Listen Up!!

Wowza..it's been too long since I've posted.  Between Thanksgiving, a work trip, and other holiday festivities, the days are just a blur!  Does it seem that way for you, too?  

I was going to write this post a few weeks ago, but had to hold off until after my work's Secret Santa Exchange, so that I didn't spill the beans on one of the gifts I gave.  One of the gifts my person wanted was a small case to hold her ear buds while traveling.  I looked up a few pieces on Etsy, but you know what my next thought was, right?

I CAN DO THAT MYSELF.

I had a yard of cute fabric that I'd bought just waiting for a fun project, and this was the perfect thing to use it on.  My fellow fabric lovers know what I'm talking about...buying beautiful fabric without a project to use it for, just because it's pretty.  It's a habit that can get out of hand really quickly if you don't reel yourself in.  It's a good thing my husband trusts me to (semi) restrain myself when I go out shopping, because it would be OH SO EASY to buy my way through the fabric store, hide it, and he'd be none the wiser.  Until he checked the bank account.  (For the record, I am the cheapskate in the family, and he likes to wait in line to buy the newest Jordans, so there's that.  I think we're pretty even.)

Dave's secret closet?  Possibly.

Got off track there, sorry.  So, for this project, I stole some measurements off of Pinterest and Etsy, and made my ear bud holders in a similar way.  Let me take you through the steps (it was a quick and easy project- less than an hour from start to finish!).

Step 1.  Cut two 5"x5" pieces of fabric for the outside of your pouch.  Cut ONE of those pieces in half.

Step 2:  Cut two 5"x5" pieces of fabric for the inside of your pouch.  Cut ONE of those pieces in half.  (Use a contrasting fabric- it'll make the inside of your pouch pop!

Step 3:  Fold a clean edge and iron a long side of your four 2.5"x 5" pieces.  Pin an outside and inside piece on either side of a zipper, and sew.  (I sewed two lines that weeble wobbled a bit- both for strength, and because it looked cute.) 

Under the circle fabric, you should see the backside of a zig-zag cut piece of fabric.
You should be sewing these pieces right side out, with the zipper sandwiched between.

Step 4:  Repeat this process on the other side of the zipper.

Make sure you sew the fabric slightly past where the zipper zips all the way up.
This will allow you to have room for a seam.

Step 5: Take your two 5"x5" pieces of fabric, place them back to back, and then place your zipper piece and full outside piece sandwiched to the inside.  Make sense?  Your inside fabrics should both be facing outwards at this point.

Visuals help, don't they?

Step 6:  Here's where I messed up on my first one.  I zipped ahead and sewed all the way around to create my pouch.  Don't forget to leave the zipper slightly unzipped so you can turn the pouch right side out!!!  What I forgot about was the key ring clip I intended to attach to the pouch.  I SHOULD have attached this and sewed it right into the seam, but got too excited and jumped ahead.  

Whoops, no clip.

Step 7:  If you're smart, there is no step 7 to attach the clip.  I had to sew it onto the back for this pouch.  

Ahh, much better.  You can buy a package of those clips at your local craft store.
They're easy to find.

After making this pouch, I was REALLY bothered by the fact that I had to sew the clip onto the pouch after the fact.  Back to the drawing board I went to sew a second pouch that had the clip loop sewn into the seam.  That one was up to par enough to give as a gift.  This prototype, I kept for myself.  I'm sure no one but me would have really recognized the difference, but in good conscience, I couldn't give the first one away.  Sometimes my neurotic tendencies really get out of hand.

This bad boy is now clipped to the inside of my laptop bag.  Go me!

And, without further ado, I give you the best picture of my work Secret Santa Gift Exchange.  I did not ask permission to post this picture, but it WAS posted on Facebook, so it's fair game, right?  I was nice enough to conceal her identity, so give me a little credit.  My group really gets excited about Christmas.  (And about the undead, apparently.  I don't get the zombie apocalypse love.)  

Even without seeing who she is, look at the glee on that face!  SO EXCITED.

Happy holidays, everyone!!!