comfortstitching

booklet pouch

I have a new pattern release to share with you today.  This one is called the Booklet Pouch.  It came into being last year when I was realised that I seemed to be using numerous different vinyl pouches of mine to store threads whilst working on an embroidery project.  I thought it might be an idea to combine several see-through pouches in one. 

It took me a few prototypes to get right because I wanted to be able to fill the pockets up without the pouch losing its shape.  The construction of the pouch allows the pockets to expand when filled without things taking on a bulging appearance.  In short it looks as good filled up as it does empty.  I've been using both of mine for around 6 months now, the small one holds threads and the larger one keeps everything else I need for the project I'm working on.  They make a good team!

You can find a copy of the pattern here.

I hope you enjoy making it!

 

all new all in one box pouch

I recently made up a few new samples of my All In One Box Pouch pattern.  This one has always been one of my best selling patterns, since I launched it three years ago. I've been getting a few requests for printed copies of the pattern and thought it would be worth reviving and updating the instructions a little.  What started out as a minor edit soon turned into a major overhaul of the instructions and complete redo's of all the illustrations.  The reasons behind this are more to do with the skills I have developed in writing patterns and drawing up illustrations over the past few years than anything else.  I ended up putting as much into rewriting this pattern as I would for writing a new one!

It was all worth it though because this pouch is such a useful one to have around.  The front pocket unzips to reveal two vinyl zippered pockets - great for keeping smaller items, where you can see them.  The main body is a box shaped pouch with lots of room for holding larger items.  You can also keep the small size box from my Nesting Boxes pattern inside the main pouch to organize the contents.

What I do want to stress however is that if you have a copy of the original pattern, this will continue to work perfectly well as it always has :)  This facelift is more to do with formatting the pattern so that it will also work better when transformed into a printed booklet.

I hope you enjoy making the pattern :)

 

Inside-Outside Pouch

I'm kicking off the New Year with a brand new pattern release.  This one is called the Inside-Outside Pouch and it comes with a very roomy box-shaped interior AND two super useful vinyl exterior pockets.  This means that you can keep plenty inside the main compartment and everything you want to have handy in the outer pockets.  

It's a great way to use up some of those pretty fabrics in your stash.  Prints you want to sew into something that both shows them off and is perfect for organizing all your bits and pieces too.  I've been finding so many uses for the ones I've made so far, they are perfect for sewing, knitting, stationary, kids, travel or anything else you can think of.

The long zipper allows the pouch to open fully wide so you can see all contents inside.  

In a bid to use up my stash, I've dug out some of my favourite fabrics and enjoyed grouping them into fun combinations.  I used prints from Menagerie by Rifle Paper Co, Mustang by Melody Miller and Zephyr by Rashida Coleman-Hale along with some basic prints.  All fabrics are by Cotton And Steel.

I hope you have fun sewing up the pattern!

If you are a shop interested in stocking a paper version of this pattern, please get in touch.

boxy clear pouch

Today I'm introducing my newest pattern, the Boxy Clear Pouch.  

The pattern comes with instructions for two handy sizes.  It features a see through pouch front and a sturdy box shaped base.  This makes it a great storage pouch for keeping threads, notions, hexagons etc. in a way that you can quickly see what's inside.  No more trying to remember which pouch you left a particular shade of thread in or where your bias tape maker is.

It zips up securely to keep all contents together until you need them, great for sewing on the go, travelling, kids bits and pieces, knitting, stationary and anything else you can think of utilizing it for.

The zipper also allows for the pouch to open fully wide.  The aerial view above gives an idea of the storage depth within each pouch.

Again, I used fabric from my stash in a bid to use it up and sew with the fabric I love.  Here I used some prints from Trinket and Basics by Cotton And Steel, along with a little Friedlander by Carolyn Friedlander and my favourite Essex yarn dyed linens by Robert Kaufman fabrics for the binding.  I used Aurifil 2600 for the small pouch and 5015 for the large, both in 50 WT.

You can find further details about finished sizes and material requirements here.

I hope you enjoy sewing this one up!

double zip box pouch

 

I'm sharing a fun new pattern with you today - the Double Zip Box Pouch!  

This one has been in the works for a while.  I've had many ideas for multi-pocket pouches over the last few years and made some to try out.  Generally I've found that they don't hold very much in total.  My main goal with this project was to create a pouch with two SPACIOUS pockets that hold a lot.  This is a box shaped pouch with BOX shaped pockets, each pocket has a good sized capacity for whatever it is you wish to keep in them.  

To give you an idea - I'll use common sewing item, the Aurifil thread spool as a unit of measure.  Each of the 2 pockets will easily accommodate 14 large spools of Aurifil thread.  So 28 spools in total if you wanted to keep just threads in there.

Or you could keep tools on one side and project components in the other.  Or maybe something completely different altogether - travel, stationery, toys...  Anyhow I'll leave that up to you.  You can find details of size dimensions and material requirements here.

The pouch comes together quickly and there is nothing tricky in the construction.  If you can sew a zipper, you'll find it easy.  I used some floral prints from my new Stay Gold collection for Cloud 9 fabrics.  

 I hope you enjoy the pattern!

open-out box pouch

I have a new pattern release to share with you today - the Open-Out Box Pouch.  This one has been on my brain for a while - I wanted to create a fairly standard looking zip pouch that magically expands into a box shape when open.  This means that you can easily see and grab what you need then zip it up to keep contents secure when not in use.  It's a fun project to sew and has so many uses - perfect for projects, tools, travel, kids and more!

The overall style of the pouch has a very modern, angular look.  I used prints from my new Stay Gold fabric line for Cloud 9 fabrics (out in May) along with some favourite Essex linens, corduroy and Shetland flannel (all Robert Kaufman fabrics).

This is a great pouch for showcasing a fun lining fabric as it will be fully visible when open (see below).

There are instructions for 2 sizes (see pattern listing for dimensions) and other than fabric and the zipper, this one requires only regular woven interfacing plus fusible fleece if you are making the large size.

You can find the pattern listing here.  I hope you have fun making one! 

zip-up tray pouch

I finally have a new sewing pattern to share with you, say hello to the Zip-Up Tray Pouch.  This sturdy pouch opens up into a tray, to keep contents close at hand and easy to reach.  It can be zipped up when not in use and is great for storage and for when out and about.  It will be perfect for sewing and other crafts, kids toys, travel and more.

I've been working away at this idea for over a year, I wanted something that ended up sturdy without being too complicated in it's construction.  Pattern design can be a long winding and sometimes tricky process.  Once I get an idea into my head for something I want to be able to create, I will just work away until I get the right set of idea's to make it work.

In the samples here, you can see one that is made with a print from my forthcoming line Stay Gold.  The second sample is made from yarn dyed Essex linen in Charcoal. 

I hope you enjoy making the pattern!

all in one box pouch

Today I'm introducing you to my newest sewing pattern - the All In One Box Pouch.  Just as the name implies, it's a box pouch with a little more handy pocket space.  I'm someone who likes to cart my sewing stuff around alot - around the house, in the car and out and about.  I can leave the kitchen sink behind but usable notions and haberdashery are always on my person.  Just as I like it :)

So this pattern is my take on a portable sewing room in a pouch (kind of).  The idea is that you could keep your current work in progress in the roomy main part of the pouch and all your threads, needles and such (hello Aurifil) in the handy front pocket. Once unzipped, this pocket folds down to reveal a vinyl interior so you can see everything you need to have on hand at a glance.

Here is how the pouch looks with the front pocket closed.  Everything is nicely packed away securely.  There's lots of ways you could use your fabrics to make this pouch.  The front pocket provides a good opportunity to use something you really want to showcase (hello hoarded stash).  I used my highly coveted collection of Catnap by Lizzy house for this one.

Inside the main pouch there's plenty of room and quite by accident I discovered that the small sized tray from my nesting boxes pattern fits really well in there.  I couldn't have planned it better - you can fit two trays in the base of the pouch or you can fit four in total by stacking another two on top!  

They are easy to get in and out as you need stuff but everything stays neatly organized.  So plenty of options depending on your needs.

There's also a handy double pocket on the back, the idea is that you could keep your scissors and pincushion here perfectly within reach as you sew.  There's perfectly sized pincushion instructions included in the pattern.  Also pictured here are my foldover mini pouches, these are super handy and make great gifts too!

And there we are.  So far I've made two, the second one uses my little red print from my A Walk In The Woods line.  I don't plan to stop there as I've found these to be super useful for travel too.

I hope you enjoy the pattern!  You can find it here :) 

 

sherbet pips!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here it is!!!

A little preview of what you can expect from my new line for Moda - 'Sherbet Pips'

You will notice a few familiar faces and something you've never seen from me before - co-ordinates!!  Let's take a look.....

So there we have it.  A bit of a peek and then some.  

All in all, there are nearly 30 prints in this collection.  As my girl on a tree swing and scoot prints were so popular earlier this year, I decided that they had to be the starting point for these fabrics.  However I wanted them to be completely new versions of the designs, so, I spent a week learning how to use adobe illustrator with the aid of a few online video's.  At the end of that week I got the go ahead from Moda to design the group and basically I designed them whilst putting what I'd learned the week before into practise.  Frustrating as it was to get to grips with illustrator, I completely enjoyed the whole design part, I used a lot less of the black outline than I did in the earlier versions and added a boy into the scoot print too.  As the lead prints are so playful in nature, I wanted to continue this theme into the co-ordinates.  So I made square dots instead of the usual round ones, I made them skip and jump around instead of being ordered and all lined up neatly.  I also wanted to do a stripe with a twist and came up with the idea of using the stripy scarf from scoot arranged in stripes across the fabric, I LOVE the way that turned out!  

Moda have done the best job of turning my designs into yummy fabric, every little detail has been done to perfection, the colours are spot on.  I really cannot thank them enough for sharing my vision and completely getting what I was after.

The collection will be premiering at Quilt Market in Houston at the end of the month.  Fabric will be shipping to stores in April next year (bit of a wait, I know). 

In the meantime, I would love to know what you think?  Is it what you expected?  Do you think you will be able to create a little space in your stash for some?  What can you see yourself making with them?????