Free Pattern/Tutorial: Fabric Recipe Card Box

A fashionable addition to your pantry or counter...

One of the best things that the internet has done for me is to enable instant access to virtually any recipe that I want.

Whenever a recipe becomes a "keeper", I copy it into a Word doc that I keep for my favourite recipes. This way, I can track changes and make notes. I also ensure that the URL to the original recipe is retained.

That said, I still have recipes on cards... and I have a lot of them. There used to be a time when companies were eager to send you free sets of cards just to see if they might entice you to join something. I've kept them all (and never joined anything).

The recipe world hasn't all turned digital, however. As you can see in my photos here, Knorr frequently distributes recipe cards in grocery stores even now.

Although I appreciate the searchability of recipes in my .DOC file, it's a nuisance having to run from kitchen to computer when I prep and cook. (And yes, I do have a tablet, but my desktop computer remains king of my computing world.) In truth, I would prefer that my recipes be on cards that can be pulled out and put on the kitchen counter.

Do you still use recipe cards?

Even if you have recipe cards, if you aren't of a certain age, you likely don't have a traditional plastic box to store them in. Well, today, you can make one out of fabric.

Of course, it doesn't have to be used for recipe cards...

Before we start, let me offer some background. This project was inspired by a free download, Teresa Lucio Designs' Boxy Pouch Tutorial (google it and you'll find it on Bluprint). However, she says in the PDF that the idea came from a class that she took.

I don't know who may have been the first to do a version of this design and I'm pretty sure it's impossible to find out. Just stating for the record that it's not my original creation, although of course, the instructions provided here are my own.

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When I first saw this boxy pouch, I was drawn to its interesting form. It wasn't until I looked more closely that I realized it was actually a zippered pouch.

Another zippered pouch??

I thought to myself, what if I don't ever want to zip it up and lose that elegant look? Of course... make it without the zipper and keep it open. And hey, maybe someone might want to use it to store recipe cards!

The inspiration project had a zippered closure...

So there was my entire thought process. Everything you ever wanted to know about a creative mind at work... ;-)

The next step was to make it with a couple of fabric remnants that I had. If you don't need this to come out to a specific size, you can certainly play around with the dimensions and adjust them according to what you have.

Flowered ribbon trim (last seen on my "curtain" bag & pouch) was glued on...

Here is what I used to arrive at a finished box size of approximately 7" x 5.5" (18cm x 14cm) at the base and about 5" (13cm) high.

• 1 piece 12" wide x 20.5" long (30.5cm x 52cm) quilting cotton for the exterior
• 1 piece 12" wide x 20.5" long (30.5cm x 52cm) quilting cotton for the lining
• 1 piece 11.5" x 20" (29cm x 51cm) Pellon Decor Bond or SF101 or equivalent (apply to lining)
• 1 piece 11.5" x 20" (29cm x 51cm) fusible fleece (apply to exterior)
• Ribbon, lace or rickrack for trimming (optional)
• Fabric glue (optional)
• 2 rivets or buttons

NOTE: Due to how the fabric forms the body of this box all the way down one side and up the other (i.e., continuously around the bottom), it is best to avoid directional prints, unless you want to cut two slightly longer pieces and join them along the bottom.

A couple of rivets hold the corners together...

With the zipper out of the equation, this is surprisingly easy to make. (About an hour if you're slow at cutting like I am.) I will illustrate most of the steps using a sample that I made out of a couple of small 2.5" x 4.5" fabric scraps.

Here are my two teeny pieces of fabric: the patterned one is the exterior and the solid is the lining.

Start with two same sized rectangles of fabric...

The first step is to fuse the appropriate interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric. The fleece goes to the exterior fabric and the Decor Bond or SF101 goes on the lining. (At this point, I also did some broad, lazy quilting on my exterior piece to give it some texture.) Note that for the purposes of illustrating this tutorial, I didn't bother interfacing these small pieces of fabric.

Place both pieces right sides together and sew together the shorter ends (the 12" sides). I used a 3/8" or 1cm seam allowance.

Stitch up the shorter sides...

Flip the pieces right side out, press and topstitch along the seams you just sewed.

Turn and topstitch...

Flip it back to wrong side out and hold the whole thing up by the lining so that the exterior hangs from the bottom. (This part is virtually impossible to describe, so here is a series of three photos that hopefully convey what you need to do.)

Do "this"...

Once you understand what you're supposed to do here, mark the midpoint of the lining piece and use it to line up where the two seamed ends should meet underneath.

Line up, press and clip...

Press and clip both short edges.

Sew up one edge entirely with a 1/4" or 6mm seam allowance. On the opposite side, sew and leave a turning gap in the lining; i.e., fold back the lining section and continue to sew along the exterior piece.

Sew up the sides, leaving a turning gap just in the lining...

Reach into the gap in the lining and turn the whole thing right side out, carefully poking out the corners. Working from the lining side, sew up the turning gap in whatever way you prefer with matching thread.

Turn right side out and press with lining showing...

Press the whole thing, ensuring that the edges are crisp, because the next step is to box the corners and you need to be able to see/feel the creases along the edges to do this properly.

Here I will revert back to my actual full size project in the photos.

Glue on trim and use clips to box the corners...

If you are using any sort of trim, glue it onto the top edges of the lining now. (You could also have sewn it on at the very beginning.)

Use clips to help you hold the corners. Pinch them down so that the seams are aligned on top of the pressed edges of the box.

Stitch to create the boxed corners...

Make a mark on each corner, 2" (5cm) down from the peak. Draw a horizontal line there and sew across as shown (but use thread that matches the lining). Do this for all four corners.

Secure each pair of corners with a rivet or by hand sewing...

The final step is to secure the pairs of corner pieces. You can either use rivets or hand sew them. If you choose to hand sew, sew a button on top for visual interest. (First, though, you may want to use clips to hold them together temporarily while you flip the whole contraption right side out to see if it looks okay.)

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I will not be instructing you on how to attach rivets (check out this post for an overview), but will recommend that due to the thickness, make the holes on each corner piece separately after marking the desired location for the rivet.

Love how the fusible fleece gives this item so much "body"
(and you can see my quilting more clearly here)...

If not for storing recipe cards, the size of this box is perfect for keeping a few paperback books on the nightstand of a guest room. Or small size toiletries in the guest bath.

Used as a greeting card file...

It's also good for keeping greeting cards organized. I remember someone wanted to use the quilted accordion pouch for this purpose, but while cards won't fit into that pouch, they will fit in this.

View of the interior...

There is an interesting use for this box in the sewing room that I'd like to mention. If your fabric stash is getting unmanageable, why not catalog your selections? Cut small swatches of fabric and glue them onto index cards. Write down the name of the fabric and any special care instructions. Record the amount that you have.

Of course, if you have too much fabric to keep track of, this won't be worth your while — unless you want to swap your sewing hobby for a filing hobby.

My exterior fabric was a recycled pillow case; interior is a Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton...

Seeing my recipe cards here reminds me of another project that's been brewing in the back of my brain. Similar to a bunch of Spoonflower projects that I posted about a couple of years ago, I think it would be neat to print off a bunch of my favourite recipes onto fabric. Sized properly, they can be cut and fused onto Peltex to create fabric recipe cards.

Pop them into one of these boxes along with a sample (think cookie or spice rub recipe) and it makes for a truly personal gift. What do you think?

5 Tips For Terrific Tutorials

5 Tips for Terrific Tutorials...

The vast majority of crafty blogs will feature a tutorial at some point, because you just can't beat the power of a good tutorial in attracting visitors.

When you're just starting out, a tutorial is an excellent way to gain traction with readers and bring in regular traffic. (I learned this first-hand when I offered up my first tutorial in blog post number ten; my first five subscribers signed up within a week.)

However, not all tutorials are created equally. (And certainly not all of them are terrific.) I've come across a few for otherwise awesome projects that were not well executed. If your idea for a tutorial is actually new and unique, it would be a bummer to have it not be understood by your audience.

Therefore, I thought it would be worthwhile to tackle this topic with a list of five tips for terrific tutorials. (Note that they are not listed in any order of importance.)

By the way, please don't run away if you're more of a consumer of tutorials than a creator of them. Take this opportunity to voice your opinion on what makes a successful tutorial for you on the receiving end. With your input, we can all do better! (Remember, if you're shy, you can remain anonymous in the comments below.)

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#1: Make it Easy

Actually, I can't stress this one enough: it's way easier to come up with a terrific tutorial if the subject matter itself is easy.

This is particularly true if you're creating your first tutorial. If you have several ideas for potential tutorials, start with an easy one. Sure, some people appreciate detailed, complex projects, but trust me, many more people love simple and easy-to-execute quickie projects. Popular tutorials are often popular because they describe an "easy make." Naming it with some indication of how little time it takes is another good strategy. (Although I caution against using this tactic in anything other than a truthful sense.)

So if you're intent on targeting the masses, choose something that's easy to do, like my 5 minute lip balm carrier. Or my 1 minute pin jar. Or my 5 minute ruler grips.

#1: Consider a Graphics Only Tutorial

Think easy is boring? Not if you make it universally understood by making it a "pictures only" tutorial. If you can pull it off, these tutorials are almost automatically terrific. (Just be sure to include a graphic summarizing any measurements or quantities.)

I tried a variation of this idea with my origami ornament and in terms of blog traffic, it performed above and beyond my expectations.

Think about it — what could be better than seeing your tutorial shared around the world by people who don't even speak your language?

Another variation on this theme is a video tutorial that doesn't have narration; however, ensuring that a video tutorial is terrific involves a lot more work.

#3: Be Thorough

If your tutorial includes written instructions, use simple, clear language and don't leave anything out. This means including measurements, quantities, and materials — preferably at the beginning — so that your audience doesn't have to guess.

After you've written your instructions, test them. Ideally, you would do so by making a second test project, but if that's not feasible, make a "virtual" version.

When testing your instructions, don't leave out anything and don't do anything that your instructions don't tell you to do. If you find yourself doing something that's not written down (within reason, of course; i.e., telling your readers to thread a needle before sewing is not a requirement), it's probably a hint that you haven't been thorough enough.

#4: Include Enough Photos

You'd think that this would be a no-brainer, but I've seen tutorials that were just a list of instructions with a single picture of the finished project at the very end.

I suppose there's room in the world for "instructions only" tutorials, but I'd venture to say that they're not quite terrific.

The fact is, when it comes to photos, you should take one at every step of your process and when you think you have enough, you should add one more. Yes, it's a real time killer to stop and take photos when you're making something. But here's the thing — having lots of photos takes away some of the pressure of having to write detailed instructions or descriptions.

Because a picture can be worth a thousand words.

#5: Make It Professional

Want to convince your audience that you know what you're doing? Make your project look as professional as possible. Take pride in what you do. If you want your idea to be pinned, shared or liked, your chances of achieving that are greater if your work simply looks good.

Since I deal in sewing, suggestions for how to make things look good include using quality fabric (unless it's a repurposing tutorial), making sure your stitching isn't all over the place, and ensuring that the accompanying photos are focused and clear. (In that respect, do whatever you can to make sure that you don't take shots against cluttered backgrounds.)

The bottom line is, if you're going to put out a tutorial showing how to make something, it should look nice! Put in the effort and you will reap the benefits.

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One final thing that I want to mention as part of the "terrific" tutorial process...

If your tutorial has been specifically inspired by something that you saw elsewhere or online, give credit. Hesitating because you don't want to be accused of taking ideas from someone else? If someone notices — and someone likely will — you might be accused of that no matter what credit you give. The crafting world being what it is, however, everything is derivative. (Think you're being unique? Think again.) I believe, however, that we all have the capacity to make something better by putting our individual touches on it. If that's the case and we want to share our creativity, it can be win-win, as long as we do our part and give credit for where our original inspiration came from.

Good luck with your future (terrific) tutorials!

Make a Magic Pouch

Guess what I made out of some Eclectic Elements fabric?

Have you taken a (virtual) stroll through Bluprint's pattern marketplace lately?

[Or perhaps a better question to ask is, are you able to find the marketplace these days? I don't want to fan the flames, but Bluprint has done a fine job of burying it. Try doing a search and you'll see what I mean.]

Ever since Craftsy — which it still was at the time — cleared out a whopping 93% of the patterns that used to be available on their website, people have been at odds over whether to continue supporting it or not.

Some shop owners who were unexpectedly shuttered angrily vowed not to have anything to do with Craftsy/Bluprint anymore. Many of them put up shops on their own blogs and websites, thinking that was the solution. (It's not, not really.) Followers of some of these shop owners vowed not to support Craftsy/Bluprint, period, on anything.

As someone whose shop was left standing (although decimated all the same), I haven't committed to turning my back on Bluprint just yet. If the past few months have proven anything, it's that Craftsy generated a heck of a lot more in sales than I could ever do on my own. At some point, I hope that Bluprint comes back with a mutually beneficial platform for pattern sales, because it's hard to match the levels of pre-qualified traffic that it used to bring us.

In the meantime, you may be surprised by the caliber of the patterns that remain... if you can find them. I'm featuring one today.

My version of Teresa Lucio Designs' Magic Pouch... isn't this fabric just "fab"?

The Magic Pouch is a free pattern by Teresa Lucio Designs. I saw it, thought it was unusual, and had the perfect Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements fabric for it.

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I'm not usually a zippered pouch fan. If you're a regular visitor around here, you may know that I only take on zippered pouches that are out of the ordinary. (Like this five pocket version, or even my own Retro Reticule.)

This one seemed special enough, being a pouch that's somehow double-sided with two zippered sections. (And yes, they are two separate pockets; they do not feed into one another.)

Secure pockets on both sides...

While I didn't know how it could be done by just seeing it, it ended up being obvious and simple to put together. Probably nothing to be scared about if you're a beginner. If you've done a couple of lined zippered pouches, this would be an ideal project to graduate to, so to speak.

What would you use this pouch for?

The instructions are passable, with self-explanatory photos making up for any confusion. Again, if you've made a basic lined zippered pouch before, you should be able to find your way around this project.

Interior view #1...

The pattern calls for virtually every piece to be interfaced; indeed, there's even a separate template for the interfacing, which is convenient.

Apart from the two exterior pieces (onto which I interfaced some fusible fleece), however, I didn't bother interfacing any of the lining pieces, or the zipper tabs. It looks and functions fine without the extra time — not to mention the expense — put towards SF101 interfacing.

Interior view #2...

The pouch finishes out at 8" x 5.5" or 20cm x 14cm, a useful size that's not too big and not too small. It's designed as a wristlet with a carrying strap, but since I don't use wristlets, I didn't bother making the strap.

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My intended use for this pouch will be as secure storage for important stuff inside my big beach tote, where it will hang from one of my many lanyards, like this one for a hotel key card.

Magic pouch hanging from my key card lanyard...

Interestingly, one of the instructions was to ensure that the zippers pulled in the same direction. That was funny, considering that I specifically wanted my zippers to pull in opposite directions. Maybe you should just pay attention when you install your zippers that they run in the direction that you prefer.

I also used two different coloured zippers to tell which pocket was which. I will appreciate having that distinction when I eventually use it.

Leftover fabric makes functional — if rustic — zipper pulls...

In the photo of the finished pouch that accompanies the PDF pattern, it shows some leather zipper pulls. I sewed up small strips of my exterior fabric and used them in the same way.

A worthwhile and unique project...

If you like zippered pouches — or even if you usually don't — the Magic Pouch is a worthwhile project to tackle. It should take you no more than a couple of hours and the result is certainly a step up from the ordinary. You can get the pattern from the designer's Bluprint shop here.

It gets a thumbs up from me!

My Scarlett O'Hara Moment: Spring Cleaning a Curtain into a Bag

My spring cleaning project... Sew Sweetness' Oriole Bag

A couple of weeks ago, spring had not yet technically arrived, but our deep freeze of a winter finally looked like it might be over. With the bleary-eyed switch to daylight savings time came a desire to do something to celebrate spring, which led to this bag.

Yes, I'm surprised as well.

Having not made any bags for quite some time and having had no interest in doing so, I've now made two in the span of three months. What is wrong with me??

This is a 2018 freebie from Sew Sweetness: the Oriole Bag. I found it saved in my Other People's Projects folder. (I'm sure you're familiar with Sara Lawson's work and can google it if you're interested.) The pattern is offered as both a PDF and a video tutorial via YouTube and is available in two sizes. The one you see here is the smaller one, which in my opinion is as big as you might want to get for crossbody use.

The materials (apart from rivets and ribbon) were all recycled...

Although it's gusset free, it has a defined three dimensional shape, courtesy of a couple of darts on each side. I've been mulling over an idea for a bag of my own using darts and thought this would be an ideal way to get a feel for how they'd turn out.

I even have matching sunglasses!

For once, I didn't customize the heck out of it. I actually left out the only pocket that this bag had going for it — an interior slip pocket — and added a D ring and some ribbon trim on the outside. (A alternate plan for organizing the contents led me to this "no pockets" decision.)

The fusible fleece on the exterior panels also eliminated any urges to customize. It's enough to deal with the thickness — especially around the darts — without trying to cut into it to make other openings. (The pattern originally calls for fusible foam to create an even more structured finish.)

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You might be curious about the title of this post. I dug into my "non traditional" pile of fabric to do some spring cleaning — i.e., to see what could I use up — and saw this.

A curtain panel originally purchased for its grommets...

I picked up this curtain panel at Value Village almost two years ago, harvesting ten plastic grommets from it. Interestingly enough, I haven't yet used those grommets.

When I removed them, however, I was surprised to discover that the fabric was double layered: it's a deep pink cotton duck covered by a sheer patterned overlay of white polyester.

Surprise! It's made out of two fabrics...

Therefore, the two different fabrics that you see are from the same source. But the versatility of the fabric wasn't the only bonus.

Because curtains are sewn up into rectangles, I was able to remove one of the side seams and convert it into the bag's strap. (Sliced it off, unpicked the stitching on one side, refolded it and sewed it up again.)

Using what you can to save time...

And since I didn't need to make the strap adjustable, what I harvested off the curtain ended up being just the right length for me. How absolutely serendipitous!

Primo hardware from an unexpected source...

Recall my $1 belts from last summer? One of them had this buckle that has now been up/recycled into this cool purse flap closure. The two rectangular rings were also recovered from something, but I don't know what anymore. The D ring was a trim from an old pair of boots.

This is new: floral ribbon glued across the back of the bag.

Glittery floral ribbon trim...

I like to add visual interest to both sides of a bag, and this bit of ribbon does the trick.

Back of the bag...

Many thanks to Sara for generously creating several freebie bag patterns for the sewing community to enjoy over the years. This is the first that I've attempted and probably one of her simpler styles.

While I like the purse overall, I'm not a fan of how the strap anchors/tabs are done. For such a minor element, they ended up being very fussy to handle and added bulk where I didn't want bulk. (Maybe the "sewing this bag with cotton" option was an after-thought? This particular strap anchor application works/looks best when done with cork or leather.)

I added the rivets after doing the initial sewing. (I then decided to leave the stitching underneath as further reinforcement.) I used four of the small rivets and two of the large ones from the kit that I posted about last week.

View of the bright interior!

When I cut the material for the flap, I left the overlay on. Until the last minute, I really didn't know whether I'd keep it or just use the bottom fabric by itself.

Celebrating spring...

Either way would have been fine, but I have a fondness for this rose colour, which is probably the most accurate name for this shade of deep pink.

A check through my closet turns up several items in that immediate colour family. In fact, the same week that I made this purse, I also crafted these similarly hued crepe paper hyacinths! (It's spring, remember?)

Side view...

Check out this side view to see how flat pieces can be transformed into three dimensional entities. The darts create room inside this bag without the need for a gusset. Again, I used fusible fleece to interface my exterior fabric, which gives it a softer finish. If you go with the foam option, the bag will likely hold its shape even when empty.

Further on the matter of interfacing, since the cotton duck is already substantial by itself, I didn't add interfacing to any of the other pieces.

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Remember I said earlier that I had a plan to organize the contents of this bag beyond pockets? It's with this matching pouch.

My Oriole Bag "divider" pouch...

Slipped inside the bag, it effectively divides the interior into two separate spaces with a zippered pocket in the middle. ('Cause how can I have a bag without a zippered pocket?)

A snug fitting zippered pouch can act as a divider for a purse...

I don't have a pattern or tutorial for the pouch to share with you. (If you need to see something similar, check out my mini retro reticule.) It's just four panels of fabric sewn up to a zipper with tabs at both ends; i.e., your basic lined zippered pouch.

For the outside, I wanted to feature some more of the flowered ribbon, so I cut the overlay shorter and added the ribbon as trim across the exposed edge. (This also made it easier to attach the zipper, since I didn't have to deal with the flimsy overlay.)

A matching set!

In hindsight, I should have cut the top part of the pouch so that it tapers inwards a bit, but this was one of those "be creative on the fly" projects that wasn't thought about in great detail before it was done.

For an idea of scale...

When I look at this purse, I'm propelled back in time to my university years. Lilac — the colour — was all the rage one spring, and I had a complete outfit in various shades, topped off by a canteen style crossbody bag... also in lilac. I have a clear memory of that warm "spring has finally sprung" day when I headed off to class in my light purple ensemble.

I'm no longer drawn to lilac, but this pink/rose bag carries a similar spring time vibe for me. It's not ever going to be an everyday purse, but it's cheery and fun and assures me that the dreariest days of winter are behind us.

Everyone should make a spring time bag... even if you don't channel Scarlett O'Hara to do it!