Constructing a Fabric "Gingerbread" House

A fabric "gingerbread" house...

For a small item, this project has taken quite a long time, both in my mind in the visualization and planning process and in the "doing" part.

In mid-July, after our real gingerbread house crumbled to pieces, I took out my notebook and started drafting up a fabric version. I completed the initial planning work at the beginning of August and posted about it here at month's end.

I then didn't pick it up again until the last week of September. Oddly enough, it actually felt like "work" that had to be done. I don't often get that feeling about a sewing project, so I was hoping that once I got started again, it would go away.

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Unfortunately, the laborious nature of the first steps did nothing to alleviate my ambivalence. Of course, I refer to the tedious task of cutting fabric and interfacing. 

Cutting: never my favourite part...

For this particular project, not only did I have to cut around the shapes, for the interfacing pieces, I had to cut out the "windows", since it was my intention to wrap the fabric to the other side in those openings and then glue them down.

My process for cutting the window openings...

Peltex was used to stabilize the exterior fabric and Decor Bond for the interior.

Openings cut for the front panel...

Once complete, the two halves are put together with whatever needs to be between them; for example, something see-through for the windows, and – in this case – a fussy cut penguin for the front door.

Two halves of the front door panel...

For the windows, I repurposed a tulle-like material from a gift basket and some scrappy bits of lace.

I glued some "snow" under the window...

The leftover white trim that I showed here in my original post got repurposed as snow under all of the windows (and eventually around the base of the house).

I started the project with the roof. I took a 6.25" x 7" piece of Decor Bond and cut a large piece of the exterior fabric to wrap around it, beveling the corners. (Do this by folding in at the corner first, then fold the adjacent sides inwards.)

By the way, it may seem that the piece of fabric is unnecessarily large; I wanted to ensure that one of the geese was oriented a certain way along the peak of the roof. (I may not have needed this much, but I didn't bother cutting off the excess since this was just a dinner napkin.)

Making the roof panel...

After the Decor Bond was fused into place, I took two pieces of 3" x 7" Peltex and fused them to the underside of the roof panel, leaving a small gap down the middle, for ease of folding the peak.

Note that before adding the Peltex, various trims can be installed along the roof line and fused in between the two layers. I was thinking that eyelash trims, tiny tassels, or mini pom-poms would have been ideal; but alas, I have no such items and wasn't about to buy them.

Las Vegas beads being repurposed...

Instead, what I ended up doing to the roof panel was to add some rivets and some beading. The Mardi Gras style beads (that are glued to the string, so can easily be cut) came from 1990s Fremont Street in Las Vegas.

[For those of you who did the "Vegas thing" back in the day, do you recall when you could go from place to place just collecting freebies? I still have mugs, dice and magnets among my stash of old Vegas souvenirs!]

Rivets applied...

The rivets had a dual purpose. They are decorative, to be sure, but they also keep the two sides of each panel together. (Not so much for the roof, which was fused, but the sides of the house.)

Adding beaded "streamers"...

The beads were added by cutting an "x" shaped hole into the panel (as marked in red in the above picture), which would then allow an end bead to be pushed through to the other side. After cutting the holes, I decided to use the gold beading for the roof panels and used the green segment to decorate the back of the house.

The panels are joined by a wide zigzag stitch, sewn with the panels butted up against each other, side by side, flat. (If you use an appropriately coloured thread, the whiteness of the Peltex will be less evident, although any whiteness can also be interpreted as snow.) The top and bottom edges are also finished with a zigzag stitch.

Oops!!

Of course, I was merrily sewing along and did not notice that one of the side panels was sewn on upside down. If the "snow" trim had not already been glued on, I may have been able to leave it, but as it was, out came the stitch ripper.

View of interior without the roof...

Sewing the last two panels together had to be done just a tad differently. Since they cannot be laid flat against each other at that point, I just stacked them and zigzagged both layers together, keeping a good portion of the stitching off the edge so that it wouldn't be too tight to bend back.

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Oh, I did add one final decoration to the front panel before sewing it all together. See that heart shaped jeweled button near the bottom of the pile in the photo below?

Big ol' dish of buttons...

It has a shank on the back of it, so I cut a slot near the top of the front panel to accommodate placing it into the Peltex. 

All that remained was to go out to the nearest dollar store and pick up a battery operated votive to put inside.

A peek through the window to the interior...

I got a pack of two lights for $1.25. Note that not all battery operated votives are alike. Some require two batteries and some require three. Check what kind are needed and whether or not you can easily get replacements before making a choice. (And of course, you can opt for string lights too; a bundle of them inside would look kind of neat.)

Low light photo showing glow from the battery operated votive...

With a removable roof and everything being collapsible to a flat state, storing this house will not be an issue. 

Stores flat...

While I did not decorate it to the level of our old gingerbread house, it's a charming little Christmas dwelling that will do quite well as a substitute. (By the way, I gradually warmed up to the project as it went on.) 

For those who are truly motivated, several houses in varying sizes would make a nice fabric Christmas village.

'Til next...

Load-it-Up Laptop Slipcase Revisited

My third laptop slipcase...

Back in the spring of 2017, I came up with an idea for a laptop slipcase. I presented the general instructions here as a freebie tutorial, and later released a pattern for it with additional features.

As with most of my creations, the slipcase came about as a result of personal need... to cart around hubby's laptop.

This past March, its fan stopped working. The unit tended to run hot, so he was worried about it overheating. With good deals available on refurbed laptops, we decided to spring for a "new" computer. With this one being just slightly bigger than the old one, however, the old slipcase was no longer able to accommodate.

So several weeks later, I pulled out my pattern and got to work.

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Was I ever so slow!

Y'know how I had indicated that I might sew more with all the free time that I'd have at my disposal after calling a halt to blogging regularly? Well, whether or not I actually had a lot of free time is up for debate, but the only sewing I did between January and April was for my junk journal (which wasn't much) and cutting and hemming some tea towels for Mom. (Yes, I understand it's now mid-October, and I still haven't done a whole lot of sewing!)

This is a fairly simple, straight forward sewing job, but the need to cut a few long lengths of fabric and interfacing (33" in this case; the pattern provides a custom fit for whatever size laptop you have) drove me crazy in terms of deciding the best way to do it.

Fixing the bellows pocket to the front of the slipcase...

Yes, I admit it. Cutting fabric causes me anxiety and in this particular instance, it took me a couple of hours to accomplish. 😏

Speaking of fabric, this is from a Craftsy purchase six years ago; part of the Robert Kaufman Remix Metallic collection by Ann Kelle. Some of this yardage was featured on the exterior of my origami-ish basket from last year. The remainder was completely used up for this project, with the exception of a 10" x 3" piece.

Exterior side is on the left, lining (with zippered pocket) is on the right...

The main body of the slipcase was done to spec according to my pattern, but I had to adjust the bellows pocket and grab handle to accommodate the fabric that I had. (The fabric for the bellows pocket was about a half inch shorter.) In the case of the grab handle, I used an existing segment from a faux leather purse that I harvested for various parts years ago. It wasn't the right length, but I added some fabric to the ends to make it work.

It's somewhat weird to follow a pattern of your own creation to make something, particular from a distance of many years. There's an obvious sense of familiarity to it, but also a vague alien-ness that's hard to describe. At any rate, it certainly wasn't a case of I know exactly what to do; I had to read.

Finished view of back...

That said, I had no complaints to make to myself about how I wrote the pattern, so that's good! (It would have been unsettling had I encountered anything that made me wonder, whaat...?)

Flap open with laptop inside...

To reiterate, this slipcase is custom fitted to a specific laptop, so it's not one of those projects that you'll make just for the sake of making. You'll need to have measurements for the actual computer in order to achieve a proper fit.

Interior zippered pocket keeps small items like USB sticks secure...

Note that the advantage of this design is that it is an "all in one" storage solution. Sleeker looking sleeves and bags usually don't have a place to hold the power cable and "brick" (it's called that for a reason), not to mention mouse and other peripheral devices. In this case, USB sticks and memory cards have a separate, secure home in the zippered lining pocket.

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The paid version of the pattern also includes instructions to add a pen and notepad slip pocket inside the bellows pocket. I didn't have enough fabric for it, so I left it out.

Closeup view of handle made from recycled piece of vinyl...

As is usually the case whenever I work with this fabric, its luxe factor impresses me. You can see in these photos how the gold is truly a shimmery gold. Love it!

A laptop slipcase with a place for everything... 

If you need a laptop case, this is a quick sew. (Don't let the story of my slowness in cutting fabric deter you!) Again, the freebie tutorial is here; pattern for sale is here.

I'd like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to any fellow Canucks who may be reading. With all that's going on around the world – and even at home – I hope there's stuff in your life that you're thankful for, because things can always be worse. 

And speaking of things being worse, I sure wish I had the ability to control the weather like some people claim can be done, because I certainly wouldn't be choosing to throw out hurricanes everywhere. (My thoughts go out to those suffering a horrific hurricane season down south.) 

'Til next...

New PDF: Passport & Travel Document Keeper

New PDF for the Passport & Travel Document Keeper...

From way back in 2016, I had a conundrum regarding choosing what to sew.

Since I wasn't making things to sell, I would very often ask myself what I would do with the finished project if I were to undertake the making of it.

The best outcome, of course, is  to make something that is both useful and will be used. In that respect, today's new PDF is for something that I've used on every airplane trip since 2019... of which – since Covid happened shortly afterwards – there have been all of two such occurrences!

You likely missed the original post about my search for a passport folder/holder that would meet my precise needs; it appeared in early 2015. I lamented the lack of important features in most of the designs that I had come across, and had already been planning my own solution. It ultimately took another four years for me to finish it and post it here as a quasi-tutorial.

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For those of you not familiar with the background that led to the project, here are the features that I deemed to be important when I came up with the idea.

Apart but Together

I never did come up with a super snazzy solution for this requirement, but what I did ultimately works for me and that's fine. (I'll leave it to others to dream up something more elegant for themselves!)

What I'm referring to is that while each individual traveller has his or her own passport holder, it would be nice to be able to keep two or more of them together when not in use.

One way of keeping a couple of these attached...

For the two that I have, I installed some adhesive velcro "dots" onto the back. When not needed, the two of them stick together as one unit. In the PDF, I show another possible solution for corralling three or more of these.

Holds Boarding Pass & Passport

Most other passport keepers out there are either simple book cover type things that hold a passport and little else, or zippered folder style organizers that hold several passports and maybe some important papers.

I've said before that I'm not a fan of the "big wallet that holds everyone's passport" because it's ultimately inefficient. When you step up to board (unless you're a child under a certain age), you are expected to show your own passport and boarding pass. If all you have is a super-sized wallet that carries your family's passports, at some point you're going to have to remove and distribute them to the appropriate people. 

Must hold both passport and boarding pass...

My goal was to keep everything that each traveller needs to have within a single organizer, which meant that a spot for a boarding pass was a must. It has a place here under a vinyl window and can be easily removed when the circumstance requires.

A bookmark style strip to hold your passport open...

As for the passport, it actually has two homes: a diagonal see-through vinyl pocket on one side and a bookmark style strip on the reverse that keeps the passport open at a specific page.

Holds Travel Documents

I never rely on a cell phone to refer to travel documents (like hotel, tour, and flight confirmations), preferring to keep a hardcopy on me. No matter how convenient our modern phones can be, I find it cumbersome to scroll a small screen looking for a confirmation number. (Also, a piece of paper doesn't require the internet or need electricity to be charged up; yes, I am quite old school that way.)

A slip pocket for travel docs...

Even if you're a diehard smart phone addict, you might see the advantage of having a (backup) set of documents in paper form. The full width slip pocket in the centre of the unit will accommodate several 8.5" wide folded pages.

Holds Other Valuables

Finally, currency, visas, tickets, memory cards, SIMs and various sundry that need to be kept more securely can be stored in the zippered pocket. 

Secure zippered pocket...

In terms of difficulty, I'd say that there isn't too much here that's complicated. There is a basic zipper installation but I'm assuming that you've done one before. (Instructions are skimpy for the zipper part.) If you haven't worked with vinyl, it may prove tricky – and sticky – but we all learn by doing.

A look inside the pockets...

This is an easy to carry solution for all travellers. It can be easily slipped into any backpack, purse or laptop case that you'll probably also be carrying. At your destination, it'll fit into the average hotel room safe without issues.

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By the way, this PDF is not merely a copy of the blog post. I found some old photos of the creation process that I added to the mix. I changed up some of the wording in the instructions. And because I was recently cajoled into making a couple for a sister-in-law, there are some new photos as well, such as this one.

A rush job for one of my SILs...

This is a scrap friendly project that uses minimal fabric and ribbon. The exterior part requires just a single 11.5" x 9.25" (29cm x 23.5cm) piece. Everything else is a lining and not immediately visible, presenting a good opportunity to use up scrappy remnants that may not be your favourites.

An example of how to make them slightly different for two people...

If you use the same fabric for the whole family, choose different ribbon to tell them apart. For hubby and me, I actually just used different coloured thread along the passport bookmark strip.

Get your free copy of the PDF for the Passport & Travel Document Keeper here.

'Til next...

Planning a Fabric "Gingerbread" House

Before it fell apart...

Hubby and I put together a large gingerbread house last Christmas, and while it looked pretty decent when all was said and done, the activity was not a particularly relaxing experience.

I assembled the house and he did the decorating (yes!) but neither of us would describe our task as having been something that we wanted to do again any time soon.

In mid-July – due to whatever – the house fell apart and everything scattered all over the floor. A few years ago, we had put together a smaller version that had managed to stay intact for over eighteen months, so we were disappointed with the early demise of this one.

Given that I didn't want to tackle another kit for the foreseeable future, I decided to put my efforts towards designing a fabric version that would invariably last longer.

It was something that I had actually seen last year, so once again, I freely admit to pursuing an idea that is neither original nor mine. (A pattern called Leave the Light On by Aunties Two features a fabric house with windows that can be used as a nightlight, with the aid of flameless votives inside.) Per my fastidious nature, the disadvantage of an actual gingerbread house is that it really can't be put away easily for storage; with a fabric version, hopefully I can make it so that it can be taken apart and stored flat!

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The Aunties Two pattern sews up a house that's 8" x 8" x 5". I pulled out my project drafting notebook and began to draw a design for something smaller.

I figured that 5.5" high x 4" wide x 6" long was a sufficiently large house to "construct." I would need two side walls measuring 4" x 6", and two peaked front and back walls that are 4" x 4" with a 5.5" peak. The roof would be made out of two joined panels measuring 3" x 7" each.

Pen on paper is the only way to start...

I also started planning for the door and windows. For the front, I want a door (1" wide x 2" high) with a window ( 2" wide x 1" high) above it. The back wall will have a larger (2" x 2") window.

The side walls could end up identical or not. Perhaps one side could have two side by side windows (each 1.25" wide x 2" high) while the other has a single bigger (3" wide x 2" high) window.

Snack food boxes put to good use...

With measurements decided on, it was time to make a cardboard prototype. I dug into my recycling bin and fished out some discarded boxes for this purpose. With the help of a little bit of tape, I soon had a rudimentary, 3D rendition of my project.

3D proof of concept is the next step...

Before drawing out windows and door for size, I want to see what fabrics will work for me.

Putting fabrics to a project like this at an early stage often helps to visualize the outcome and lock in one's commitment. (At least that's how I feel!)

That said, I don't have an extensive stash and have even smaller amounts of fabric that can be deemed appropriate for holidays or Christmas. I'm lucky to "make do."

Choose and allocate fabric to help visualize the end result...

The red selection – which I plan to use for all four (exterior) walls – was last seen on my Collapsible Quilted Tabletop Christmas Tree project; it's from my 2020 Lily and Loom purchase. The "spruce and goose" fabric on the roof is actually one from a set of napkins that I've never used as such. Finally, the "penguin on a sled" fabric is a fat quarter that I picked up a couple of months ago at a discount store for ninety-nine cents. It will be the interior "wallpaper" of the house.

Satisfied that I have fabric to make this work, my next step was to add the windows and door.

Angle on back of house... 

At this point, I do have a plan in mind for how I will construct these panels. Peltex and Decor Bond will be the backing for the exterior and interior sides of each. I will use a combination of transparent and translucent material to mimic the window glass, which will be trapped between the exterior and interior layers. (The panels will be sewn directly to each other like in my other 3D pieced projects, not bound.)

Angle on front of house...

I drew muntin bars on the windows, but right now I don't have a specific plan in mind for how to execute them. (Ultimately, it could be something as simple as skinny strips of fabric glued down onto the window panes... or even lines drawn by a broad tipped black marker.)

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While I won't be aiming to replicate the look of the original gingerbread house in terms of gumballs, candy and other sugar-based decorations, a fabric house does open up opportunities for other types of embellishments.

For example, bits of leftover trim like what you see here in the photo can be used around the eaves of a fabric house. (I actually don't know where this remnant came from, but should it prove useful for this project, I'll be happy I kept it.)

Even things like pieces of ric rac, bias binding and zipper remnants could be potentially useful.

Do you have any suggestions for how to finish this? I'm tackling this slowly and won't be back with an update for a few months, so lemme know if you have any brilliant ideas that I can put to use!

'Til next...