Vintage Apron Pouch in "Super Cute Paper Piecing"

The Vintage Apron Pouch is one of my favorite projects in my new book "Super Cute Paper Piecing."

It is a perfect size to transport small sewing projects and also great for a larger make-up or toiletries bag.

The front top panel is about 6 1/2" wide x 9 1/2" tall so most of the paper pieced blocks in the book would fit perfectly on this fun zipper pouch!

A fun way to personalize your pouch is to add a zipper pull.

This apple zipper pull was found  at a local jewelry supply store.

Michael's and Joann Fabrics have a nice selection of charms and zipper pulls that can be purchased online.

A few of my favorite online stores carry adorable fabric as well as cute zipper pulls are SunnyDaySupply.com , Deltapatchwork.com and  SuperBuzzy.com

Another great place to find zipper charms is on Etsy.com  

Just type in "charms" or "zipper pulls" and you will be amazed at the selection!

I have quite a collection I've amassed over the years : )

Don't forget, all the info about my book can be found on my blog [HERE]

Happy Sewing!

xo

Charise

Fussy Cutting for Foundation Paper Piecing

One of my favorite methods to use when I Paper Piece designs is Fussy Cutting.

Fussy Cutting is using a motif in a fabric and cutting it to focus on the motif.

You can see how I used it on the waistband of my Apron picture above.  

I also use fussy cutting to position a print in a desired direction which you can see with the apple print.  The apples are running vertical and are centered on the front panel.  

I was able to achieve this by fussy cutting.

This is also a great way to conserve fabric since you are cutting only the amount of fabric you need.

*Here are some tips to help you with your next Fussy Cut Paper Pieced project*

1)  

Print out an extra copy of the pattern.

Cut out the section of the pattern you want to fussy cut.

In this example, I want to fussy cut the waistband on the apron - section A3.

2)

Place the pattern piece, Right Side Up, on the Wrong side of the fabric directly covering the section you want to fussy cut. 

Use a bit of fabric glue to hold the pattern piece in place.

In this example, I want the words "tag cotton" to be centered on the waistband.

3)

Using a C-thru ruler, mark 1/4" from the edge of your pattern.

Cut on the line.

OR

Use a rotary cutter and your acrylic ruler to cut around the pattern piece.

Remove the pattern piece from the back of the fabric.

You are ready to use the pattern piece!

I like to save the pattern pieces to be used again.  I keep mine in a sheet protector and file it in a binder with the pattern. 

Happy Sewing!

xo

Charise