This simple felt pencil case is a way of celebrating the publication of my book Sew Together Grow Together which features 20 hand-sewing projects you can make together with your kids...this particular project is something new...so it's not in the book...but it does throw light on the whole aim of the book which is to give parents, especially those who aren't sewers, creative but really easy projects to sew with their kids.
When I was at school I loved my pencil cases...and I remember kids would cover them with all sorts of pictures and doodles. This felt pencil case gives plenty of scope for creativity and uses a really simple way to sew in a zipper...and let's face it... a pencil case without a zipper is like...well I don't know what really...but it's certainly lacking something vital to its true nature. Anyway, I hope you and your kids enjoy making this pencil case...and if you want, you can preview Sew Together Grow Together HERE
What you'll need
Two 12" X 12" squares of felt in different colours
One 9" or 10" zipper
Needle
Pins
Embroidery floss
Coloured felt to cut out shapes
Glue
How to make your pencil case
1. Cut a 9" X 1/4" slit down the middle of each square of felt.
2. Lay a felt square on top of the zipper so that the teeth of the zipper show through the slit. Pin and sew the zipper into place.
3. Turn the felt square with the zipper face down and lay your second square of felt on top.
4. Pin and sew the zipper into place.
5. Turn over so that the zipper and its tag are face up. Open the zipper. Fold the square in half.
6. Pin together.
7. Sew around the sides.
8. Trim off any excess felt from the sides.
9. Turn the case right side out through the open zipper.
10. Now you've made a pencil case.
Cut out whatever shapes you wish to use to decorate your pencil case. Glue them into place. I've chosen to use an underwater scene...partly because the blue felt I'm using reminds me of the sea...and partly because these fish are easy to cut out and easy to arrange in interesting ways. I've made one scene on this side:
And a different scene on the second side...but if you look closely you'll see that the two scenes are joined...so the little fish above whose yellow tail you can just see leads the eye around to the side of the pencil case shown below:
It's also fun to add a charm or tassel to your zipper tag. I've attached a little metal bell to mine above. The pencil case below shows you a different kind of design which uses sewing, instead of glueing, to create a decorative effect. My daughter, Yiscah, made this...I guess that the warm orange evoked memories of gardens and summer:
On the other side she has used a few of the flower motifs but added something new with a word that may reflect her love of the Beatles and John Lennon's songs...or perhaps just expresses how she was feeling at the time:
If you want to sew your design, you'll need to cut out and sew your shapes into place in Step 2. It doesn't matter whether you sew the shapes on before or after you sew in the zipper as long as you sew them on before you go on to Step 3...and remember to sew them on the side of the felt where the zipper teeth and tag are showing as this will be the outside of your pencil case.
Have lots of fun, Trixi
