Hand Stitching Case

Designed by Julie A Bolduc

This sewing case is challenging to make but so worth the effort! Just look how cute it is! Use this case to carry your hand stitching projects in such as English Paper Piecing while you are out and about and have time to do some hand work to kill time. There is some hand stitching along with machine stitching. You will want to watch the video to get a better sense of how this little case was constructed. If I can do it, you can do it!

Materials Needed
• 1/2 Yard of 44" wide fabric total. 2 Fat Quarters will work.
  Cut the following from the fat quarters or what ever fabric you are using. I gave them label names so you can better know what pieces I am taling about in the instructions. Label each one with a sticker or masking tape so you can keep your pieces in order.
  • 4pcs total 1 each from 2 fabrics, 8.5"x5.5" for top and bottom.TPA (top a), TPB (top b), BMA (bottom a), BMB (bottom b)
  • 2pcs total 1 each from 2 fabrics, 18"x3.5" for Wrap around sides. SDA (side a, SDB (side b)
  • 2pcs total 1 each from 2 fabrics, 6.875"x3.5" for back side of case. BKA (back a), BKB (back b)
  • 1pc 3" x 10" for handle. (handle)
  • 1pc 8.5" x 8" for inside lid pocket. (pocket)
• 2pcs 7.5" x 4.5" Pellon Peltex 70 Ultra Firm Sew in Stablilizer
• 1pc 17"x2.5" Pellon 71F Peltex One-Sided Fusible Ultra Firm Stabilizer
• 1pc 5.875"x2.5" Pellon 71F Peltex One-Sided Fusible Ultra Firm Stabilizer
• 1pc 6"x1" Pellon 71F Peltex One-Sided Fusible Ultra Firm Stabilizer
• 1 zipper 22" long. One with 2 pulls that go in opposite directions. I altered one of mine. The zipper will be shortened while making the case.
• 2pcs 1/2"x28" long. single fold bias binding.
• Washable School Glue, glue stick or liquid.
• Fusible webbing. Such as Mitsy Fuse or basting spray.
• Sewing Thread to match color. Use cotton or Polyester, 50wt preferred.
• 2 little charms for the zipper pulls. (optional)

Tools Needed
• Template, provided in PDF file.
• Cutting tools such as scissors or rotary cutter, ruler and mat.
• Non permanent marking implement*.
• Tape Measure
• Quilting Pins and clips
• Sewing Machine with regular and zipper feet.
• Iron and Ironing Board

Instructions
I have not included step by step pictures because I feel the video will be better able to show you how this case is constructed.

Stabilizer Pieces
Step 1: Print out 2 copies your template onto cardstock so you can trace around it. If you plan to use it to make a lot of bags, you might want to laminate it with a thermal laminator or the laminating sheets that don't need a laminator. Cut out the template along the solid lines. Cut one on the outer most solid line and the other one on the inner most solid line. The smaller one is for the stabilizer and the bigger one is for the fabric. These are for the top and bottom of the case.

Step 2: Using the smaller template, trace the template onto the Pellon 70 Peltex stabilizer twice and cut them out. Set them aside.

Step 3: Cut the pieces for the sides, back and handle from the Pellon 71F Peltex in the sizes stated in the materials list. Set them aside.

Step 4: Cut out all of the fabric pieces according to the materials list.

Step 5: Layer the top and bottom pieces (TPA & TPB, BM A& BMB), with the Peltex 70 pieces making sure to center them onto the fabric pieces. You can use a glue stick, fusible web or basting spray to secure them before quilting.

Sewing the Handle on to the Lid
Step 6: Prepare the handle for attaching to the top of the lid.

• Fuse the 1"x6" piece of Peltex71F to center of 3" x 10" piece of fabric (handle). I used 2.5" and it was not quite wide enough so you should increase the width to 3" or 3.5" if you want. The technique is almost exactly the same.
• Fold over one long edge 1/4" and glue and press it down to secure it. Fold the other edge over the Peltex and glue in place. Fold the already folded edge over the raw edge and secure in place with glue.
• Stitch along the folded edge that is on the back side and stitch on both edges about 1/8" in from the edges. Do this all the way from one end to the other.
• Shape both ends to a point by folding the ends in half and clipping the corners off.
• Fold the ends in half toward the edge of the stabilizer and glue in place to hold it while to stitch the ends to the top of the lid.
• Find the center on the narrow edges of the lid and mark it. Center the ends on either end of the lid and stitch in place using a box with an X in it.

Adding the Pocket to the Lid
Step 7:

1. Fold the 9x8" piece of fabric in half so you have it 8.5"x4". (pocket) In the video, I had to trim a bit off because I started with a iece of fabric that was 8.5" x 9" making it a half inch too long.
2. Press a crease. Use a piece of the fusible web so fuse the layers of the pocket together so they will stay together.
3. Lay the pocket on the bottom side of your lid, opposite the handle. Make sure the pocket is lined up with the bottom of the lid, where the hinge will be. Using a 1/4" seam allowance, stitch the pocket to the lid around the permimeter but not across the top of the pocket. You can use a basting stitch if you like since this will be stitched on again when you add the zipper and bias binding.

Adding Zipper to sides piece.
Step 8: Sew zipper to top edge of front long piece of fabric, making sure pulls face the front of the SDA.

Step 9: Sew the back side of the zipper to the right side of the long piece of fabric SDB. That way you have a zipper sandwich. Fold both fabrics so that the wrong sides are facing each other. Press well. Make sure pulls of the sipper are in the middle and work a tacking stitch at each end about 3/4" in from both ends. Don't trim the zipper yet. You need a stopper at each end of this piece to keep the pulls from coming off the ends.

Adding Stabilizer to sides piece.
Step 10: Open up the piece you just pressed. Butt the 71f Peltex up against the seam of the zipper and fabric and press stabilizer in place. Use a piece of Misty fuse or use a glue stick to adhere the other part of the side to the other side of the 71f Peltex. Run stay stitching along the ends of the long piece and trim the ends, to make the ends even, including the excess zippers off to prepare for attaching the back piece. The finished length should be 18" long at this point. Set this piece aside for now.

Adding the Back
Step 11: Adhere the short piece of stabilizer to BKA, making sure it is centered.

Step 12: Glue the short end of this BKA to the PTA side of the long piece on the half inch seam allowance or along the edge of the stabilizer to the outside edge. Glue the BKB onto the same end but on the PTB side, same edge. Stitch both pieces into place making sure to stitch as close as possible to the edge of the stabilizer but not on it.

Making the Ends Meet
Step 13: Glue other end of BKA to the other end of the PTA side of the long piece in the half inch seam allowance. Stitch in place the same way you did the other edge, along the edge of the stabilizer.

Burrito Roll!
Step 14: Roll up long piece so end of BKB can meet up to PTB, glue then stitch in place along the edge of the stabilizer. Turn inside out. Now that the ends have met and it is now a big loop, it will be referred to as the body of the case.

Step 15: Adhere the BKA to the stabilizer with a piece of Misty Fuse cut to fit the 71f Peltex inside the back. If you don't have a fusible webbing, you can use a glue stick or washable school glue to do the same thing.

Quilting the Body
Step 16: First of all, top stitch close to the zipper, then continue quilting around and around the body going down in a spiral fashion from top to bottom. Once you are down close to the bottom, continue one more time around, top stitching close to the edge and on the stabilizer.

Adding the Binding
This part deviates from the video a bit. On the video, I stitched the top to the sides before I stitched on the bias binding. I should have stitched the binding onto the zipper first, then stitched it to the top. This is the way you should do it but make sure to stitch the bias binding onto the inside of the zipper first.

Step 17: Fold down 1/2" from the end of one piece of bias binding. Press in place. starting near the end, stitch this bias binding to the inside of the zipper, the part that will be stitched to the lid. Use a 1/4" seam allowance and use a zipper foot.

Step 18: To make sure the bias binding will fit the top and bottom correctly, trim both the bottom and top pieces so there is a 1/4" seam allowance from the edge of the stabilizer. This is in the video.

Sewing the Top and Bottom On
Step 19: Mark the centers of the top and bottom pieces on the long sides. Use a water soluble or air soluble pen. Mark center back of the sides on both sides. Turn the body so it is inside facing out. Use plastic clips to hold the lid onto the body. Make sure the handle of the lid is facing the inside of the body and the pocket is on the outside. Stitch the lid into place, stitching the long sides first, then the short sides and then hand stitch the corners. It is really hard to completely stitch the corners with a machine. You can unzip the zipper now if it will make it easier. You will need to make sure it is open when you stitch the bottom of the body in place.

Step 20: Trim any excess fabric from the seam so the bias binding can hide the raw edges by being folded over it. Hand stitch the bias binding into place.

Step 21: Repeating the folding of one end, stitch bias binding to bottom piece, on the BTB side, stitching along the edge of the stabilizer.

Step 22: Line up your center marks, clip in place and carefully stitch the bottom into place with the outside of the case pieces facing each other same way as the top, stitching the long sides, then short sides by machine and corners by hand.

Finishing the Binding
Step 23: Trim any excess fabric so the binding will be able to cover it, and hand stitch it in place.

Step 24: Turn case inside out! Add cute charms to zipper pulls if desired. Close the case! You are finally Done!!!

Design written on October 14, 2021 by Julie A Bolduc of Just Plain Fun p405001