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Hi I'm Tessa! I am from Sydney. ~DIY~Travel~Fashion~Lifestyle~ ENJOY!

Tuesday 27 November 2012

DIY- PASSPORT WALLET

Soon I will be heading overseas for the first time (YAY!!) so I have decided to pay my passport a bit more attention. Although my passport already has a plastic wallet which it was issued with when I received it, I though why not make something much more fun and unique?

The following post will show you how to make a simple passport wallet using about a 40x40cm piece of transparent plastic and 30x30cm piece of fabric of your own choice. I am using the Japanese Tissue Fabric I mentioned in a earlier post.

Step 1
Create the template for the passport wallet. I did this by tracing the original passport wallet and then adding a seam allowance. (Note: originally i only added a seam allowance of 2 cm on the two exposed edges, however, after some testing i found that the bottom edge had to be made deeper, thus changing the seam allowance to 4 cm along that edge. Therefore, do not take note of the measurements seen in the pictures of this post.)


The 'internal slip' refers to the two flaps the will hold the passport in place in the wallet by providing a slip for the front and back cover- think of covering books. The 'external cover' is what is seen from the outside of the wallet.

Step 2
Cut out the pieces for the fabric and plastic. You will need:
plastic
- 2 x external covers
- 2 x internal slips
fabric
- 2 x external covers

I found it was easiest to bluetac the templates to the plastic.


Step 3
 
Now it is time to place all the pieces together. This project is so simple as they all sewn together at the same time. The order is as follows:
- one of the fabric external covers
- one of the plastic external covers
- both the internal slips situated on either side of the plastic external cover (see picture below)
- the second plastic external cover
- the second fabric external cover
 
You should end up with a pile like this.
 
Step 4
Sew around the edge with a 1 cm seam. Leave at least a 5cm gap, however after some experimentation I would recommend leaving a whole side open as the plastic can make it quiet hard to turn the wallet the right way out.
 
 
 
 Step 5
Trim the seams so they are about 3mm wide then turn the wallet the right way out. Make sure to push out the corners the best you can.
 
 
Step 6
Fold in the open edge and topstitch around the entire wallet. I did it about 5 mm in from the edge, however it could be less than this.
 
 
THEN YOU ARE FINISHED!
 
 
This project took me approximately an hour to make. So quick and simple! I can't wait to put it to action in 2013! However I did find this project challenging in regards to sewing the plastic. I pretty much had to manually pull it through the sewing machine and even then the stitch length varied greatly and it was hard to keep a straight line. If anyone has any tips they would be much appreciated!
 
The Bridge Crosser x
 
 


Monday 26 November 2012

Shimmer and Shine Three Ways...

I went to Spotlight (fabric/craft/home wares etc. store) the other day having some DIY projects in mind however not totally sure of what fabric/materials I was looking for. I knew I wanted to purchase some plastic sheeting, but it wasn't until after some prolonged browsing that this 'Japanese Tissue fabric' caught my eye. So sparkly! And so many colours to chose from... I narrowed it down to three colours- pink, blue and gold.
 
My next three DIYs will feature these materials!

Wednesday 21 November 2012

DIY- LACE MINI SKIRT

As I have recently completed my final exams I felt that it was time to break free from the constraints of syllabuses and textbooks and undertake something more on the creative side. Throughout my exams I managed to maintain my sanity through creating an extensive list of all the things I wanted to DIY once I was done. So first up: a lace mini skirt!

I have had this fabric stashed away for quiet a while now not knowing what to do with it.  Although the leafy pattern strongly suggests autumn dressing, I have decided to use it anyway despite it almost being summer in Australia.

 
The pattern I have used to create the skirt is one I picked up second hand. I love vintage/retro patterns for the cute illustrations they have on the front! Used the pencil skirt which can be seen on the blond girl for my project.
 
 
So, onto the creation of the skirt. I wanted to make a feature of the pretty scalloped edges of the lace so i adjust the length of the pattern by folding it to the length I wanted, remembering i didn't have to leave additional fabric for the hem. As it is a fabric with a repetitive pattern, i made sure to line the pattern pieces up with the bias of the fabric which in this case was the scalloped edge. I then cut out the same pieces in a black lining.
 


 
 
The next step was then to create the darts on both the front and back of the skirt to help it fit. Remember the larger darts go at the back and the smaller darts go at the front.
 
 
After all the darts were sewn, it was time to sew up all the side seams and up to the notch of the middle back seam to create the channel for the zip.


Next, attach the two skirts together by placing the lace skirt inside the lining, right sides together.
 
 
Finally, insert the zip in the back and hem the lining so it is just slightly higher than the lace and you are done!

 
 
Hopefully soon I will style this skirt but it might have to wait until the weather gets a bit cooler. I can't wait to wear it with tights, boots and a mid-thigh trench coat!
 
The Bridge Crosser x