Pretty Patterns

I have been off today getting geared up for my first ever sewing class due to take place this Saturday.  I am supplying patterns as well as the tuition and I wanted to make them somewhat special since they're all handmade.  The class fee of £16 (£15 for 2 or more) may seem like a lot especially when you consider you have to buy your own fabrics and supply your own sewing machine but these type of classes can go for upwards of £25 in the store!  I know - I checked it out so I wanted to feel I was offering value for money.

Do you remember these?

I made these paper sack pockets for gifts earlier this year and I soooo wanted to make something megga pretty like this for my patterns but I would've had to fold the pattern pieces up so small to make them fit plus due to the 'pictorial' CD I'm including I was quickly running out of time.

Instead I came up with these.  I used pretty 12 x 12 papers to create stitched pockets and cut around them with pinking shears so they'd look like a fabric swatch.

I stitched on the printed pattern front with photo and added punched tabs so I could tie them closed with ribbons and add a lovingly 'handmade' tag to finish them off.

I think I could happily offer these patterns in their own right at some point and I may make a few extra available in class.  Even I don't have pretty pockets like this for my own patterns!  I stitched a back panel I created which gives a description, sizes, pattern pieces, fabric types and yardage details so it would look and feel more like a real pattern.  Which of course it is - albeit homemade - silly me LOL!

Each pattern includes pattern pieces for one or more sizes and written instructions as well as a 'pictorial' CD.  No way was I gonna be able to cost effectively produce the umpteen photos I wanted for the step by step.  It's bad enough that I was trawling around the various grocery stores yesterday evening trying desperately to find printer ink.  I ran out and it ended up costing £40 would you believe?

So as a result you ladies will just have to be content with the CD but I have tucked a few hand stamped 'handmade' tags in each pattern pocket for you which I hope makes up for it.  There will be 4 of you on Saturday's class which is a nice little number to begin with and I'm beginning to get really excited as it gets nearer. 

I will be teaching two different projects.  I could only fill half the class with the turbie project and there were ladies who wanted to make a bag so I decided to offer one or the other of these two projects but teach them both in the one class.  The turbie has two sizes - child and adult and the bag has 3 sizes small, medium and large which is a good craft size bag.

There is still time if anyone wants on this first class.  The second class is likely to be 2 projects as well - a craft apron or simple patchwork pillow which will teach basics of pillow making too.  After that it's likely to be the rag quilt class followed by a rag quilted bag. 

You know how to contact me if you're interested.  Watch for an update on how things went - wish me luck!

Hugs