Lucy Locket's Hidden Pocket

I’m always slightly annoyed by the general lack of an inside pocket on women’s jackets and coats. So much so, that on many of my coats I have inserted a zipped pocket between the lining and facing. Seeing as I needed to add such a pocket to a jacket recently, I took photos while I was sewing and have written a tutorial showing how to add this hidden pocket to a lined jacket or coat.

If you choose a zip that matches the inside of the coat or jacket, then the pocket is almost hidden when closed. The pocket fabric can be as matching or as contrasting as you like. For this pocket I used some silk and stabilised it with a light weight iron-on interfacing, though if you use quilting cotton or a similar fabric, interfacing would not be needed.

These pockets are not suitable for carrying anything too heavy, but can cope with a passport and boarding card or a set of keys or similar. If your coat or jacket has buttons, the size of the pocket may be limited by the distance between the buttons as these are often sewn on through the outer layer and the facing. My jacket had a zip, so I wasn't limited to a certain size and made my pocket to fit my passport.

 
The tutorial can be found as a pdf file in my Project/Tutorials section.

If you do use this tutorial to add a pocket and find any of the instructions unclear, please get in contact and I will try to help.

Looking back on 2015

At the end of 2014, I set myself five sewing goals for 2015 and so as this year draws to a close, I thought I would see how I had done:

1. Make a quilt for my husband

Done, but with only a few weeks to spare

2. Make a quilt for a new great nephew

Done, and made one for his step brother and one for his new cousin (my great niece) as well.

3. Start something from the Millefiori quilt book

Not done, and the second Millefiori book is now awaiting my attention too.

4. Try some free motion quilting

Done, only squiggly lines on my husband’s quilt but it’s a start.

5. Restart my fabric fast

Started, but stopped quite soon afterwards.

Looking back over the year, I’ve completed five quilts, entered a couple of items into a quilt show, finally put the free motion foot on my machine, stuck Liberty fabric on to a variety of objects, got back into dress making, stitched a pinny, a pin cushion and a picnic blanket, made a glasses case and a phone case, sewn a variety of bags using Liberty lawn, created two sewing caddies and a bed tidy, and crocheted three snowflakes! 

The last few days of 2015 have been time to try something other than sewing. I've been crocheting poppies for an Up For Arts project and I've even knitted myself a hat!

I'm not going to set any sewing goals for 2016 but my predictions for 2016 are that it could be the year of the free motion foot and the crochet hook for me.

Flying the Flag (a Pattern for an EPP Union Jack)

A few posts ago I blogged about my competition entries for the Uttoxeter Quilt and Stitch Village. The Union Jack made of EPP hexagons was for the special category of British Royalty celebrating the longest serving monarchs, hence the inclusion of the royal cyphers for Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II.

By the magic of Photoshop, I can show you how the flag would look without these cyphers (much easier than making another!). 

 

If you would like to make one yourself, details of the number of hexagons, finished sizes, and the pattern for this English paper pieced Union Jack can now be found in the projects/tutorials section of this blog. The pattern was designed so that it remained as true as possible, when using hexagons, to the correct aspect ratio of the flag and also to the relative widths of the various sections (if you want to know more about this, click here). You may wish to modify the pattern so that is is more suited for snuggling under than flying from a flag pole.

2014 - A sewing summary

Looking back at the projects I have finished this year, I was pleasantly surprised that the number seemed comparable to last year, especially as my sewing mojo was missing for most of the summer. Somehow I seem to have completed six quilts and various other small projects (a few of which were dispatched to their recipients without photos being taken).

As well as the quilts, I made 14 tote bags, 6 notebook covers, 4 iPad cases, 2 pairs of baby boots, 2 pairs of PJ trousers, a pair of PJ shorts, a cutting mat and shopping bag to use at the Festival of Quilts, and a few sewing sundries. Of all the projects, I think my favourite was the little hexie origami pouch with its covered press stud.

My long term 5/8" hexie project has also grown a little compared to last year.

2013

2014

As well as sewing, I attended three shows (Quilt and Stitch Village, Festival of Quilts, and Knitting & Stitching) and enjoyed learning new techniques at their various workshops (fabric postcards, hexagon quilts, wonky log cabins, and tailoring methods). There was also quite a bit of shopping done at the shows, but with these exceptions, I managed to stick fairly well to my fabric fast until about two weeks ago.

I've already made a few plans for 2015 and I am not back in work until 5th January, so I hope to make a start on my first project of 2015 very soon. As this year draws to a close (or as a new one starts, depending on when you read this), I'd like to thank you all for taking the time to read and comment on my ramblings and to wish you happy sewing for 2015.

i-Padded: an updated tutorial for a mini iPad case.

Hello if you've found me via the Sewing Directory. Have a look around and I hope to see you again :-)

A few months ago, Fiona from the Sewing Directory sent me a few FQs of Art Gallery fabrics and asked me to write a tutorial for a case for a mini iPad. I paired the FQs with some fabrics from my stash and revised last year’s iPad case project into a fully illustrated, step by step tutorial with a full size pdf pattern.

The new and improved tutorial is now on the Sewing Directory so why not head over and take a look (and check out all the other information that is on this fantastic resource). The updated pattern and instructions can also be found in my projects/tutorials section of this blog.

Simply Solids Egg-stravaganza

A few weeks ago, I was egg-tremely egg-cited when my idea of egg cosies was picked by Simply Solids for their Scraptastic Challenge.

Details of how to make these cosies are now on the Simply Solids blog and I've created a tutorial as a pdf file on Google Drive (the photos may look a little odd in the Google Drive preview, but the original quality is maintained if you download the file).  It is also available in my Projects/Tutorials section of this blog.

The tutorial uses foundation piecing, but the pattern template can be used to make a very simple cosy if you need a children’s project for the Easter holidays. Just cut four pieces from felt, stitch together with running stitch, and trim the edges with pinking shears.

Simply Solids run the Scraptastic Challenge each month - if you'd like to have a go at making something from a Kona Scrap pack, leave your ideas in a comment on their blog. The winner receives a Kona Scrap pack and a guest spot on the blog where you write a mini tutorial for your make.

Thin Cut Marmalade

At the start of the year, I decided to try to only sew from stash and was then faced with having to make not one, but two quilts for a friend’s new baby and the newly promoted “big sister”.

“Big sister” had moved to her own bedroom in preparation for the new arrival and had chosen a pink, green and white floral colour scheme when her room was redecorated.  Luckily I had plenty of FQs in ditsy florals that I could use and a small amount of a pinkish marbled solid. For the new arrival, I wanted use some of the charm squares I had in my stash along with a sunny yellow solid I picked up on holiday last year.

I used the Marmalade Squares (Two) quilt pattern from Moda as a starting point, but adapted the measurements to make a rectangular quilt that would make the best use of 60" wide fleece that I had for the backing. I reduced the amount of solid to fit my available fabric and I also simplified the pattern by using half charm squares in the narrow bands rather than a mix of squares and rectangles.

I backed both quilts with pink, starry fleece and quilted them with Aurifil 50 wt using a serpentine stitch in a grid pattern. I used a matching thread in the needle for each quilt and variegated pink in the bobbin for both quilts.

I think my favourite part of these quilts is the basket weave square in the top left corner. Since working out how to do partial seams, I love this method of adding a totally symetrical border (though if you look closely, the layouts on the two quilts are not the same).

Now these quilts are finished and delivered, I'll double check my measurements and then put the amendments to the original Moda pattern in my projects/tutorials section .

Update: My modifications to the original pattern are now available in the projects/tutorials section.