The idea of drafting a pattern used to terrify me. I always thought of pattern making as something that only professionals could do. Then, a little over a year and a half ago, I was looking to turn a men's dress shirt into a baby dress and stumbled upon The Metro Dress by Shwin & Shwin. Their website is chock full of wonderful patterns as well as instructions on various sewing techniques and even how to draft your own sewing patterns. I thought back to The Metro Dress last month when I saved one of my husband's dress shirts from the good will pile. Below is the upcycled version of said shirt. 

As I have mentioned before, my crafting desires come in ebbs and flows. Generally I will knit/crochet like crazy for a couple months then I will sew like crazy for a couple months, then go back to knit/crochet. When I am in full knit/crochet mode, I like to take my projects with me, however, I haven't had a great bag to do this. Usually I end up using a large purse to carry everything and my hooks/needles get lost among diapers, snacks and other basic purse worthy items. I thought of this large tote to solve this problem months ago, but didn't get around to making it until now. Below is the tutorial.

Lets get real, the holiday season is upon us and Christmas isn't really that far away. If you have high hopes for a handmade Christmas, now is the time to get started on those one of a kind gifts. The great news is that there are a LOT of gift ideas out there that really don't take much time. Today, I am going to highlight some from this very website to get you jump-started.

This first group is for all of the knitters out there.
1. T-Shirt Yarn Star Bracelet - The great thing about this gift is that you don't even have to make a trip to the craft store, just make your own tarn from your closet!
2. Fancy Spats - Liana - Use some left over yarn from your stash for this adorable fashion statement.
3. Baby Bear Hat - Made with chunky yarn and few embellishments, this darling hat is incredibly quick and easy to make.
4. Tractor Hat - This is a great hat for the boys in your life. Plus, it is a great base for an earflap hat, just swap out the chart.

Now to some lovely crochet projects.
1. Fancy Spats - Cathedral - These little shoe collars are the perfect gift for that person with a unique style.
2. T-Shirt Yarn Cluster Bracelet - If you are low on cash, then this is the item to give to your friends. Not only is it adorable, but you can make it from t-shirts in your closet.
3. Ruffle Wreath - Perhaps you would like to add to your decor stash or maybe you just aren't sure what to buy for someone on your list. This gorgeous wreath is easy to make and fairly inexpensive too. (You can make the flowers from old sweaters!)
4. Broomstick Lace Headband - Really, does it get any easier?! Make these as stocking stuffers and use up some of your left over yarn or even make some tarn to create this headband with.

Ok Sewers, here are some ideas for you. 
1. Poinsettia Stocking - So, the stocking itself is pretty cool, but you could use the same technique for a pillow, which would also be adorable.
2. DIY Library Bag - This bag is so easy and doesn't take much material. It would make a great gift for friends and family. You could make it on a smaller scale and fill it with homemade soaps and scrubs.
3. Custom Stuffie - Here is an outline for how to make your own custom little stuffed animal for the little cutie in your life.
4. Men's Dress Shirt to Baby Dress - This would be awesome out of a great red or green plaid shirt!

Here are some random crafts that don't necessarily fall under a specific category.
1. Pallet Growth Chart - This would be a great gift for someone with growing children or grand children
2. DIY Bath Crayons - Can we say stocking stuffers?
3. Olliblocks - So fun, so quick, so easy.
4. Nativity Puppets - Switch up the telling of Jesus' birth with some simple felt puppets

If you are not so much into making things, but want the look of handmade, check out my Etsy Shop.

Today's post is perhaps the best project for someone just starting out with a sewing machine. In fact, it was sewn by a beginning sewer, who had never even touched a machine before! That being said, I hope to make the instructions as clear as possible and would love feedback where needed.

Materials:
* 20" of a durable fabric, 44" wide, canvas is preferable, but you can do outdoor fabric or upholstery fabric; try to get a cotton or polyester so it is easy to clean
* 10" of a complimentary fabric, 44" wide (the stripe around the top of the bag)
* 56" of straps by the yard (there are a few places this could be, ask a salesperson, they are usually helpful)
* Spool of matching thread
* Fabric marking pen/pencil
* Fabric shears
* Sewing machine, thread and pins
* Iron and ironing board
* Fray Check

To start with, ALWAYS wash and iron your fabric before you start any sewing project. This pre shrinks it and ironing ensures you are cutting straight.

Now, straighten out the long sides of both fabrics. Here is a link to How to Quilt, which tells you how to make sure you edges are straight. As you will not be cutting strips, stop at the step before she tells you to cut strips.

Parallel to the long side of your complimentary fabric, mark and cut a strip 8" wide, fold in half length wise and cut the center, so you have two strips measuring 22" x 8".

Fold your strap in half and cut on the fold. Put fray check on all ends to prevent fraying.

Fold your 8" strips in half to make them 4" strips. Place your durable fabric on the table with the right side up. Line up each of your 4" strips, right side down, with the ends of your durable fabric and pin. (The 20" side and the 22"side should be touching.) Sew the two pieces of fabric together using a 1/2" seam allowance. Cut off the extra 2" from the 4" strip. Iron the seam toward the durable fabric and iron the fold of 4" strips. 

Find the center of each short end of the bag and place a pin. For the placement of the straps, you are going to line up the bottom edges of each strap with the seam for the 4" strip and the inside edge 3" from the center and pin in place. Now you will sew along the edge of the strap about 1/8" from the edge and make a rectangle where the strap touches the bag. Then, go back and satin stitch the bottom edges of each strap.

Fold your fabric in half so the folds of 4" strips line up with right sides together. Pin the sides of the bag and sew with a 1/2" seam allowance. Iron the bottom fold to make a fold line and cut the fold ONLY in the seam allowance. Now, for the bottom corners of the bag. This is a little tricky, but go slow and you will get it right. At the bottom corners, match up the side seam and the bottom fold you just ironed to create a triangle (with right sides together), and iron the folds of the triangle. Then, mark 2" from the peak of the triangle along the seam and draw a line perpendicular to the seam (refer to picture below), pin and sew along the line, then cut the  excess fabric about 1/4" from the seam just made.

And that's it! Not too hard, all you need to do now is hit the library and fill it up with books!

Alright, so I know I have been a little heavy on the sewing projects lately, but I promise in the next few weeks to have at least 1 knitting project and 1 crochet project. As for now, I am posting a beach bag I made last week. We started swim lessons and I realized the day before that we did not have a proper bag to take to the pool, so I rummaged through my fabric remnants bin then looked to the internet for inspiration. I basically followed the directions provided by Say Yes To Hoboken for the Purple Striped Market Tote, of course with a few select changes to make it mine.

Materials:
* At least half a yard of fabric for the outside, preferably a canvas or other durable material
* 3/4 to 1 yard of fabric for the lining and the straps, I just used a basic cotton, you may want to buy straps by the yard, in which case you will need 3 1/2 yards and only 3/4 yard for the lining and pockets
* Sewing machine, thread and pins
* Fabric tape measure

Instructions:
* Prewash and iron all fabrics
* Start by folding your fabric (for both the lining and the bag) in half and cut along fold, then cut the sides to straighten them out
* Use your tape measure to determine the length of your straps (mine were 60" each), then cut strips this length and 4" wide (you may need to piece together a few strips to get the right length)
* Fold each strip, right sides together and pin, then sew shut with a 1/4" seam allowance
* Turn straps right side out and iron flat
* Place each strap on the appropriate bag piece where you want it to determine where the top of the bag meets the strap and mark with a pin, then using the width of the strip, pin that distance above the pin you just placed, repeat for the other side of the strap
* Fold each strap in half width-wise starting at the most recent pin and going around to the other side, pinning as you go, then sew the strap sides together
* Do a zigzag stitch where you started the straight stitch to secure it
* I did a decorative stitch along this new fold to give my straps more structure because I used such flimsy fabric, if you use a heavy weight fabric or get straps by the yard, that would be unnecessary.
* Measuring from the bottom center of your bag, place and pin your straps to the bag (my straps are 2.5" from center to edge of strap)
* Measure down from the top of the bag about 2" and mark with a pin
* Starting at the bottom of the bag, sew the straps on, but only go to the pin placed in the previous step
* Match up the sides of the bag along the bottom so the straps meet, then pin with right sides together
* Sew along sides and bottom of bag with a 1/4" seam allowance

Lining:
* Cut four rectangles for the pockets, the size doesn't really matter just that the edges are straight, I think mine were about 5" x 6", but I didn't measure
* Pin two of the rectangles with right sides together, then sew along sides and top with 1/4" seam allowance, repeat for remaining two rectangles
* Iron each pocket flat, then fold up the unsewn side 1/4" and iron
* Match the center of one lining piece with the center of one pocket and place the pocket about 1 1/2" from the top of the lining piece, then pin the pocket in place with the ironed up side facing in
* Sew around the sides and bottom of the pocket to attach
* Repeat previous two steps for remaining pocket and lining piece
* With right sides together, pin the lining pieces, marking off a 4"-6" section in the middle of one of the sides
* Sew along the sides and bottom with a 1/4" seam allowance, but when you come to the marked off section, back stitch, then baste through that section and back stitch again when reach the end of the section, then continue sewing
* Iron the basted seam, then unpick it
* At the bottom corners, match up the side seam and the bottom seam to create a triangle (with right sides together), then mark 3" from the peak of the triangle and draw a line (refer to picture), pin and sew along the line, then cut the excess fabric about 1/4" from the seam just made
* Repeat the previous step for the outside of the bag
* With right sides together, place the lining inside the bag and pin along the top, matching up the seams
* Sew along the top with a 1/4" seam allowance being careful not to catch the straps in the seam
* Pull the bag through the hole left in the side of the lining to turn them both right side out
* Sew the opening shut along the iron marks you made before unpicking the basting stitches (if you were to properly do this you would hand sew, but as it is a beach bag and I didn't really care, I took it to the machine)
* Iron the top to flatten out the seam, then top stitch along the top to secure placement
* Reinforce the straps by sewing a box and X in the unsewn space left near the top
* Head to the pool/beach to show off your new bag!

PS. The best part is that you can just throw it in the wash with like colors!

I love to shop the remnant bins at fabric stores. I generally get inspiration of what I could make by rifling through the neatly wrapped bundles. Such is the case for the Canary Dress. About a month ago I found the gray polka dot and the yellow flowered fabric and immediately decided it needed to be a skirt for my daughter. About a week later, my niece showed me her Easter dress and I thought, "Hmm. Perhaps that yellow and gray skirt I was thinking of should really be a dress." So, when I got home, I went through the fabric remnants I had been collecting and found a plain yellow cotton and a yellow lining fabric. I threw them all in the washer and began drawing up a dress for Easter.

So. Here is the deal with this dress. I really wanted to post a tutorial on it, but, quite frankly, I had to make A TON of adjustments as I went a long. However, if you are interested in making a similar dress, I will tell you where I looked for tutorials as well as the basic construction. I do have a few progress pics, but it is somewhat limited as I realized pretty early on that this would not be a good project to post as a tutorial.

Materials:
* At least 1/2 yard of each of the fabrics (more if you plan on making a diaper cover with ruffles)
* About 12" of the fabric for the ruffles on the skirt
* 1/2" double fold bias tape
* 3 buttons

Ok, to begin with you need to make a pattern. Hands down, the best website to go to for instruction on this is Shwin & Shwin. Essentially, you will draft a pattern from an existing dress or top that fits well. For the smocking, I added 3" to the middle of the front. For the button flap, I added 2 1/2" to the back. I did a lining for the bodice, but not the skirt. For the sleeves, I did a longer version of the sleeve that the Shwins used on the Yellow Dress. For the skirt, I used the width of the bodice and added 4" to each side for the front and the back, then I drew the petal front. Below are pictures of the cut fabric, first the lining, then the bodice, then the skirt (I really should have ironed better...):

I began with the bodice. For the smocking, I refered to Tumbling Blocks for the Honecomb Smocking tutorial. There are a lot of steps, but overall, it is pretty easy. I cut two strips to iron my pleats, one 1/2" wide and the other 1" wide, which I cut from an empty cracker box. I started by lining up one side of my 1/2" strip with the center of the bodice and worked one direction, then pleated the other side.

Ok, now that the decorative part is taken care of for the bodice, assemble it. Iron the smocking a bit to make it more manageable. Sew the front lining to the front bodice piece only at the neck line, then make small slits along the curves, being careful not to snip through the seam. Finally, top stitch on the lining side only, to create a rolled edge, making sure to catch the excess fabric from both the bodice and the lining. Do the same for the back pieces. Fold over and iron all. Attach the front to the back only at the shoulders.

I apologize, I don't have a pictures for the sleeve steps.

With right sides together, sew the sleeve to the lining along the bottom of the sleeve, then make snips at the curves and top stitch as you did around the neckline. Fold over and iron. Once right side out, make a basting stitch around the shoulder of each sleeve and ruffle to make it a puff.

I found in multiple places a nifty little trick that takes the headache out of attaching sleeves to the bodice. The best pictoral representation is by Especially Creative Broad. Most patterns have you attach the front and back bodice at the sides then "fit" the sleeve into the opening and you are left with the incredibly annoying task of trying to sew that with your sewing machine, thus the headache. So, how you will do it is you will pin the sleeve in place leaving the bottom of the sleeve and the sides of the bodice unpinned. Sew in the sleeve around the shoulder. Zigzag stitch the excess fabric to reinforce the seam and prevent fraying. 

Next, I ripped 3 strips of my gray fabric at 3" wide, then I cut 3 lengths for the front and two backs of the bodice. I folded these strips in half and ironed them, then pinned them to the bottom of the appropriated bodice piece. Then, pinned and sewed the bottoms of the sleeve and the sides together.

Now to the skirt. I attached a bias tape along the bottom in an effort to use less fabric. To do this, unfold one side of the bias tape and line it up the edge with the edge on the wrong side of your skirt piece, then pin. Sew this to the skirt along the fold. Then fold the bias tape over to the right side of the skirt piece and line it up with the seam just made (red dotted line in the picture) and you can either do a straight stitch, zigzag or decorative stitch to attach this side of the bias tape to the skirt. Do this for all of the skirt pieces, including the petal overlay.

Again, I apologize, I do not having progress pictures for the next couple of steps. I guess I got caught up in the project and forgot to take some... sorry.

I attached the remaining strips of gray fabric together (I would suggest doing a 45 degree seam here, I didn't and regret it), then I did a quick rolled hem, which I learned from Grainline. Fold this long strip into thirds lengthwise (it doesn't have to be exact since you will ruffle them anyway) and cut along folds. Place a pin in the top center of each strip, then do a basting stitch along the top and pull one of the threads to create a ruffle from each strip. Line up the center pin of one of the strips with the top center of the front skirt piece and pin the ruffle along the top then sew together.

Next line up the center pin with of one of the remaining ruffled strips with the top middle of the bias tape and pin along the top of the ruffle, periodically lining up the bottom of the ruffle with the top of the bias tape. Again, because this is a ruffle, it doesn't have to be perfect. Then sew along the top of the ruffle.

At this point, you should have two ruffles sewn to the front skirt piece, one at the top and one almost at the bottom. Now, to attach the remaining strip, center it vertically and horizontally as best you can then pin and sew along the top.

Position the petals on top of the ruffled front piece, then with right sides together, place the back piece on top of that and sew the sides.  Place a pin in the top center of the front and back skirt pieces. Ruffle the top of the skirt for the front and the back separately and using the same method as the gray strips.

The next step is to create the flap for the button. Fold and iron 1" of the flap side of one of the back pieces, then fold over 1" again and iron. Place a pin in the top and bottom to hold in place. Repeat for the remaining back piece. Mark and sew button holes. Overlap the flaps and pin.

With right sides together, fit the skirt to the bodice, adjusting the ruffle as you go and pinning. Sew bodice to skirt with a straight stitch, then zigzag over the excess fabric to prevent fraying.

Place and hand sew buttons.

You could be done here, but I took it a step further and made a ruffle butt diaper cover. I followed a tutorial by Made for the diaper cover, then looked to Daydream Believers for the ruffle part.

This is a post I have been looking forward to for quite some time. It is the LAST POST for the quiet book! I can't believe it is finally done! The day after I finished it, I found myself anxiously looking for something to work on, which I will post about later.... Anyway, I am very pleased with the results of my efforts on this book and hope you feel the same.

Unlike the previous pages, I have not provided a pattern for the cover. Essentially, I found some silhouettes online that I liked then printed them out, cut them from fabric and satin stitched them to the front. If you choose to do the same, I suggest adding Steam a Seam to your list of materials.

Materials Needed:
* Fabric for the front and back cover, exterior binding side, bias tape and interior (remember to prewash and iron all fabrics)
* Large snap
* 1/2" ribbon
* Reinforcement for the covers, side and handle
* 2 1/2" x 8" rectangle of stiff plastic (I used 2 layers of heavy duty template plastic for quilting)
* Fray Check

Exterior:
* Cut two fabric and reinforcement rectangles at 8 3/4" x 10" for the front and back cover
* Add whatever decoration you would like to the front, bearing in mind that there will be a 1/2" bias tape running around the exterior edges and allowing for a 3/8" seam to the binding and making room for the snap in the middle toward the right edge
* Stack your completed pages and measure the height then add 3 1/2". Cut a rectangle for the binding (fabric and reinforcement) using this measurement for the width by 10" for the height
* I added a little lace trim to the binding, I found it at Michaels in the scrapbook section and it has a sticky back, which was quite useful, I attached it 1/4" from the edge
* With right sides together (including the reinforcement), sew the cover to the binding side and the back to the binding side
* Iron the seams toward the back and front, then straight stitch close to the edge of the seam to reinforce this seam and secure the lace
* Place the female side of the snap about an inch from the edge of the front and centered then hand sew to attach
* Cut a rectangle of the cover fabric at 2 3/4" by the height of your completed pages plus 4 1/2"
* Fold this rectangle in half to find the center then position and sew the male side of your snap to the front of one side of the rectangle
* Fold the rectangle with right sides together and sew along sides with a 3/8" seam allowance
* Unfold the rectangle and iron, then position the non-snap side in the center of the back cover with the snap facing up and satin stitch along the edge to attach to the back cover

Handle:
* Cut a rectangle of your binding side fabric at 3" x 6" and a rectangle of reinforcement at 2 1/2" x 6"
* Iron 1/4" of each long side of your fabric rectangle toward the wrong side
* Slide the reinforcement under this fold and sew to secure
* Fold and iron each long side 5/8" (the center) toward the reinforcement side (you may need to pin to secure for sewing)
* Turn handle over and using either a decorative stitch or a zig zag, sew along the center to secure the sides, then do the same along each side
* Mark the center of binding side 2" from the top and bottom, then position the handle on these marks and satin stitch the ends as well as about 1/8" up each side

Interior:
* Cut two rectangles of the interior fabric at 9 7/8" x 10" and one rectangle at the height of your completed pages plus 1 1/4" by 10"
* Cut 4 lengths of ribbon at 11" each (this is perhaps a little excessive, but I figure you can always shorten but you can't really lengthen)
* Line up the 10" sides of your binding and one of the larger rectangles and mark along the 10" edge for the ribbons at 3" and 7"
* Center a ribbon at each mark and sandwich between the two rectangles (right sides together), then sew with a 3/8" seam allowance, repeat for the other side of the binding
* Iron seam toward the binding, then using either a decorative stitch or a zig zag, secure the seam and the ribbons

Attaching Interior to Exterior:
* For the length of the bias tape, refer back to the height of your completed pages, times that by 2 and add 65, the width will be 2 1/4". You should have one long strip, please go to Prudent Baby for instructions.
* To make the bias tape, refer to Creative Little Daisy for instructions, but when you put the pin in your ironing board, make the width 1 1/4". Your bias tape should fold over 1/2" on either side with 1/4" between the edges of the fabric. Please email me with any questions at [email protected].
* Place the interior and exterior on top of each other with wrong sides together and pin
* Starting at one side of the interior binding side, baste along the edges at about 1/4" from the edge, but DO NOT close, stop at the opposite side of the binding that you started at so you can insert the stiff plastic into the binding
* Trim edges to match each other

This next step I did not realize was needed until I finished my book, so I had to improvise, which is why mine is different and I don't have progress pictures. Basically, you are stiffening up the binding so when you hold the handle your cover doesn't scrunch up and things fall out.

* On the interior, find the center of the short side of the binding and mark the entire length of the long side of the binding 1 1/8" on either side of the center with a fabric pen and straight stitch along these marks
* Measure and mark 5/8" from the top with a fabric pen and straight stitch along this line
* Slide your stiff plastic rectangle (2" x 8 1/5") into the pocket you just created, then sew along the bottom to secure it
* Baste along the bottom edge of the binding side
* Refer back to the Page Bindings instructions for sewing the bias tape around the cover (I started in the center top of the back cover), making sure not to catch the ribbons or the wrong side of the snap rectangle

Finishing:
* Put all of your pages into the book using just the ribbons attached to the back cover of the book
* Tie a semi loose bow with the front cover ribbons, then cut leaving plenty to untie and retie the ribbons
* Use fray check to prevent the ribbons from fraying
* Bask in the delight of a finished project

Guess what?! This is the last page!!!! This page has changed so many times in my head, so it is no surprise that I saved it for the end. Some of the things that I considered for this page include a puzzle page, a photo flip page, a memory page and the list goes on. Ultimately, I wanted to include something architectural in this book (as both my husband and I are in the field), but the problem remained, how I would actually go about this. I didn't want to do velcro or snaps because I had already done that, so, for a while, I was stuck. Then, a couple weeks ago, while visiting my sister, the bright glimmer of hope shined! One of the toys she uses for her daughter at church is a little tin with magnetic letters in it. Now the problem remained of whether to buy pre-made shapes or to design my own. I leaned toward the design side, but wasn't sure how I would turn it into magnets, then again, my sister shared another idea. A friend of hers had printed pictures of their kids onto magnetic paper, which seemed easy enough, but.... well I will get into that during the process part.

Okay, so just to give you an idea of the page construction, basically you are going to create a pocket that is attached to the page to house the magnets then you are going to create a flap that will just increase the surface area for shape building. Also, just as a heads up, when you go to buy the metal, stop by the equipment rental area and ask them to cut two squares at 6" x 6.5", they most likely won't charge you.

Materials:
* Fabric, for the page and for the metal pocket (keep the latter thin)
* Metal sheet (I found mine at the end of the nail isle at Home Depot)
* Magnetic paper (make sure to get the kind you can print directly to, if you can't find it, you can do an acrylic transfer)
* Velcro
* Reinforcement for the page and for the metal
* Glue gun and sticks

Shapes:
Okay, so here is the deal with the magnetic paper. I found mine at JoAnn's, but I didn't really read the directions and there was a picture of a printer on the instructions, so I thought I was good. As it turns out, the printer I saw was actually a cutter, like a Cricut. I had gone to Kinko's to get things printed thinking that they might be able to print on it, but they told me that unless it says on it that you can run it through a laser printer, they won't print it. I had them print the shapes onto regular paper for me, making two copies thinking that Modpodge would work, but it was just a mess. I later read online that there is a vinyl coating over the white part of the magnetic paper, which prevents the Modpodge from sticking, so I went back to the packaging and found that it will take acrylic paint. Not wanting to bust out the brushes, I looked for some way to transfer the image and came across the method of doing an acrylic transfer, which I posted last week and it worked out beautifully!

* Download the shapes, I have two options, my magnetic sheet was 9" x 12" so that is what I printed, but some of the shapes are a little small, however there are 4 of each, I came up with a download for an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper and the shapes are bigger, but there are only 2 of each. You can decide which you want.
* Print your shapes either on the magnetic sheet or use the acrylic transfer
* Using an exacto blade, cut the shapes out

Flap:
* Cut two squares of the reinforcement at 7" x 6.5", put some glue streaks across the center of one of the reinforcement squares, center one of the metal squares, then attach to a reinforcement square, repeat for the remaining squares
* Run a bead of glue around the metal square edges, putting a little extra on the corners to protect from the sharp edges, trim the around the glue
* Cut three squares of fabric at 8" x 8.25", one of which will not be seen
* On the square that will not be seen, measure and, with a fabric pencil, mark lines according to the dotted lines in the photo below 
* With wrong sides together, pin the fabric that will not be seen to the inside flap fabric and sew along three of the lines you just marked
* Slide one of the metal squares into the "pocket" you just made, then sew the remaining line to enclose the metal square
* Cut about an inch of velcro and sew the pokey side to the fabric that will be on the outside of the flap  toward the left and roughly in the center and on the right side
* With right sides together, pin the inside and outside of the flap together, sew along the top with a 3/8" seam allowance, baste around the remaining edges with the same allowance, cut the corners
* Iron the seams toward the center on each side, then unpick just the basted stitches
* Flip your flap right side out, then with the folded edges in, sew around the flap to secure

Pocket:
* Cut two squares of fabric at 10 1/2" x 7 7/8", one of which will be on the inside and not really seen
* On the inside square of fabric, measure and mark according to the picture below
* With right sides together, pin and sew along the top with a 3/8" seam allowance
* Flip the pocket right side out and sew along the marks just made with the exception of the one on the bottom
* Slide the remaining metal square into the "pocket" created from the lines just sewn, then sew along the bottom line to secure the metal square
* Make a "V" fold (refer to the first group of pictures) along the sewn lines of the two outside panels (they should tuck under the metal panel) then center on the page using the template and pin one side
* Satin stitch along the pinned side, then make the "V" fold on the remaining side and satin stitch to the page, finally, "V" fold both sides and satin stitch along the bottom

Finishing:
* Cut a strip of fabric, 2" x 6"
* Fold in half and position the remaining side of velcro, then pin, unfold and sew the velcro
* Fold the strip with right sides together and sew along the sides, then flip right-side out
* Use the template to position the flap and the velcro strip just made, then pin to page and sew
* Add a 1 1/2" border to binding side

This is another rather simple page, but with embellishments you can add to the time it takes to complete it. The idea came from a couple of places. In my initial research, I happened upon a Monster book which contained a page with a monster that held a notebook and pencil. I really wanted to find some way of incorporating this idea and as I was looking for a page with hair to braid I found the solution. Featured on Girl Inspired, is a braid page that is matched with another page which has a purse to hold hair ties and such. Not long after this discovery, I was wandering the isles at Joanns, looking for something else entirely and stumbled upon some purse frames, so I added it to my cart and saved it for this page.

Alright, so I went a little crazy on embellishing here. I found this great tutorial for honeycomb smocking by Tumbling Blocks that I really want to use on a dress for my little one, but I wanted something to practice on so I chose this project. If you decide to do this, smock your fabric first then cut your pattern out. Also, just as an FYI, I used a strip of cardboard 1/2" wide (when you go to the site, you will know what I mean). I am not going to go into detail about the other embellishments, so if you have questions, please email me or leave a comment on the blog.

**Update: Since writing this post, I have made several other purses and streamlined the process a bit. To check that out, go to my Kiss Clasp Purse Tutorial. Also, in this tutorial I suggest using vinyl as the lining, which worked great for a while and would have continued to work great, if I hadn't of sewn the large snap on the back through it. I would suggest using a small piece of the reinforcement material on the back side of your outside fabric and sew the snap on before assembling the purse.

Materials:
* Fabric
* Vinyl, or any plastic to line the inside of the purse
* Lace, ribbon or any desired embellishments
* Purse Frame between 6" and 6.5" wide
* Needle and thread
* Pliers
* Large sew on snap
* Crayons and small notebook

Purse:
* Place your purse frame on paper and trace around the outside edge
* Place the page you just drew on under the template, then draw what shape you want your purse to be, keeping in mind that it will bulge out in front, back and pull in the sides
* Using a sewing gauge, make dashes every 1/2" or so at a 3/8" distance from your outline for the seam allowance then connect your marks
* Line up your purse frame and mark where the hinges meet
* Cut out the pattern from the paper then from your fabric for both the front and back and transfer the marks for the hinges to the fabric

* Add any embellishments of your choosing
* With right sides together, and starting at one hinge mark sew around the purse stopping and back stitching at the other hinge mark, then change to a basting stitch and, without backstitching, sew to the first hinge mark, completely closing up the purse
* Make cuts in the seam allowance around the curves
* Iron the top seam allowance around the basting toward the purse to create a fold
* Unpick the basting, then turn the purse right side out and iron the seams

Plastic Liner:
* Trim 1/8" off the outside of your pattern, then make a straight cut at the hinge marks to the inside purse line and cut around the top (you will not be sewing around the top of the purse for the liner)
* Cut two liners from the pattern
* Sew around the bottom of the liner with a 1/4" seam allowance
* Make cuts at the curves and finger-fold the seam allowance in toward the purse
* WITHOUT turning right-side out, place the liner inside the fabric purse
* Fit the top of the liner inside of the basting fold and use a bobby pin to hold, then sew shut

Purse Frame:
* Open the purse frame and fit the top of the purse inside the frame
* Hand sew the purse to the frame
* If you have a little bit of a hole where the purse meets the hinges, just hand sew it shut
* With a piece of fabric folded over the frame, use pliers to pinch the frame closed

Finishing:
* Place the female side of the snap on the back of the purse in the middle toward the top then sew to purse
* Using the template, place the purse on the page to locate where the male side of the snap will go, then sew to the page going through the reinforcement layer
* Add a 1 1/2" border to the binding side of the page

This is yet another rather simple page. The inspiration for this page came from Orange Crafts. The author created a page with flaps that folded back to reveal a smiling monster. I loved the idea but decided to have a mirror instead of a monster. I had some trouble at first locating a plastic mirror but alas, one day while looking for something entirely different on the Joann's webpage, I found it. I went that day and picked it up.

Materials Needed:
* Fabric (remember to prewash all fabrics)
* 9"x9" of reinforcement 
* Plastic Mirror
* Glue gun and glue stick

Flaps:
* Cut four rectangles of fabric (two of the front fabric and two of the back fabric) with the following dimensions: 4 3/4" x 5 1/8", 4 3/4" x 4 3/8", 4 1/2" x 7 1/4" (You should have 12 rectangles)
* Cut two rectangles of fabric (one of the front fabric and one of the back fabric) with the following dimensions: 4 7/8" x 8", 4 1/8" x 8"
* Using the template, with the smaller rectangles first, place the front fabric right side up on the page and place a pin on the sides that need to be sewn
* Place the back fabric of the rectangles over the fronts with right sides together and pin the sides that need to be sewn, then sew the two layers together with a 3/8" seam allowance
* Do the previous two steps for the larger rectangles
* Turn the rectangles right side out and iron
* Sew around the edge for a finished look

Mirror:
* Cut your mirror into a 6" square
* On your 9" square of reinforcement, measure and mark 1 7/8" from one side (this will be the
binding side), then from the opposite side, measure and mark 1 1/8", from the top and bottom, measure and mark 1.5"
* Put a few lines of glue in the middle of the square you just made then center your mirror and press on to attach

Mirror Frame:
* Cut two 9" x 4" strips, one 9" x 4 3/4" strip and one 9" x 3 1/4" strip
* Fold each of these strips in half lengthwise and iron
* Sew along the fold for a finished look
* Place each strip on the page in the appropriate spot (there should be a half inch overlap of the mirror), then pin and sew to page

Finishing:
* Using the template, find the centers of the opening
* Line up the small squares on the page according to these centers then pin and sew around the edge of the page
* Again, using the template, center the large rectangles in the opening, then pin and sew around the edge of the page (Once again, I was trying to salvage a scrap which is why there is such a big gap in the center, yours should meet both the edge of the page and at the fold side)
* Attach the binding to the appropriate side