Quilted Phone Case Tutorial

It's a phone sleeping bag with a button and elastic loop fastening. 

Having just invested in a shiny new phone, I was equally excited at the prospect of making a cover for it. This is quick tutorial in keeping with the blog title ethic ... just Make It Up as you go along and put some good tunes on the turntable.

1. Fetch some wadding and two contrasting fabrics, enough to wrap around your phone once - there will only be one seam down the back. Essentially you will be constructing a quilted tube.

2. Cut the fabrics to size (centre a motif on the outside fabric if you like) and make a wadding sandwich. I free embroidered the cactus motif - this will become the front of the case.

3. Trim the outside fabric and wadding from the top edge of the quilted oblong sandwich leaving the backing fabric longer. This is then turned over and used to seal the top edge of the case. Hand stitch in place.

4. Fold the oblong in half right sides together - you're about to sew the back seam. But first grab a length of elastic (about 12cm) and stitch the loop firmly in place to the right of your intended seam line.

5. Fold the the oblong in half again and sew this back seam, making sure it's a snug fit for your phone.

6. Now you have a tube with the elastic loop in place, trim away the excess seam fabric on the loop side. Trim the other side of the seam enough to fold under and cover the loop. This will lie flat like a french seam inside the phone cover and look very neat. Hand sew this neatened seam in place. 

7. The last thing to do still with right sides together, is sew the bottom seam making sure the quilted motif and loop are centred. 

8. Now turn the case right side out. Voila!

**INTERLUDE**

Grab a coffee and a well earned treat whilst you congratulate yourself on following my improvised instructions thus far.

(Cup cake made by my daughter, mug decorated by her also)

8. Finally dig about in your button stash for a suitable button. I chose an 'almost sombrero' early plastic hat. Sew the button into place - I opted for the brown one.

You're done!

I Made A Yee Haa! Skirt

Yup - I dragged that ole pattern out of the packet and ran up yet another swishy skirt, this time in the ever popular wonderful Cowgirl Fabric.


I had a thang for TV Western heroes many years back, my Final Degree Show in Fine Art/Textiles was cowboy themed. I had made and screen printed a panelled calico skirt with cowboys, added conchos and a leather appliqued waistband that said 'Howdy'. Alas I doubt if any pictures of this exist in my dusty shoe boxes.. I may look.
In the meantime, here is a vintage picture of yours truly - taken 23 years ago - the vintage look, everlasting it seems - along with stylish knitwear.



The blue dress was an original taffeta effort bought in a 2nd hand store - it was like wearing rolls of wallpaper. This dress used to get quite 'whiffy' after I'd been dancing about in it. And as a student, I naturally didn't have a dry cleaning budget.
You had to drag that cardy off me to wash it - I loved it so much - another charity shop find and in the early 80's these kind of vintage items cost mere pennies.

I now find myself in a strange parallel universe where my daughter is shopping in thrift stores for genuine vintage 80's items... nostalgia will eat itself...

I Made A Woolly Neckerchief

Behold the last of my Winter crafting before Spring springs.
This is my fab little Western Neckerchief. I bought the pattern from Loop - very easy to follow and knitted up in red cotton, it didn't take long at all.
The brooch was an old eBay win - I had been looking for stylized Sheriff badge but this fitted the bill.
The little scarf if great with a thin knit cardy and jeans, fits snuggly under any coat, not bulky at all. Y'all.

More Things To Make And Do

Phew. I've finally sorted through my new vintage pattern stash. There are quite a few patterns that I feel I could handle making up and would actually wear. I'll post these on the blog soon. Quite a few ballgowns and structurally incredibly complex outfits amidst the easier ones too.
These patterns are well loved, I'm sure Roman's mother must have been the best dressed woman in town - did she have a lot of functions to attend I wonder or did she wear that Vogue petal scalloped ball gown to go down the shops?

I did find a lovely little pattern for a bed jacket - I've always wanted a bed jacket, this may be my first make as Autumn is definitely in the air. Of course my youngest found a pattern she fell in love with. We've recently watched Hairspary (original and remake both) and she so wants a 50's frock with a petticoat. I'm going to be busy .. which brings me to this little lot...



The cowgirl fabric has always been a favourite (got a pair of oven gloves in the same stuff) - I had a fixation on all things cowboy when I was studying textiles at college, just can't seem to shake it off! I'll make another swishy skirt in this to wear to rock 'n' roll shin digs around Christmas. I've seen the Jive Aces two years running at New Year - great foot stomping stuff!



The Fan Fabric is divine and it'll be a dress to wear with some great 40's shoes (Garbo by Red or Dead my current fave) and a fluffy Bolero.



My knitting is coming along. Remember back in the days, I started knitting a green cardy with miles of ruffles? Well, I'll happily be casting off the last ruffle this weekend! Ye - Ha! Watch this space.
Knitting takes practice and I've been hob nobbing with (comparatively) expert knitters recently who produce the most beautiful things. In a fit of knitterly excitement I joined a knit - a - long to make this. Unfortunately, I haven't had the balls (ha ha) to start yet. I simply can't decide what type of yarn to get. Woolshops are few and far between around here. I did buy this though in order to run up a little scarf in the meantime.



It's very soft and chunky - shouldn't take long to make and hopefully, if it's any good, my knitting confidence will grow and grow along with the scarf...