Utensil Pouch Tutorial

This is much simpler than it looks. My niece said it looked like a sleeping bag for the silverware. So think of it like that, just a sleeping bag.

Supplies needed:

Thread

Fabric: Cover, inside, and small border (skip the border if you want.)

Batting

Stiff fusible (skip this is you want a flexible pouch)

You can measure if you want, but I just laid the utensils on the stiff fusible and made cutting marks.

Trim batting to fit one side of the stiff fusible. If you skipped the stiff fusible, then place your utensils on the batting and mark the cutting lines. This is the side that your utensils will lay against.

Cut the piece of the fabric that will be on the inside of the pouch to fit over the fusible and batting. I allowed for about a one inch border on all sides. Cover the batting and turn so the stiff fusible is facing up. The inside fabric should now be on the bottom.

Use a hot iron (per fusible directions) to tack the corners down. Think of how you would wrap a present.

Then tack the ends and sides down. No need to sew just yet. All pieces are fused in place.

Cut the cover fabric so that it is an inch (1/2 inch seams) or 2 inches (1 inch seams) wider than the fabric. The length should be determined by where you want the fabric to stop on the utensils, so add your utensils onto the fusible section and see where they sit.

Make sure the cover fabric covers the entire back of the fusible and even folds over the top of the front section.

I added the border on the cover fabric as well. (Note that the one pictured has two borders. I thought that was too much bulk, so I changed to one border on the later ones.) You can skip the border fabric all together if you wish. 

Turn the cover fabric so that it is right side down facing away from you. Place the fusible piece, right side down on top of the cover fabric. Wrap the cover fabric around to the back and tack into place with an iron (if it will reach the fusible) or glue baste. Make sure the border fabric falls in the spot that you want on the utensils.

Press the sides over so you have one very long piece of fabric. Fold over the visible fusible (the back) and iron into place. You should have a inch or two that will wrap around to the front and show on the top of the pouch.

Turn your pouch over. This photo shows the top unfinished. I wanted you to see that part of it. I haven’t folded the top over the front just yet and you can see the raw edges.

I had about an inch on the top available. So I pressed over ½ inch making it flush against the top of the fusible piece, but did not go over. Then I folded ½ inch again which did make it fold over the top of the fusible piece as shown in the next photo.

Pin or glue baste the top folded section into place. Now your pouch is ready to be sewn.

Sew around all sides 1/8 to ¼ of an inch.

Now you are finished and have a utensil pouch.

Mitered Napkin Tutorial

This is a tutorial for the mitered napkins shown in the photo with the casserole carrier. 

For Casserole Carrier Tutorial go to: 

http://ponderingcat.blogspot.com/2013/04/casserole-carrier-tutorial.html

(copy and past if clicking on the link doesn't work)

Supplies:

Thread

Fabric A (framed fabric) whatever square size you would like your napkin to be.

Fabric B (back of napkin and what creates the frame) will need to be 2 1/2 inches bigger than Fabric A. So if you want a 16 inch napkin, Fabric B will need to be an 18 ½ inch square.

Cut Fabric A to the size that you would like. (14 X 14) (16 x 16) …

Cut Fabric B to Fabric A dimensions PLUS 2 ½ inches.

Take Fabric B and fold over ¼ inch on all four sides. Press.

Then fold over 1 inch on all sides. Press

Each corner of Fabric B should have a small square formed by the pressing. You will use that as a guide later in the tutorial.

Fold Fabric B, right sides together, to form a triangle. Notice the fold lines of the small squares in the corners. Use the small square as a guide. One corner should fold over to the opposite corner. Draw a line from the corners of the small square to the fold of the napkin trying to make a line that forms a 90 degree angle from the fold. Do that to all four corners of Fabric B.

Stitch on the line to form the miter. Make sure right sides are still together.

Clip the corner of the napkins off to reduce bulk.

Turn Fabric B right side out so the mitered corners can be seen. Press the edges flat. Notice that the by folding that ¼ inch in the beginner creates a finished edge to frame Fabric A.

Insert Fabric A into the frame created by Fabric B. It may be easier to turn the frame edges of Fabric B under so that it looks like Fabric B is inside out. Then flip the edges back into place to create the frame after positioning Fabric A.

Press into place to ensure the two pieces fit nicely together.

Sew 1/8 of an inch from the inside frame to secure Fabric A and Fabric B in place.

You have finished your mitered napkins. 

You can make these as simple or as fancy as you would like. I have a friend who is making some rather fancy ones as part of her daughter's wedding gift.

Casserole Carrier Tutorial

This is a tutorial on how to make a casserole carrier for a 9 inch square glass pan. 

For napkin tutorial go to:
http://ponderingcat.blogspot.com/2013/04/mitered-napkin-tutorial.html

For utensil pouch tutorial go to:
http://ponderingcat.blogspot.com/2013/04/utensil-pouch-tutorial.html

I made three casserole carriers and added napkins and utensil pouches.

I made mine bigger than the square pan because they were for my husband to take his lunch to work. 

I made them big enough to also carrier a bottle of water and some fruit.

You will need:

Main fabric

Lining fabric

Fabric for straps (or buy strap fabric)

InsulBright or other insulated batting.

Snaps (4 sets) or other items to close the carrier.

Start by measuring your casserole dish. This one is 11 inches by 9 inches. In this tutorial, I’ll give measurements to fit the casserole carrier without the extra room that I wanted for mine.

The pan is 3 ½ inches deep.

Section A will be a rectangle that will measure 31 inches by 13 inches. Cut 1 main fabric, 1 lining, and 1 batting.

Section B will be a rectangle that will measure 35 inches by 11 inches. Cut 1 main fabric, 1 lining, and 1 batting.

Directions for Section A: Place batting on the wrong side of the lining. Quilt in place. Then place the lining on the main fabric, right sides together. Leave one side open so you can turn the piece inside out when finished. Sew the other three sides using a quarter inch seam.

Repeat with the Section B materials. 

Place Section A over Section B in a “t” shape. Sew in place. I used the square that was created by the crossed fabric. .  Be sure the center each piece against the other.

I used a marking pencil to echo the edges of the sides that I could not see.

Your fabrics should now look like an “x” or a “t”.

Add the handles or make the handles. I cut a strip of fabric 3 inches wide by 68 inches long. I also cut  a strip of batting 1 inch wide by 68 inches long.

Attach the batting down the middle of the fabric strip. Then fold one side over the batting. This should be about a third of the fabric. Then fold the other side over until it meets the batting. Press. Then fold that section over the fabric covering the batting. That should give you a finished edge. Sew into place.

Attach the straps. I marked a line about 2 inches away from the edge of the bottom on opposite sides. Pin on the bottom of the carrier and up the opposite sides about 4 inches. Loop around to the other side of the bottom and pin in place. Check to make sure the loops are the same length. Then sew into place.

Go to the corner of the bottom. Mark a line on Section A 4 inches from the bottom on each of the corners. Then mark a line on Section B also 4 inches from the bottom.

Fold the corners together so the 4 inch marks line up. Pin and sew to make the sides of the carrier.

Add the snaps on the edge corners of each wing of Section A. Make sure to use the tops that correspond to the bottoms. Next, do the same with Section B.

You should be finished.

If you have any questions, feel free to write me.