summer by stealth

With all the deadlines and work churning around here, we haven't had much time to enjoy the June warmth and sunshine. And I think my subconscious may be trying to coax me outdoors in recognition of that fact; I recently become the owner of several leisure-oriented items that I'm just itching to try out. First there was an irresistable woven project bag I simply had to have from Purl, and then I added a fantastic water lily woven sunhat to the mix. Not exactly something to be taken to the studio for a day at work, hmmm? Clearly I need some time at a park or the beach, for my mental health as well as an excuse to try out the new goods..


This print from Heather Ross's new line of home dec weight fabric for Kokka recently inspired a summery mousepad, too. I cut a piece of Timtex, stitched up a little pocket approximately 1/8" wider and taller than the Timtex, and slipped the interfacing inside before edgestitching all the way around it to hold it all together and close up the opening. About as easy as can be, and really light-weight for portability (in case I take the laptop to the park instead of the studio one of these days, maybe? Wearing my fabulous chapeau and carrying a bit of knitting or embroidery in my new project bag?). If you cut a piece of fusible web the same size as the Timtex, you can fuse the top fabric to the Timtex so it doesn't slip around once it's sewn up, too. Just to be sure, you know; it would work fine without it, but the fusible was there and the iron was hot...



Here are some very basic hand-drawn instructions, if you're interested. Click to enlarge. Seriously low-tech here, just for fun. You'll notice that when I sewed the two fabric layers together I stitched out to the edge of the seam allowances at the opening; it turns out that when you sew them like this, the seam allowances will sort of automatically keep themselves tucked into the opening when the fabric is turned right side out. Try it; you'll see what I mean.