Valentine's Day 2013 - Heart & Circle Zipper Earbud/Coin Pouches + 6 Sewing Tips

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This was my first time making circle and heart shaped zipper pouches.  I used the Circle & Heart Tutorials by Dog Under my Desk Blog.  I made several of each for my twin sister to give to her friends.  INDOOR LIGHTING SUCKS!

The tutorial called for batting.  I started with Warm & Natural then realized I couldn't topstitch around the edges because it was too thick.  Then I tried flannel as a batting, still couldn't topstitch, couldn't get the zipper parts of the pouch under my sewing foot.  Oh well.

 THIS ABOVE WAS MY VERY FIRST ONE.  I GOT CONFUSED WITH THE FABRIC PLACEMENT SO ENDED UP WITH A DOUBLE FRONT LOOK.  I KINDA LIKE IT BUT MADE SURE THE REST OF MY FABRICS WERE PLACED THE RIGHT WAY.

 I DID THE OPPOSITE OF THE TUTORIAL AND MADE MY POUCHES FOR "LEFTIES" BUT "RIGHTIES" CAN USE THEM AS WELL.

NOW FOR THE SEWING TIPS:  PLEASE IGNORE MY OLD IRONING TOWEL.  MY REGULAR IRONING SURFACE WAS IN BETWEEN SHIFTS IN THE LAUNDRY.

#1 - LESS WORK

 SINCE YOU ARE GOING TO BE CUTTING OUT 2 OF THE SAME SHAPE, 1 JUST HAPPENS TO BE SLIP................PUT YOUR 2 PIECES OF BATTING, LINING FABRIC OR OUTER FABRIC ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.  TRACE ONE FULL SHAPE THEN TAKE THE SMALL LOWER TEMPLATE PIECE AND DRAW THE LINE DOWN THE CENTER.  CUT OUT THE ENTIRE SHAPE FOR THE 2 FABRICS THEN TAKE THE TOP PIECE AND CUT DOWN THE LINE.

ABOVE YOU SEE MY 2 FLANNEL BATTING LAYERS.  BELOW ARE 2 OUTER FABRIC LAYERS BUT I DREW ON ONLY 1.

#2 - DON'T BURN YOURSELF!

FOR IRONING THE SMALL TAB PIECES OR ANY SMALL PIECES IN OTHER PROJECTS HOLD DOWN THE FABRIC WITH YOUR METAL SEAM GAUGE THEN PUT YOUR IRON ON TOP.

#3 - LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING THE RAILROAD TRACKS

I FOUND IT EASIER TO INSERT PINS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ZIPPER AREA THAT I WILL BE "TACKING".  THIS HELPS TO HOLD THE PIECES TOGETHER AS I SEW & BACKSTITCH.  I INSERTED MY PINS RIGHT NEXT TO THE ZIPPER TEETH.

#4 - EASIER PIVOTING POINT

 I FOUND IT EASIER TO MARK A LINE WITH MY MARK B GONE WATER SOLUBLE MARKER SO THAT I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO PIVOT AT THE TOP OF THE HEART INSTEAD OF GUESSING WHEN I GOT THERE.

ABOVE YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS LINE MAKES SEWING THE PIVOT SO MUCH EASIER!

#5 - ARE YOU A "LEFTIE" OR A "RIGHTIE"?

 THIS IS HOW YOUR LAYERING WILL LOOK IF YOU ARE MAKING THIS HEART FOR A LEFTIE.

THIS ABOVE PICTURE IS FROM THE TUTORIAL BLOG POST ON DOG UNDER MY DESK.  SEE HOW HER PLACEMENT AND MY PLACEMENT ARE DIFFERENT?

IF YOU ARE MAKING THIS POUCH FOR A LEFTIE, JUST FLIP THE TEMPLATE PIECES OVER.

#6 - TIME TO SLIP THAT RING ON

 I FOUND IT EASIER TO SLIP THE KEYRINGS THROUGH THE FABRIC TABS BY USING MY THREAD NIPPERS.  I INSERTED MY THREAD NIPPERS AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE OPENING....................

 ......................THEN I SLID THE TAB OPENING ONTO THE KEYRING OPENING.  THEN I WORKED THE KEYRING PART ALL THE WAY THRU THE FABRIC TAB.

I HOPE THESE TIPS HAVE HELPED!