How to make a pencil case

What you will need:

• Thread to match your fabric + thread for basting
• normal zip 12inches/30cm
• scissors
• taylor's chalk
• sewing machine (or hand)
• 40cm of fabric

Pattern for pencil case: - Drawing is not precise does not fit onto A4 paper,

                                     -  Every corner is a 90 degree angel.

                                     - 1cm seam allowance calculated into it

if you are unsure in any of the instructions don't be afraid to comment below!

1. Fold your fabric in half.place the pattern face up onto the right side of the fabric (the side you would like to have on the outside of your pencil case. next to the fold as shown. This way you will cut 2 patterns. one will be the outside and one will be the lining. 

Do not cut them apart!

2. if you place it with pattern rolling down wards. the pattern will end up horizontal on finished piece or vice versa as the picture further shows.

3. So when you fold it out it should look something like this.

4. Turn it over so that the inside is facing upwards (demonstrated by white colour in the picture) then fold the two edges down 1cm. Then iron it so that it stays there.

5. Fold the lining and the outer fabric back onto each other with the Inside fabric (white) on the inside and the coloured part facing out. Then baste (large stitch by hand) the two sides shown by the red lines on the picture.

6. Now onto the zip.

The zip will be slightly too long for the fabric. What you need to do is measure out 2.5cm from the end of the zipper (not from the handle side) and mark it. Using thread and needle stitch across the zipper teeth creating a new end. Then 1 cm from this cut of the leftover end.

7. Place the zip in between the two fabrics on the straight edge. Put the fabric right on the zipper teeth ends.then using a zipper foot stitch close to the teeth (don't go over the teeth or you won't be able to unzip it) make sure it stitched both fabrics. 

8.Do the same with the other side of the fabric. It makes it easier if you unzip the zip. Make sure it is in between the two fabrics and next to the zipper teeth. Then stitch.

turn inside out.

Baste the remaining unbasted edges of lining and outside fabric together. as shown with the red lines on the picture.

with the patterned sides together put bottom edges and tops together (dots together with the zipper) and then sew this together.

At the end put the notches together and sew these together.

Turn the pencil case inside out again

Tadaaaa you have a finished pencil case!!!

(I know the drawings are just fabulous, I forgot to take pictures while making this.)

How to make a Tulle skirt

As Tulle skirts are back in fashion and I alway have ballerina envy I made a 4 layered tulle skirt and here's how to make it!
*also read instructions first because I made the mistake of not reading one of the instructions i found online and it turned out I did not understand half of what they wrote so I figured out the pattern instead
**material lengths given are optional, depending on the length you wish to have,your waist size and how many layers you wish to make

Materials:

• 6 m tulle fabric  (I bought 7m as I wanted a lot of underskirts but didn't end up using it all)
• 1,5m lining fabric
• scissors
• tape measure
• pins
• thread (in the colour of your tulle)
• medium elastic or large 
• ribbon (optional) and thread in the colour of your ribbon 

1. Start of by first measuring your waist and the length you wish your skirt to be.
mine was: waist:75cm (add a few extra cm depending how gathered you want it) and length 59cm. (Its wise to add an extra 5 cm as it will be used for the elastic)

2. (cut up the material for the different skirt parts, i cut every 1.50m) Fold your material first in half width then length wise

3.With a simple calculation you can work out the radius for your waist line: Waist measurement  divided by (2x3.14) so 75/6.28 =11.94cm rounded up to 12cm (if you want the skirt to be really gathered add a few more cm's to the waist)

4. Now in the corner where the 2 folded edges meet, measure out the radius, use pins to mark the line, to help you could tie a string to a pen to help draw the curve onto the material.

5. Do the same with the outer line, from where your drew the waist line measure out the length of the skirt. all in all from the corner of the fabric I measured 71cm (12cm+59cm)

6. Now cut neatly along the lines to get something like this

7. Repeat from 1 depending on how many layers you want as well as with your inner lining

8. pin all the layers together

9. With a larger stitch, sew the 4 layers together about 1cm from the edge. Once down grab one thread from one side and start pulling to gather the material to your original waist size, if you cut the waste you have more to gather and if you cut it exactly,you can only gather slightly to not make the skirt too small

10. measure your elastic waistband (stretch it out) and then sew the ends together then pin it loosely to the inside of the skirt waist, place it just below the gathered stitch. Sew the bottom of the band first. Remember to stretch it while sewing!

11. Fold over the material above the gathered stitch to hide and stitch it down, while still stretching the material

Tadaaa its done!
Here's how to sew a ribbon on but that is completely optional

How to sew the ribbon:


When picking the ribbon keep in mind how much you want for the bow at the back, it's always easier to make it shorter at the end then chopping it all of earlier. Also bear in mind when attaching it, it will not stretch with the elastic and so make it harder to get into the skirt this is why I only sewed the front half on and left the rest loose

1. fold the ribbon in half to determine the middle then pin it to the front middle of your skirt.

2. Stick another 2 pins on each other sides to show where you want to stop sewing and leave it loose to be able to tie.

3.Sew the top and bottom edges on from either inside or out (I choses outside so i could see if my stitches were nice and straight)







In the end it makes a very cool skirt