a yd (57 cm) of coordinating 54" [137 cm] wide
home-decorator fabric for pockets [Contrast B;
shown: orange arabesques on off-white].
-1 o x 16 " [25.5 x 40.5 cm) piece of faux
or real suede or leather for large circles
(shown: light brown suede)
- 7" >< 11" (18 x 28 cml piece of faux or real
suede or leather for sma ll circles (shown:
dark brown leather)
- 2" x 3" 15 x 7.5 cml scrap of faux or real
suede or leather for circle centers (shown:
orange suedel
OTHER s;UPPLIES
-2 yd [1.8 ml of 20'' [51 cm] wide medium-
weig.ht fusib le .interfacing
-1 yd (91.5 cml of 44" (112 cm) wide fusibl e
fleece
-Coordinating sewing thread
- Temporary fabric spray adhesive or basting. tape
-Magnetic snap
- Two 1" (2.5 cml circles of sew-on hook-
and-loo p tape
-Cha lk marking tool
- Press cloth
-Teflon foot for sewing machine
- Appliqued Messenger Bag temp la tes on
the pattern insert side A
FINISHED SIZE
-11 " x 16" x 4" (28 x 40.5 x 10 cm)
NOTES
- All seam allowances are 1/i" (1 .3 cm) unless
otherwise noted. Sew all seams with right
s ides together.
100
stitch
- For explanations of te rms and techniques.
see Sewin g Basics on pages 67-74.
-For the smoothest edge, use a rotary cutter
to cut the suede.
-Use basting tape or spray adhesive instead
of p.ins to secu re suede pieces fo r stitching;
ho les made by pins may be difficu lt to remove.
-Use a press cloth when pressing suede or
leath er. Do not to uch a hot iron directly to
the surface.
- If usi ng faux suede, be sure to choose a
nonwoven fabric. Some faux suedes have a
woven or knit backing that will ravel when
edges are left raw, as in th e appliques on
this bag.
-For an extra -sturdy bag,. use heavyvveight
interfacing in place of the medi um-weight
interfacing or interli ne the bag with canvas
fabric.
-Sew the leather and/or suede with a
un iversal needle. Leather needles are too
heavy-duty for this project and will leave
holes in the leather.
CUT AND PREPARE THE FABRIC
B From the Main fabric, cut:
- Two 12" x 17" (30.5 x 43 cm) rectangles for
the Bag Panels
- Two 14" x 17" (35.5 x 43 cm) rectangles for
the Flap
-Two 5" x 21" [12 .5 x 53.5 cm) strips fo r the
Gusset
- Two 5" x 32'' (12.5 x 81.5 cm) strips for the Strap
From the Contrast A fabric, cut:
- Two 12" x 17" 130.5 x 43 cm) rectangles for
the Lining Bag Panels
-Two 5" x .21" [12 .5 x 53.5 cm) strips fo r the
Lin ing Gusset
- -Two 2" x 17" [5 x 43 cml strips for the
Pocket Bindi.ng
From the Contrast B fabric, cut:
- Two 18" x 17" (45.5 x 4.3 cm) rectangles for
Pockets
figure l
..,E
N
From the fusible interfacing, cut:
-Two 12" x 17" (30.5 x 43 cml rectang les for
the Bag Pan els
- One 14" x 17'' (35.5 x 43 cml rectangl e fo r
the Flap
- Two 5" x 21" (12.5 x 53.5 cml strips for the
Gusset
- One 5" x 32" .[12.5 x 81.5 cml strip for the Strap
From the fusible fleece, cut:
- Two 1.2" x 17" (30.5 x 43 cml rectangles for
the Bag Panels
- . One 14" x 17" (35.5 x 43 cm ] rectangle fo r
the Flap
-Two 5" x 21" (12.5 x 53.5 cml strips for the
Gusset
-. One 5" x 32" [12.5 x 81.5 cml strip for the Strap
From the suede or leather, cut:
- 15 Large Circles from the 10" x 16" (25.5 x
40.5 cm] piece
-15 Small Circles from the 7'' x 11" (18 x 28
c.m) piece
- 15 freehand squares, each about 1/2" (1.3
cm). fro m the 2" x 3" (5 x 7.5 cm) scrap
El To create the curved botto m corners on
the Flap and Bag Panel pieces, fold one of
the fabhc rectangles in half widthwise with
right sides together. Place a drinking glass
or other round object on the bottom corner,
meeting the two adjacent sides. and draw
around the edge to blend the s ide edges
toge the r in a curve. Remove. the glass and cut
the corner curve through both layers. Open
the panel and use it as a pattern to trace a
matching curve onto the bottom corners of
the remain,ing Flap and Bag Panel pieces.
including the Lining pieces. Cut to round the
co rners on the traced lines.
El Following. th e manufacturer's instructi.ons,
fuse the interfacing pieces to the wrong sides
of the corresponding Contrast A lining pieces,
the Main fabric Fla p, and one Main fabric
Strap pi.ece . Fuse the fleece to the wrong
H
3h '" [2 cm ]
 how-to

of long edges. Turn ri ght s ide out and press. CR EDITS,

sides of the co rresponding Main fab ric pieces,
inc luding the remaining Strap piece.
EMBELLISH AND ASSEMBLE THE FLAP
D Place the fl eece-backed Flap piece right
side up on a flat surface. Use a cha lk pencil
to li ghtly draw a Line 3f4" [2 cm) from the short
side edges and long bottom edge. Draw
ano ther line 4" [1 0 cm) down from the long top
edge. Even ly arrange the Large Circles across
the Flap in three closely spaced rows of five
ci rcles each, aligning the bottom row and end
circles wi th the marked lines (leave about 1/:s"
[3 mm ] between the top ,row of ci rcles and the
top marked li ne). Carefully lift each circle and
spray a small a mount of adhesive on the fabric
to secu re the circle (figure 1).
II Lightly spray the center of the wrong side of
each Sma ll Circle with adhesive and position on
the center of a Larg e Circle. Repeat the entire
step for the squares, pos itioning them with the
corners pointing to the top, bottom, and side
edges so they appear as di amond sha pes.
D Usin g a clear rul er a nd cha lk pencil. draw
mTopstitch Va" (3 mmJ from each long edge, - Pe llo n, pellonideas.corn. Shape-Flex f u s~
ible interfacing and the fusi ble fleece.
then topstitch at 1/2" (1.3 cm ) in tervals across
the strap, para llel to the s tit ch li nes at each - Su lky of A'merica , s ul ky.com, KK2000 spray
long edge . adhes ive.
- Westm inster Fibers, westminsterlibers.co,m,
MAKE THE SHELL AND LINING Ty Pennington Impressions fabrics.
ID Sew the short ends of the Main fabric
Gusset pieces together. Press the seam
CAROL ZENTGRAF is a writer, a designer,
a llowances open.
and an editor specializing in sewing, embroi-
[El Fold the Main fabric Bag Panels .in ha lf dery, textiles, painting, and decorating. She de-
widthwise and crease to mark the center of the
bottom edge. On one of the panels, mark the signs for magazines andfabric con1panies, and
point 3" (7.5 cm) up from the bottom edge on the is the author ofseven home decor sewing books.
crease and install the socket side of the magnet-
ic snap at this poin t, acco rding to the manufac-
tu rer's instructio ns. Aligni ng the crease mark of
one Panel with the Gusset seam, sew the Gusset uu~ JIDmJ@ ~@UU~ rn3~~
to th e Bag Panel, eas ing the Gusset aroun d the by TRISCH PRICE {from page 50}
curved corners. Repeat to sew the opposite edge
of the Gusset to the remai ning Panel.. Trim the
top edges of the Gusset evenly with the Panels
and clip the curved seam allowances. You have
now assembled the shell bag .
Ill Fold each Contrast B Pocket piece in half
widthwise with wrong sides to.gether. For the
binding, press each Contrast A Pocket Binding
st rip in half lengt hwise with wrong s ides together.
Ope n the strip and press th e raw edges under to
meet at the center fold. Encase the raw top edges
[opposite the fo ld) of each folded Pocket piece.
Edgestitch the binding in place, catching the
underside of the binding in the stitching as well.
ml With the bo und edges of the assembled
pocke ts toward the top and the raw edges
even wit h the side edges of the lining Bag
Pa nels, pin the pockets to the righ t sides
of the Pane ls, at least 1'; [2.5 cm) above the
bottom edges. Stitch the folded edge of each FABRIC
pocket in place 3/1 ~; [5 mm) fro m the fold and - 31.i yd (68.5 cm ) of 44- 45" (112-11 4.5 cm ]

a line across the Flap thro ugh the center of
each horizon tal row of circles. Topstitch on
each line to sec ure the appliques . Do no t
s titch the line 4" [1.0 cm) from the top edge.
D Fold the unembellished Main fabric Flap piece
in half widthwise and crease to mark the center of
the bottom edge. then mark the point 1%i" (4 cml
up from the bottom edge on the crease. Following
the manufacturer's instructions, install the stud
side of the magnetic snap at this point.
Ill Sew the Main fabric Flap pieces together with
a %" [1.5 cm) seam allowance. leaving the top
edge open. Trim the seam allowances to reduce
bulk and clip the curves. Turn right srde out and
press. Topsti;tch Ye" 13 mm) from the s id e and
bottom edges. Baste the raw top edges together.
El Using the Teflon foot , topstitch through
all layers of the assembled fl ap along the
marked line 4" [1 0 cm) from the top edge to
define the top of the fl ap. Be s ure not to catch
the app liques in this sti tching.
ASSEMBLE THE STRAP
ml Switch back to the standard presser foot and
sew the Strap pieces together along both pairs
baste the side edges in place.
III Repeat Steps 12 and 13 to assemb le t he
lining bag , leaving a 1O" {25.5 cm) ope ning in
the center of one bottom edge.
ASSEMBLE. THE BAG
IE Center and baste the fla p to the back (i.e., the
Bag Panel without the snap) of the shell bag, with
raw edges even and the embellished side of the
flap and right side of the back of the bag together.
ID With raw edges even a nd the strap cen -
tered , baste the ends of the strap to the ends
of the shell gusset.
lD With ri.gh t s i.des toge ther and gusse t
seams aligned, place the she ll bag ins ide the
lining. Sew the top edges t ogether. Turn right
side out through the ope ning in the lini ng.
m:iJ Slip-stitch the opening in the li ning closed.
Push the li.ning down into the bag and press.
Topstitch around the top of the bag Ys" [3 mm l
from the edge. Wh ipstitch one side of a hoo k-
and -loop circle centered side to side about 1/t
[6 mm) down from the top edge of each interior
pocket. Sew the opposite side of each ci rcle to
the bag li ning where it mee ts the first circle.
wide quilting. cotton fabric. heavyweight
cotton. duck clot h,. or home-decorator
fab ric for bag shell and strap !Main;. shown:
green with multico lor circles)
-
1
h yd [46 cm) of 44- 45" (112- 114.5 cm)
wide quilt,ing. cotton for bag linin.g (Con-
tras t; shown; dark brown)
- 1 piece of lea ther, cut to about 7" >< 33" 118
x 84 cm ) long with one raw [natura l uncut)
edge of the hi, de on one lo ng side for ba g
she ll trim [see Notes: shown: dark brown )
- 1 sc rap of the same leather, measuring at
Least 2'' x 3" [5 x 7.5 cm) to fi nish bag strap
OTHER S.UPPLIES
- 31.t yd [68.5 cm) of ext ra-fi rm sew-in interfacing
-1 1/i yd [1.4 ml of 1" (2.5 cm) wide cotton
webbing ~see Notes)
- Four 1''12.5 cm ! grommets [s hown: Oritz
Home Curta in Grommets in champagne )
- Coordinating all- purpose sewing thread
(Recommended: Coa ts an d Clark Dual Duty
Pl us All- Purpose Thread)
- Contrasting a lt- pu rpose polyester sewin g
thread for t opstitching (Recommended:

101 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to

Coats and Clark Dual Duty Plus Topstitch - varies from 3%-63.4." [8.5- 17 cm) because one With the Main fabric Bag Shell piece sti ll
ing Thread; shown: brown in a s lightly long raw edge i.s the edge of the hide. If you fold ed, cu t out a 2" x 21/t." (5 x 5.5 cm ] rect-
Lig hter shade than the lea ther trim) have an old Leather jacket that you no longer ang'le from each cor ner at the fold, as shown
- Size 14 sharp or size 16 leather sewing wear, consider cutting it apart and using it. in li.g.....e I. The areas that have been cu t
machine nee dle [see Notes] - . If you prefe r, substitute fa ux leather for the away wi ll now be referred to as the cu to uts.
- Fabriic m,arking penc il true leather and use an appropriate s ize Trim the 2 corner pieces that were cu t off to
-Handsewing. ne edle for basting the leather needle and sewing machine presser fo ot. 2" x 2" .[ 5 x 5 cm) squares.
trim to the bag shell (optiona l] To replicate th e look of t he raw (irregulad EJ Cut the Bag Lining piece from the Con -
- h " [1.3 cm) diameter magnetic purse snap
1 edge of a leather hide, with th e right side of trast fabric and the inte rfacing as shown in
the fa bric fac in g up, use a fabric marking figure l. and then cut out a 21/z" x 2 3/ 4" (6.5 x
-Press cloth pe nci l to hand-draw a lin e to your preferred 7 cm ] rectang le from each corner at the fold
- Teflon, gli de, or ultra -gli de presser foot for shape. Then use your ro tary cutte r or sharp as before. Disca rd the cutout rectangles.
sewing machine scissors to cut along the li ne. M.ake sure
-Zigza g foot for sewing mach ine yo u ang le the blade so the wrong s ide of the D Cut the 7" x 33" [18 x 84 cm) piece of
-Point turner or chopstick (o ptional! fa bric is not vis.ible from the righ t s ide. leathe r in half widthwise. On each of the two
- A size 16 leat her needle stitch es t hrough pieces, use your rotary cutter and acrylic rule.r
Fl ~NISHED SIZE most Leathers we ll. However, if the leather to tri m one lon g edg e (not the raw edge of the
- 11" long (withou t hand les) x 11" wide is thin, a s ize 14 sharp will work. hide) to create a stra:ight edge on each piece.
(28 x 28 cmJ. Wit h hand les, bag is about 21 " -The webbing wiU be encased wit h the two From t he sma ll scrap of Le ather, cut a
(53.5 c.m) long. Main fa bric Strap pieces. If yo u select rectan gle measuring 1" x 3" (2. 5 x 7.5 cm! to
webbing that is nat 100/o. cotton, be sure fin ish the Strap.
NOTES to use the appropriate iron setting wh en
- All seam allowances are 1/4'' [6 ,mm ] unless p:ress1ng. ASSEMBLE THE LINING
otherwise not ed.
- Use t he Teflon, glide, or uttra-glide D With the wrong side of the unfolded Bag
- For exp lanations ofter.ms and techniques, presse r foot when sewing on leather. Lining piece facing up., measure and mark the
see Sewing Basics on pages 67- 74. centerline between the two side seams on one
- Press a ll seams open un less otherwise CUT THE FABRIC of the 15 1/2' [39 .5 cm) edges; this will be th e top
noted and press all of the seams as you sew D Fold the Main fa.bric in ha lf widthwise. edge. To stabilize th e magnetic snaps, place one
them (before they are crossed with another Referring. to figure 1, cu t 2 rec tangles 3 3/4" of the two 2" x 2" [5 x 5 cm} squares of Ma.:in fab-
seam ]. Be sure to use a press cloth when [9.5 cm) wide x wid th of fabric for the Straps. ric 11/i" (3.8 cml from the top edge and centering
pressing Le ather or fa ux Le ather. From t he rema.in ing Mai n fa bric [sbll folded]. it with your centerline .marking. Pin and then
- The width of the bag 's leather trim wi ll vary cut a rec tangle 13" long x 15 1/i" wide [33 x
depending on the shape of the uncut edge of 39.5 cm) aga in st the fold for the Bag Shell;
the Leather, but it should be no smaller than 3" whe n unfolded. the rectangle will mea s ure
(7.5 cm] . On the sample, the width of the Leather 26" x 15 1/2" (66 x 39 .5 cml.

- l - '
selvedges
I

>t<strap "'strap

I I

- ---- ----
I

I
- - - 1
I ' I
I
I I
I
I I

E
u
bag
<")
!':2 I I
!
-
C'1
I
B
I
I

-- --
I r

- -'
I
!iii!i!
I
I
- - i i I

/"- I fold figure 3 bag

I -
1,5 ,1" !39.5 cm ] 3 ::.1.," ' I 3 3;, .. I
'
'

A ~ 9 .5 t ml [9.5 cm]
I~

A: B:
- 2.. (5 cm) Main fa bric - 2 1/4" (5.5 cm) Main fabric
11
-2 1// ' (6.5 cm] Contrast - 2 3/4 (7 cm] Contrast fabric/
11
fabric/interfacing i:nterfaci ng
.I
1
*Straps cut from Main fa.bric only
'----- -- I

102
stitch

sew the square in place around a ll fo ur s ides,
about Ys" [3 mml from the edges. Repeat the
process to sew the remaining 2" x 2" !5 x 5 cml
square to the other end o,f the Lining piece.
Following the manufacturer's instructions,
install one half of the magnetic snap in the
center of each of the 2" x 2" (5 x 5 cm) squares.
Fo ld the Bag Lining piece wit h ri9ht sides
1
together, ali9ning the top edges and side
seam edges. On one side of the Lining, pin and
then sew one of the s ide seams, from the top
edg.e to the bottom. For the side seam on the
opposite side, from the top edge sew about 3"
[7.5 cm) toward the bottom edge. Leave about
5" (12.5 cm) unstitched and then resume
s titch ing to the bottom edge. The opening in
one of the s i.de seams will be used to turn the
bag. right side out. Press the seam a llowances
open. Do not stitch the cutout areas. You have
now constructed the bag lini ng.
Flatten one side seam of the lining bag
so that it Lies directly on top of the bottom
[fo lded ) edge of the bag and the raw edges
are aligned; pin together the raw edges
(figure 2). Sew the edges together, back-
tacking at each end of the stitching. You
have now boxed one corner of the bag lining.
Repeat to box the opposite corner.
' ASSEM BLE THE SHELL
. - - - -
Pla ce the Bag Shell piece. right s ide up,
on top of the Bag 'Interfacing and baste t he
webbing
pieces together around the outer pe rimeter,
about 1/a" (3 mm) from the edge.
Wi th the right sides of the Bag Shell and
the leather facing up, place one leather piece
on top of the Shell. Align the long straight
edge of the leather with one top [151/2" :[39.5
cmll edge of the Shell. Align the short sides
of the leather vvith the side edges of the Shell.
trimming off excess leather if necessary. Using
your topstitch thread, topst itch the leather .in
place along each side seam, a little more than
Y.e" [3 mm) from the raw ed9e. Topstitch the
bottom edge of the leather to the Shell. Baste
t he top edge (straight edge) of the leather to
the top edge of the Shell, 1/a" [3 mm) from th e
raw edges. Follow the same process to sew
the remaining pi.ece of leather to the opposite
end [remaining top 15 Yi" [39.5 cm] edge) of the
Shell (figure 3). Note: On the samp le, because
the width of the leathe r hide varies s ignificantly
[see Notes), the leather pieces do not match at
one side seam. This creates a unique design
fea ture. If you prefer to have the leather pieces
match at the side seams, you may need to trim
them accord ing ly.
IE Assemble the Bag Shell and box the corners
following the same process as in Steps 8 and
9. However, do not leave an opening in one side
seam. Sew the en ti re length of both side seams.
IE Turn the assembled shell right s ide out. Push
out the lower corners so they are well defined,
using a point turner or chopstick if necessary.
With rig ht sides together, place the shell inside
the lining. Ali9n the top edges and the side
seams. Stitch the pieces together Ya" (1 cm)
from the top edge. Tum the bag right side out
by pulling the shell through the opening of the
lining's side seam. Turn in the seam allowances
at the opening and sew the opening closed, either
by edgestitchingi with your machine or with slip
stitches by hand. Press the top seam so that the
seam lies toward the inside of the bag. Push the
lining down into the shell and press the top edge,
then topstitch %" [6 mm) from the top edge.
FINISH THE BAG
Install the grom.mets in the assembled bag,
following the manufacturer's instructions and
accord ing to the following place ment gu idance.
Wi th a ru ler and fabric marking pencil, mea-
sure and mark the locations fo r the centers of
each of the grommets. To do so, measure 11/2"
[3.8 cml from the top edge and 131~ " 14.5 cm)
from the side seam of the bag in each of the
four top corners. When cutting. out the circ les
how-to
for the g.rommets, cut the shetl fa bric, the lin -
ing fabr i.c, and the leather to the size indicated
in the manufacturer's inst ructions. Cut the
interfacing circles s li ghtly larger so that the
interfacing will not be one of the fabr ic layers
that will be caught in the grommet. Depending
on the th ickness of the leather, you may also
need to trim the lea ther circles so that they
are slightly Larger. If the grommets still will
not lock into place, then trim the shell tabric
circles so that they are slightly larger. When
you trim any of the fabr:ic circ les, do so in small
increments because you don't want the circles
to be larger than the diameter of the grom-
me ts.
With right sides together, stitch the two
Strap pieces together end to end lat the 3 3/~"
[9.5 cm] wide edges), using a diagona l seam
and short stitch length [see Diagonal Seams
for Joining Strips on page 73 for ass.istance]..
Trim the seam allowance to 1/ / (6 mm) and
press open. Lay the webbing flat a.cross your
work surface; with the wrong side 'facing down,
Lay the Strap fabric over the webbing, aligning
one long raw edge of the Strap 'fabri.c with one
long edge of the webbing. Also align the short
ends of the Strap fabric and the webbing. If the
Strap fab ri c extends beyond the short edges
of the webbing, trim off the excess fabric .
Stitch the pieces toge ther %" (6 mml from the
aligned edges.
Turn the Strap over so that the webbing
li es on top. Fold the long raw edge Of the Strap
fabric toward the wrong side by 1/2" [1.3 cm l and
press. Fold the Strap fabric over the webbing
to co:mpletely cover the webbing. Press with
your iron set to "cotton" (or other appropriate
setting if your webbing is not 100/o cotton].
M'ake sure you fold it so t hat the Strap fabr ic
fits tightly against the outs,id e edge of the web-
bing and so that the long edgie is well defined
( figure 4:). Continue wrapp ing the remaining
Strap fab r;ic around the webbing tightly so that
the folded-under edge of the Strap fabri.c hides
the stitch li ne from Step 15 (the folded -u nder
edge wi ll run along one Long edge of the Strap).
Topstitch both long edges of the assemb led
strap, Vs" [3 mm) from the outside edges.
Thread the strap through the grommets,
making sure the strap is not twisted. Install the
zigzag foot on your mach ine (see your mach ine
man ual for assistance) and set the stitch to
a medi um Leng th and width. Abut the short
ends of the strap with each other and zigzag
stitch the ends together. Cover this seam with
the small piece of lea ther. Place the leather
over the seam, ati gning one short edge of the
leather with the long edge of the strap. Stitch
it in place, 1h" [6 mm) from the edge. Fo ld the
leather around the strap to cover the stitches
that you just made and then topstitch through
all of the layers of the strap, 1/a" (3 mml from
the raw edge of the Leather.
TRISCH PRICE is a quilter and a pattern de-
signer. You can find her Hadley Stred Quilts blng
and quilt patterns at hadleystreetquilts.cont ))
103 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to
Wrap Belt
By TRICIA WAO:D ELL {from page 51}
DOWNLOAD THE :F ULLS1
I ZE
PATTERN FOR THIS PROJECT
AT INTERWEAVESTITCH.COM
FABRIC
- yd [23 cm) of 60" [152 .5 cm) wide glossy
1/t.
medium-weight faux leath er/vinyl {A]
- 1!/4 yd (23 cm) of 60" [152 .5 cm l wide matte
medium-weight faux leather/vinyl [Bl
- 7" x 31 " (18 x 79 cm) piece of medium -
weight backing fa,bric (shown: tapestry-
weave home-decorator fab ric)
OTHER SU.PPLIES
-. 2 spools of all-purpose ma tchi ng thread
-Mi crotex/sh arp need le [see N otesl
-Twin sewing-machine needle
- Rotary cutter, rigid acrylic ru ler, and self-
hea li ng cu tting mat (optional for cutting!
-. Wonder Clips and/or basting tape (recom -
mended: 1/4" [6 mm] wide tape)
-Point turner or s imilar tool [such as a knit-
ting needle)
-Teflon or similar toot for sewing machine
{optiona l; see Notes)
- Removable fab ric pen or tailor's chalk
- Wrap Belt patte rn PDF at interweavestitch
.com
NOTES
- All seam allowances are 1/2" I1.3 cm) unless
otherwise noted .
- For explana ti ons of terms and techniques.
see Sewing Basics, pages 67- 74.
- Refe r to "Luxe Look-Alikes," pages 12- 16,
for tips on sewing fa ux leathers.
- Do not use pins to ho ld the faux Leat her/
vinyl fabrics togeth er because pinholes
will be permanent. Instead, use basting
tape inside the seam allowance or ctips
to hold the fabr ic together for stitching.. If
usin9 basti.ng tape, place the ta pe about 1/a"
(3 mml from the seam Line , within the seam
allowance.
104
stitch
- You will need to adjust the tension on your
mach.in e for sewing thicke r fabrics. Sew a
test swatch to get the right tensi on before
s tarting the project [refer to your sew-
ing machine manua l for assistance with
adjusting th e te nsion). Use the Microtex/
sharp needle a:nd a stretch stitch set to a
s lightly longer stitch le ngth (3.0- 3.5 m,mJ;
pay attenti on to how smoothly the fabr ic
fee ds through the mach in e. You may need
to switch to a Teflon or similar presser
foot to allow the faux leather/vinyl to tee d
smoothly thro ugh t he mach ine.
- Do not iron faux leather/vinyl. Doing so wil l
melt the fabric.
-Faux leathers can have a lot of stretch so
be sure to always use a stretch sti tch.
- This belt is one size fi ts most, but you can
easily adjust th e pattern for fit. The two main
pieces can be made shorter or longer as
des ired. J ust remember to make an equal
adjustmen t on bo th pattern pieces. The
adjustable ti es can be cut to your desired
length. Refer to the fin is hed length of the
belt and adjust according:ly.
-The ties are cut on the cross-wise gra in
[thi s is the most economical way to cut
th em]. which means that they have quite a
bit of stretch. Over time and with us e, t he
ties may stretch fu rther.
- Be sure to choose a faux leather/vi.nyl
weigh t that has enough flexib ility to bend
and wrap around th e body but is not too
thin and st,retchy to hold its shape.
FINISHED 51.ZE
- 51/z" wide x 24" lon g (1 4 x 61 cm) plus 36"
[91.5 cm l ties
CUT TH1.E FABRIC
Usin g the provided pattern PDF at in-
tervveavestit ch.com or dime nsions (where
dimensions are given, no pattern piece .is
provided). cu t the following pieces. Transfer
all pattern ma rking:s to the wrong sides of the
fabrics except as othe rwise indicated:
.
From fabric A cut: . .
- 1 Top Panel
From fabric B, cut:
~ 1 Bottom Panel
From the backing fabric, cut:
-1 each of th e Top Panel and Bottom Panel
[cut t hese pieces reversed]; mark t he over-
lap cut li ne and overlap placement dots
on the right side of the back,ing fabric Top
Panel. using a removable fabric pen or tai -
lor's cha lk. Cu t along the marked overla p
cut tine and discard the cu to ut pie ce.
D From, fabr ic B, cut 2 Ties, each 37" Long x
3
/ / wide (94 x 2 cmL
PREPARE THE PANELS AND TIES
D Place the fabric B Bottom Panel a nd the
backing fabric Bottom Panel righ t s ides
together, aligning all edges. Use clips or
bastin g tape wit hin th e seam allowance to
hold the layers together. Using a stretch
sti tch and a Microtex/sharp ne edle, sti tch the
layers together on three sides, Leaving the
outer edg es of the piece open . Clip th e seam
allowance at the corners and trim the seam
allowances to 1/e" [3 m:m) to redu ce bulk. Use
the opening to tu rn th e assemb led Bottom
Pa nel righ t side out. Use a po int turn e r or
1
simil ar to ol to push out the corners.
liJ Place the fa bric A Top Panel and the
backing fabric Top Pane l pieces right sides
toget her. align ing all edges. Stitch the layers
toget her on three sides, leavin g the ove rlap
cutout and t he outer edge open. Clip t he
co rn ers, turn rig ht side out, and push out the
corners as before .
El Fold eac h Tie pi ece in ha lf !lengthwise,
wrong s ides together, so t hat all edges are
aligned. Do not use ta pe or clips to ho ld in
place. Instead, use your sewing machine foot
to cl.amp the folded fa bric in place as you
sew; check often to make s ure that the Tie
stays properly to lded as it fee ds through the
machine. Topstitch each tie wit h a Vt." 16 mm)
seam al lowance . Trim the excess seam al-
lowan ce close to the stitching (leavin g about
1/a" [3 mm] of seam. allowance).
ASSEMBLE THE BELT
B On bo th assembled panels [to p and bot-
tom). fo ld th e seam a llowances in along the
open ou ter edges and fi. nger-press. Insert
one end of one prepared tie into each panel
by 1/1" (1.3 cm) at the notch. Clip or tape t he
opening closed.
II With the assembled Top Panel facing
backing side up., turn under the seam a llow-
ances along the cu to ut edg es, miter in g the
corner [refer t o fig ure 1 in the pa ttern PDF
for assistance]. Secure th e seam a llowances
in place wit h basting tape (if you prefer not to
use basting ta pe, you need to e nsure that th e
seam. al lowances stay folded under as yo u
to pstitch in Step 9).
El With all pieces fac ing backing side up,
place the assembled Bottom Panel on to p of
the assembled Top Panel, a ligning the edges
of the Bottom Panel with th e dots transferred
from t he pa ttern [the Bottom Panel should
just cover th e dots so they're not visib le).
Secure th e overlap with clips or basting tape,
then flip the piece over so that the right [fa ux
leather) side is vis i,ble. At this point, small
adjustments can be made to the overlap if
des ired. Just make sure tha t the raw edge of
the cutout won 't be exposed [if pattern dots
are revea led, th e marks can be re moved once
yo u're finished stitching].
El Us ing a twin needle (refe r to yo ur sewing-
machine manual for assistance with thread -
ing and using the twin needle! and a stretch
stitch, topstitch around the peri m ete r of the
top layer lth is will secure the fo lded-under
seam allowances, close the outer edg e, a,nd
attach the top and bottom layers). When yo u
sew around the corners, do not pivot wit h the

need le down at the corners beca use doing so
will break the twin need le. You can e it her sew
up to the corner, back tac k, lift the needle. cut
the thread, and th en pivot the wo rk to begin
s titch ing along the next edge or curve around
the corners slowly wi th your stitching. Twin-
nee d le to pstitch a second row of s titches just
inside your first row.
iE Using your twi n need le and a stretch
s titch . topstitch around the perimeter of the
bottom layer [trea t the corners as you did in
the previo us step). stopping at the edges of
the top layer.
mTry the belt on wi th the overlap in the front,
wrapping the ties one or more times around
you r waist and tying as desired. If necessary,
trim the ties to the desired length. Knot the
ends of the ties. If pattern dots were exposed,
re move any remaining marks according to the
pen or chalk manufacturer's instructions.
TRICIA WADDELL is editor in chief of
Stitch rna.gazine. When she's not working,
she's sewing.
Sueda-Trimmed .Jacket
by CAROL ZENTGRAF {from page 52}
FABRIC
- Repurposed wool jacket or medium-weight
woo l fabr ic in yardage indicated on yo ur
selected pa.ttern envelope [shown: brown,
green, and taupe plai d)
-Soft fau x suede in yardage determ in ed
by measuring your selected pa ttern (see
Notes; shown: ta upe for the front and bac k
facings and 2 strips [top and bottom] on the
cuffs; lig ht brown was used for the middle
strip on cuffs and heml
OTHER SUPPLIES
- Coordinating and complementary sewing thread
- Se lf-adhesive, double-sided bast ing tape
-1 1h " (3.8 cm) round shank button
- Size 80/1 Z universa l needle for sewing
mach ine
- Rotary cutter, rigid acrylic ruler, and se lf-
healing mat
- Cha lk pencil
- Press cloth
-Teflon or g.lide presser foo t for sewing
machine
- Kwik Sew pa ttern #3680, view 8, or simila r
unlined jacket pattern with straight hemline
[see Notes .if you select a differe nt patte rn]
NOTES
-For explanations of terms and techn iques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67- 74.
- Faux suede comes in a va riety of widths,
in cluding 45" (11 4.5 cml. 54" (137 cm). and
60" [152.5 cm). The embellishment strips for
the bottom edge of th e sample jacket and
the s leeves are one cont in uous length each.
If you want to piece the strips, you will need
to adjust your yardage req uirements.
-To determine fa bric requiremen ts for the faux
suede [w.idth of the fa bric and the yardage yo u
wi ll need). us ing your selected pattern in the
appropriate size, measure the bottom edges
of the pattern pieces fo r the front, back, and
s leeves. as well as the area required for the
facings. Refer to the sidebar [Determining
Yardage for Faux Suede! on page 106.
- If you want to use an alternate co lor for the
middle stri'P [as shown in the sam.ple). you
will need to de termine the yardage for that
co lor, depending on the width of the yard-
age you plan to use.
- If your selected pattern requires interfacing
for the Front and Back Facing, you wi ll not
nE!ed it for this project.
- Make sure the nap is running in the same
direction when cutting and applying the suede
strips. It is okay if th e facings run one direction
[treat them as a set) and the strips run the
other. Having the left facing running a differen t
direction than th e right facing would be very
noticeab le, so be s ure to avoid that.
-For the smoothest edge, use a rotary cutter
with a fresh blade to cut the s uede.
- Use basting tape instead of p.ins to secu re
suede pieces fo r stitch in g; holes made by
pins may be difficult to remove.
how-to
- Use a press cloth when pressing faux
s uede or faux leather. Do not touch a hot
iron directly to the s urface of those fabr ics .
CUT THE FA BR.IC
D From the Wool fabric, fol low the pattern's
instruction to cut the jacket pieces, with the
following exceptions:
-Do not cut the Fron t and Back Facing
pieces.
- Cut the Sleeves 1l// [3.8 cmJ shorter than
the full length given on the pa ttern piece.
From the suede, cut:
- The Front and Back Facing pieces, follow-
ing the pattern's instructions
-Cut the following strips to th,e indica ted
widths x the leng ths determined fro m
measuring your pa ttern (see the sidebar
on page 106.; cut the st rips with the longest
dim,ension running along the crosswise
gra in of the fabric for the most economical
fab.ric use):
-One 2" (.5 cm) strip for the Bottom Hem Strip
- Two 11/;." [3.8) strips for th e Top and
Midd le Hem Strips
- Six 11/ / (3.8 cm] strips for the Cuff Strips
ASSEMBLE THE JACKET
El Fo llow the pattern instructions to assemble
the jacket, using the faux suede facing pieces.
Use a complem.enta ry color thread to topstitch
1
/;" [6 mm) from the ou tside edge, ar ound the
perimeter of the center front and neckl.ine..
Hem th e sleeves and the bottom edge of the
jacket as instructed by your pattern.
El Using a cha lk pencil, draw a line 1" (2.5
cm) above the hemmed bottom edge of t he
jacket. Apply basting tape along the line.
Remove the paper backing and adhere the
top edge of the suede Bottom Hem Strip to
the tape,. aligning the edge with the marked
line. Topsti tch in place 1/4" (6 ,mm) from the
edge. Trim the e nds of the strip 1/16" (2 mml
beyond the fro nt edges of the jacket. Note:
You do not need to remove the ta pe before
or after sewing the s trips in place. It will no t
harm the s uede. nor will it show when the
jacket is comp leted ..
B Repeat Step 3 to draw a Line 1/z" [1.3 cm)
above the top edge of t he first hem strip and
ap ply the Midd le Hem Strip. Repeat to ap ply
the Top Hem Strip.
El To embellish each sleeve, use a chalk pencil
to draw a line 1" !2.5 cm) above the wrist ed9e of
the sleeve. Apply basting tape along the li ne and
remove the paper backing. Beginning at the un-
derarm seam of the sleeve, adhere the first Cuff
Strip in place. Trim the overlap to 1/i" [1..3 cm1.
The overlap adds a bit of visual interest; however,
if you prefer, trim it to achieve an alternate look,
such as trimming so that the edges abut evenly.
Topstitch the Strip in place l/4" (6 mm l from the
top edge. Note: In the sample jacket, the sleeves
include two underarm seams, so the overlap is
placed halfway between the two seams. }}
109 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to
D To apply the second Cuff Strip, repeat Step 5,
beginning by drawing a tine 1/2" [1.3 cm) above the
first cuff strip. Apply basting tape, sew the second
Cuff Strip in place, and trim as before. Repeat
again, drawing a line 1/t (1.3 cm) above the sec-
ond Cuff Strip to apply the third Cuff Strip.
II Com.plete the jacket fol lowing the pattern's
instructions, to include making a butt:onhole
and sewing on the button, if applicab le.
CREDITS
-Pry.m Consumer USA, dritz.com, Collins
Wonder Tape basting tape.
-J HB, buttons.com, button #84904.
- Kwik Sew, kwiksew.com, Misses' pattern
#3680.
CAROL Z.E NTGRAf is a writer; a designer;.
and an editor specializing in sewing, embroidery,
textiles, painting, and decorating. She designs
for rnagazines and fabric conipanies, and is the
author ofseven home decor sewing .books.
106
stitch
DETERMINl1NG YA.RDAGE FOR FAUX SUE.DE
The exam.pies i.nclud:ed here assume that you use Kwik Sew pattern
#3680, view B, size Small. l. nstead of one front piece for each side
Of the jacket, there are two pi.eces (Front and Front Side 'Panel). The
jacket al:so has two back pieces, and the s~eeves are two-pi:ece s!leeves,
consisting of an Upper Sleeve and an Under Sleeve. Note: The seam
allowances used for this pattern are %" (1.5 cm).
Jacket Bottom Hem Strip
To detennine .the required strip length ( r strip): Measure the bottom :finished
hemline of one Front piece. Multiply the measurement by 2 (2 Front pieces).
Measure the bottom finished hemline of the Back piece. ext, subtract the
total width of the combined seam allowances. Add 1/2" (r.3 cm) for a slight
overlap at the jacket opening edges (see Step 3).
Example:
- 2 Fro nts measuring 81/t." (211cm) each= 161/2" (42 cm!
- Add. 2 Front Stde Panels measuri ng 71/2" .( 19 cm! each = 15" (38 cm!
-Add 2 Backs m easu ri ng 93h." 125 cm) eac h = 191/2" [49.5 cm]
1
- Subtract total of 12 sea m allowances, each o/s" ~ 1.5 cm ) w ide= 711-i' (19 cm)
1
- Add 1/2" r1 .3 cml for overlap at center front l1f4" [6 m,m] on each sid e):;;; 1h." 11.3 cm!
- Final Measu re ments: 161//' [42 cm)+ 15" [38 cm) + 191/ 2" (49 .5 cm) - 71/2" [19 cm)
+ 1/2" 11.3 cml = 44" [1 12 cm] total fiinfshed Lengith for 1 Bottom Hem Strip.
Jacket Cuff Strip s
To detennine the required strip length (r strip): Measure 1 1/2" (3.8 cm) above the
hemmed edge of the finished sleeve (because you will cut the sleeves 1 1/2" [3 ..8
cm] shorter than . hat the pattern requires; see Step r), then subtract the total
width of the combined seam allowances. ext, add 1/2 " (r.3 cm) for a slight
overlap at the underarm seams.
Example:
- Upper Sleeve, measured 9" (23 cm!
=:
- Add Under Sleeve, measured 6" [15 cml
- Subtract total of 4 seam aUowances, each 5/s" (1.5 cm] wide= 21/2" (6.5 cm)
- Add 1h" ,i1 .3 cml for overlap at underarm= V2" 11.3 cm)
- Final Measurements: 9 ... (23 cm)+ 6" '(15 cm) - 2112" 16.5 cmJ + 1/2" (1.3 cm)"" 13"
(33 cm) total f inished Le n9t h for 1 Cuff Strip
Facings
To detennine the area (rectan9le) required Lay the pattern pieces (of your pattern
size) out on a flat surface with the grainlines and the bottom edges of the
pieces goin_g jn the same direction. Place the pjeces as close together as pos-
sible~ without them actually touching. Measure the V!idth and length of the
area that the pieces cover. Note the area ofcoverage for all ofthe pieces, at your size.
Example: 20" x 36" (51 x 91.5 cm)
Fabric Required.
Use your measurements to determine the yardage you vvill need to accom-
modate all faux suede strips. Remember to check that the fabric width will
accommodate your strips (strips should be cut on the crosswise grain for the
most economical fabric use); you may need to buy-wider fabric or piece strips
together to obtain the necessary dimensions.
Example: The jacket sam.ple shown requi res 1 yd 191.5 cml tota l of 45" (114.5 c m;)
wide faux suede for the facings, 6 ~ 1112" [3.8 cm] wide] Cuff Strips, and 3 [two 11/2" [3.8
cm] wide+ one .2" [5 cm] wide] Hem Strips !Top, Middle, a.nd Bottoml.
 '. .1

8 simple patterns
25 fab lous, we able garments

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[3 Garments, 1 Pattern]
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ARTS IN STITCHES will boost
your skills with expert tips
and tricks while you create
gorgeous stitched projects .
Don't miss out on detail with ,,.---- ...........
slideshow zoom. capabilities
Enjoy our travel around the
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MODERN
by KEVIN KOSBAB {from page 54}
FABRIC
-
1
to 1 yd [46 cm to 91.5 cm l of 45" [114.5
/2
cml wide print cotton fabr ic, depending on
scale of motifs (Main; see No tes; shown:
holiday pr int]
-Fou r 12" x 18" [30.5 x 45.5 cm) pieces of
comp lemen tary solid cotton fabrics, each
a different color (Cont rast 1 group; shown:
dark green, red, pale green, and pink)
-1 yd (9 1.5 cm) of 45" (114.5 cm) wide cotton
print fabr ic for backing [Contrast 2; shown:
red polka dotsJ
-1/3 yd [30.5 cm) of 45 '' [ 114.5 cm ) wide solid
cotton fabric in a fifth color for binding
[shown: ligh t gray)
OTHER SUPPLI ES
- 1 yd (9 1.5 cm) of 44" (112 cm) wide fusible
fl eece
- Coordinating sewing/qu il ting thread (qui lt-
ing thread is a little heavier and thicker
than standard sewing thread)
- -Qui lt-basting spray or ben t- arm safety pins
- Walking foot for sewing machi ne (op tional)
- Colo r-Wheel Tree Skirt pa ttern on the pat-
tern i.nse rt side A
FINISH.ED SIZ E'
-. 34 1/i" (87.5 cml diameter; 14 1/~" (36 cim) in-
ne r center circle circum.fe rence
' ' .,
...
figure 1
... .
--- - ... .. .,,
NOTES
~ A llseam; allowances are 1/t." (6 mm) unless
othe rwise noted.
-For explanations of terms a nd techniques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67-74.
- Extra yardage of the Main print fabric
is recommended to a llow flexibili ty in
choosing which sections of the design to
high light in the Panels. Smaller, nond i-
rectional prints requ ire as little as 1/i yard
(46 cml. whi le 1 ya,rd (9 1.5 cm) is better for
large-scale prints like the one sh o1Nn in the
sample. When cutting the Panels, fu ssy cut
(roughly cut around the shape! the Main
fabr ic to se lect the moti fs to highlight.
CUT AND PR EPARE THE FA,BRIC
Using the provi,ded pa ttern, cut the
following:
- 4 Panels from the :Main fabric
- 1 Panel from each of the Contrast 1 group
fabr.i.cs
- 8 Panels from the fu sible fl eece, fo llowing
t he fleece cutti ng lines
Fo llowing the manufacturer's instructions,
fuse a fleece Panel to the wrong side of each
fabric Panel. centering the fl eece between
the stra ight edges of the fabr ic.
Cut the binding fabric into bias strips (see
Cutt ing Bias Strips on page 73). then seam
the bias strips in to a single length using
diagonal seams [see Diagona l Seams fo r
edges of the skirt fron t: the scalloped outer edge,
Joining Stri ps on page 73) that measures at
least 41h yards (4.1, m). Fold the strip in ha lf
lengthw ise with wrong sides togethe r; press.
ASSEMBLE THE. SKI RT
Arrange the Panels in a circle on yo ur work
s urface, alternatin g Main and Contrast Panels
in a pleasing arrange.ment. Determine which
Pane ls will be on each side of the opening lit
doesn' t matter which, but note that the Panels
you choose wHl typica lly be a.t the back of the
tree when the ski rt is in usel and mark the
adjacent sides of these Pane ls with a pin.
Place one of the marked Panels (with the
pin) right sides together with the unmarked
adjacent Pane l and sew the stra ight side
opposite the pin [yo u'll be sewing a long the
edge of the fus ible fleece). Press the seam
allowances open. Join the next adjacent Panel
in the same way and continue jo ining Panels
until a ll are sewn together, leaving the edges
marked with pins unsewn. On these raw
edges, trim away the seam allowances so
the fabric is fl ush wi th the fusib le fleece. This
piece is now the s kirt fron t.
-...... -
how-to
Press the Cont rast 2 backing fabr ic and
spread it out fla t, wrong side up. If using
qu ilt- basting spray, spray the fabr ic lightly.
Spread the assemble sk irt front out, cen ter-
ing it on the backing. fabr ic a nd smooth ing
it into place. Make sU:re the backing extends
slightly past the skirt front on all sides. If
us ing safety pins, pin the skirt fron t to the
bac king abo ut every 8" (20.5 cm). through all
thicknesses, avoidi ng the seams.
Using coordinating thread (shown: wh itel
and a wa lking foot if des ired, qui lt through
all layers by sti tching in the ditch along each
seam between pane ls, joining the skirt fron t
to the bac king.
Carefully trim the backing fabric flush with all
the opening ..seam," and the inner center circle.
BIND TH E EDGES
Wi th the assembled tree skirt front faci ng
right s i:de up, follow instr uctions for Binding
wit h M.i tered Corners, option B, on page 73,
pinning a long the trimmed straight edges
starting at one opening "seam," working
around the scalloped oute r edge, com -
ing back up the other ope nin g seam, " and
around the inner cen te r circ le (m,itering the
corners as you go). When stitch ing, at the
ins1de poin ts betwee n the sca lloped outer
edges of the pane ls, sew up to the seam
between the panels, stop with the needle
down in the fabric, an d pivot to sew a round
the scalloped outer edges of the next panel.
This wi ll form a pleat in the bind ing; do not
catch the pleat in the stitches (figure 1). Clip
into the seam allowance slightly at the inside
po ints if necessary for the binding to lay flat
when s li p-stitching it to the backing.
Note: Instead of hand.stitch ing the sample's
binding, the bindin g was turned over the edge
and topstitched from the right side.
KEV IN KOSBAB isafreelancewriter, an
editor, and a pattern designer. He designs nwdern
quilts and sewing projects for a variety ofmaga-
zines, and you can find his Feed Dog Designs
patterns in stores and on the Web atfeeddog.net.
109 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to

Hooded Robe+ - 1 Length of 3/,"12 cml wide elastic 25Yz [271h,

30, 33]" (65 [70, 76, 84) cm]
transferring all pattern markings to the
wrong side of the fabric (unless otherwise
Pajama Pants - Wa lking foot for sewing mach ine noted) and referring to the cutting layo uts for
by JACKI E CLARK DESIGNS - Large safety pin (to thread elastic through ass ista nce. For th is project, any instruction
to cut on the sea m" should be completed as
{from page 55} casing I
H

yo u wou ld if yo u we re cutt ing .. on the fo ld,"

DOW'NLOAD THE FULL-SIZE
PATTERN FOR THIS PROJECT
AT INTERWEAVESTITCH.COM
FABRIC
- 4111 (41/2, 4~h . 42/J, 51/4 ]. yd (4:1 [4.2, 4.2. 4.1 . 5.8)
m) of 45" (144.5 cm) wide cotton for Robe shell.
[Main; shown: Light blue/white polka dot)
- 3 1h (31/2, 31/2, 42/3) yd (4.1 [4.1, 4.1, 4.2] ml
of 60" (152.5 cm; all sizes]. wide Minkee
Blan kee fabric for Robe lining [Contras t;
shown: whi te)
- 1V3 [1 1/1, 11/;, 22/3) yd [1.2 (1.2, 1.2, 2.4] ml of
60 " [152.5 cm) wide Minkee Blankee fabr ic
for Pajama Pants [Contrast; shown: white)
OTHER S;UPPLIES
- Sewing thread to ma tch Main and Contrast
fabrics
- 6 binde r cllps [see Notes]
- Serge r or pinking shears (optional; see
Notes)
- Full-s ize pattern PDF at interweavestitch.com
NOTES
-Alt seam a llowances are 5/e" (1.5 cml un less
otherwise noted.
- For explanations of terms and techniques,
see Sewing Bas ics on pages 67- 74.
- When instruc ted to fin ish the raw edges to
prevent ravel.ing, you have a few op tions.
Serge the edges, use a zigzag or an ove r-
cast s titch on your sewing machine along
the edges, or sti tch '/~ " [6 mm} from the
edge and then p.ink the raw edg.es.
Tips for working with Minkee Blankee:
- Use a walk ing foot [see yo ur sewing ma -
chine manual for assistance).
- Lengthen the stitch to 3.2 mm.
-Binder clips from an office supply store work
well to hold pieces together instead of pins.
- Do not touch with a hot iron.
- The fabri c nap needs to be petted or
smoo thed by hand. Fabric nap wi ll eit her
smoo th down like ha ir on an an ima l or
be ruffled up. Align two pieces in a single
laye r so that naps smooth in t he same
direction.
- When using Robe Front pattern piece, be sure
to tape Robe Hood in place before cutting out.
CUT TH1E FABRIC
Download, print, and assemble the
fu ll-s ize pa tte rn PDF fro m interweavestitch
.com. Cut the fo llowing pi eces as d i rect~d.
with the seam serving as t he fold i:n this case.
Fr om t he Main fabric, cut:
- 2 rectang les, each .m easuring 81" [206 cm I
x width of fabric
Place the 2 rec tang tes right sides tog et her.
Us ing a 3/4" [2 cm) seam allowance, seam
together along one Long side . Finish all raw
edges. Use this seamed piece to cut the
remaining pieces as fo llows, referring to the
cutting layo ut for assistance.
- 2 Robe Fronts [cut 1, cut 1 reverse; cut au -
tomatica lly from the doub led fabric!. mark
the patter n dots fo r pocket placement on
the righ t side of the fabdc
- 1 Robe Back on the seam (placed on the
seam as directed on the pattern)
- . Two 1O" x 12" [25.5 x 30.5 cm) Pockets
- One 2 1//' x 9" [6.5 x 23 cm ) Be lt Loop
- Enough 2 1/i" [6.5 cm] wide bias strips for
180" (4.6 ml of finished bi nding
Fr om t he Lining Contrast fabric, cut :
-.. 2 pieces measuring 54" x 60'' (137 x
152.5 cm l. It's very important to check the
direc tion of the fabr:ic na p.
Place the 2 pieces right sides together and,
using a 3/4" [2 cm ) seam allowance, stitch to-
ge ther a long one selvedge. Trim the sea m a l-
lowa nces to Vt [6 mm). Finish all raw edg.es.
Use th.is seamed piece to cut the remaining
pieces as follows, referring to the cutt ing
layout for assistance.
- 2 Robe Fronts [cu t 1, cut 1 reverse; cut
automatically from the doubled fabric)
- 1 Robe Back on the sea m (placed on the
seam as directed on the pattern]
- 1 Belt f S. M. LI 6" x 40" (15 x 101.5 cm ];
IXL) 6" x 46" [15 x 117 cm) on the sea m
-2 Pocke ts 1O" >< 12" [25.5 x 30.5 cm )

ca:: HOODED ROBE

c( BUST WAIST HIP C'8 LENGTH
S 34-35" (86.5-89 cm) 26-27" (66-68.5 cm) 36 1/z-371h" f92.'5-95 cm] 361/i" (92.5 cmJ
u M 36-371h" l91.5-95 cm) 28-291h" (71 -75 cm) 381/2-40" (98-101.5 cm.} 371/i" (95 cm}
w l 39-401h'' [99-1 0'3cm) 31-32 1/t (79-82.5 cm) 411/2-43" [J 05.5-109 cmJ 37 1/i" (95cm)
-en
N
Showninsize Medium

l- PAJAMA. PAN:T S (sized for knits with stretch]

o: WAIST HIP CB LENGTH ELASTICS
<(
:c S 26-27'' [66-68.5 cm] 37-38" (94-9~.5 cm) 291/2' (75 cm) 25.1/2" (65 cm)
u M 28-29' [71-73.5 cm]' 39-40" (99-101.5 cm]
1
291h" (75 cml 27 1h." [70cm)
w L 30-32" [76-81.5 cm] 41 -43 [l 04-109 cm] 293/1." (75.5 cm) 30 [76 cm]1
11

-
N XL 34-36" [86.5-91.5 cm) 45-47" (l14.'5-11 9.5cm)
Cl) Showninsize SmaU
29 3/4" [75.5cm) 33 [84 cm]:
11

110
stitch

From the Pajama Pant Contrast fabric, cut:
-2 Pant !cut 1, cut 1 reverse)
CONSTRUCT THE PAJAMA PANTS
Place the Pant pieces right sides togethe r;
using a 1/1." (6 mm) seam allowance, sew
the pant Front and pant Back crotch seams
togeth er (figure I).
Lay the seamed pan ts flat so tha t the
inseam edges are aligned. Stitch the inseam,
beginning at t he hem edge of one leg and
stopping at the crotch with your needle down
to ensure that your seams are sti ll aligned.
Continue to sew the remaining inseam to the
hem of the other leg (see figure 21.
Finish the raw edge of the waistband using
one of the suggested options in the Notes. Turn
the waist edge down, toward the wrong side, by
11h" (3.8 cm) to create the waistband. Topstitch
at 1/4" [6 mm) and 11/4" [3.2 cml from the fo ld,
crotch seam
figure 1
- - - - - - - - --- - ~
- - -...;.. -.- ----
---
leave open
.I for elastic
'
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figure 2
leaving a 1" [2.5 cml opening at the center back
for threading the elastic (figure 2).
To hem the pants. finish the raw edge of
each leg using one of the suggested options in
the Notes. Turn up each leg's hem edge by l112"
[3.8 cml toward the wrong side and topstitch 1
114" (3.2 cm) from the fold. Stitch again V~"
[6 mm) from th e fo ld to complete the hems.
Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic.
Clip the other end to the waistband near the
center back. Thread the e las ti c through the
waistband casing by working the safety pin
along th e casing with your fingers until it comes
out the other end. Remove the pin and clip, pull
th e two ends of the elastic out, and overlap the
ends by about 1/2" (1.3 cm). Stitch a wide zigzag
stitch over the overlapped area to secure. Align-
ing the new stitch Line with the previous one,
continu e the topstitchi ng along the 114" [3.2 cm)
stitch line of the waistband casing to c'lose the
gap for a continuous seam. Turn the pants right
s id e out. The pants a.re now com.plete.
CONSTRUCTTHEROBESHELL
Place one Main fabric and one Contrast
fabric Pocket rig.ht sides together. Stitch
tog.ether around the edges, leaving a 3" [7.5 cml
opening along the top lone short) edge. Turn the
'- - ~ - ... - -
/
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _ !'!!!'!!'.
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clip
i g ure '3 figure 4i
how-to
assembled pocket right s ide out through the
opening. Turn in the seam allowances alo ng the
gap and then fo ld this entire edge over 2" [5 cm)
toward the right [Main fabric] side of the fabric.
Edgestitch along the top and bottom edges of
the folded-over hem (fi,g ure 3). Repeat the
entire step to create the second pocket.
Pin and stitch one prepared pocket to
each Main fabric robe Front, aligning the
corners of the pocket wit h the marked dots.
Place the Main fabric robe Fronts right
s ides together; pin and stitch the hood por-
tio n of the garment tog et her by stitching
from the center front seam a t th e top and
around the curve of the head; stop at the
end of the hood at the center back. At the
corners created by the hood and shoulder
seams, clip to the marked dots.
Pin the robe Fronts right s ides togethe:r
1
to the seamed robe Back at the shoulders.
Match the dots and side seams. Be sure to
match the center back on the hood neckline
to the seam on the robe Back neckline. Stitch
the shoulder/sleeve seams, beginning at
one sleeve hem and stopping at the dot with
the needle in the fabr ic. Pivot and continue
to stitch the neckline, pivoting aga in at th e
next dot and stitching down to the remaining
sleeve hem. Clip the curved seam along the
neckline. Clip at the un de rarms (figure <I).
Press the seams to one side.
Press each sleeve hem up 1h" (1 .3 cm]; do not
stitch. You have now constructed the robe shell.
CONSTRUCT TH E LINING+
ASSEMBLE THE ROBE
Repeat Steps 7-11 with the Contrast fab -
ric pieces to construct th e robe lining .
Insert the assembled lining into the shell.
Match the side seams and s leeves. Pin or clip
!with binder clipsl the sleeves toge ther at the
wrist openings and then topst itch V~" [6 mm]
from the edge around each sleeve hem.
Fold the Belt p:iece as if creating double -
fold bin ding (see Create Binding, option B,
-- - ._ -- - - -. - - .., -
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interweavestitch.com *
 how-to
on page 73). Hold together with binding clips.
Edgestitch the folded Belt, s ta rting a t one
short end and contin uing along t he three
re maining e dg es, fin ish ing at the edg e where
you beg.an.
Fold the Belt Loop pie ce in the same
manner as in Step 14. Edgestit ch the Long
edges only,. leavin g the sho rt ends open. Then
cut th e piece in half to ma ke two belt Loops.
Press the ends of the loops to the inside.
Pin the prepared loops 4" [10 cm) below the
armho le at the side seam, wi th the Len gth .of
the loop lying centered along the seam . Stit ch
across each end of each Loo p, 1/4" [6 mm )
from the edg e. Bac.ktack severa l times to
secure . [Op tional: Use a. zi.g.za g stitch on each
e nd of the loop to secure.I
FINISHING
To crea te the binding with the Main fa bric
bias strips, fol low the instru cti ons under
Create Bind ing on pag e 73 to seam th e bias
strips toge ther and fold into double -fold
binding with a flnished length of 180" [4.6 m).
Starting at the hem at th e cen ter back of
the robe, with the robe lining facing up, pin the
binding [or use binder clips ) to the lin ing side of
the robe, matching the raw edges. Fold under
one short edge of the binding by 1/ 2" [1. 3 cm).
Beginning with the fo lded -under edge, apply
the Binding to the robe following the instruc-
tions for Binding with Mitered Corners, option
B, on page 73, with the following exceptions:
use a 3/a" [1 cm) seam allowance; stop stitching.
3/s" [1 cm) from each corner when making your
mitered corners. When you are a few inches
from center back, trim the binding, leaving 1/2"
(1 .3 cml of overlap . Overlap the beginning edge
and fi nish stitching the binding in place.
JACKIE CLARK is a seamstress, self-pub-
lished pattern designer and afabric designer
with Bena1iex Fabms. She has a passion for
inspiring sewers at roer]J skill level. She lives
with herfamily in Wichita, Kansas. Visit her
on the Web at jackieclarkdesigns.coni.
112
stitch
Ornament Tree
Placemats
by JACQUIE GERING {from page 56}
DOWNLO.AD TH,E FULL-SIZE
PATTERN FOR THIS PROJECT
AT INTERWEAVESTITCH.COM
FABRIC (4 PLACEMATS)
-1 yd (91 .5 cm) of soli d cotton fab ric for
placemat tops !Main; shown: red)
-.. 1 yd [91 .5 cm) of cotton print fabric for back-
in g {C ontrast 1; shown: red/white mod print)
- Five 4112" x 18" strips [11 .5 x 45.5 cm) of cot-
ton print fa brics [1 each of 5 different fa brics)
for ornaments (or various scraps; see Notesl
- '5/a yd (57.5 cm) of cotton print fa bric for bind-
ing [Contrast 2: shown: da rk gray/wh ite print)
OTHER SUPPLIES
-1 6" x 30" (40.5 x 76 cml piece of fus ib le
web
- Coordinating sewing and qui lting threads
- Four 21 1/ 2" x 16 112" 154.5 x 42 cm) pieces of
low-loft ba.tti ng
-Removable fa bric marker
-2 , . 15 cm) wide pain ter 's tape
-Quilter's safety pins for basting
-Walking foot for sewing machin e
-O rnament Tre e Pla cemats temp la tes PD F
at interweavestitch.com
FINISH'ED SIZE
- Each place mat : 141/ ; " x 1:9112" (37 x 49.5 cm)
NOTES
- For explanations of terms and techn iques.
see Sewing Bas ics on pages 67- 74.
- Scraps a lso work we ll for the ornaments.
Scraps need to be at Le ast 41/2" x 41/2" [1 1.5
x 11.5 cml for each large circle a nd 2 1/i" x 2
1
h " (6.5 x 6.5 cm l for each small circle.
- Choose a thread color fo r appliq ueing. the
ornaments and qui lting the branches that
will blend with them and stand out on the
placema t background. Change the thread
color to match the background fab ric to
qu ilt the diagonal lines.
- Reduce t he stit ch le ngth to 2 mm when
appliqueing the ornament circles to make
sewing around the curves easier.
- A stra ight stitch is use d to applique the
ornam.ents and stitch th e tree. Decorative
stitches such as zigzag or a satin stitch
could also be used if desi.red.
CUT THE FAB:RIC
D Cu t the fo llowing pieces from the indi-
cated fabrics :
- Four 191/2" x 14112" (49.5 x 37 cml rect-
ang les from Ma in fab ric for Tops
- Four 211/z" x 161/2" (54.5 x 42 cml rectan -
gles from Con trast 1 fab ric fo r Backing
- Eight 21/4" (5.5 cm ) x widt h of fabric strips
from Contrast 2 for bi ndin g
PREPARE rHE ORNAMENTS
El Us in g the provide d temp lates, trace
twenty of Circle A and e ight of C.i:rc le B on to
the paper s ide of the fusi ble web ; Leave at
least 1/2" (1.3 cm) between circles.
El Cu t out the circles abo ut 1/i." [6 mm) out-
side the lines.
B Place the A and B circles onto the wrong
sides of t he print fa.bric strips. Make sure
there are four of circle A on each pri:nt fabr ic.
Divide the B circ les among the print fa bri cs.
El Follow t he manufacturer's inst ructions
to adhere the circles onto the fabric. Cut
out each circle a long the drawn line. Repeat
all of the follow in g instructio ns fo r each
place mat.
PREPARE THE PLACE MAT TOP
ll Ta.pe the Placement temp late on a sunny
window (or use a light boxl and tape a Main
fab ric Top rectangte on top of the diagra m,
lining up the edges.
D Use a fabric marker to tra ce the place-
ment of th e ornamen ts and the stitching
lines for t he tree .
ATTACH THE ORNAMENTS
ll Remove the paper backing from fi ve of the
A circles and eight of the B circ les.

figu.J:'le l
Iii Use the markings transferred from the
Placement temp late to position the A and B
circles, fusible side down, on the To p rect-
angle. Arrange the prints to make a pleasing
arrangement.
ilil Fuse th e circles to the Top, following the
manufactu rer's in structions;
mMake a qu ilt sandwich by placing the Con-
t rast 1 fabric Backing piece lright side down].
the batting, and then the Top (righ t s ide up
and centered).
Im Baste with qu il te r's safety pins every 4- 6"
[10-15 cm ).
IE Install a walking fo ot on your machine and
then topstitch around each ornament circle about
1/s" 1
3 rnml from the edge. Be sure to secure the
beginning and end of the stitching by backtacking
or tying off on the wrong side securely.
STITCH THE TREE
iE Repeated lines of s traight stitchin g form
the trunk and branches of the ornament tree.
Sta.rt qui lting at the base of ornament #1 as
marked on the temp late. Backtack to sec ure
and continue sti:tching a long th e drawn line to
the bottom of the trun k. Stop with the needle
down.
ml Pivot and sew back up to the base of orna-
ment #1, forming a parallel li ne about 1.4" [3
mm) from the first sewing Li ne. Stop, again with
the needle down when you reach the ornament.
im Pivot and sew from top to bottom two more
ti mes, fi lli ng in the space between the lines fo r a
total of six Lines of stitching. Backtack to secure.
To create thicker or thinner tree branches, add
or reduce the number of stitching lines.
IE Next, stitch the branch sta rting at the
base of ornament #2 . stitchin g to the botto.m
of the branch and back to the ornament base,
repeating the back and forth stitc hing to
complete the branch.
lllJ Again start ing at the base of th e orna -
ments, quilt six lines of s titching for each
rema in ing branch.
I'
batting+ backing
QUILT THE. PLACEMAT
ID Change the t hread to match the placemat
top fabric. Position a piece of 2" [5 cm) wide
painter's tape so one long. edge of the tape
extends from the top right to the bottom Left
corner of t he placemat Qui lt along both edg -
es of the tape to create two diagonal quiltin g
lin es. Wh en the edge of th e tap e intersects
with an ornamen t, s top qu ilting at the edge of
th e ornamen t, secure the stitching by back-
ta cking or sewing several very short s titches,
and continue qui lting on the opposi te e dg e
of th e ornament [secure the stitching when
restarting; see figure I] .
EtiJ Reposit io n the edge of the tap e along the
bottom stitchin g line and quilt a long the op-
posite edge, then con tinue repositio ning the
tape and quilting to fi ll the bottom half of the
place mat with diagona l quilting li nes 2" [5
cml a~ part. Reposi.tion the tape along the top
orig in al stitching line and repeat t he process
to qu ilt the top half of th e placemat.
F.INISHING
Ell Trim excess backing fabric and battin9 even
with the placemat top to prepare for bin ding.
EEi Referring to Diagonal Seams fo r Jok1ing
Strips [page 73). join two of the Contrast 2 bind-
ing str:i,ps to make continuous bin ding for each
pla.cemat. Press the binding .in half lengthwise
with wrong sides together to create double-
layer bind ing. Following the instruct ions und er
Binding with Mitered Corners [page 731. bind
the placemats. Put the placema ts an yo ur table
and enjoy the holiday season !
JACQUIE GERING designs modern quilts
and is writing a book on niodern improvisational
quiltingfor Interweave. Her designs have bern
published in Stitch and other quilting magazines.
You canfind her and her black Lab, Bruno, on her
blog at tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspotcom
how-to
Wll~ ~lloomll
by RUTH SINGER {from page 57}
FABRIC
Se lection of fe lt scraps
OTHER SUPPLIES
-- Assorted 2- and/or 4-hole buttons. 10-20 mm
(a-%") in diameter, to coordinate with felt
-Coordinating sewing thread
- Handsewing ne ed le and strong th,read
-Em broidery needle and stranded embro i-
dery flo ss (optiona l; see Step 3]
-Tweezers [optional!
FINISH ED SIZE
- 3 yd (2.7 ml long, or as desired
NOTES
-For exp lanations of term s and techn,iques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 6 7-74.
CU T THE FABRIC
1
Cut irregular pebble shapes, each 1/2- 11/ 2"
(1.3- 3.8 cm) in diameter, from the felt scraps.
Th is is easiest i1f you cut the felt into rough
squares and simply ro und off the edges. You will
need about 12 pebbles for each 12" (30 ..5 cm]
of garla nd (the sample features about 1DO felt
pebbles plus smaller pebbles for embellishing I.
ASSEMBLE THE GARLAND
Arrange the pebbles in a Lang row in
the order you want, setting aside some of
th e smallest pieces to sew an top of larger
pieces later.
You have two options to sew the pebbles
together:
Use a sewing machine;
-- Place the first pebble under the presser
fo ot and sew s lowly (backtacking at the
start). using a medium- lon g (3- 4 mm)
stra ight stit ch a long the pebble, roughly in
the center. When the needle is almost ta the
end of the pebble, stop sewing but leave the
presser foot dawn. Place the next pebble
as close to th e previous pebb le as possible.
1'13 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to

mrd.lv
JHr,m
by JIL CAPPUCCIO {from page 57}

FABRIC
- 3/ , yd (68.5 cm) of lighweight cott on pirin t
[M ain; shown: brown/white polka dot)
- 'k yd 123 cm.) of tw"ill, denim, or printed canvas
[Contrast; shown: pink/red/cream floral canvas)

OTHER SUPPL IES

- 14" (35.5 cm) or longer contrasting zippe r
- Coordina ting sewing thread
- Handy Sack pattern on the pattern insert
s ide B

FINISH:ED SIZE
- Unzipped bag : 13 112" x 6" x 1D" [34.5 x 15 x
25.5 cm)
CUT TH E FAB:RIC
- Zipped-up wa lte t: 6" x 41/2" (15 x 11.5 cmJ
D Cut the followin9 pieces as directed, us ing
NOTES the provided patterns or dimens ions [where
- All seam a llowances a re 11/e" f1.5 cm] unless dime nsions are given, no patt ern is provided).
otherwise noted. Transfer all marki ngs and notches to the fabric.
- For explanations of t erms and tech niques, From the Main fabric, cut:
see Sewing Bas ics on pages 67- 74. - 1 Sack Body on the fold (mark bo th raw
- French seams were used to make the bag edges at fo ldline)
st urdy and finished both inside and ou t; - Two 1s" x 41/z" [45 .5 x 11.5 cm) pieces for
you can use a serger or zigzag or overlock the Handles
You might need a pair of tweezers to push stitch if you prefe r a nd jus t trim off t he From the Contrast fabric, cut:
the pebble under the presser foo t so it abuts extra seam a llowance . - One 9 3/4'' x 61h: [25 x 16 cm] pi ece for the
the edge of the previous one. Continue sew- Wa llet
ing and .keep adding pebbles in th is manner.
With practice, and if your machine can
.manage the thickness, cen ter sma ll pebbles FR.E NCH SEAMS
on top of Larger ones as yo u sew, stitching
through bot h laye rs at once. Continue unt il This seam-fin:sh technique encloses the seam allowance, leaving behind
a ll the larger pebbles are used up,. back- only finished edges on the inside and out. It's a great option for sheer or very
tack,ing at the e nd to sec ure the threads. lightweight fabrics to h "de raw edges in see-through garments. For th.e version
Use a handsewing needle:
shown here, a 5/s" (r ..s cm) wide seam allowance is used.
- Thread the appropriate needle with about a
24" [61 cml length of matching or contrasting Lay your fabrics on top of each other \i\rith their \vrong sides together and
embroidery floss (3 strands] or strong hand- raw edges aligned Sew the seam with a 3/s" (1 cm) seam allovvance. Trim the
sewing thread. Starting with the first pebble,
leave a long tail at the start and sew running
seam allovva11ce to 1/s" (3 mm). J:o prevent raveling, be careful not to cut into
stitches through each of the next 14 pebbles your stitches or cut too close to the seam line. [a] Press the seam ]j11e flat
in tu rn, about 3 stitches in each. Repeat to join to set the stitches. Then press the seam allowance open from the wrong side .
another 15 pebbles with another 24" !61 cm)
length of floss or thread, and keep making Next, fold the fabric along the seam line with right sides together. [ b] Sew
these sections until you've used all the large the seam again, stitching 1/4" (6 mm) from the seamed edge. [c] Press the
pebbles. Join sections of garland together by
seam allowance to one side to finish [d].
tying the tails, then sew in the ends and cut the
remaining threads. Then handsew the smaller
pebbles on top of various larger pebbles as
desired, sewing the small pebbles in place as
you would a button.
El Handsew bu ttons on top of va rious
pebbles to decorat e ..

RUTH SING ER is a British textile artist with

a passion for repurposing old fabrics. She applies
her long-standing love oftraditional sewing
techniques to conternpora.ry designs. She is the I
author ojThe Se~g Bible and Sew Eco. Find
out more at www.ruthsinger.com. [a] [b] c] [d]

114
stitch

- -
~ I
'
,..,
....
<D
....rut'CI
figure l
- - - ----
/- --
MAKE THE WALLET/SACK BOTTOM
El Fold th e Wa llet piece in ha lf width-wise,
righ t sides toge ther, and press to crease.
With the Wallet piece right s ide up and star t-
ing at the crease, pin the zipper wrong s ide
flush with the raw edge of the Wallet piece,
folding the top end of the zippe.r tape out on
the diagona l. Start stitching lusing a 1//' [6
mm] seam allowancel the z.ipper to within 1/4"
[6 mm) of the first corner and stop with the
need le in the down posi tion . Pivot and con-
tin ue to stitch the zipper to the next corner
and fina lly to the center crease, again folding
the end of the zipper tape ou t on the diagona l
(ligure 1).
El Fold the Wallet righ t sides together and
s titch t he rema in ing zippe r tape a long the
raw edges of the other half of the Wallet.
Unzip the Wa llet and turn it right side out;
this wi.Ll be the bottom of your sack.
how-to
--- - -- -- - ---- -- -"'1 1
-
-- - - WI; -
'
-
-- - - - - j
- - I
I
, Scandinavian Reindeer
'
,
-
+Heart Ornaments
by HEIDI BOYD {from page 58}
'
. ~
1
I
~
I
-
'
i
I
- I
I
I
" r1 1
I
- -
'" '
_. -
""' ~ .. --- - - - ...'
.
-~
J.
MAKE THE SACK
0 Lay the Sack Body piece righ t side up and
pin the wallet right si,de up on the Sack Body,
aligning t he wa llet's corners wi th the mark-
ings and t urning the seam allowance [and
zipper edge) under the wallet. Edgestitch t h@ FABRIC
wa llet to the sack, following th e perimeter - One 12" x 18" [30.5 x 45.5 cm] piece of wool
of the wallet and mak ing sure the stitch - fe lt each in 2 colors lshown: white and red)
ing catches th e seam. al lowance and zipper
edges between the wa llet and the sack fab ric. OTHER SUPPLIES
- Embroidery floss in 2 colors to match felt
ll S&w the s ide seams, using French seams (shown : white and red ]
(see s idebar on page 1141 if desired. -- Sewing thread in 2 co lors to ma tch fel t
Iii Match each side seam with the corre- (shown: white and red ]
sponding fold Une mark (from Step 1) on the - Embroide ry need le
sack bottom and use French seams to finish - Handsewing needle
the bottom of the sack.
- 1 yd (91.5 cm) of white twisted satin jew-
II Press alt seams. Press the top edge of elry cord for hanging
the sack unde r 1/2" .[1 .3 cm), then press und er - Thin cardboard [cracker and cereal boxes
another 1h." 1[1 .3 cm) for the top hem . work well]
IJ Fold each Hand le piece in ha lf lengthwise -Tissue pape r and tweeze rs lopbonal; see
and press. Open it up and press each long edge Step 3]
under to meet the center crease. Refo ld each - Removab le fabric mar king pen
Handle along the initia l crease and edgestitch
to close the folds. Your Handles shou ld be - Scandinavian Reindeer and Heart Orna -
about 1" [2.5 cm) wide when you are finished. ments templates on the pattern insert side B
El Insert th e raw ends of one Hand le into FINISHED, SIZE
the top hem fold on one side of the sack, - Reindeer: 63/ 4" high x 6" wide r17 x 15 cm)
matching the ends wi th the notches. Pin the - Buck: 8" high x 6" wide [20.5 >< 15 cm )
Hand les in place and topstitch near t he hem
- Hearts: 31/z" high x 31/z " wide (9 >< 9 cm)
fold to finish the top of th e sack. The hand les
will be ha ng ing on the in side of the sack. NOTES
D!I Now fl ip the handles up and stitch them to - For explanations of terms and techniques.
the top of the hem fo ld, re inforcing the stitch- see Sewing Basics on pages 6 7- 74.
ing by sewi.ng back and forth several times to - All of the fe lt used is Woo lFe lt from National
make sure the handles are s turdily secured. Nonwovens. The telt's fiber content is a
mPress th e top hem and hand les. To use, 35 1%1wooV65/o rayon blend . For woo'l felt,
check with your local craft/fabric store 0 r
fold the sack flat in to the wa llet and zip t he 1
wallet closed around it to keep the bag con - nationa lnonwovens.com. Wool felt is more
ta ined and compact unti l needed. substantive and holds its shape better than
acrylic fe lt does.
- All 4 ornamen ts are made t he same way.
JIL CAPPUCCIO has been a designer, sean1-
Simply use the coordina ting template for
stress, and shop owner for twenty years. For cutting t he materials and completing the
nwre infonnation, v.isit her website, jilcappuc~ embro id ery for each ornament.
cio.corn, or shop her Etsy store, etsy.convshopl
filcappuccio. >>
119 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to

CUT THE FABRIC and concealing the cardboard Liner between

D Choose which felt color you will use for the laye rs.
the Top and the Base !refer to the photo at I!] Cut a 7 1/2" 119 cm) length of satin cording
right for the combinations used in the sample and thread the cording into the embro idery
ornaments). Cut 1. of each from the felt needle; pass it th ro ug h t h;e top of th e as-
El Cut 1 Liner piece from th e cardboard. sembled orname nt by slipp in g the needle
between the two layers of felt, catching a few
EMBROIDER T.HE ORNA.MENT stitches. and bringing it back up between the
layers aga in. Pu ll the cording through un til
EJ If desi.red. trace the design onto tissue yo u have a 3 31.:" !9.5 cm) Loop. Tie the ends
paper and then place the tissue paper over togethe r in an overhand knot
the Top, pin in place, and stitch thro ugh the
tissue paper and felt in the next step; remove CRE.DITS
the tlssue paper by gently tearing it away from National No nwoven s, nat io nalnonwove ns
the stitches and use tweezers if necessary .com
to remove any sma ll bits of tissue paper still
clinging to the stitches. (Alterna tively, si.mpty
use the temp late as an examp le and freehand HEIDI BOYD is the author often books with
draw the design onto the Top with a remov- North Light Books, rrwst notably the Si n2ply
able fabric m.arking pen or embro ider the BeautifUl series..She has afine-art degree and got
designs w.it hou t marking first; if using a fabric her start in professional crafting as a contributor
marking pen, test it on a scrap to make sure
you can fully remove the marks from the fe lt].
to Better Hom.es and Gardens books and rnaga-
zines. Visit her at heidiboydblagspot com
B Thread your embroidery need le wi th three
strands of embroidery floss in a color to con-
trast with the Top. Pull t he needle up from the
underside of the top piece to begin forming W~m:ifr@rri W@rr~~ 1f~ 1fW&Il
your fi rst snowfla ke, fo llowing the tem- by LISA COX {from page 58}
plate provided. Make four Yt {2 cm.]1straight
stitches that radiate out fro m the cen ter spot.
Create four more diagonal stitches between
each of the straight stitches. Stitch pairs of
)
dia.gona l straigh t stitches at the top of each
straight stitch (as indicated on the embroidery
template ] to .make ornate fea thered V-shaped
ends. Refer to the embroidery Lines on the
template for additi onal stitch groupings.
Sma ll cross-stitches [diagonal stitches cross-
ing at the center]. fill in the areas between
the large snowftakes. Knot the thread on
the wrong side behind each snowflake and
begin each new snowflake with a new thread .
This will prevent the threads from pulling or
distorting the fe lt.
l!I For the deer's eye,, thread the embroidery
needle with three strands of embroidery
FABRIC
floss in a color to cont rast with the Top. Bring - 1 yd [91 .5 cm l of white waffle-weave cotton
the needle up under the deer's forehead and
fabric [Mainl
create the eye with a French knot.
-20 " x 4" (51 x 10 cm] strip of prin t cot-
FINISHING to n for App lique Fo undation IContrast -1;
shown: white polka dotl
El Center the Liner on top of the Base and
then center t he To p (rig ht side up) on top. If -20 " x 3 1h" (5 1 x 9 cml strip of gingham fo r
the Liner can be seen at all, shave off a s mall binding (Contrast 2; shown: Lime)
amount of the Liner from t he edge w it h scis- -Scraps of cotton print fabdcs in shades of
sors and then re- stack the Layers, making lime , green, and chartreuse (or desired
sure the Top completely covers the Liner. Pin catorsl for Trees
the layers t ogether through the center. us ing
cautio n when pushing the s traigh t pin in and OTHER SUPPLIES
out of the cardboard. - Fusible web [such as Steam-A-Seam or
Vliesofix]
II Th read a handsewing need le with thread
-Stranded 'e mbroidery floss for tree tr un ks
that ma tches the Top felt. Make a series
!shown: brown)
of small invisible whipstitches to join the
outside edge of t he Top piece with the Base - Embroidery needle
piece. Try to avoid letting your stitches pen - - Handsewing needle
etrate the thickness of the Base. Work your - Winter Forest Tea Towel templates on page
way around the entire Top piece, trapping 117

116
stitch
 how-to

*trees indicated only for directional .assistance

f
\
-
----
\ I
I
- -
\
-I - ~

\
-
'f

....Ii.

<
-

T
- -
-~ -

{ \
- - I
I
\ I \ I \ I \ I I
\I \ I \ I \ I
I
\/ I
FINISHED SIZE
-18" x 29" (46 cm x 73.5 cm) ~ - - - - - """' - ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I!"' - ..... -- ......... - .... ,..., - .- - - - - - - - _ , - - ... - - - - - - - - - ~

NOTES
1
- All seam allowances are / 4" [6 mml unless
otherwise indicated.
-For explanations of terms and techniques,
see Sewing Basics on pp 67- 74.
- . Fat quarters are fa bric cuts often sold
(a lone or in color-coo rdinated sets) at
fabric and quilt stores. Fat quarte rs are figure I
generally 18" x 22" (45.5 x 56 cm).

CUT THE FABRIC

From Main fab ric, cu t a rectang le measur-
ing 20" x 283/~ " [51 x 73 cm l for the Towel.

CONSTRUCT THE APPLlQUE PANEL

templates
Using the provided Tree temp lates , trace
the eleven Tree shapes !re fer to the numbers
on teh trees) onto th e back of the fusible web,
leaving at le ast 1h" (l.3 cml between each
shape. Rough ly cut out the trees, leaving a
/." (6 mml allowance around each . Fuse the
1

shapes onto the wrongs.ides of the assorted

scraps, fol lowing the man ufacturer's direc-
tions. Cut out the Tree shapes fo llowing the
drawn lines. Peel off the backing pape r.
Position the Trees on th e Applique Founda-
tion, using the photo at left as a guide (or as
desired). The Trees are numbered from Left 1, 8, 11
to rig ht. Posi tion Trees 1-3 in one group near
the left- hand edge of the Fo undation, then
Trees 4- 6, and lastly Trees 7-1 1 in a group
near the right-hand edge of the Founda tion,
overlapping them slightly. Ensure there is at
least 13/ " [4.5 cm} clea rance at each end of
the Foundation. Fuse the Trees into place.
Stitch around each of t he trees usin g a
small .zigzag stitch (stitch length 2.3 mm,
stitch wi,dth 0.8 mml. pivoting at the poin ts
with the need le down in the Foundation fa bric.
l!I Using two strands of embroidery floss,
stitch about four backstitches, cen te red, at
the base of each tree to form t he tru nk. You
have now created the applique panel.

CONSTRUCT THE TEA TOWEL

Positi on the Towel piece so that it is flat
and righ t side up on your work surface. Posi-
tion the applique panel righ t side down on top
so that it is upside down !i.e., the tree tops 2, 7, 9 3, 4, 5, 6
faci ng toward the bottom short end of the
towel) with th e panel's bottom edge 3 1h '' [9
cm) from. the bottom edge of the Towet (see
ligure 1).

117 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to
- Circle A: th ree F7, three F8
II Stitch t he lower edge of the applique
pa~e lt o the Towel (figure l) . Flip the appli -
que panel ove r to the right side and press .
Th e bottom edge of t he app li que panel
should ma tch up with the bo tt om edge of
the Towel.
El Using a basting stitch and a scant seam
aHowance, stitc h across the bottom and sides
of the a ppliqu e panel, throug h all layers.
On bot h long sides of the Towel, turn under
1/2" (1.3 cm )' and press. Turn und e r an ot her
1/2" (1.3 cm) and press. Topstitch both sides
in place near the fold. Re peat to hem the
top edge of the Towel (opposite from the
appliqu e panel]. You have now assemble d the
tea towel.
FINISHING
D Pin to mark the center of th e Contrast 2
binding strip and t he center of the bottom
edge of t he assemb led tea towel. Pin the
b.ind in g to the bottom edge of the towel, right
sides to gether, alig ning raw edges and t he
marked cen ters; stitch in place.
Fold the binding down an d press. Press
the side edges of t he binding toward the
wrong side so that t hey are in line with the
s ide edges of t he towel. Press under a 1/ 4"
[6 mm) hem on the long edg e of t he binding ,
then fold the binding in ha lf with wrong. sides
together so tha t the free edge of the binding
is now on t he wro ng side of the towe l, encas-
in g the raw edge. Pin the bind in g in place
so
on the wrong side of t he towe l that it just
cove rs the stitching line. Slip- stitch in place,
th e n press t he finished tea towel.
LISA COX is an occupational therapist by day
and an avid crafter at night. Her designs have
appeared in a variety ofbooks and magazines
and she was recently featured in Studios
magazine. Lisa lives in Perth, Australia, and she
collaborates with her daughter Sarah on a blog
(aspoonfulofsu.gardesigns.com), where you can
follow their sewing and baking adventures..
118
stitc h
Felt Circles Table
Runner
by MICH E LL.E LIZCANO {fro1n page 59}
FABRIC
- 3/4 yd [69 cm) of 60" [ 152.5 cm) wide de nim,
lightwe ight ca nvas, linen, or cotton for
patchwork sq uares [Ma in ; shown: natura l
cotor denim )
- 1 yd (91.5 cm l of 45" 1114.5 cm) wid e mus-
lin or qu ilti ng cotto n for backing
- 11 craft squares .[9" x 12" [23 x 30.5 cm1l
.of wool fe lt for circles (see Notes; shown:
red [F1i], magenta [F2]. pink [F3] , dark
viotet [F4]. bright t eal [F5]. lime green [F6].
de nim blue [F7], pe riw inkle IFB]. mustard
[F9]. pumpk in [FlO]. and gold [F11ll
OTHER SUPPLIES
- 16 " x 61" (40 .5x1551 piece of cotton qui lt
ba ttin g
-J eans/denim sewing machine needle
- Hand- embroidery needle
- Coordinatin g sewing thread
- 6-strand embroidery floss in colors to
match the felts
-Quilter's safety pins or qui lt-bas.ting spray
- Rotary cutter, rigid acrylic rul er, and se lf-
healing mat
-Point turner [or simila r tool such as a knit-
ting need le)
- Walking foot for sewing machine !h elpful,
but not necessa ry]
-Circle te mplates on page 119
FINISHED SIZE
- 15" wide x 60"' lo ng 138 x 152.5 cml
NOTES
- All seam a llowances are 11~;, (6 mml un less
otherwise noted. Press all patchwork seam
allowa nces open unless oth erwise noted.
-For explana tions of terms and techni qu es,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67- 74.
- For clarity, each color of fe lt used in t he
sample was assigned a number F1-F11
IF stands fo r feU l. If you use different
colors, simply assign a number F1 - F1 1 to
each color of fe lt.
CUT THE FAB:RIC
D From the Main fabric, cu t t hirty- s ix 51/2"
I14 cm) sq uares. Thirty wil l be app liqued and
6 wil l be left blank.
From t he backing, cut 2 pieces 16'' (40.5 cm)
x wid t h of fabric.
D Using the Circle templates provide d,
trace and cut the fo llowin9 circles from t he
ind icated felt colors:
Circle B: four F6, two F9, and two F1O
Circle C: three F5
Circle D: four F1 , t hree F3
Circle E: two F2, two F4, and two Fl 1
APPLl.QUE THE CIRCLES
El Cen ter each Step 2 circle on t he right s ide
of one Main fabr.ic square and pin in plac e.
D Use a ll s ix st rands of a matching embroi -
dery floss to stitch each circle to the Main fab -
ric. Use whipstitches, positi oning th e s titches
perpend icular to the cut edge; a wh ipstitch
variation wit h slanted sti tches t hat rese mble
machine zigzag stit ches; or backstitches. For
continuity, use th e same stitch for each circle
of a particular color. Make each stitch 1/ 4" (6
mml long for a bold accent. Th e whipstitches
overcast th e circle edges, while the back-
stitches are made about 1/1t (3 mml from the
inner and outer edges of the circle. Accent th e
FB Circle A's with a second row of backstitches
%" (1, cm) inside t he fi rst. 'Make 30 embel-
li sh~d sq uares total. Press well.
MAKE THE PATCHWORK
ll Once the circles are app liqued, arrange
the squa res according to the Layout
D:iagram on page 120.
mJoin the squares into 3 co lu m.ns of 12
blocks . and press th e seam a llowances open.
II Sew the columns to gether to complete the
runner to p. Press all seams open to avoid bulk.
,.
 how-to

ab'c:le E
Gut 2 F2
cut 2 F4:
cut 2 Fll

templates

cut out shaded center

cut out
shaded center

airale C
cut 3 F5

aircle D
cut l:t Fl
cut 3 F3
circle B
cut 4 F6
cut 2 F9
Gut 2 FlO

cirale A
cut 3 F7
cut 3 FB

>>
119 .....
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to

layout diagram quilting diagram

*quilted 1/s" (3 mm) to each side of each seam ASSEMIBLE AND QUILT
THE RUNNER
Refer to the Quilting Diagram at left for
1, 11
I I assistance.
0 I I
I I
~
J
I
I El Place the cotton batti ng on the wrong
- -- - -- -- -- - side of the comp leted patchwork. Baste with
safety pins or temporary spray basting. Do
-
- - --

- 'I I IT not attach the backing yet.

I t I I
0 1 I
I I
1
I I
I I
El Qui lt the assemble d top to the batti ng
as desired. The sample shown is qui lte d by
sti tching 1/s" [3 mm) to each side of every
- - - - - - - - seam.
ml Trim the batting even with the pa tchwork
I edges.
,1 I 11 _I MAKE AND ATTACH THE BACKING
- - - - - - -- -- m Remove the selvedges and sew the back-
- - - - - - - in g pieces toge ther along one 16" (40.5 cm ]
'
,I ' I
t
I I edge. Press the seam open.
f I I Cen ter the qu ilted patchwork on the back-

-- -
-
- - -1
-
_J I
- -
--
in g with right sides tog ether. Pin along the
patchwork edges.
Ii .I I [El Stitch around the entire runner, 1/;,_" [6 mm)
from th e edge of the assembled runner top,
0 '----
:I
I II
I I
leaving a 6" [1 5.5 cml opening near the cen-
ter of one long. s ide for turning.
- --
-
-
I .I
- - - ,
_
- --
J 11
- -
- -
- Ill Trim the backing to match the pa tchwork,
I' clip the corners, and tur n the runne r right
I I side out. Use a point turner or other too l to
I I. I gently work the corners into shape.

-- - --
--
~
- - -
- - -
_1t
-1
-- - --
- - - FINISH THE RUNNER
ml Turn the seam allowances along the gap
I I I I to the wrong side and t hen press the entire
I I' I I perimeter of the runner flat.
I I f I IE Stitch the opening closed by hand or
- -- - ' 1- ~

- - -
-
- -- -- - machine.
I IE Edgestitch the enti re perimeter of the
I runner, then topstitch 1/4" [6 mm) inside the

0' I I previous st itches.

MICHELLE LIZCANO is afull-time working
-- -- I I
-- -- -
-- --
-
nion-1 who uses every free minute to create. She
I I designs quilt and sewing patterns that are avail-

0 I 1
I I
able atpaisleypearquilts.etsy.corn. She believes
that sewing should be simplefor everyone and
- -- -- -- - -- -- ---- -- --
I - ---
loves to offer tutorials on her blog, ilikeorangetoo
.b logspot.cont
I I
I

I I
I I
_I , I
-
- - - ~
-- ---

-1 1
-- -- --
I I

-- -- -
-- -
- --
- --
I 1: I
0 I
:1
!I

I
'I' I
,1 I

. . 120
stitch
 Quilting Arts TV

Watch anytime you want!

Seasons 1-8 are now available as 4-disk DVD sets for just
$39.99 each. Featured artists for Series 800 include: Ana
0
0
r-... Buzzali no, Faith Cleary, Vivika Hlansen DeNegre, Diane
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11.1
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11,1
U')
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Krawczyk, Jane La Fazio, Nancy Odom., Mary Pal, Susan Shie,
Cheryl S'leboda, Jennifer Solon, Judith Trager, and Terry
White.
For program notes, projects, previews, and more visit
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Series 800 DVD cover: Faith Cleary on set wich Pokey. Art by Jane Lafa2io, Fa it h Cleary, Cindy Wiens, Helen
Gregory, and Judith Trager.

inspiration & ideas for your ort ond
crtJft space

with Genevieve
~ enev1ev
I

studios in
~stages
:cgor er p~, from h.e g cund up
1

revea s resources
& design wisdom HOPE Jar
oa
organize
once ond
forever
~ '

IbJoofum=J1~rnJJk J1rfi11~UIDID~@,
~~Illl@NAW
by KEVIN KOSBAB {from page 62}
DOWNLOA.D THE FULL-SIZE
TEMPLATE FOR THIS PROJECT
~T INTERWEAVESTITCH .COM
FAB,RIC
- /s yd (5 7 cm) of 45" (1 14.5 cmJ wide light -
5
weight si lk douppioni or cotton sateen
[Main .; shown: tea t)
- 5/a yd (57 cm) of 45" (114.5 cml wide muslin
OTHER SUPPLIES
- 1B'' x 1B" (45.5 x 45.5 cm) piece of high -Loft
polyeste r battin g
-20" x 20 " (5 1 x 51 cm) p.iece of low-loft cot~
ton or co tton -blend batting.
- 16" x 16" (40.5 x 40.5 cm) pillow form
-Size 75/11 machi.ne quilting need le
- Water-soluble t hrea,d
-Sewing thread to match Main fabric
-Rayon or silk thread to match Main fabric
for qu ilting
- Two 11/a" [28 mm] buttons
- Water-soluble fabric marker
- Darning or free- moti on foot for sewing
mach ine
-Point turner, chopstick, or knitting needle
-Qui lt-bastin g spray
~Trap unto Pillow tem plate PDF at
inte rweavestitch.com
FINISHED SIZE
-16 " x 16" (40.5 x 40.5 cm)
NOTES
- All seam allowances are 1/z" (1. 3 cm) un less
otherwise noted .
- For explanations of terms and techniques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67-74.
- The fabric shown in the sample is a shot
si lk, with warp and weft fibers in different
colors: peacock blue in on e direction and
brown in the other.. Thi s gives the fabd c an
iri descence that is especially effective for
textural techniques such as t rapun to. The
s ilk 's gloss augments these prope rties and,
with a little careful tre atment, silk is easy
to use. If you're concerned about s ilk water
spotting, try co tton sa tee n instead for a
s imi,Lar shine.
- Wate r-soluble thread is used in mach i.ne
trap unto to baste t hic k batting in place
before quilting . Be sure t o test your marking
pen and water-soluble th read on scraps of
your Ma in fabric and batting s to make sure
the fabric performs as desired. This is also
a good time to test machine settings; need le
thread tension may need to be lowered to
keep t he bobbin thread from showing on the
fa bric right side. Work quickly, wit h minimal
water, to remove the marks and soluble
thread. Moisten the fabric gently (dont
sa turate! only along the marks/stitches and
rub the area wit h your fing e rtips to d.isso lve
the ma,rkings and thread. Use paper towel-
ing to remove excess moistu re quickly. The
silk used for th e sample did not water spot,
although with excessive water and Longer
drying time, spots did form on swatches of
the same fabric. If your first test is unsat-
isfactory, wash th e fa bric an d try again. Do
not immerse the stitched silk pillow top in
wate r to remove .marks or thread because
the raised trapunto portions may dry with
wrink les that are diffic ult to remove.
CUT TH.E FABRIC
Cut the fol lowing pieces as directed.
From the Ma.in fabric, cut:
- One 18" x 18" [45.5 x 45 .5 cmJ Front
- Two 12 1/4" x 17" (31 x 43 cm) Backs
From t he muslin, cut:
- One 20" x 20" (5 1 x :51 cm) Fron t Lining
-Two 121/~ " x 17" (31 x 43 cm) Back Lin ings
BASTE THE RAISED DESIGN
El Place t he Trap un to template on a Light box
or bright window and cen ter the Front fabric
right side up on top of the tem plate. Tape the
fabric to the template a long the edges to se-
cure t he fabric. Trace the template lines onto
th e fa bric with a wate r-soluble fa bric marke r
afte r testi1ng as directed [see No tesL The Xs
on the temp late are fo r reference (see Step
5] and should not be transferred. Remove the
fabric from the temp late.
Sp ray the high -loft batting very lightly with
quilt-basting spray, th en center the marked
fabric right side up on the ba tti.ng, smoothing
th e fabric outward from the center to adhe re.
Do not use back in g fab ric in this step.
Refer to your sewing mach ine's manual to
configure it for free-mo tion sewing; typi -
how-to
- ...... - __. -
'I'
I
' .,I .
~
j
i' I,
'I
',
\
''
- .... - -
figure 1
cally yo u' ll Lower or cover the feed dog and
insta ll a darn ing or free-.motion fo ot. Use the
smallest needle that will accom.modate the
wa ter-soluble th read t o minimize t he s ize of
holes in the fa bric. With water-soluble thread
in t he need le and regu lar sewing thread
match.ing the Main fabric in the bobbin . sew
1
/io-%i" [2- 3 mm ]: inside the marked design
lines. As you create the free- motion stitches,
remember that longer st itches will be easier
to dissolve later. Start from the center of t he
desig.n and work outward.
Cut the ba tti ng away outsi de the trapunto
design and from all sections marked on th e
template with an X, be ing very carefu l no t
to cut throu gh the M,a in fabric or stitches.
Cut very close to the s ti tching Lines, leav-
ing the batt ing be hind on only the ra ised
foreground design (figure l); the smallest
enc losed areas can be le ft intact if they
are th orough ly quilted in Step 8. Remove
t he water-soluble thread from your sewing
machine, rep lacing it wi th quilting thread
t ha t matches th e Mai n fabri c.
QUILT THE :BACKGROUND
Using a very light coating of basting .spray,
baste the Front Lining, co tton batting, and
pi.llow front together, dght side.s out, with
the batti ng sandwi:ched in the middle. Center
th e pillow fro nt on the other laye rs; don 't
worry i;f the loft of t he remaining polyeste r
batting keeps the front from lying completely
smoo th.
With qui lti ng th read in the need le and
reg ula r sewing th read still in the bob-
bin, free-motion quilt through all layers
along the marked li nes. This posi ti ons the
qui lti ng ju st outside the high-lof t batt ing ,
crea ti ng a cleaner finish for the trap unto.
In addition., it will be easier to remove th e
water-sol uble basti ng thread if you don 't
sew directly on top of it. Quilt outward fro m
t he center, using your ha nds to keep the
pillow front smooth.
When the entire outline has been quilted,
begi n to fill ,in t he background portions of the
design with free-moti on quilting. The sample }}
123 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to
was quilted freeh a nd [i .e., without marking.
first) in square loops that were a llowed to
cross over each other. densely compacting
the surface to set off the raised trap unto
[see the photo above]!. Fill in the background
spaces inside and between the trap unto de-
signs first, then quilt the entire backgro und
surrounding the trapunto', qu ilting a ll the way
to the edge of the Main fab ri:c.
ASSEMBLE TH,E PILLOW
' Spritz the Main fabric side of the quil ted
pillow front wi th water to dampen it even ly.
Gently rub the wa ter-soluble thread with
damp finge rs to disso lve the thread and
remove excess moisture. The wate r will also
remove the ma rkings. Set the pi llow front
aside and allow it to dry.
IE Baste a muslin Back L.ining pi. ece to the
1
wrong s ide of each Main fabric Back piece,.
stitchin9 11~ " (6 mml fro.m each edge. Along
one long side of each back piece, fold 1 1h"
[3.8 cm) to the muslin side and press, then
fold and press another 11h " [3.8 cml. Edge -
stitch the inner fold on each piece to fo rm a
placket (figure 2 ) .
Mark placem.ents fo r two 1 11~ " [3.2 cm!
buttonholes, centered on the placket of one
back piece, each 43/~" [12 cm ) from one raw
edge (iigure 3 ) . Stitch the buttonho les, then
open them wit h a seam ripper or sharp scis-
sors, being very careful not to cut throu gh
the stitch es at either end of the button hole.
figure 2
\ -Sewing thread to match fabric [for hidden
12'e
stitch
When the pi llow front has dried, trim .i.t
to 17" [43 cm) square, keep ing the design
centered. With right sides together, lay the
back with buttonholes on the front, right
sides toge ther, with raw edges ma tched.
Layer the second back on the other pieces,
overlapping the plackets, matching the
rema ining raw edges. Pin a ll the raw edges
toge ther, pinn ing within the seam allow-
ances to reduce the risk of permanent holes.
Mark each co rner with the Co rner template
to taper the sides slightly and trim all layers
a long the marked li nes. [The tape red corners
wi ll prevent rabbit ears at the corners of
the finished pi llow..) Re- pin the edges where
n ecess.ary.
Sew the pi llow laye rs together around all
four sides, pivoting at each corner with the.
need le in the fabric. Clip the co'r ners and
4 3/"
1 (12 cml
I DOWN LOAD THE FULL-SIZE
I
I
/,.'//'
(12 cm l
fi gure '3
trim the seam allowances to 1/4" [6 mm). then
fin ish the raw edges with an overcasting or a
zigzag stitch to prevent raveling.
, Turn the pillow cover right side out
through the back and gently work the corners
into place wi th a po int tu rner or simi la r tool.
Sp read the pillow cover fl at with the back on
top and mark the button placement through
the cen ter of each bu ttonhole. Sew a button
to the placket of the lower back piece at each
ma rk. Insert the pillow fo rm and bu tton the
back closed.
KEVIN KOSBAB is afreelance writer, an
editor, and a pattern designe1: He designs nwdern
quilts and sewing projects for a variety ofmaga-
zines, and you can find his Feed Dog Designs
patterns in stores and on the Web atfeeddog.net
Exposed Seams Jacket
by KATRIN VORBECK {from page 63}
PATTERN FOR T H l S PROJECT
1
AT INTERWEAVESTITCH.COM
FABRIC
--- 11/2 [1 2/1, 12/J, 2, 2) yd l 1.4 [1.5, 1.5, 1.8. 1.8]
ml of 45" (114.5 cm) wide OR 11/, (1 1/4, l1/3,
11/2, 11h) yd (1 .1 [ 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.3] ml of 60"
(152.5 cml wide bo iled woo l :[also called
fe lted wooU fabric (shown: gray boiled woo l;
see Notes)
0TH ER SUPPLIES
1
seams)
- Contrasting sewing thread (for exposed
seams, shown: red)
--- Double/twin sewing machine needle
(op tional)
--- 22 (22, 23, 23, 24J" (55 [55, 55, 60. 60] crnl
separating zipper !see Notes)
- Ta ilor's chalk or fa bric marker

I- BUST WAIST
0: XS 32-33" (81.5-84 cm] 24- 25" (61 -63.5 cm)
c(
:I: s 34-35" (86.5-89 cm) 26- 27" (66-68.5 cm)
u M. 3'6-37%" (91.5-95 cml 28-291/t [71-75cm)
w L 39-40 1
/1" [99-103 cml 31-32 1
h" [79-82.5 cm)
N XL 4Z1h-441h"' (108-113 cm) 34-36" (86.5-91.5 cml
-
en Shownin size Sma~l
-Rotary cutter, rigid acry lic ruler, and self-
healing mat !optiona l)
- Zipper foot for sewing machine
- Walking foot for sewing machine !o ptional
but helpful)
-Full-si.ze pattern PDF at interweavestitch .com
NOTES
- All seam allowances are 1/!," [6 mm ) unless
otherwise noted . Press seams open after
every step. You may want to use a towel
underneath and on top of the a rea being
pressed to keep the fabr ic "fluffy."
-For explanations of terms and techniques,
see Sewing Basics on pages 67-74.
-Boi led woo l can be used without the need
to serge or zigzag raw edges. A walking
foot is recommended for sewing. When
choosing your fabric, make sure it doesn't
fray along the cut edge.
-Depend ing on how hard the woo l has been
felted it will be more or less stretchy. It's
your choice if you want a bit more or less
stretch in your jacket.
-Altho ugh boiled wool has a right side
[showing the knit st it ches), solid-colored
boiled wool is reversible. If you li ke th e loo k
of the wrong side better, simply use it as
th e right side.
-Pretreat the fabrics as the fin ished garment
wi ll be cleaned !wash, dry, and iron or dry-
clean ] to a:void shrinkage after the ga.rment
1s sewn.
-Zippe r lengths usually increase in size in
increments of 2" [5 cm). If you don't want
to shorten your zipper, use the (sh orter)
le ngth that's nearest to the CF length and
center it along the CF. For this project. be
sure to select a zipper about 112" (1.3 cm)
s horter than your CF length .
- If you wan t the front to close comple te ly,
use a longer zipper and shorten it to yo ur
needs. Sometimes fabric stores even offer
a service to customize zipper lengths.
- Important: Test your chosen mark i.ng too l
on scrap fabric to ensure its removability,
even after pressi.ng.
CUT THE FABRIC
II Download and pri.nt out the ful l-size pat-
tern PDF from in terweavestitch.com. Pin the
pattern pieces to the fabric as shown in the
cutting layout. Transfer a ll pattern .mairkings
to the wrong side of the fa bric and cut the
HIP CF LENGTH
341h-3'51h" [87 .5- 90 cml 22" (56 cml
361h-3'11/z" [92.5~95 cml 221/i" (57 cm]
381h~O" (98-101.5cm) 23" f58.5 cml
411h-43" (105.5-109 cm] 231h" (59.5 cm]
45-47''' (114.5-119 .5 cmJ 24"(61cml
fo llowing pieces:
- 1 Upper Back on the fold
- 1 Middle Back on the fold
-2 Side Backs [cut 1, cut 1 reverse)
- 1 Lower Back on the fold
-. 2 Center Fronts [cut 1, cut 1 reversel
- 2 Side Fronts (cut 1, cut 1 reve rse)
-. 2 Lower Fronts !cut l. cut 1 revers.el
-. 2 Sleeves [cut 1, cut 1 reverse ]
Note: Sometimes boiled wool doesn't have a
continuous straight grain due to the felting
process, which resu lts in wonky edges and
invisible knit s titches .. Just keep this in mind
as you place your pattern pieces on the fabr ic
and keep them as straight as possib le in
relation to each other.
ASSEM BLE THE BACK
D Using m.atching thread. sew all darts. [The
darts will be on the inside of the jacket; dart
seams are not exposed.) To reduce bulk, cut
away excess fa bric from the darts to about
1
/1." !6 mm) seam allowance and to within 1"
[2.5 cm.) of the dart point, or as far as you can
get the tip of your scissors. Spread the seam
open and press it flat. Press over the uncut
portion of the dart seam, flatten ing it into a
triangle shape (figure 1) Set aside the Front
pieces for now.
El Switch to con trasting sewing thread.
With wrong sides t ogether, pin and sew the
Upper Back to the Middle Back. a lign ing
the notches. The result ing piece will now be
referred to as the upper back.
how-to
.
I f
figlD'f! 1 u
.,
2
?
;;..- \
\
'
I
i
figure 2
El With wrong sides togethe r, pin and sew
the upper back to the Lower Back, align -
ing the notches on the upper back with the
"peaks" of the Lower Back (figure 2. shows
how the pieces should go toge the r; the
color- coded circ les indicate the notches and
other locations that sho uld be matched for
seaming!. Begin and end sewing at the seam
line on the dart side of the Lower Back. Do
not sew across th e seam allowances!
El With wrong s ides togethe r, pin !or baste,
if it makes you feel more comfortable) a,nd
sew one of the Side Back pieces to the
assemb led upper back/lower back piece,
aligning all no tches.
You'll have to sew t his seam in two steps:
First. sew from the peak of the Lower Back,
where the seam of th e Upper Back and
Lower Back join, toward the armhole. Flip
your work over a.nd sew from the same peak
toward the side seam. Do not sew across
seam al.lowances at this point to create a
clean Y-seam (see figure 2: arrows indicate
direction of stitching fo r the two-part seam.). >>
125 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to

. I
ming.

ASSEMBLE THE JACKET

Repeat the entire step to attach the remain-
ing Side Back piece. This asse.mbled piece
will now be referred to as the back.
ASSEMBLE THE FRONT
B With wrong sides together, pin and sew
one Center Front to one Lower Front, aligning
the notch on Center Front with the upper end
of the dart on the Lower Front (figure 3).
Begin and end at the seam line; do not sew
across seam a llowances.
IJ With wrong sides to gether, pin and sew
one Sid e Front to the assembled cente r front/
lower fro nt piece, aligning notches. Again,
th is seam has to be sewn in two steps. Begin
at the location of the seam on the assembled
Center Front/Lower Front piece and sew
toward th e Lower Front piece. Return to the
location where you began the stitch.ing and
sew toward the armhole, creating a Y- shaped
seam at the dart {figure 3r arrows indicate
direction of stitching fo r the two-part seam !.
El Repeat Steps 6 and 7 with the .remaining
Front pieces. Both assembled pieces will now
be referred to as the Fronts .
Ill Trim all seam allowances of exposed
seams to about 1/s" (3 mm]. The finished look
of the jacket will be much neater after trim-
ll!J Switch to matching sewing thread .. With
right sides of the assembled back and the
fronts together, sew the shoulder seams
closed by eas.ing in back side shoulder width.
Easing is done by first creating an ease stitch
by stitching 1f4" (6 mrnl from the raw edge of
the back shoulder seams and s li ghtly pulling
up the bobbin threads unti l th e back shoul-
der seams fit the Front sho ulder seams. Pin.
Stitch the seams. Press th e seam allowances
open.
mPin or baste one Sleeve to the assembled
jacket body, ali.gning the notches. Ease in the
width of t he s leeve cap by creating an ease
stitch as described in Step 1.0. Press the seam
allowances toward the s leeve. Clip the seam
allowances if necessary [depending on the
thickness and drape of the fabric). Near the
edge of the sleeve seam allowances, when? the
sleeve will meet the side seam, press about V2"
(1.3 cm) of the seam atlowa nces open. Th is is
done to minimize bulkiness in the underarm
area and allow all th e seams to lie flat when
the side seams are sewn.
E With righ t sides together, pin and sew t he
Sleeve underarm/side seam. match in g all
seams. Press the seam a llowances open.
Clip the corners of th e seam allowances.
IJ Repeat Steps 11 and 12 to attach the
rema in ing Sleeve and finish t he remaining
side seam.
E Insta ll t he zipper foot on your sewing
machine. Cente r the closed zipper atong
the center front so that th e teeth lie a long
the center front edges. Position the zipper
so that the top of the teeth are just below
the neckline. Fold the zippe r tapes extend-
ing past the neckline edge over as shown in
figure 'I: and pin in place.
11 Baste each zipper tape in place from the
wrong side of the fabric . Unzip the zipper
and work from the righ t side of th e fabric;
beginning at the top edge, topstitch 1/A" (6
mm] from the center front edge, catching the
fo lded- over zipper tape edge in the stitching
to secure it in place. Stitch to the bottom of
the zipper, pivoting just before the me tal tab
and sewing horizontally (away from the teeth ].
to the outer edge of the zipper tape. Repeat
the entire step for t he other zipper tape.
Fl NISHI.NG
III Optional: Topshtch along th e hem line of
the s leeves and around the neckUne with a
double/twin need le .[refer to your sewing ma-
chine man ual for informat ion on .in stalling
and using the double/twin needle). Stitch 1/e"
!3 mm) from the edge aro und the neckli ne
and s leeve hems and 1h " [1.3 cm) from the
edge around the hem. Using a double/twin
needle on a reg ular sewing machine resu lts
in a double stitching Line on top and a zigzag
stitch on the wrong side of the fab ric .. This
stitching will re in force the edges and he lp
keep them from distorting.
KATRIN VORBECK is a self-taught sewer
and needlecrafts lover living in Gennany.
vVhen she isn t sewing or knitting, she works on
taking better photographs, reads, or sirnply tries
to ignore housework. Fabri.c and yarn. threaten
to take over her house. Visit her at her blog~
sewn1ad. blog spot.com

I I I'
J

figure 3

126
stitch
 how-to

Patchwork Pancho - For explanations of terms and techniques,

by PAULA CORLEY {from. page 64}
DOWNLOAD THE FULL-SIZE
PATTERN FOR THllS 'PROJECT
AT INTERWEAVESTITCH.COM
FABRIC
- About 10-15 Lightwe ight cashmere and
wool sweaters
-. 1 yd [91 .5 cml of 60" .[152.5 cm) wide wool
tweed [fo r bias tr.im and fi ll-in patchwork;
shown: charcoal!
OTHER SUPPLIES
1
- 30 yd [27.5 ml of /4" [6 mm ] wide rayon
seam binding
- Sewing threads to complement sweaters
and match tweed trim
-Large -eye handsewing needle
-2 or 3 large buttons fo r cowl embe llish -
ment !shown: vintage buttons, one each,
11f4", 1 1/2", and 2'' [32, 38, and 50 mm ])
- Applique scissors
-Rotary cutter, rigid acrylic ruler, and self-
healing mat
-Te mporary fabric marking tool s uch as a
chalk wheel or water-soluble mar ker
-D ress form for draping 1[optionall
-. Two large [king-size) flat sheets for laying
out p.ieces and rolling for storage
- Full-size Pattern PDF at interweavestitch.com
see Sewing Basics on pages 67-7 4.
-Prewash all sweaters in cold water and lay
flat to dry; use only sweaters that can be
mach ine -washed.
-. Un less otherwise noted, press all seams
open and use a honeycomb or three- step
zigzag st it ch a long [directly over] the seam
line [refer to your sewing machine man ua l
for ass ista,nce), sewn with the right side
up, to hold the seam allowances in place
and strengthen the seams. If your machine
doesn't include those stitch es, substitute
a reg ular zigzag or a decorative stitch,
adjusting th e sti tch width so th e fabric
doesn't tunnel [bunc h] under the stitches.
Trim th e excess seam allowance away
after topstitch ing the seam (figure 1).
-Steam -press all seams after stitching and
re-sq uare the e dges wit h a rigid ruler and
rotary blade.
PREPARATION A,NO CUTTING
D Download . print. and assemb le the fu ll-
size pattern PDF, available at interweaves-
titch.com. Prewash aU the sweaters and
lay them flat to dry. Mark any ho les or worn
areas on the sweaters and cut them apart
a long the seams, removing any cuffs and col-
lars. Remove any hardware from th e sweat-
ers and t hen so.rt the pieces by co lor.
El Determine the desired finished width and
length of the poncho by measurin g the recipi -
en t from the shoulder [at neck] to the des ired
length and then from the center back neck to
the wrist Record both measurements.
El From the wool tweed, cut:
- 1 Front Neek Band
-1 Back Neck Band
- 4 bias strips '15/ii" x 6" (4 x 15 cm) for Slit
Bindings
- Bias strips 15/a" 14 cml wide to total t he
perimeter of the poncho [[length +width] x
2) plus 1O" [25 cm) for poncho trim
DESIG1N THE PONCH.O
D Lay one of the sheets ou t flat on a bed,
:large table, or the flo or. Mark t he poncho's
widt h and length on the flat sheet with
s traigh t pin s for reference; the poncho
dimensions shou ld be twice t he body mea -
surements taken in Step 2.
II Begin arrang.ing sweater pieces on the
sheet. For the poncho shown, the sweaters
wrong side was used as the right s id e to
c reate a new fabric texture; feel free to mix
and match right and wrong sides. Cut and
trim pieces as you work, designing as yo u go,
a llowing a 1" [2.5 cml overlap fo r seam al -
lowances. Arrange larger pieces first, creat-
ing a ba lan ced composition across the entire
poncho. Cu t smaller pieces from sweaters or
th e leftover tweed fab ric to fill gaps between
large pieces. Fi ll t he entire poncho space on
t he sheet. When you need to s top working
and put the poncho away, cover the pieces
with the second sheet and ro ll the sheets
with the wool pieces ins ide.
SEW THE PONCHO FABRIC
El When the layout i.s comp lete, begin stitch-
ing blocks together. As in quiltmaking, work
by piecing sma ller pieces together, then
joining the larger units, creating blocks or
rows of patches to stitch together. Note: If one
of t he weaves is looser than the other, place
the looser weave against th e sewing mach ine
feed dog . The excess will be gently eased
in as you stitch. Use a topstitched seam as

FINISHED SIZE
-Adjustable; sample is about 64" wide x
84" long [163 x 213 cm ] to fit a 5' 10"-6'
[1.7- 1.83 ml stature (size Ta ll).
'
.,,....
- The cowl pattern is provided in three sizes: < .,,,.""
'
'

Petite, Average, and Ta ll;. choose the one t ha t <'

best matches your stature. Petite is sized i .....
I
..I <"
to fit a 5' - 5' 5'" (1.5- 1.65 ml stature and is <.
about 56" wide x 76" Long [1'37.5 x 193 cml.
...
) ,/

Average is s ized to fi t a 5' 6"- 5' 9" [1.67-1 .75 <.

...
..,..
m) stature and is about 60" wide x 80" long <~

.,,....
I

(152.5 x 203.5 cm l. !Ta ll see above l:. I

I .
<~ '
,0
NOTES I'> \..)
- All seam allowances are 1/2" (1.3 cm] unless
otherwise noted .
>>
127 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to
described in the Notes. Steam-press and trim
each block or row to ensure st raight s ides and
righ t-angle corners before continuing.
D To reduce bulk at seam-line in te rsections,
clip the seam allowances diagonally into the
inte rsection, removing small triangles of
seam -allowance fabric.
El Decide which seams will be embellished
with hand embroide ry us in g the 1/~ " [6 mm )
rayon seam bi nding. Refer to the photos
below for in spiration. Thread a large -eyed
needle wit h a length of seam binding and
tie a kno t in th e e nd . Work whipsti tches
about 3/a" [1 cm ] wide. spaced about 1h " [1 .3
cm) apart across th e embe ll ished seams.
The s lant ed part of the whipst itc h lies on
the garment wrong side, exposing stitched
bars perpendicular to t he seam li ne on th e
poncho right s ide. Keep an even te nsion on
t he sti tches so they lie fl at against the fabric
wi thou t creating puckers.
ASSEMBLE THE PONCHO
El Fold the pieced fabric in half crosswise
and le n.gthwise and mark the cen ter point
wi th pins or a removable marking too l. Also
mark the fo lds for about 12" (30.5 cm) on
each side of the center. Pin the Neck/Slit
te mplate to the fab ric, matching the center
lines, and trace the neck opening onto the
poncho fabric. Remove the te mpla te. Overlap
the short ends of the Neck Bands 1/~" [6 mm ]
and pin . Using t he same stitch used for
to pstit ching the pa tchwork., s titch the Neck
128
stitch
Bands together by topstitching the over-
lapped area. Arrange the Neck Bands around
the cen ter mark on the fabric, pla cing their
outer edge along the t raced neck ope ning .
Pin the Bands to the patchwork and edge-
st itch the ou ter curve with the same st itc h,
joining the Bands to the pieced fabric. Cu t
away the pieced fa bric inside th e Nec k Band
seam . trimming close t o the sti tches. Take
care not to cut the Bands.
ml Use leftover sweater and fabric pieces to
create a patchwork fabric large enough to
accommodate the Collar pattern. Fin is h the
seams as before, adding rayon seam -binding
embellishment as desired (see Step 8). Cut
the Collar from t he fa bric.
Optional: If you have a dress form, you can
place t he pon cho on the dress form and
drape the cowl as desired.
mMeasure and mark a point on the Front
Neck Band 3" [7.5 cm) from the shoulder
seam. This is the lo ca tion for the open ing in
the cowl collar. Fold the collar in half with
right s ides togethe r and sew the short ends
with a 11~" (6 mmJ seam allowance. Trim the
corners and press the seams open. Topsti tch
each seam as directed in the Notes. Roll th e
seams 1/1," (6 mm] towa rd the upper collar
(the one tha t wi ll be visible whe n the collar is
fl ipped open); it will be necessary t o stretch
t he under collar slight ly and ease the upper
collar to compensate when attaching to the
poncho . Pin baste the colla r to the Neck
Bands wi th the short ends meeting at the
ope ning locatio n to preview the placement
and sizing, adj usti ng as desired.
ml With right sides together, pin the under
collar to the Neck Bands. The raw edge of th e
co llar should overlap t he Neck Bands by 1/4 "
(6 mm]. wi th the bulk of the collar lying on the
poncho . Sti tch a 1/4" [6 mm) seam; the stitches
shou ld li e along the edge of the Neck Bands.
slit
,_____, I 'h"
[1 .3 crn]
figure 2 figure 3
IE Press /~"
1
(6 mm] to the wrong s ide of th e up-
per co llar. Pin the pressed edge over the inside
of the Neck Bands, just covering the collar
seam . Slip-stitch the folded edge to the poncho,
enclosing th e Neck Bands inside the colla r.
[IJ Where the collar ends meet. handsti tch
the fo lded edges together. beginning at the
neckli.ne seam . As you work upward, pull
the collar ends toward one another so they
overlap, with the wider [front) edge of the
co llar lyin g over the na rrower (back ) end.
Stitch a tota l of 21/2-3" (6.5- 7.5 cml upward
from the collar seam to create a bi t of a stand
for the collar.
llll Us in g the rayon seam binding as thread,
attach the buttons to the ove rlapped co llar
area. Leave some traili ng ribbon ends as
embellis hment.
ADD THE. SLIT OPENINGS
11!1 Fo ld each Slit Bindi ng strip in half with
wrong sides together and press to crease.
Make 112" (1.3 cm) long clips along the fo ld at
each end (figure 2).
IE Place the poncho right side up on a flat
surface, then place the Neck/Slit template on
top and mark the s lit lo cations on the poncho
front. Sti tch a rectangle a round each slit
line, 1/a" [3 mm) from the mark in g, to prevent
stre tching . Cut the poncho fa bric along each
ma rked line.
lE Sli p one pressed binding over one s ide of
the first slit, enclosin g th e slit edg e. Th e 1h"
[1..3 cm) clips in the binding's fold allow it to
ext end 1h" [1.3 crnl beyond the s lit at top and
bo ttom (figure 3). Slip a second pressed
binding ove r the othe r s id e of the same slit.
Zigzag stitch around the outer edges of t he
binding strips through all the fabric layers,
being s ure to catch the binding inside the
poncho as well. Zigzag the abutted edges of

the 1'2" {1.3 cm) clips tog ether to fin ish th em
an d reinforce the s lit (:Eigure :3). Repeat the
entire s te p to bind the second s lit.
FINISH .ING
iE Join the 1%1" 14 cm ] trim strips by overlap-
ping th e short ends by v~ .. (6 mm) and stitch-
ing with a zi,gzag or the decorative stitch used
to fin ish the poncho seams.
Em Lap t he seamed trim 1
/4" [6 mm ] over
the poncho edge, beginning at one corner
and leaving 2" [5 cm) of binding free at th e
beg inning. Pin the trim in place , mite ring t he
corners by cutting th e binding on t he diago-
nal. from the poncho corner outward to the
bind ing's outer edg e, and la pp in g it over the
rema ining trim. Topstitch the lapped seams
and cor ne rs with th e stitch used to join the
trim strips. Trim any excess trim on the
wrong side after st itch ing. Give a fin al press
and now you have a one-o f-a- kind pon ch o!
PAULA CORLEY taught.full-time at the Otis
College ofArt and Design in Los Angeles, and
she was owner and designer ofJ\!Iatilda & Co.
for twelve years. Her designs have beenjeatured
in many niagazines, including People~ Cookie,
OK, and Pregnancy, and on the television
shows Extra and Good lVIoming America. She
has also written for several publications. You can
visit her at www.vintage-2-vogue.com
---- ------ - ---------- - ----
Pleated Pin-tuck
Pocket Handbag
by AYUMI TAKAHASHI {from page 63}
FABRIC
-2 yd (1.8 m) of 45" (114.5 cml wide line n fo r
bag shell (Main; shown: gray)
- 11/i yd [137 cm ) of 45" (1 14.5 cmJ wide
print co tton fabric for ba g li ning (Contrast;
shown: pink/green/yellow pla.id]
- 9 different fabr ic scraps for bias tapes a.nd
zipper ta bs, each at least 41/2" x 45" [11.5 x
114.5cm)
how-to
- 1 cotton gauze fabr ic [or prin t co tto n fab- - 0 n e 35" x 7" (89 x 18 cml piece for Rig ht
ric] scrap for pocket backing, at least 20" x Pocket Pan el
7" 151 x 1.8 cm) From the Contrast fabric, cut:
OTHER SUPPLIES - 2 Ha ndbag Panels
- 2 yd [1.8 ml of 20" [51 cml wide heavy- -. Two 191/2" x 3 1/2' [49.5 x 9 cml pieces for
weight do uble-sided fusi ble i,nterfacing Top Li ning Panel
- 31~ yd .[ 68.5 cm) of 20" [51 cm) wide doubte- - Two 61/2 " x 8" [16.5 x 20.5 c,m) pieces fo r
sided medium- to heavyweight fusible Side lining Panels
interfacing - One 17 3/4" x 6 1/~" [45 x 16.5 cm) piece for
Bottom Li ning Pane l
- 31h yd (3.2 m) of 1/z" (1.3 cm) wide bias tape Ior
yo u can make your own from the lining fab ricl - Six 21/&" x 25" (5.5 x 63.5 cm) bias st rips fo r
- Cotton sewin g threa d to match Main and Inside Bind ing [optional; disrega rd if us ing
Con trast fabrics premade bias tape)
- 6-strand em broid ery floss and/or sashiko From the heavyweight double-sided fusible
thread for decorative sti tc h ing on pocket
1 interfacing, cut:
- Sashiko or embroidery needle - 2 Handbag Panels
- 20" [51 cm) zipper [shown: aqua) - One 17 3/, " x 61/2" [45 x 16.5 cm] piece for
Bottom Panel
- Cha'lk pen or roller [such as Clover Chaco
Lined -Two 3" x 19 1/2" l7.5 x 49.5 cm) pieces for
-. Tape or a removab le marking pen Top Panel
- Rota.ry cu tte r, dgid acryli.c ruler. and se lf- - Two 61h '" x 73/4" (16 .5 x 19.5 cm) pieces for
Side Panels
healing mat
- Zipper foot fo r sewing machin e From the different fabric scraps, cut:
- Nine 21/i" x 21h" [6.5 x 6.5 cm ] squares for
- Pleated Pintuck Pocket Handbag tem-
plates on the pa tte rn insert side B Pocket Bind in g [cut 1 square from each
print)
FINISHED SIZE - 44 Hand le Binding pieces (up to 5 pieces
- About 11" high (wi thout hand les) x 17 1/ 4" from each print)
wide x 6" deep [28 x 44 x 15 cm) -Two 1Y2" x 2" [3.8 x 5 cm ] pieces for Zipper
Tab [one piece each from 2 different prin ts )
NOTES Fold the medium to heavyweight double-
- All seam al lowances are 1/t." (6 mm) unless
sided fusible interfacing in half w idthwise,
otherwise noted.
then cut:
- For expla nations of terms and techniques,
- 2 Handles on the fold
see Sewing Basics on pages 67-74.
-You may want to Label each pi ece as you ASSEMBLE THE PLEATE D POCKET
cu t to avoid confus ion . Use tape or a re- You will make three pleated panels, which will
movable marking pen to te mporar ily la bel be sewn together end to end later to create one
the wrong sides. panel with thirty~seven pleats total
- Whe n fus ing the heavywe ight dou ble-sided
fu sible interfac in g, fu se on ly enough to
El On the Main fa bric Middle Pocket Pa nel,
draw lines to ind icate whe.re to crease with
hold the fab ric in place while sewing. The
t he chalk. Mark a line 13/" (4.5 cml from t he
fusi ng wi ll act as basting and does not
left short edge. Mark anothe'r line 21/2" [6.5
need to be firm.
c.m) in from, th e first line for the next pleat.
CUT THE FABRIC Repeat the process to draw ten more lines
21h " (6.5 cml apart The final line will be 1 3/~"
D Cut the followi.ng pieces as direct,ed, using
the provided patt er n or dim.ensio ns [where
dime ns ions are given no pattern piece is
provided].:
From the Main fabric , cut:
- 2 Handbag Panels
- 4 Handles on the fo ld
-Two 19 1h " x 31/2" (49.5 x 9 cm) pi eces for
Top Pa nel
- Two 61/2" x 8" (16.5 x 20 .5 cml pieces for
Side Panels
- One 173/4" x 61/2" [45 x 16.5 cm) pi ece for
Bott om Pane l
- One 32 1/, " x 7" 182.5 x 18 cm ! piece for left
Pocke t Pane l
- One 31" x 7" [79 x 18 cm) pi ece for Midd le
Pocket Pane l
129 ....
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to

middle poeket panel

13/."' 2 h." 2 1 1~~ 2112'' 2 1h"
~ 4.5 cm] (6.5 c. ml 16.5 cml l6.5cm l 16.5 cml seam is sewn) and s@w along the right- hand
I t I I edge. Then, place the Right Pocket Panel
on the Middle Pocket Panel with right sides
toget her a nd pl.e ats facing opposite direc -
tions, and sew along the edge opposite the
Left Poc ket Panel. You will have a wide pane l
with thirty-seven pleats tha t are 1/ 2" [ 1.3 cm)
7"
(lS cm] apart from each other.
[I Us ing a rigid acrylic ruler a nd a rotary
cutter. trim the joined pocket pane l to 61f4" (16
cm l high, cutting off excess along both the
top and the bottom edges t o ens ure they're
both strai.gh t. (Trimm ing the pocket panel will
figure l help ens ure that the plea ts a.re perpendicular
to the bottom edge.I

left pocket panel

IJ Place the cotto n gauze pocke t backing
3 1;." 2'h '' 2 1h '" 2 1h '" abbr evia te d; 131o and t he pleated pocke t pane l wrong sides
{8.5 cm l [6.5 cml 16.5 cm l l6. 5c m] 7 lines 1
4 5 cm) togethe r. Bast e the top edge (pleats sho uld
I l l I t I, open to the left) wit h a 1/e" 13 mml seam
allowance.
ll Sew the nine Pocket Binding squares
together end to end to crea te one contin uous
strip. Fold the strip in ha lf lengthwise with
wrong s ides together to create double-laye r
binding. Align the raw edges of the binding with
the top edge of the r i9ht side of the pleated
7'"
(18 cm] pocket panel and sew toge ther us ing a 1/ 2" (1.3
cm) seam allowance. Fold the binding to the
back of the pocket and s li.p-stitch in place.
IJ Us ing a cross-stitch for each and varying
L......~~_ _.__ _ _i . -_ __..__ _ _~-1!----
the size of the stitches, embroider s now-
figure 2 fla kes on the pleated pocke t as shown in t he
photo below and page 63 or where desired.
right pocket panel The sample was embroidered wit h a mix of
13// ' 2'// ' abbreviated; 3 ;;
upright cross- stitches (s ti tches that cross a t
i4.5 cm ] (6.5 cm] 8 .l ines [S.5 cm] the cen ter) for four- pointed sn owfl a kes and
cross-stitc hes with an extra le g for six-po i,nt-
ed snowfla kes.
- //----r---~ .....
' CREATE THE HANDLES
llil Sandwich each interfacing Handle piece
between the wrong sides of two Main fa bric
Hand le pieces a nd fuse according to the
manu facturer's instructions. Se t aside the:
prepared hand les for now.
7'"
(18 cm)
'
mCreate two double-layer binding tapes,
each consist ing of twenty-two Handle Binding
pieces. For each tape, sew together the

figure 3
' I' '

-
,,__ ____
-
____...

14.5 cm) fro m the right -hand edge of the
fabr ic (figW"e 1) .
El Repeat the process outli ned in Step 2
to mark where to crease for the other two
Pocke t Pane ls. For the Left Poc ket Panel,
ma rk the fi.rs t line 31/4" [8.5 cm) from the
left edge and then mark every 21h " (6.5 cm l.
ma rk.i,ng the last li ne 13/.t [4.5 cm) from. the
right- han d edge (figure 2) For the Right
Pocket Pane l, mark the first line 3/.t [4.5 cm)
from the left edg:e and then mark every 2112"
(6.5 cml. marking the las t line 31/4" (8.5 cm l
fro -m the right-hand edge (figure '3).
13 Fold the Middle Poc ket Pane l along the
left most marked line with wrong s ides
together. Use a rul er to mark a line para llel
to and 1" (2.5 cml in from t he fold, then sew
a long the Line . Press the fo ld to the left side.
Repeat the same process to create a total
of twe lve plea ts in t he Mi dd le Pocket Pane l,
twelve plea ts in the Left Poc ket Panel, and
thirteen pleats in the Right Pocket Panel.
II Place the Midd le Poc ket Panel on top of
the Left Pocket Pane l with righ t s ides to-
gethe r and pleats facing opposite direc tions
(so they'll a ll face the same way afte r the

130
stitch

twenty-two pieces end to end on the bias edges
to make a continuous leng th, sewing them in
random order or as desired . Cut one end of
each tape at a rig.h t ang le to the long edges,
tr imm ing as little of the end piece as possible
to make a square end. Fold 1/t." (6 mml at the
sq uared short edg.e toward the wrong s ide .
then fold th e tape in half le ngthwise, wrong
sides together.
IE Align the raw edges of one bindi ng tape
wit h the edge of one handle, beg inning at a
strai9ht portion of the hand le. Sew the bind -
ing tape around th e perim eter of the handle.
When you reach the poin t where you started
sewing the binding, tri m th e excess, leaving
at least 1f4" (6 mm) for overla p. Fold t he bind -
ing tape over the edge to the other s ide of th e
hand le and slip-stitch in place . Repeat the
entire s tep to complete th e remain ing hand le.
ASSEMBLE THE HANDBAG
IE Layer one of each of the Handbag Panel
pieces in t he following order: Main fabr ic
Pane l !right side down),, interfacing Pane l,
Contrast fabric Panel (right s ide upl; fu se the
layers together according to the interfac ing
manufacture r's instructions [in case it is not
fuse d well. it wi ll help to sew around the edge
wi.t h a Vs" [3 mm] seam allowance to secure
the layers together]. Repeat the entire step
wit h the remaining Handbag Pane l pieces.
EIJ Us in g the Pane l pa ttern piece, cut t he
s ide edges of the pleated pocket to match
the rounded edges of the bag panels. Sew
the pleated pocket to one of the fused pane ls
wit h the bo ttom edg:es aligned. Use a 1/s" (3
m.m) seam allowance to sew a ll edges of the
pocket except for t he top edge.
ml Sew one assemb led handle to the rig:ht
s ide of each of th e assembled pan e ls. The
inner handle edges should be 4" (10 cm ]
apart (each 2" [5 cm] from center) with t he
ends 7 1/4" [ 18.5 cml above the bottom of the
pan e l. Be sure not to twist the hand les wh e n
posi tioni ng them.
Topstitch the flared parts of each e nd of each
handle 1h" [6 mm l fro m the inner edge of
hinding tape to jo in the handles to the panels
(figu.re 4 )t reinforc ing the stitching by
canter
I_
< 411
) to the top panel following the seam joining the
1' 4
I, Dcm ]
I
ft ~ "' '
71!."
(18.5 cm ~
figu re 4i
topstitching a second time over the stitching.
Set aside.
IE Rep lace your standard presser fo,ot with
a zipper foot [see you r sewing mach ine
manua l for assistance). Align the long edges
of the zipper and one Mai n fa bric Top Pane l,
right sides together, and sew them together.
Repeat the same process to attach the
remain ing Main fabric Top Panel to the other
long edge of the zip per. With the right side
of a Con trast fabric Top Li nin g Panel and the
wrong side of the zipper together, align them
a long t he long edges and sew them t oget her.
[Be sure not to catch th e Ma in fabric panels
when sewing the li ning in place.) Repeat the
same process to attach th e rema ining Con -
t rast fab ric Top Lining Panel to the other side
of the zi pper in the same m.anner.
IE Insert a Top Pane l interfac ing piece in
be tween the Con trast and Main fabric Top
Panels an d tigh tly fuse the interfac ing to both
pieces of fabric. Topstitch Va" (3 mml next
to the zi pper through all layers. Repeat the
same process for the other side. Yo u have
now comp leted the top panel.
ml Fold one Zipper Tab piece in half lengthwise
wit h right sides together and sew the Long edg-
es tog ether. Turn rig ht s id e out and to pstitch
abo ut 1/a" '[3 mm) from both long edges. Fold it
in half wid thwise and ali gn the raw edges with
one end of the zipper, right s ides together, and
baste it in place. Create ano ther tab with the
remaining Zipper Tab piece and baste it ta the
other end of the zipper in the same mann er.
ID Sew one short edge of a Main fabric Side Panel
to one short edge of the completed top panel with
right sides together; do not open the pieces. With
the right side of one Contrast fa bric Side Lining
Panel and the wrong side of the top panel together,
align short edges and sew the Side Lin ing Panel
Ma in fabric Side Panel Open the Side Panel and
Side Lining Panel, press, and insert a Side Panel
interfacing piece between the layers. Lightly fuse
the interfacing to both pieces of fa bric and topstitch
through aU layers at the top edge of the Side Panel
to secure the interfacing. Repeat the entire step to
attach the remaining Side Panel Side Lining Panel,
and interfacing Side Panel to the remaining short
edge of the top panel
how-to
EE Fold the pane l co mpleted in Step 19 in
ha lf widthwise with wrong sides tog ether to
fin d the center point and mark it. Fold each
Contrast fabric Handbag Panel in the same
man ne r to mark the center point on the top
edge. With right s ides tog ether, pin the top
panel and one Handbag Pane l together with
th e cen ter marks aligned. Starting from the
center point. sew the pieces together toward
the raw edge, backtacking at both ends. Then
sew from the center point to the opposit e raw
edge to finish attaching the top edge of the
Handbag Pane l to one long edge of the top
panel. Attach the top edge of the rema in ing
Handbag. Panel to the rema,ining Long edge
of the top pane l. If the top pane l extends past
the Handbag Panels, trim the ends of the to p
panel flush. Cli p the curved seam a llowances.
Ill Sandwich the int erfacing Bottom Panel
piece be twee n the wrong sides of the Main
fabric Bottom Panel and th e Contrast fabric
Bott om. Lin ing Panel and fuse. Open the zip -
per. Pin the prepared bottom panel into the
ma in bag's bottom with right s ides togethe r,
aligning the bottom panel's corne rs with the
bag seams. a nd sew the bottom panel to the
ma in bag one edge at a time, back tack ing at
t he ends of the seam at each corne r.
EE Create a 3112 yd [3.2 ml long double- laye r
binding tape by jo ining the Contrast fabr ic In-
si de Binding pieces with diagona l seams [see
page 73) or use a store -bough t binding tape
to cover exposed seams inside the bag . Make
bindin g tape as described in Step 11 and bind
as described in Step 12 (if using purchased
doub le-fold binding, refer to Bin ding with
Mitered Corners. Option A, on page 73. Bind
the cu rved seams along the handbag panels
fi rst, one at a time, Leavin g the bind ing raw at
both ends. Then bind all edges of the bottom
panel, encasin g the raw ends of the handbag
panel binding. Turn the bag right side out
through the open zipper.
AYUMI TAKAHASHI lives with her hus-
band in Tokyo. She sha1es her craft projects
and easy sewing tut.orials on her blog, Pi.nk
Per1guin, at ayun~lills..blogspot.com, and she
would love to have you coJ-ne by to say hello! ) )
131 ..
interweavestitch.com *
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 how-to

lWI@@ ~fumfic:J~@
by KATRl.NA LOVING {from page 66}
DOWNLOAD THE FULL-SIZE
PATTERN FOR THIS PROJECT
AT INTERWEAVESTITCH .COM
FABRIC
-
1
h yd [46 cm) of 36" [91.5 cm) wide or wider
home -decorator faux suede or other non-
fraying heavyweight fabric for shell [M a in ;
shown: lime green fa ux s uede!
-1/4 yd (23 cm ] of 45" (1 14.5 cm) wide cotto n
fabric fo r lining {Contrast; shown: dark blue
twill)
- 5" x 21" [12.5 x 53.5 cm) piece of satin, cot-
ton sateen, or s imi lar fabric for smocked
pane l (shown: chocolate brown sa ti n)
-
1
/4 yd (23 cm ] of 45" (144.5 cml wide m,uslin
OTHER SUPPLl.ES
-
1
h yd [46 cml of 20" [51 cm) wide ult ra-firm
sew-in sta bilizer (s uch as Pe llon Peltex 701
-
1
h " (1.3 cml wide fusible web tape (such as
Stitch Witchery; make sure it is stitchable;
you will need about 60" [152.5 cm]]
- Sewing thread to match Ma in and Contrast
fabrics
- Sewing thread to contrast Main fabr ic
[shown : dark purple)
- 6-strand embroidery fl oss in color to con -
trast smocked panel (shown; lime greenl
- Embroidery needle
- Handsewing need le
- Topstitch and un ive rsal sewing machine
- Safety pin avoid leavin g a mark, though the rubber
-. Press cloth coabng of the clamps wi ll also he lp prot ect
- Removable fabric -ma rking pen (Recom- the fa bric.
mended: fine po int) -When instru cted to pin any of the Main fab -
- 18" [45.5 cm] or 24" [6 1 cm] clea r gridded ric [faux sue de) pieces, be sure to pin only
ru ler wi thin th e seam allowance because holes
wi ll remain in the fab ric.
- Embroidery scissors
- Always use a press cloth when pressing the
-Rubber-coa ted sprin g clamps [from the faux suede, to protect the fabric. Wh e never
hardware storel or clothespins [see Notes) possible, press from the wrong side of the
-Tai lor's ham faux sue.de and use the wool set ting on
- Zipper foo t fo r sewing mach ine your iron.
-M od Mini Purse pattern PDF from
interweavestitc h.com
CUT THE FABRIC
Cut th e followin g pi eces as directed,
F.I NISHED SIZE t ransferri ng a ll p.atte rn markings.
- 93/" wide x 6" tall [not including s trap ] x From the Main fabric, c.ut.:
21h" deep [25 x 15 x 6.5 cm)
- 2 Purses; use the patte rn to trace th e
NOTES cutou t onto the right side of one piece only
-All seam, al lowances are 1h." [1 .3 cm) un less and cut out
- 1 Gusset
otherwise noted.
- For explanations of term.sand techni ques, - 2 Zipper Panels (cut 1, cut 1 reverse)
see Sewing Basics on pages 67-74. - Two 2" x 41/2" [5 x 11.5 cml rectangles for
- Use a topsti tch needle when sewing on Tabs
the fa ux suede. A universal need le may be - One 2" x 24" 15 x 61 cm) rectang le for Strap
used for sewing the Li ning fabr ic. From the Contrast fabric, cut:
-Always use caution when working wit h any - 2 Purses
adhesive because many have fumes that can - 1 Gusset Lining
be harmful if proper procedures are not fol~
Lowed. Always work in a we ll-ventila ted area - 2 Zipper Panel l inings
and avoid prolonged exposure to fu mes. :From. the muslin, cut:
Allow glued items to dry outdoors i,f possible - 3 Purses; use the pattern to trace the
or in a well-ventilated area overnight or as cutout on to the right side of one piece only;
di rected to allow fu mes to fully dissipat e. do not cu t it out
There are many textile adhesives on th e - 1 Gusset
market, but the resu lts wi ll vary greatly, so
From the sew-in stabilizer, t ut:
test your chosen glue on scrap fabric before
using it for a project. - 2 Purses
- 1 Gusset Stab ilize r
- Gu termann Cireativ HT2 glue is avai lable
online from several Etsy sellers, including
etsy.com/shop/fattrog supplies and etsy.com/ CREATE THE SMOCKED PANEL
Lay t he 5" x 21" sat in/sateen panel wrong
shop/wh ilebabynaps. G-S Hypo Fabric Cement
is available from multi.ple online retailers, in- s ide up on your work s urface. Beg inning V2"
cluding artbeads.com and createforless.co.m. (1.3 cm) from each long edge and 1" (2.5
- Rubbe r-coa ted spring clamps from your cm ! from each short edge, create a 1/2" [1 .3
local hardware sto re work well for clamp - cm ! dot grid on the fabric with a removable
in g the layers of the purse together whi le fabric-marking pen and clear gridded ru ler as
a llowing the glued portion to dry. Jus t follows. Using the! ruler as a guide, mark a dot
make sure yo ur clamps a re large eno ugh every 1h " (1.3 cm ) across the leng th of the fab-
to fit in the necessa ry area [see Step 36]. If ric. Move down 1/2" 11.3 cm ] and, a ligning each
th ese are not avai lab le, you may be ab le to dot directly beneath those above, mark a dot
use clothespins instead . You may want to every l/2' (1.3 cm l along the !leng th. Repeat this
process until you have fi lled th e fabric with the
use a folded pi ece of scrap fabric betwee n
the cloth esp in or clamp and th,e fabr ic to
1h" [ 1.3 cm) dot gr id (Ssure l).

need les
- 32 " (81.5 cm) of 1/," [6 mm) wide do uble -
fold binding
-. About 40" [ 10 1;5 cml sc rap of strong ribbon
or yarn
- 14" (35.5 cm) metal zipper [shown; gray
iii "

.
Ii 111 I 11 lo II 1!

with silver teeth) !lo 'II .. .. . ... . . ... . . , . . . ..

.- Two 21/s" [5.4 cm) circu lar-shaped me ta l ti!

.
II I t, ii ij "

r.ings ,[shown: Oritz Glamour Rings in si lver) . " .. . . .

..

4 lo ii! II 41 lk "' ii

- Strong permanent fa bric adhesive (such as II I ., ~ i ii I 11 I lfl <Ii ' ii !I!

. . . . . .
Gutermann Creativ HT2 or G-S Hypo Fabric
Cement; see Notes) ligura l
4 '~ ... I '91
.. ~ - ..
>>
133 ..
interweavestitch.com *

Thread a handsewing need le with con-
trasting thread (abo ut 24" [61 cm]J and knot
one end. Beginning at one short end of the
gridded panel, pick up the first dot with the
needle [about 1/1 0" [2 mm] of fabric). then
repeat to pick up each dot in the first line
across the le ngth of the panel.. floating t he
thread along the wrong side between dots
( figure I). When you have completed the
row, remove the need le from the thread;
leave the remaining thread as a tai l. Do not
knot the thread tail at this time. Repeat the
entire step for each row of dots; make sure
all the knots are at one end and alt the tai ls
are at the opposite end.
Gather the Panel by pulli.ng the thread
tails to gather the fabric along the threads,
pulling a few at a time and work ing your way
a long to gather the entire Panel. Pack the
gathers together tightly and secure by tying
th.read tails t ogether.
~ '.I
fig ure. 2
134
stitc h
Turn the Panel over to the rig.ht side.
Thread an embroidery needle wit h two or
three strands of embroidery floss in a con-
trasting color. To smock as shown. you will be
attaching the ga thers in pairs, work ing across
the gathers in staggered lines. For the sam -
ple, the smocking was done freehand, without
mark,ing guidelines, and the Unes were sligh tly
ang led to allow for a more organic appear-
ance. If you prefer,. mark straigh t li nes across
the tops. of the gathe rs with a removable
fabric -marking pen to follow as you stitch.
You wi ll be usi.ng a honeycomb pat te rn to
smock the panel [see the photo at left). Bring
the embroidery need le up from the wrong
side, keep,ing the need le within the "tube"
created by the gathers. Take a smaU stit ch
into the adjacent g:ather and then bring the
floss back through and take a stitch over the
previous stitch (figure 2 ). Keeping the needle
inside one of the gathered "tubes," bring the
needle ove r and down to the next ''tube" in the
row below; repeat the process to s titch t he
next two adjacent "tubes" toge ther and then
bring the needle over and back up to the row
above (figure 2 ) Con tinue in this manner to
attach each pa ir of tubes, working back and
forth between two rows.
Remove the ga thering threads by ca refu lly
clipping away the knots with embroidery scis-
sors and then remove all ga thering threads.
Spread out the Smocked Panel, stretching
slightly to spread out the gathers.
Check the size of the Smocked Panel
against the muslin Purse piece with the
marked cutou t location. The finished Pane l
wi ll need to cover the cutout area with at least
Y2" (1.3 cml extra all aro und the perimeter of
the cutout. With the right side of the Smocked
Panel facing up. pin it to the musli n Purse,
making sure the Smocked Panel is spread out
enough to complete ly cover the marked cut -
out. Baste the Pane l to the mus li n, 1/s" [3 mml
fro m the outside edge of the Smocked Pane l.
With the Ma in fabric Purse piece with the
cutout fa cing up, place it over the Smocked
Panel. Make sure the Smocked Panel is direct ~
ly beneath the cutout and that none of the raw
edges of the Smocked Panel fa bric are vis ible.
Pin the pieces together, keeping pins wi thin the
1/2" !1.3 cm) sea.m allowance (iip.-e 3) ..
With contrasting thread in your machine,
pla ce the pinned Purse piece, right side up,
under the need le. Edgestitch around the
outside of the cutout, to secure the Smocked
Panel in place. Stitch around the cutout
severa l .more times, a llowing the stitch tines
to be s lightly wavy to create a "sketchy"
appearance. From the wrong side, trim th,e
musli n/smocked pane l to within 1/&" [6 mml
of the stitch Lin es. You have crea ted the
embellished purse piece.
ASSE MBLE THE SHELL :PURSE
Place one sew-in stabilizer Purse piece
on top of one muslin Purse piece, align ing
all edges, and pin t hem toget her around the
perimeter. Stitch tog ether with a 5/s" (1.6 cm l
seam. a llowance . Trim the stabilizer sea:m
a llowance onty to 1/1 6-1/a" [2-3 mml wide.
Repeat the entire step wit h the remain ing
stabilizer and muslin Purse pieces. These
are th e purse interli nings.
IJ Place one Purse Interlin ing, stabili,zer
side down. against the wrong s ide of the
unembellished Ma in fabric Purse piece. Pin
and then baste them together around the
perimet er. 1/a" (3 mm! from t he outer edge.
Repeat wi th the remaining purse interlining
piece and the embe llished purse piece.
l 1
1

Place the Main fabric and muslin Gusset
pieces wrong sides to gether and pin, then
baste th em togeth er along each long edge,
using 1/a" (3 mm.I seam all.owances.
Staystitch between each pair of notches
on the Gusset as indicated on the patt ern,
3/e" [1 cm ] from the edge. Clip along each
s taystitched line, clipping to but not through
the stitches, abo ut every ih" [ 1.3 cm). The
cli ps will allow you to attach the Gusset to
the Purse pieces more easily and ensure tha t
the curves are smooth .
Repea t the previous step to staystitch and
cli p between the. notches Ion one s ide only)
on the two Main fabric Zipper Pane l pieces;
set them aside for now.
Place the two Tab pieces wrong side up
on your ironing board. Cut two 4 " [1 0 cm)
lengths of fusible web tape. Place one leng th
of tape on each Tab, cen tered between the
long edges of the Tabs. Fold each lo ng edge
of each Tab over toward the wrong side by 1h"
[1 .3 cml so they meet in the middle. Holding
them in place with your fingers, place the
press cloth on top and fuse .in place with the
iron, following the manufacturer's instruc-
tio ns. Allow to cool, then topstitch 1/B" [3 mm)
from each Long edge of each Tab, then top-
stitch again 1/~ " [6 mm) from each long edge.
Fold one Tab in half, forming a loop; make
sure the seam (where the cut edges meetl
is inside the loop . Thread one of the metal
rings onto the loop and then, wi th short edges
a ligned, stitch the short edges together, Vt."
[6 mm) from the ,edge. Repea t the entire step
with the remaining Tab and metal ring.
Place the Main fab ric Gusset and one
Main fabric Purse piece right sides together;
align the cente r notches fi rst and then pin
from the center along the bottom and side
of th e Purse. The clips ma,de in Step 14 will
allow the Gusset to spread smoothly around
the curves of th e :Purse. Remember to keep
your pins within the seam allowance. Repeat
to pin the rest of the Gusset in place on th e
other s i.de of the cen ter notch.
Sew the Gusset and Purse together, with
the Gusset lying on to p of the Purse; begin
and end your stitching at the outermost
notches on the Gusset (labeled STOP on
the Gusset pattern). Sew s lowly around the
curves, adjusting as necessary to ensure tha t
you sew a smooth curve and to avoid sewing
tucks into the seam.
EE Repeat Steps 18 and 19 to attach the free
side of the Gusset to the rema ining Main
fabric Purse piece. Clip the seam allowances
along the curves.
With the wrong side of the assemb led shell
facing out, place it over the tailor's ham (with
the ham inserted into the purse ] and press
the seam aUowances open as much as pos-
sible, adjusting the placement of the ham as
necessary. Then, press the seam allowances
t oward t he gusset. Ma.rk the center of the bot-
t om edge of each purse piece on t he muslin
side; make sure to mark at or be low the seam
Line to ensure that the mark will be visib le
.after trimm ing the seam allowances. Then
trim the seam al lowances to 1/e" [3 mm).
Place the ends of the scrap ribbon or yarn
along one short edge of the Gusset Stab il izer
piece, so that the ribbon/yarn ends are near
th e corners. Stitch over each ribbon/yarn end
severa l times near the edge to secure them in
place (ligure 'a:) You will end up with a long
loop of ribbon/yarn attached to one end of the
StabiUzer Gusset.
Attach the safety pin to the center of the
ribbon/yarn loop, then insert the safety pin
be tween the .muslin and the Main fabric layers
of the gusset on the assembled shell purse.
Work the safety pin through with your fingers
un til you can grasp it from the other s id e and
then pull the ribbon/yarn through.
Now, this part is a little tricky; fit the end of
the Gusset Stabilizer attached to the ribbon/
yarn into the channel be tween t he mus li n and
Main fabric on the gusset and then use the
ribbon to help you pull the Gusset Stabilizer
thro ug'h the channe l until it runs a Long the
entire length of the gusset, s tabilizing the
bottom of the shell. You'll need t o pu ll a little
at one side of the ribbon/yarn and then t he
other. wiggling the Gusset Stabilizer along
until you have i,t pos.itioned even ly. Once you
are fin ished, trim the ribbon/yarn away as
close as possible to th e attaching sti tches.
The stabilizer should s it 'h" (1.3 cm] be low
each short edge of the gusset.
At one side of the gusset, fold %... (6 mm] of
the muslin gusset under. to encase the stabilizer.
how-to
Then, place 1" (2.5 cmJ of one prepared tab [wi th
ring) against the wrong side of the gusset (o n top
of the muslinl, leaving 1 1/~" [3.2 cm) of the tab
exposed beyond the gusset. Pin to the muslin
layer only; if necessary. Stitch all the way across
the short end of the gusset. 1/0" (3 mm) from
the edge, securing the tab in place. Use caution
when stitching across the tab; the thickness may
require you to manually wa lk the presser foot
across the tab. Stitch again%" (6 mml from the
previous stitch li ne: this stitch line will sec ure
the folded muslin edge in place as well. Repeat
the entire step to attach the remaining tab and
fi nish the remaining edge of the gusset.
Finish sewing the gusset in place,
stitch ing from the notch where you stopped
s titch in g [in Ste p 19) to t he edge of the gus-
set. At the top of each end of the gusset, clip
diagonally into the seam allowance of the
9usset only, clipping off the corner; this will
ensure that the seam allowance of th e gusset
doesn't pop out.
CREATE AND ATTACH THE ZIPPER
PANEL
On each Zipper Panel Lining piece, press
1
/ 2" [ 1.3 cm) to the wrong side along one long
edge. Ptace the zipper right side down on yo ur
work surface. Place one Zipper Panel Lining
piece on each side of the zipper teeth, ali gning
the fo ld ed -under edge '/.t [6 mm) from th e zip-
per teet h; pin in place. Using. a zipper foot (see
your sewing machine manual for instructions].
edgestitch the Zipper Panel Linings in place.
Cut two 14" 135.5 cm) lengths of the fus -
ible web tape. Place the zipper righ t side up
on your work s urface. Place one Length of
fusib le web tape on each side of the zippe r
teeth, placing them a tittle more than 1h.'' (6
mm) from the zipper teeth. Carefully place
one Main fabric Zipper Pane l on top of each
piece of fusible web tape, cen terin g them
lengthwise so that the two zipper stops [at
the top and bott om of the zipper) a re eq ui-
d[stance away from the short edges of the
Zipper Panels. Also,, place them so that the
long edge of each Zipper Pane l is lf4" [6 mm)
from the .zipper teeth and covers the zipper
>>
139 ..
interweavestitch.com *
 how-to
tap e, and with the clipped edge opposite from
the zipper teeth (figure 5.) . Using a press
cloth, press the Zipper Panels to fuse them
in place: allow to cool. Using a zipper foot,
edgestit ch the Zipper Pane ls in place, about
1/a" (3 mml from t he edge of th e fabric. You
have now assembled the zipper panel.
ED Following th e process you us ed to create
the tabs, in Step 16, and using the 2" x 24"
(5 x 61 cml Main fabric St rap piece and a 23"
[58 .4 cm! leng th of the fusi ble web tap e, as-
semble the Strap; set aside fo r now.
Turn the zipper panel over to the wrong
[lin in g) s id e, fold t he lining panels toward the
zipp er, and pin in pl.ace to keep the m out of
th e way of the seam (be careful not to pin a ll
the way through t o the Mai n fabric).
Unzip t he zipper panel and the n foUow the
process used in Steps 18 and 19 to attach t he
zipp er panel to th e assemb led she ll purse,
stitching all the way to t he end of the zipper
panel. The zipper panel wi Ll overlap the gus-
1
set a bit at each end. Be ve ry careful to avoid
the meta l ring as you stitch. Trim the seam
a llowances to 1/s" [3 mm).
ASSEMBLE THE LINING PURSE
Repeat Steps 14 and 18-20 to assemble
the Lin ing Purse wi th the Contrast fabric
pieces, stitching only to th e outermost notch~
es on the Gusset Lin ing (tabe led STOP on the
Gusset pattern]. Press the free portions of
the gusset towa rd the wrong side.
Cut a 16" [40.5 cm) 'l ength of binding.
Un fold the bindi:ng and, beginning with the
figure 5
136
stitch
fo lded-under edge of the binding., bind the a ring. Make sure the seam of t he strap
free edge of one side of the Li ning Purse, faces down toward the purse and ma ke sure
from the raw edge of the gusset (where it is the strap is not twiste.d. Using contrast ing
fo lded over; see :Step 32 l along the top of the thread, to pstitch in place 1/s" [3 mml and lf4"
Lining Purse and down to t he ot her raw edge 16 mm) from t he cut edge of t he strap.
of the gusset as follows. Stitch along the first
crease in the bin ding, stopping about 1" (2.5
cm ] before th e raw edge of th e gusse t. Trim KATRINA LOVING is the projects editorfor
any excess [beyond the 1" [2 .5 cm]) and then Stitch and a book editorfor Intenueave..She
fini.sh s titc hing the binding in place. Fo ld the
lives in Colorado with her husband, two dogs,
binding along the orig inal creases, over to and lots offabri_c.
the other side of t he Lining Purse fe ncas-
ing th e raw edge). Edgestitch the bin ding in
place. Repeat this step to bin d the rema.in-
ing raw edge of the Lining Purse edge. Tu rn
rig ht side ou t.
FINISHING
Pull the lining purse up around the she ll
purse (wrong sides will be together!. adjust-
ing un til all the seams are a li gned. You want
to make su re that the shell purse is snugged
down tigh tly against the seams of the lining
and the bound top edg es of t he li ning overlap
the zipper panel Li ning. Adjust t hem so that
the tining fits tightly a round th e she ll but
won't cause the shell to puc ker.
Being careful not to st itch into the purse
shell, use tiny whipstitches (spaced about 1/t."
[6 mm] apart ) to handstitch the bo und edges
in place a long t he zipper panel, beg inn in g
at one end of the binding on one side of the
li ning purse. Con tinue whipstitching across
the folded -under lin in g gusset edges and
then st itch the second lo ng s id e of th e zi pper
panel. Finally, sew the opposi te folded -under
gusset lin ing edg e to th e zipper panel. End
the stitch.ing at your starting point.
Carefully turn the purse right s ide. out,
smoo thin g the seams as necessary. Use the
fabric adhesive to glue the gusset a.nd zipper
panel to gether at each end, being very carefu l
not to get glue anywhere bu t between the
Layers. Use the clamps to keep the edges
pressed fi rm ly together and allow the gl ue to
dry overnight, or as directed by the ma nufac- 1
turer's instructions, in a well-ven tilated area.
Attac h the stra p to the metal rings by
foldin g 1 1/~ " (3 .2 cm l at each short end around
__...,,.._----
~~
-
 I

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REBEL QUILlTNG
with Jan1ie Fingal
Join award-winning art quilter Jamie
Fingal to Learn her approach to making Rebel Quilting
a quilt with unconventional materials ...
the rebel wayl Jamie incorporates
many different kinds of fabrics into her
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several basic geometric shapes.

DIY St.:RFACE DESIGN:

PRINT lAKlNG MADE EASY \Villi EVERYDAY
OBJECTS with: Leslie Tucker Jenison
DIY Surface
Nothing fancy required~ Textile artist Leslie
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Tucker Jenison demonstrates how to create
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RESOURCES
SEWING ROOM SEW INSPIRED
PAGES 6 -16 PAGE 144
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PROFILE AYUMI TAKAHASHI

PAGES 32-34 ayum fl ls.b Iogspot.com

ANNE KYYRO QUl'N N

an nekyyroq u inn.com

139
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 sew inspired

Designer Betz Wh ite has

bu ilt a career with planet-
friendly materials from Essay BETZ WH ITE
recycled felt to organic
fabrics. Her mantra) "stitch the while, in the background, I conti1111ed to experiment
beau t ifully, tread .lightly/' \Vi th color, :fiber, and text11re through crafting.
comes from. a lifetime love After college, I spent a month's rent on a secondhand
o-f f iber and texture. Read knitting machine. I spent hours teaching myself different
about how her textu red"' techniques to create textures and patterns. Ultim_ate1y, I
past ignited a passion fo r stun1bled upon felting the wool fabric I had knitted. I was
transform ing old into new. obsessed! To be able to cut and sev.rfelted wool without it
PHOTO BY.JOH N GRUE N raveling and steam it into shape was liberating. I made pil-
lows, rugs, and soft sculptures and began to sell my "vork
Clockwise: Felted I FOURTH GRi\DE, wh n it ca1ne to fashion, I \as in local galleries. I credit those days with igniting a passion
Foliage Scarf f rom
Wh ite's book Sewing
pretty groovy. I have a clear memory of wearing a navy for felt and fiber that has stayed with me through cross-
Green. Felted wool: blue T-shirt that I bedazzled \Vi th rhineston,es in the out- country moves, motherhood, ai1d an ever-evolving life as a
pillows with reverse- ljne of a star, maroon corduroy Toughskins that I emb el- creative person.
appliqued critters.
lish ed \vith flat silver studs do\vn the outsea1ns, and the Today, inuch of my crafting involves n1ixing patterned
Ca nvas b in made
w ith organic cotton piece de resistance: an ivory acrylic garter-stitched belt fabrics \Vith colorful felt and stitching. I love layering tex-
and hemp fab ri:c that I knitted and v..rore tied at the \Vaist. Did I mentio11 it ture and creating climension, whether it's stitching a felt
f rom Whit e's Family
Cottage collection .
was the 1970s? Even back then, I loved maki11g a personal pincushion, updating a skirt with applique, or adorning
Pia id wool skirt statement with my clothing, adcling my own nvist with a bag \vith a felted :flo"ver brooch. I still use q11ite a bit of
revamped with felt embell ishments and texture. felted wool, only instead of knitting it I head back to the
appliqued flowers
Gro\ving up v.rearing clothing sewn by my mother thrift store looking for second-hand sweaters to felt. In
and buttons.
and sweaters knitted by my grandmother definitely in- addition, I h11nt for other materials to repurpose, such as
fluenced iny crafty development. At an early age, I began wool skirts, suede jackets, silk neckties, and denin1 jeans.
dabbling in knitting. sewing, embroidery, macrame, Once deconstructed, these texn1re-rich materials can be
needlepoint and latch hooking (and don't forget bedaz- stitched into fabulous pro jects.
zling!). Because some of my clothes were handme-downs The greatest lesson my thrift-store shopping has
from iny older brothers, my in om "girlified" th em \vith taught me over tl1e years is that these stores are brim-
appliques, print cuffs, and stitching. I loved anything that ming with i11spiration a11d ra"v materials. I continue to be
made my clothes different from \vhat everyone else "vas inspired by the challenge of transforming old into ne v;l.
.
\Veanng. No\V, if Tcould just score myself a vint age BeDazzler ...
My passion for fashion and DIY continued into my
high school years, du.ring which I could be found digging BETZ WHITE is a designer and best-selling author of
through thrift stores looking for unique clothiI1g on the two books, Warm Fuzzies and Sewing Green.. Her sew-
ch eap. Back then it \vasn't about eco-friendly re-use, it was ing patterns, Make New or Make Do, are designedfer new
about creating my ov.m style on a babysitter's budget. Col- or repuryosed fabrics and are sold in specialty fabric shops
lege led to a degree in fashio11 design and an early career nation.wide. Her first collection of organic cotton fabric from
designing children's clothing for a large manrrfacturer. All Robert Kaufman debuts this falL Visit her at betzwhite.com.

* stitch
Classic Eveni,ng
Bags by Susan
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Arcful Eco
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Nina Perkins
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Quick & Pree y
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