On the fifth week of Christmas: I made 3 pencil cases

Now I am motoring along with my Christmas crafts. Todays craft is pencil cases, I love to make a pencil case. I am pretty sure the first thing I learnt to sew on a machine was a pencil and I couldn't tell you how many I have made over the years. They are easy to make, easy to embellish, versatile and make outstanding gifts. I have appliqued on them, painted, drawn, embroidered, used hand printed or dyed fabric, got my kid to draw on them, list goes on.

One thing remains the same, the basic construction. I made these ones to be 35cm x 15cm I wanted them to be able to take a ruler but not be too big. Its very straight forward to adapt the size as required.

Step 1: Cut two rectangles 37cm by 17cm. I chose to use contracting fabrics denim for one side and printed drill for the other. Chose a fabric that it fairly strong as its hard work being a pencil case.

 

Step 2: Do any embellishment at this stage its easier to just handle one piece and if something goes terribly wrong you can always discard that piece and start again.

 Step 3: To sew the zip in but the zipper foot on the machine, this is the foot that lets you get the needle up nice and close to the zip. Sew the zip in face down on the right side of the fabric, so that the zip is right at the top of the pencil case.

 

Step 4: Fold back the zip and attach the second piece to the other side of the fabric. Then press the whole lot flat.

 

Step 5: Fold in half and sew down the two edges first.

Step 6: Sew along the bottom. Before you sew along the bottom make sure you have opened the zip so that you can turn it right side out when finished.

 

Have a go making this basic pencil case it really is so easy to adapt I have used the basic construction to make makes up bag, glasses cases and pouches for games.

 

 

 

I would like to apologise for the photos I have a new phone thus a new camera which I am still trying to get the hang of editing wise. So if anyone knows how to edit photos on a Samsung Galaxy 3 please teach me. I would really love a digital SLR and some photo editing software but that's a bigger dream.