Thursday, July 6, 2017

Summer of Sewing: Hold Everything Fabric Boxes

During our Summer of Sewing series, we'll be featuring weekly tutorials using our new fabric collections (and giveaways, too!). Join us each week, sit back, relax, and then start sewing! 


Some may say that women can never have enough shoes, or enough chocolate, or enough jewelry...but as quilters, we say we can never have enough storage space! 

Our Summer of Sewing tutorial for this week features three different sizes of fabric boxes, perfect for holding notions and other sewing room supplies (or anything else that needs to be contained in a pretty box!). 


We've used the Goanna Walkabout collection--bright, dynamic Aboriginal-inspired prints. Look for Goanna Walkabout and Walkabout 2 (we'll be featuring it here soon!) fabrics at your local quilt shop. 
What else makes these fabric boxes special? A layer of Pellon's® Flex-Foam provides body so they stand up, but it's still soft enough and flexible enough to be stitched, folded, and adjusted.  

Let's get started!
You'll Need:
(per box)
2 fat quarters 
1/8 yard coordinating Painter's Palette Solid for binding
Pellon® Flex-Foam 1-Sided Fusible (20", 12-1/2" or 9" square, depending on box size)

Cutting:
Note: Directions are for the largest box. Find measurements for the smaller boxes at the end of the tutorial and follow the steps using your preferred size of squares.
From each fat quarter: 
(1) 18" square

From the solid:
(1) 2-3/4" x 42" strip

From the Flex-Foam:
(1) 18" square

Make the Box:
Step 1: Decide which 18" square will be the lining and which will be the outside.

Step 2: Following manufacturer's directions, fuse the Flex-Foam to the wrong side of the outer fabric. Fold in half right sides of fabric together and sew along the short sides using a generous 1/4" seam. 

Step 3: Cut a 4-1/4" square from each bottom corner (along the folded edge).

Step 4: To create a boxed corner, fold so the raw edges you cut match up and pin. The side seam should align with the crease from the folded bottom edge in step 2.

Step 5: Stitch along the pinned edge using a 1/4" seam allowance. Backstitch at beginning and end.
Step 6: In the same way, fold the 18" square lining piece right sides together, stitch along short edges, and cut 4-1/4" squares out of the bottom corners.  

Step 7: Fold and stitch to box out the corners of the lining just like in step 4. 

Step 8: Turn the outer box right side out and insert the lining piece. Pin along raw edges, matching side seams. 

Step 9: Press the 2-3/4" x 42" binding strip lengthwise in half wrong sides together. Align raw edges and sew to the lining side of the box, joining ends as you would for a quilt. Note: The binding can be stitched on with the lining on the inside, or you can turn the pinned box lining side out, as shown below, and stitch the binding in place. Whichever is easier for you works fine, as long as the binding is stitched onto the lining side!

Step 10: With the box right side out, fold the binding over the raw top edges, secure in place with binding clips, and topstitch to secure. 

Your finished large box!

To make the medium sized box, use 12-1/2" squares of fabric and Flex-Foam, and cut 2" squares from the corners. 

To make the small sized box, use 9" squares of fabric and Flex-Foam, and cut 2" squares from the corners. 

All three boxes upside down so you can see the fun fabrics! 


Would you like to win a bundle of Walkabout fabrics? Leave a comment below (or on IG) telling us what you'd fill these boxes with. Giveaway is open through Sunday, July 9th at 11:59 PM CDT. 



Follow along with our Summer of Sewing Series! 
Click here to see all the tutorials.

Patriotic Star quilt bundle winner:
Janarama

psst...we're still collecting winners' names from our Patriotic Palette Blog Hop! We'll announce the names soon here on the blog. 

41 comments:

  1. Very cute and simple sounding instructions!! May need to try a few after I finish up a few pending project.

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  2. Fabrics for a project. Organize notions. 24Tangent@gmail.com

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  3. Great looking baskets and simple sounding instructions. Thanks for the idea! And thanks also for the giveaway.

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    1. And I'd should have said, I'd use these baskets as quick and easy gifts for my quilter friends. =)

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  4. I can always use storage for fabric collections on my shelves. I can keep projects together too while the look pretty. Would love to figure out a way to add some small handles.

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  5. These would be so cute to fill with fat quarters, sewing notions, and treats, and give to quilty friends as birthday gifts.

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  6. To put near my sewing machine to throw things in while I'm sewing, makes it easier to find and then put away when done with a project.

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  7. These would be great for threads, 5 in. fabric squares, notions (scissors, tape measure, extra needle packs, etc.)
    bjkaup(at)(abbnebraska)(dot)(com)

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  8. I'd fill them with chocolate and bobbins and scraps.

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  9. A good quilter friend of mine just gave me some fabric scraps that she was not going to use. The variety of sizes from Fat Quarters to close to 5 inch squares will store perfectly in each of these fabric baskets!

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  10. Great boxes, which I would fill with goodies for family/friends. Thanks for the lovely giveaway!

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  11. Perfect holding skeins of yarn being used in that WIP and for scraps being used for an applique project. Thanks for the tutorial.

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  12. I'd keep these handy to save all of my scraps while I'm cutting out quilt pieces. I save all but the tiniest scraps, so can accumulate quite a few in a session!

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  13. These would be great for my miscellaneous small rulers.

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  14. Thank you for the idea! Amazing boxes! angielovesgary2 atgmail dotcom

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  15. I would use these boxes to hold skeins of yarn and my current craft project.

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  16. LOOOOVE this!! Thank you r for sharing Tutorial with us!! So fun for scraps, lil' odds & ends of crafty things..lil' toys for the Kiddo's..ooooh my so many uses!! :)

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  17. Would fill with threads and bobbins.

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  18. I would use one for all the patterns that are in my queue!! Another would hold all of the little notions that I am always trying to find!

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  19. I need a little basket to keep our remotes in!
    basaran.family@rogers.com

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  20. These would be great to hold bathroom stuff, like combs, brushes, makeup, etc. Thanks for the tutorial!

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  21. I'd love to have these fabric boxes in my sewing room. I'd fill them with my spools of thread and a small box for my bobbins. They would make fabulous gifts as well!

    lin.web.28 at gmail dot com

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  22. Love the baskets, fabric and the tutorial! I would keep threads and scraps from sewing in the small one, my binding clips in the medium one and my scissors and hand sewing projects in the larger one. Lots of ideas-maybe I need to make multiples of each size!

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  23. would fill them with fabric of course! I love the fabric line.

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  24. Love the different sizes. Fabric in the large (fat quarters); sewing supplies like scissors, tape measure, etc. in the middle and thread in the smaller. Where does one find flex-foam?

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  25. Thank you for this tutorial! I could really use these to organize my craft room - would be great gifts too!

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  26. My fabric boxes would hold... to go projects. I love having things ready to go when I am traveling, whether going to an appointment or sitting and waiting for someone. One would hold needle punch embroidery. Another my hoop art project. Then my embroidered pillowcases. Lol I love to stay busy! Thank you for the tutorial.

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  27. I would use the large one next to my sewing machine to hold scraps until I move them to their respective shoe boxes.

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  28. For myself, I'd put scraps in them. But as a gift, I'd make it from baby fabrics and put diapers and baby things in it! Thanks for the tutorials and giveaways!

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  29. For myself, I'd put scraps in them. But as a gift, I'd make it from baby fabrics and put diapers and baby things in it! Thanks for the tutorials and giveaways!

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  30. They would look very pretty holding a variety of fatquarters, charm and mini charm packs...lovely giveaway...

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  31. I need one in my bathroom to hold little vials of eye drops, and one on my dresser to hold change. Thanks.

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  32. So gorgeous.Love the differents sizes to put my scraps in.Thanks for the tutorial so easy to follow!

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  33. Hand towels in the bath, dish towels in th ekitchen. Great tutorial...thank you.

    bluestarof2(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  34. I would put fresh baked cookies or muffins in them to give as gifts. Thanks!

    Please click on the delaineelliott above for my email link.

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  35. i would fill these baskets with pre-cuts; mini charms, charms, jellies, and fat quarters.

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  36. Thread & bobbins-perfect! These little baskets would be useful for all kinds of things-even non-quilty things! Thank you, Susan

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  37. I would love to win a bundle of the Walkabout fabrics. They are so cool! I would make the boxes and fill them with my Works in Process. I usually have two or more projects going on at a time and it is easier if the supplies are all kept together on the sewing area (aka kitchen table). Thank you for the opportunity! ljbisme at msn dot com

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  38. They would be prefect in the bathroom...hair ties in one, make-up in another, and combs and brushes in the third.

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  39. Oh but chocolate of course! My non-guilty pleasure is Lindt Lindor Truffles and wouldn't they look pretty in one of these! Threads would be great in another.

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  40. I'm teaching my granddaughters to sew and this would be a lovely, fun project to teach to them! I'd use them for gifts for friends, filling them with treasures that are special for arts and crafts they love, or makeup helpers. I can see 5 inch squares stacked in them and embroidery threads,in many colors and sizes. The possibilities are endless. The fabric line is very appealing to me! Thanks!

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