Denim Pencil Case

A small project I sewed these last days - a new pencil case. Both of my children are already in university, but my nephew is still in school and I thought he might like a new pencil case for the beginning of the new school year. I used three different color old jeans and the labels from one of the pairs to add some color and interest to the case. The pouch is basically the same as an old one I made for Gaby years ago and I followed the same photo tutorial.

: The case is fairly big and it fits quite a lot of drawing supplies

: The final dimensions are 26 cm x 14 cm x 5 cm

: First I made a rectangle out of five straps of denim 5 x 31 cm and then I cut a second solid color rectangle 18 x 31 cm.

: All four rectangles - the outer denim layer and the inner cotton ranforce layers are lined with fusible.

: As my nephew lives on the Black sea coast, the idea was to have a sea theme - various colors of blue, fish on the jeans label and anchors on the ranforce lining.

: I hope he likes his new pencil case.

Aikido Weapon Bag

Last October Gaby enrolled in an Aikido club and she recently bought her own wooden weapons. I thought it would be fun instead of buying the standard black polyester weapon bag to make her a personalized weapon bag out of two of her old pairs of jeans. I confess - I am extremely proud how this bag came out!

The bag is intended for keeping and carrying three wooden weapons - jo, bokken and tanto:

I used the entire length of the first pair of jeans to make the case, cutting four straight rectangular pieces from the bottom of the legs up to the cutting for the pockets. The case is fully lined with cotton textile with reinforced denim bottom. For the lining I used remains from a piece of fabric for a table cloth I made a few years ago:

The case closes with adjustable cotton string:

The pocket and the pocket flap for the tanto are also lined with cotton. The embroidery comes from the second pair of jeans:

The only new material I bought - the strap. Gaby was insistent that she didn't want it to be adjustable, so I I discarded the metal rings I had bought for a simple strap adjustment system and just sewed the strap to the side pieces. She claims it's more comfortable this way.

The bottom is reinforced with additional layers of denim. I hope to get a few pictures of the bag in action, but until then - just these a few detail pictures I managed to snap before she took the bag and carried it away to the dojo.

Phone Case in Jeans and Orange

Alex's phone case was rather worn out, so yesterday I made him a new one. I followed my own photo tutorial (that's why I love it when I keep notes of things I do :)

1. Measure the phone, cut the pieces as calculated in the tut, iron the fusible. Make the flap.

2. Sew the bottom piece to the front piece and the pocket.

3. Make a holder and sew it firmly to the back.

4. Add the zipper for the inner money pocket:

5. Add the inner money pocket:

6. Sew the back to the other side of the bottom piece:

7. Close one of the edges and add the lining. Do not forget the flap:

8. Close the second edge. Fix the inner money pocket in the opposite end, so it won't gather and pucker. Turn the case, close the lining.

9. Place the lining inside the case and sew along the edge.

The case is a compact purse for a phone, small amounts of money, school identity card, transportation card and keys.

Of all the phone cases I've sewn so far I like this one best. Gaby's phone case is also quite worn out, next I'll have to make a new one for her too.

And I finished my Jirachi cardigan, it's been even worn once. I'll have to organize a decent modeled photo session soon.