DIY Quilted Tube Pencil Case (Things to do with scrap fabric #1)

 

So this was a project I did at the start of the year - but as I said - I've been slack with posting. I'll do my best to walk you through it from what I remember!


So for those of you who don't know I'm a High School Teacher. I found that my other pencil cases were too small to hold all my little bits and pieces as I race from one end of the school to make my classes. So I thought I'd give making one a whirl.

I have always liked the look of tube pencil cases and quilting so that's where I had the idea. Then I thought I'd give a piped edge a go too (ambitious since at the time I had never done one nor did I own a piping or zipper foot. Eeek.)  I also love the look of diamantes in the points of the quilting so I thought I'd do that too. Oh and a lining - had to be lined! Aaaaaaaaaaand finally I added a little zipper pull from an old keyring which I finished with a crystal charm.


So I had certainly set myself a challenge. Journey is as follows:

I decided to use some scrap Duchess Satin leftover from a previous project. To determine the size of the fabric for the roll part I found what I would use as a template first. This turned out to be a plastic lid from a jar. Thus I used the circumference of this to determine the width of the piece and then the length of the longest item I would need to fit in to determine the length.

Lid - Traced Circle and ruler ^

I made the lining first.

I traced 2 circles on the lining fabric and cut them out leaving approx. 1cm for a seam allowance.

As the edge is entirely curved I notched that bad-boy! Notched it good! (Both pieces)

 I then cut out the lining fabric for the body of the tube and folded in half and tacked the raw edged for the opening side.

Then I pinned the round pieces to each end of the tube lining.

Then tacked on and removed pins as I tacked.

 Then came time to make the quilted shell for the tube.

I used a 200gsm poly wadding and sew-in interfacing to back the wadding.

Layered all my pieces together and pinned the corners to reduce shifting (didn't have my walking foot at the time - lordy I wish I did - would have made this so much easier!)

I traced my guidelines onto the fabric using a watercolour pencil (I always use these instead of tailor markers or pens - I prefer the ease of use and how they are easy to remove after)

I then started quilting.

Then I finished quilting!

I then began applying the flat back hot-fix diamantes.

I don't have a rhinestone applicator so I just used the tip of my craft iron and some scrap cotton quilting as a press cloth.

Sparkly!!!

I got some nice, thick piping cord. Cut 2 strips of the Duchess Satin on the bias about 1" wide.

Wrapped the piping cord in the strips and pinned. Then I stitched along the end of the cord to encase it.

Traced the plastic lid on the Satin

And onto some thin poly wadding

I cut out the pieces out and sandwiched them together then stitched around the outside.

Ta Da!

I then pinned the piped edges to the quilting and stitched.

 

I then rolled the tube and tacked the opening edges at the corner.

 

Pinned on the round ends.

This is the lining and shell.

I inserted the lining, pinned then tacked.

This is the Ribtex Swarovski charm I bought for the zip. It's Aurora Borealis coated.

This is a lobster claw and chain from an old key ring that I upcycled.

Add the 8" dress zipper.

Remove the zipper pull and add the chain + charm = all nice and sparkly!!!

Turned inside out pin and tacked zipper between shell and lining. Then machine stitched.

Bottom of finished case.

Top

 

Side

 

Inside lining

 I then made a bow out of the very last scraps to finish the look!

I have used this case all year now and it's held up well and receives many compliments from admiring students and staff alike!

 

I hope you enjoyed reading this - feel free to ask questions or leave comments.