Back to School! Pencil Case Tutorial

School has started! Hallelujah! All 3 of my boys went back to school yesterday, and today is the first full day. Happy dance for Momma!

 So of course, last week we did the official school supply shopping trip. So.many.pencils! Which reminded me of this fun tutorial I put together a couple years ago for PBS Fabrics using the Ring Ring collection. The fabric may be hard to be find by now, but the tute still works! My kids still have (and use, although not for school) these pencil cases. 

This pencil case measures 5-1/2" x 9"--perfect for holding newly sharpened #2s!
 

Ring Ring Pencil Case

You'll Need:

1 fat quarter each of (4) pencil prints and (1) blue dot print

(1) 12" zipper in a coordinating color

(1) 10-1/2" square of fusible batting

Cutting:

From each pencil print:

(1) 3-1/2" x 10-1/2" piece

From the blue dot:

(1) 10-1/2" square

(2) 1-1/2" x 3" pieces

Make the Pencil Case:

Step 1 Sew the (4) 3" x 10-1/2" pencil pieces together lengthwise.

Step 2 Fuse the 10-1/2" batting square to the back and quilt as desired. I stitched 1/4" on each side of the seams.

Step 3 Press in 1/4" on both short ends of the 1-1/2" x 3" blue dot pieces as shown. Fold and press the piece in half. 

Step 4 Tuck the zipper pull end of the zipper into the center fold of a blue dot piece. Stitch across the zipper to secure both sides of the blue dot piece to the zipper as shown. Align the zipper with the pieced bag square and trim the opposite zipper end 1/8" in from the end. Be careful not to pull the zipper apart! 

Step 5 Tuck the raw end of the zipper into the second folded blue dot piece and stitch to secure. Your zipper with tabs should be the same length as the pieced bag square.

Step 6 Trim the blue dot tabs even with the zipper width. 

Step 7 Lay the zipper right side down on the pieced bag square as shown and pin into place.

Step 8 Layer the 10-1/2" blue dot square right sides together on the zipper. Pin into place and stitch, using a zipper foot. 
Step 9 Press the pieced bag square and blue dot square away from the zipper. Topstitch 1/4" from the edge of the zipper. 

Step 10 Align the opposite end of the pieced square with the other side of the zipper, right sides together, and pin. 

Step 11 Fold the blue dot lining square back onto itself and align with the zipper. Pin in place and stitch using a zipper foot. 

Step 12 Turn the case right side out. Topstitch along the second zipper edge is a little trickier. You'll need to manipulate the case so the zipper edge where you're stitching is in the zipper opening, and ensure that the rest of the case doesn't get in the way. 

Step 13 At this point, your case should look like this. Press it flat so the zipper is centered.

Step 14 Turn the case wrong side out. Make sure the zipper is open! Stitch along each end using a 1/4" seam allowance. Use a zig zag stitch to finish off the raw edges. 

Step 15 Turn the case right side out and fill with pencils. 

The pencil print is an obvious choice for this case, but I love this monochromatic version as well. 

Each of my boys ended up making their own cases (with a little help) after I made these first two. This is from 3 years ago--I can't believe how much they've grown since this picture!

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Woven Mini Rug Tutorial (for kids too!)

Hi all!
I created this post as part of the Craft Blog Hop. We're excited to share a few projects with you today on our hop that - depending on what you have on hand - can be made from materials you have at home. See the full list of hoppers at the bottom of this post.

Now let's get started...
If you're like me, we're spending ALOT of (all) our time at home these days. And with 3 elementary school age kids in the house, we can never have enough hands-on activities. 

My boys love to sew, but it's hard to do that 3 on 1--it has to be one at a time. So I developed this project so they could still choose and play with their favorite fabric, but with less help. Age note: My 11-year-old and 8-year-old did this project pretty much on their own; the 5-year old and I did it together.

It's time to make Woven Mini Rugs! 
(psst...if videos are more your style, scroll to the bottom to see the video version of this tutorial)

You'll need:

• 1 piece of cardboard, approximately 8" x 10"
• Kitchen twine/string or yarn
• Fabric strips - approximately 1/2" wide x 40" (leftover jelly roll strips are great!) 
• Safety pin
• Sharp scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil

Making the Mini Rug

Step 1 Draw lines 1/2" apart across the long way of the cardboard piece. My board has 14 lines--you can decide how many, but you need an even number of lines. 

Step 2 Using a scissors, cut approximately 1/2" in on each line, on both ends of the cardboard. This will be your loom. 

Step 3 Leaving a 4" tail, start stringing the twine. Start in one corner by securing the twine through the first cut. Then stretch down to the adjoining corner and secure the twine from front to back through the first cut on that end. Loop to the second cut and come from back to front (on the same end--we're only wrapping the twine on the front of the cardboard). Stretch along the length of the cardboard and secure the twine behind the second cut. Twine should be taut but not overly tight. 

Step 4 Once you've looped the twine through all the cuts, trim the end leaving a tail. Tie the two tails together on the back fo the loom. 

Step 5 Tie one end of your first fabric strip to the piece of twine near a corner. Attach a safety pin to the other end of the strip. Use a skewer (a pencil would work too) to weave under every other string.

Step 6 Feed the safety pin through the gap created by the skewer and pull the fabric snug. 

Step 7 Starting where you just finished, weave the skewer through again, this time under the opposite strings from the first row. 

Step 8 Pull the fabric through the gap created by the skewer. Weave the skewer through again, going under the opposite strings from the previous step. Continue weaving back and forth until you are near the end of the strip.

Step 9 To add a second strip, fold the end of the current strip over about 1/2". Cut with sharp scissors to create a slit in the fabric (do not cut to the end of the fabric strip!). Do the same to one end of your second strip.

 Step 10 Guide the slit end of the new strip through the slit on your first strip.

Step 11 Guide the opposite end of the new strip through the slit in the new strip. This creates a loop. Continue tightening the loop until the two ends create a sort of knot as shown below.

Step 12 Continue weaving with the new strip. Add new strips when needed and weave across the entire loom. (I used about 4 strips for the full loom.) You'll need to leave at least 1-1/2" of string at each end. You can also squish the rows together to tighten the weave and create more space at the ends.

Step 13 From the back side, cut the first loop and then on the front side, tie those string ends together. Work across the loom, cutting loops and tying string.

Step 14 On the second end, you'll need to cut the first loop and then tie one string from that loop to the lone string on the end. Continue across the loom, doing that.

Step 15 Your woven rug is done! 

Alternate options:

• Vary the width of your fabric strips. You can also press strips in half so that you have the right side of the fabric showing on both sides. 
• Draw lines closer together. This requires more patience with the weaving, but you'll create a tighter and more dense weave.
• Alternate colors more frequently to create a stripe pattern.

Video Tutorial!

The video covers the same information as the step-by-step instructions and photos above.

Enjoy! 

If you make a woven rug, I'd love to see a photo. Post it on IG and tag @lisaerin1121 and use the hashtag #wovenfabricstriptutorial.

Check out the full Craft Blog Hop! I'd like to introduce you to everyone sharing a creative project on today's hop: - Jen Frost at Faith and Fabric: Quilt a Double Sided Lent/Easter Table Runner - Amy Millsap at Created Beloved: Make a "Let's Chew on This" Jar - Elaine Luther of Elaine Luther Art: Make Origami Window Stars - Lisa Ruble of Love to Color My World: Make Woven Mini Rugs Using Fabric Scraps

 - Monica McConkey of Equipping Catholic Families: Good Deed Bead Bracelets