Flowery Skeleton Phone Cover

I got up way too early today - 4am. Jetlag makes me hungry about every two hours, and not just hungry but 'holy shit, I'm starving!'. I've had the overwhelming urge to organise and catalogue and plan and clean since we got back yesterday. Yesterday I mostly felt lost in just how many things require attention, but clever (annoying at the time) Paul pointed out that I should just focus on one bit at a time. So today is laundry, and lists, and small bits of block designing thrown in to keep me happy - along with regular feedings.

I've been thinking about my lack of finishes so far this year, and then I realised that I have finished one very tiny little thing. I made a pocket for my new fancy phone - slightly less fancy since it planted itself face first onto concrete, but the scuffs are small and ignorable, and not on the screen - whew!

Ta-dah!

When we got here, and I set up the machine first, I realised I needed a small project, something quick, and happy. So I broke into a pile of skull fabrics I won from Made with Moxie last year - they're my favourite, and quite precious. Then I decided that playing with my FMQ/darning foot for the first time ever was also in order. I tried something akin to a spiralling fluffy cloud/chrysanthemum (the latter only if you squint, really). It worked, and was fun, though I need quilting gloves if I'm going to try it again.

Why quilt it once - when you can quilt it twice?

I decided the stitches got kind of huge in places, so I then did a diagonal cross-hatch in golden yellow - very Chanel (reaching!?). It's lined with some golden yellow voile from Anna-Maria Horner's Pastry Line from Little Folks. Another very favourite and much-guarded fabric.

This jovial fellow got some rather large stitches.

When I made this, I completely over-estimated the size of fabric I'd need. In the end though, it left me with this awkward off-cut, which is going to become a key-fob, once I track down the right doo-dah to attach to it!

Other side, with the happy lady!

I'm hoping for more finishes soon, but I'm taking a new tack of just doing what takes my fancy for a while - so who knows. I'll keep you all updated as I potter along. First up, however, is organising and building my new sewing space. It's in quite the mess right now!

There's a proto-design wall in the bottom-right corner!

Phone Cover Finished and Gifted!

Hey all! I have two finishes this week, but only one I can show you. Hopefully, I'll have three more finishes by the end of this weekend, all secret though, unfortunately. But next Friday they'll be gifted and I can show you!! Yay!

So, the phone cover. I decided to get Paul his first smartphone for Christmas. It's for his Irish number but because he can use lots of apps with wifi for free in America, which has lots of free wifi, it'll be so much easier for us to stay in touch! Then, I was like, well he'll need somewhere soft to keep the phone so it doesn't get scratched up in his bag or against his keys, etc, etc... And I still have some of the Pac-Man fabric and the lovely brushed cotton rainbow fabric, PERFECT!

Sorry for the picture quality, but I did this late one night when I just needed a FINISH of any sort.

The cover took hardly any time to do. I have exactly the same phone I bought Paul, so I just used that for sizing. It turned out a little more snug than I'd anticipated, but at least it won't fall out easily! First I cut the outer Pac-Man fabric to size, and cut a piece of batting the same size, but one inch shorter in height.

I cut the inner fabric the same size as the batting, but slightly shorter in length (as it has to fit on the inside). The picture above is me figuring out the sizing. Then I quilted the outer fabric and batting, just in straight lines, nothing fancy! And folded it over and joined up the edges to make a it into a little pocket.

Turning bias tape into the loop took the longest time!

I attached a loop for the closure to the brushed cotton interior, and then sewed it closed so as no seams would be on the interior to scratch the phone. Then I sat one into the other, and sewed it closed at the top by folding over the extra length on the Pac-Man fabric. I tried to do that with the machine, but it went horribly wrong, twice. So I gave up, unpicked it all and sewed it closed by hand. Much much faster!

And voila!

The yellow button just glows no matter where I take the picture...

I'm hoping that some time soon I can replace the yellow button with a Pac-Man badge (button), and keep those ghosts on their toes!

I'm linking up today to Link a Finish Friday #47 and Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? - I've wanted to make a phone cover for ages without using a tutorial, but have been putting it off. Necessity for Christmas gifts at the last minute will get you over the fear!!