MP3 Player/Eye Glasses Bag

I have been criticized for making a new bag for every new thing I buy, which is not far from the truth but it keeps things safe and organized, so I am ok with this criticism.

I bought an MP3 player to help me study for an exam and have found it helpful while exercising as well, but I needed a way to keep it safe and in order in my bag between uses so I made the bag as follows. This is similar to the external hard drive bag I made but the drawstring mechanism is different.

For this project I used the end of a long sleeved shirt, a piece of pre quilted fabric and a piece of ribbon.

First cut the sleeve to legnth for your item, long enough for the item to fit with a little extra room and some overlap to “trap” the ribbon.

Second cut the pre quilted fabric, as long as you want for the item and an extra ½ inch for sewing the fabirc together. NOTE: Pre quilted fabric is used for ease of use and to give some extra padding for the item.

Then you need to sew the pre quited fabric along the line of the edge of the sleeve fabric. Note likely this will not be a straight line so sew accordingly.

Next we need to do the basic assembly. Turn the sleeve fabric inside out so that in the outside is on the inside. Then turn the pre quilted fabirc inside out so that the pattern is on the inside and put the sleeve inside the pre quilted fabric.

On the skinnier side turn in the bottom edges and sew this shut.
One the skinnier side turn in the bottom edges and sew this shut.

Next you need to create the draw sting channel by folding the sleeve fabirc over quilted fabric to trap the ribbon.

This is probably eassiest done by pinning the ribbon in place underneth the sleeve fabric, so the ribbon is not sewen into fabric. Note also you need to cut along the seam of the sleeve fabric to the top of the pre quilted fabric to allow the ribbon room to come out.

Then you are done. It is also good for some big sunglasses that won’t fit into a traditional case and the sleeve fabirc is also very soft so you can clean your glasses eassily as well.

Grocery Bag Holder

This is a very simple project you can do in about an hour. My sister wanted me to make a grocery bag holder and dispenser, she picked out the color and I sewed it all by hand. One note the pre quilted fabric is a little difficult when it comes to stringing the ribbon.

I took about a 15 inch square folded each of what will be the open ends over ½ inch or so depending on the ribbon you want to use. Then pinned the long edges together and sewed along the pin lines. Note: do not sew over the pockets created when folding the edges over.

Then string some ribbon through the pockets you created. This is not always an easy task, you can try a needle to guide the ribbon, a chopstick to push the ribbon, or what I ended up using was a long bit of wire folded in half to give you something that is sturdy enough to push, yet still bendable to make it around the corners. The ribbon will be short on one side to tie the ribbon in a bow and the other long to be able to hang it on the wall.

External Hard Drive Bag

External Hard drive bag

I was running out of space on my flash drive and decided to go big and get a 160 GB hard drive. Then I came upon the realization I didn’t have a way to keep it safe. I decided to make a little pouch to ameliorate the situation.

I used the sleeves from two of the leftover shirts of my t-shirt quilt along with some spare batting and ribbon. When cutting the sleeves make sure to leave some excess above the make crease for the drawstring portion of the bag.

I then pined and sewed the bottom of the bag and batting together, making sure the batting didn’t show outside of the bottom seam.

Next sew the black fabric down over the batting and pin the ribbon just above the main seam on the outside fabric. You will have to cut a slit in the outer fabric to let the ribbon out.

Now sew the outer fabric over ribbon.

Next sew these two layers together and be careful not to sew the ribbon into these layers.


Tada you are done!

Draw String Pouch for Gyro Mouse

I found that I was always taking my gyro mouse with me so I thought I would make something to help organize it when I am on the go.

Trying to be funny I wanted to use either a cheese, cat or mouse fabric.
I found some cat fabric at Joann's where the cats are chasing mice, butterflies, or napping :)

The process!

1. Cut both fabrics into 25 inch squares and put them "right side" together and then folded in each of the corners 5 inches on each side to create more of a rounded look. Then sew around the edges leaving one corner open, to turn the fabric right side out.


2. Cut a 7 in or so cardboard [not the corrugated] circle, or whatever size you want, this gives the bag more stability and character. Then slip the cardboard circle in the middle (I used one of my bowls as a template).

3. Once the circle is inside the fabric sew closed the one corner you left open. Carefully find the center in the fabric and sew the circle in the middle of the fabric. To find the center you can hold each opposite edge together and let the disk fall to the center and then pin the circle in on those edges, and repeat for the other side. Now the basic shape is done!

4. I needed a little pocket to put the USB connector so I took some clear fabric and sewed in a pocked that was just the larger than the connector and used some Velcro to close the pocket.

5. Then I need something to help cinch in the bag so instead of boring loops of the fabric I cut out 12 of the little cats from the pattern of my inside fabric and sewed them on the outside at each corner and in the middle sections approximately 2 inches down from the outside seem. When doing this I sewed the top and bottom through all the layers and just stitched along the side of the cat where I wanted to cord to go through to keep and even look and prevent fraying.

6. Finally run the cord through the loops and you are done! I probably used a yard and half or so of cord.