Pocket Tissue Holder Tutorial

It has been a crazy hiatus in my life from blogging and sewing, due to deaths in the family (my mom and grandma), the estate of 2 quilters with copious amounts of fabric/sewing supplies/books/etc. then I got married, but then almost divorced (long story), my cat needing surgery for bladder stones, and work changes with new hires (even longer story).

Now . . . I can sort of get back into the swing of things.

I do have some tidbits to share is easy gifts for Christmas/flu season/birthdays/etc. that I stumbled upon, tissue holder.  Buy a bunch of Dollar Store pocket tissues and you have a gift that is cheap, easy, and portable.

For this tutorial, I used a silk tie that I found at a local thrift store for $1, the tie is a Michael Kors silk tie that is retail $69.  Why a tie?  Well, easier to make a man something that is manly, its cheap, and I don't have man prints in my quilting stash.



First step: Take the tie apart, iron & starch it, be careful to not pull or stretch the tie.  Ties are cut on the bias, so its easy to get it misshapen.  Take your time.  I did use starch and it may stain your silk tie.

I managed to get 2 tissue covers from one tie: 2 solid rectangles, pieced 2 of the large rectangles but those can be on the inside.

I used the lining for the contrasting little strips.




Step 2: cutting 2 rectangles that measure 5.5" x 6.5" and 2 strips of 5.5" x 1"

Fold the 1" strips in half lengthwise.  Be careful in ironing, it will stretch on you easily.

I pieced my two smaller pieces to form the big rectangle that you will see in the pictures.







Step 3: Put right sides together on the 5.5" side, and sandwich the 1" strip inside.  The folded side of the 1" strip will be facing towards the middle, all the raw edges will be on the outside.

Use 1/4" seam, use straight stitch.  Don't forget to backstitch on the edges.  The silk fabric will want to fray.  My machine hates slippery stuff, so I have some thread goobers.

  

Picture to the right: When you open up your seam, you will have the folded 1" strip sticking out.  This is where you will have the finished edge for the tissue holder.

Top stitch

Step 4: Top stitch scant 1/4" from the seam, this will secure the raw edges without needing to do zig zag stitching.

Repeat the opposite side.  You can sew the strips into both sides first before flipping right sides out to do the top stitching.

The picture to the right shows the contrasting trim on the left-hand side and a matching trim on the right-hand side.

Place a pin at the center

Step 5: Now that you have the 2 sides top stitch and right sides out, determine the halfway point along the long side by folding in half and marking with a pin.

Zipper effect

Step 6: Now you must make the decision as to which side you want on the outside and which trim you want showing.  What you want on the INSIDE will be sewn with the fabric showing towards you during these next steps.

The fabric you want shown on the OUTSIDE will be on the inside of the tube.

I like to overlap my trim in the "alley," creating a snug fit, it kind of looks like a zipper.  The alley is pinned down with the center pin on both sides.  Since I want the contrasting trim on the inside, it will be shown while sewing this step.

Trim corners

Step 7: Now sew 1/2" seam with backstitching on the ends and in the middle where the seams meet. Trim the corners to reduce bulk.  

Zig zag edges

FrayCheck helps!

Step 8: Zig zag the edge to prevent fraying.  Since its silk, I also used FrayCheck on the edges.  Be careful when you use FrayCheck, a little bit goes a long ways, plus fabric will absorb moisture, wicking the product.  Also, FrayCheck will create a "wet spot" permanently if your fingertips get wet with the product while handling the fabric.

Placed tissue inside

Finished!

Step 9: Flip the pocket inside out. Use a rounded item to poke out the corners.  Picture on the left shows the contrasting trim on the inside, as the tissues are used, the seam will not be as noticeable.

Add a package of tissues and you are done!  You can keep the tissues in their plastic covers or without.  There is less slipping around when they are out of their plastic covers.









The best part, its something that you can wash!  Well, silk is not suppose to be machine washed but I do it anyways.  After you've been sick, stick it in the wash and reuse.

Get creative, use some novelty fabric, neckties and fat quarters sitting around.  I made some kids themed items using Mr. Potato Head fabric, give them away as gifts to teachers.

Have fun and sew on!

Sewing Updates

I'm part of this online group, Sew Bee It, through my BFF Shanna, and it's hosted through Flickr.

The ladies for August and September live in the UK.  Well, August did not arrive until August 31, while the September fabric arrived around September 9th.  So apparently it takes 1 week - 1 month for mail to arrive from the UK.

August: Paw Prints

September: Churn Dash Redux

There was enough fabric for August for me to do 2 blocks.  The queen wanted anything that came out to 12.5" blocks.  I made paw prints and a cobblestone block.

September queen wanted a specific pattern with solid white in the "geese" and outer corners.  Did not quite have enough fabric for two, did manage to get one done.  I loved her color combination and wished I had enough of the solid black to make block #2.





Giving myself deadlines seem to inspire me.  Or at least off my duffer to do something.  I decided to sign up for SewHappyGeek table runner/wall hanging exchange.  You have until Sept. 30 to sign up.  The table runner/wall hanging has to be finished by Nov. 15.  See, deadline, helps me.  I'm on board!

Watermelon Bargello

I have a fascination with watermelons. It all started with a picture I saw back in 1989 of canvas shoes painted to look like watermelons. I did my own and I LOVED them! I got a lot of compliments too. So each year, I paint new ones until about the time I graduated college. In the meantime, I love the simple and colorful combination of green, red, pink, white, and BLACK. I adore black as an accent color that seems to make it into almost every quilt I make.

Close-up

The year: 2003. I moved back to Pendleton, OR for a job with the tribes when I started this project. I followed the book, "The Bargello Quilt Book," by Piecemakers that my mom gave me because she somehow ended up with two. The book is only 12 pages, so its more like a deluxe pamphlet. The book says to cut my strips 2" and like my mom said, it would not create a curved effect as well as 1.5" strips. Nonetheless, I started this project with 2" strips, total of 20 strips. So I sewed two units and got started.

Then I was interrupted by a change in jobs and decided to move to Walla Walla, WA. My project was stowed away until last year. I went to a girlfriend's house and this bargello was my project to work on since I was feeling uninspired by another project I have not finished with cats. Many, many yards of thread and seam ripping, I was able to finish the body. I'm also a lazy strip cutter sometimes, so I had to fix a curve, in the end, it works.

I could make it bigger, but I have no clue where the fabric went for a couple of the strips. The book emphasized the mirror, swag effect, while I chose to do the random look. I am really glad how the top looked, going with the zen, I was "finished." I used the watermelon and berries fabric as 8" border as I contemplate when I would like to quilt it.

With Border

I admit it. I like doing quilt tops, but not very committed to the quilting part to actually finish the projects. Slowly, I will. My mom will nag enough and I can show them in a quilt show. Yep, I get inspired to quilt by deadlines.