Master Craftster Badge

I really love working with wool felt and embroidery floss to create tiny treasures like the badges I've been swapping on Craftster.  I will have to wait until next week to show you the four I've made recently (two for an organized swap and two for a personal swap--they haven't reached my partners in England yet), but today I can show you one I made for myself.

I made this to look similar to a scouting merit badge, although it is bigger--about 1 3/4" in diameter.  This is to commemorate my participation in the Bernina Master Craftsters campaign that was revealed on Craftster last month.  That project was a lot of fun, but also a ton of work, with no remuneration other than the "glory" of basking in the Master Craftster spotlight for a while.  Because I am proud of my involvement with it,  I am using the Master Craftster logo as my avatar on Craftster now, and I made this badge to add to my collection.

The sewing machine was much easier to create than I expected it to be:  I just drew a quick sketch on paper, then held the paper against the light-blue felt and cut along the outline.  The details are bits of felt sewn on with embroidery floss. 

The words were the hard part...I decided to do block letters and started sewing without any kind of a guide.  I wish they were a little better.  I will keep my eyes and ears open to find good methods for transfering lettering to felt.  If you happen to know of one, please tell me!

iPad Sleeve Tutorial

Today I am sharing another one of the tutorials I created for the Bernina Master Craftsters campaign on Craftster.   I was purposely focusing on some of the features of the Bernina 380 that I had on loan, so some of the directions are specific to that sewing machine, but I'm sure you can easily adapt it for the machine you happen to have.  If you don't want to make the buttonhole, just skip it and use Velcro on the tab instead.

This sleeve accomodates my iPad 2, with the smart cover, with room to spare--which is perfect, because there is a big pocket on the front where I stow a stylus, pen and pencil, and a notebook.  Everything fits just right!

Button-Down iPad Sleeve using the BERNINA 380

     

You might be shocked to hear this, but in all my years of sewing, I've never made a buttonhole on a sewing machine...until today! I expected it to be hard to master, but I discovered that making a buttonhole on the BERNINA 380 isn't just easy, it is RIDICULOUSLY EASY!!

     

I decided to make a sleeve for my iPad that closes with a button-down flap. I started the flap by cutting a piece of striped fabric approximately 5" x 6". I added two layers of iron-on interfacing to it so the flap would be nice and firm. To make a template for the curve at the end of the flap, I folded a piece of paper, measuring 4" x 2", in half lengthwise, and rounded the end. Then I trace it once onto the interfacing, near the edge, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance. I folded the fabric in half, right sides together, and then sewed on my drawn line.

     

I used presser foot #20, the embroidery foot, because the front of the foot is completely open, making it easy to sew exactly on the line I had drawn. After sewing the entire line, I trimmed away excess fabric, turned the flap right-side-out, pressed it, and topstitched 1/4" from the edge all the way around.

     

Now for the exciting part: the buttonhole!! The BERNINA 380 has numbered buttons with pictures of the stitches above them. I pressed "0", which the machine calls "10", as you can see in the picture below. It also tells me to use foot #3 (which has a big buttonhole attachment, it's a few pictures down...we'll get to it!)

     

There's one more thing to do to prepare for a buttonhole: when loading the bobbin, you have to run the thread through this little eye in the bobbin case. It adds a little more tension and makes for a prettier buttonhole!

     

Next, position your button on your fabric, and make a small mark at the top and bottom of the button.

     

Position the fabric so that the top mark is directly under the needle. (Here's the buttonhole foot I mentioned earlier!) Now all you do is step on the pedal and sew down to the second mark you made on the fabric. Stop, and press the "quick reverse" button one time. That tells the machine the length of your buttonhole. Now just step on the pedal and watch as the machine sews the other side and the top and bottom tacks of the buttonhole. Cool!!

     

It was easy to use an X-Acto knife to cut the buttonhole open.

     

Perfect fit! I love it!! I'm going to use buttonholes on everything from now on! But first, let's finish this iPad sleeve!

     

All seams are 1/4", unless otherwise specified.

For the outside front and back, cut 2 green pieces 8" x 9 1/2", and two striped pieces 4" x 9 1/2". Sew one striped piece to the top (9 1/2") side of each green piece; these finished outer pieces will measure 11 1/2" x 9 1/2". Press, and apply iron-on batting, cut slightly smaller than the finished outside pieces.

If you want to make a pocket on the front like I did, cut two pieces of the green fabric 8" x 9 1/2". Apply fusible interfacing to both pieces, then sew the top seam ONLY, right-sides together. Turn right-side-out, press, and top stitch 1/4" away from the top edge.

For the lining, cut two pieces of the striped fabric 11 1/4" x 9 1/2" (yes, the lining is slightly shorter than the outside, to make a better fit). I love to use interfacing, so I applied light-weight fusible interfacing to both lining pieces.

To assemble the sleeve, start by machine-basting the pocket onto the lower edge of the front piece, and machine-baste the buttonhole flap onto top center of the back piece.

     

Now, layer one piece of lining on top of each outer piece. Sew the piece together along the top edge ONLY. Flip the lining up, and press the seam flat. Your fabrics should now look like the picture below. The front is on the left, the back is on the right.

     

Now flip the back section onto the top section, right sides together, and pin them together. Sew all around all four sides, leaving a 4" section unsewn in the bottom of the lining, for turning. After sewing, trim off excess fabric from the corners, and turn the sleeve right-side-out.

   

Fold in the raw edges of the opening and press. Sew the opening closed, very close to the edge of the fabric.

     

Now just push the lining into the sleeve and smooth it out. Press the whole thing well, then top-stitch 1/4" from the edge. Sew on your button, and you are DONE!! Great job!

     

     

     

Popular Pouch! (With tutorial)

Of the seven projects I made for the  Bernina Master Craftsters series for Craftster, the most popular one has been this zippered pouch (posing below with the Bernina 380).  Of the 20+ projects in the series, this was the first one to make it into the "Hot New Projects" category, based on reader's interest.

It's just my regular ol' pouch, but I think what makes it so appealing to Craftster readers is the fabric combination.  I got these fabrics at Sew Mama Sew a while ago, just because they looked cute, without any plan for how to use them; but when it came time to choose fabrics for my Master Craftster projects, I grabbed these first, because I was going for the brightest colors in my stash! 

I was floored when I got the weekly e-mail (below) from Craftster with the Project of the Week--they chose my zippered pouch! (Leslieshappyheart is my Craftster username.)  This is probably the most exciting thing that has happened to me in a while!

Whimsical Zippered Pouch by Leslieshappyheart	Share:
	Lined zippered pouches make great gifts and are wonderful little organizational tools. Toss one in a backpack or in your desk drawer to house your favorite mini sewing kit. Leslieshappyheart shared her zippered pouch tutorial, complete with lining and a little button. Personalize yours with various fabrics, buttons, zipper pulls and even embroidery. If you make one, bask in the glory and share some pictures on the Purses, Bags & Wallets Board.

Happy sewing, Craftster Team And now, I give you the tutorial, just as it appears on the Craftster website.  If you make one of these pouches, I'd love to know about it! Whimsical Zippered Pouch using the BERNINA 380 I love making zippered pouches! They make great gifts and you can easily personalize them with your choice of fabrics and embellishments. I made this simple pouch to test-drive the BERNINA 380. Start by cutting your fabrics. For the lining, cut two pieces 6 1/2" x 9". For the outside, cut two pieces of your main fabric (the blue print in this picture) 5" x 9". Cut two pieces of your secondary fabric (the orange stripe) 2" x 9". Using a 1/4" seam, sew the secondary fabric strips onto the main fabric pieces, as in the picture. The fabric choice makes all the difference between an ordinary pouch and a great pouch--this bright, whimsical print and matching stripe are really great! I made two of these pouches, one without embellishment, and one with this blue ribbon trim. If you want to use the ribbon, sew it in place now. To give the pouch more body, I added iron-on interfacing to both the outside pieces and both lining pieces at this point. Now to add the zipper! Layer one outer piece and one lining piece on each side of the zipper, as shown in the photo below. (The fabrics are staggered in the photo so you can see how they are layered; to sew them, match the left edges of both fabrics, but leave the zipper extending past them, as in the photo.) Since this is an exposed zipper, I'm just using the basic sewing foot (rather than the zipper foot). The amazing thing about the BERNINA 380 is that there are nine needle positions, from left to right, so you can easily arrange everything just the way you want it. I'm sewing with the needle in the farthest left position, very close to to the zipper teeth. Then flip the fabrics over and topstitch, again with the needle in the left-most position. Repeat on the other side of the zipper, sewing the outer fabric and lining in place, then flipping the fabrics and topstitching. When you have done both sides it will look like the picture below. Now to sew around the sides. First, open the zipper half-way (you will sew the sides with the zipper in this position). Then flip the fabrics so the two outer sides are touching, right sides together, and the lining pieces are also touching, right sides together. Pin everything in place. The zipper will be folded so there is a small bump at the two sides; make sure the bump is pushed down towards the lining. Sew all around the edge, leaving a 4" opening at the bottom of the lining. That's right, you sew right over the zipper! Trim off the ends of the zipper, even with the seams. Sew a 1" gusset in each of the four corners. Sewing the gussets is simplified on the BERNINA 380 by the marked 1/8" measurements on the throatplate. To turn it right side out, reach in and open the zipper all the way, then turn it. Press under the raw edges of the opening in the bottom of the lining, and stitch it shut. Push the lining down inside the pouch and smooth it out. Hot off the sewing computer! (Yes, that's what it's called in the manual--it's a sewing computer, not a sewing machine!!!) I added the orange button for a little more interest. After pressing it with the iron, I finished the pouch with a flower charm tied on with a ribbon. Small touches like this can really personalize your creations. My zippered pouch is now ready to be given away!

Master Craftster

I can finally tell you the secret I've been keeping to myself for the past six weeks: I was chosen to be a "Master Craftster" on my favorite craft site, Craftster!   Along with four other talented women, I was given the loan of a brand new Bernina sewing machine!  We got to sew whatever projects we wanted, and then we wrote about them (and wrote tutorials for most of them).   During the next couple of weeks I will re-post my projects here.   I hope you will visit the Bernina 3-Series Master Craftsters page on Craftster; each one of us posted five or more projects, so there are a lot of great posts to read. You might just find a project you want to try yourself!

To be considered to be a Master Craftster, I had to submit links to the four best projects I've posted on Craftster. I sent in OctoBear, Embellished Fabric Baskets, Patchwork Heart Christmas Ornaments, and Cutest Critters Ever. Within a week I heard back that I had been chosen to participate! That was so exciting!  I was given access to a "secret" board on Craftster, where all of us "Bernina Ladies" could talk about the machines, and our plans for what we wanted to sew. 

About 10 days later the Bernina 380 showed up at my front door, and I could hardly wait to get started.  I quickly shoved my old sewing machine in the closet and gave the Bernina the place of honor on my sewing table!!  (Sadly, I am expected to return the Bernina when the 6-month loan is up--we'll see about that...)  I already knew some of the things I would sew, and others occurred to me once I saw what this sewing machine was capable of.  It was easy to learn, and after quickly reading through the instruction manual, I was sewing!

 I will leave you now with the introduction I wrote about myself for the Master Craftsters series:


I Love the Bernina 380!
Hi, I'm Leslie, and I am so excited to have been given the opportunity to test out the BERNINA 380!

  
I learned to sew in junior high school, when I took a Home Economics class. A couple of years later I saw a handmade quilt, up close, and I became obsessed with quilting--I taught myself to quilt from a book, and I started collecting fabric scraps from my friends' mothers! I was 14 when I made my first quilt, and I sewed nothing but quilts or quilted things (like pillows and wall hangings) until about ten years ago, when I suddenly wanted to make a purse. Since then I've made over 2000 purses (!), and a lot of other things, too. I just love to sew!

I was thrilled to hear I had been chosen as a Master Craftster, and to learn that I would be given the loan of a BERNINA 380 for six months! I have never used a BERNINA before, and it is SO much better than the cheap-o sewing machines I have been using (I think I know what I'm going to ask for, for Christmas this year!).

The BERNINA 380 comes with everything you need to get started sewing right away, including eight presser feet, extra needles, two spools of thread, and a pre-wound bobbin. The accessories case holds all the presser feet and small things like oil, a seam ripper, and a tiny brush for cleaning; there is space left over for extra presser feet that you might want to purchase.

  
I prefer not to read instructions, but I felt that I might be missing something if I didn't read the instruction book that comes with the machine. It really was helpful as I got started, and it was essential for learning to program the stitches and to spell out words with the alphabet stitches.

     
The BERNINA 380 also comes with this wide, slide-on table, which I love because the fabric doesn't slide off the back or start pulling off to the side. The bar coming out of the lower right corner of the machine one of my favorite features: the "Free-Hand System", which is the fancy term for what I call the "knee-lifter"--you push the bar with your knee, and the presser foot is raised, so you don't have to take your hands off your project to turn a corner while you are sewing! Sweet!

I am a perfectionist, so I really appreciate the beautiful, even stitches this machine produces, as well as the powerful motor that doesn't balk when sewing over bulky seams. I was hoping for a lot when I got this machine, and it has surpassed my expectations. I'm looking forward to sewing everything I can think of on this BERNINA 380!