Fabric

Zipper Pouch a Perfect Holiday Hostess Gift Cut with the Cricut Maker

122 · Nov 22, 2017 · 8 Comments

I am a HUGE fan of thoughtful handmade gifts! I try as much as possible to create something special to give friends and family during the holiday season. This year I have become a little obsessed with stylish little zipper pouches. They are so handy for keeping those little odds and ends organized and really… They’re so darn cute! I’ve even created a design of my own it’s called the WhipperBerry Zipper Pouch and it’s the perfect Holiday Hostess Gift!

+ This post is brought to you by Cricut +

Not too long ago, I made a cute little pencil pouch using the pattern created by Anna from Noodlehead. I LOVED the pattern so much… I was a total nerd and decided that I wanted to convert Anna’s PDF pattern to a SVG file so that I could cut my fabric on my Cricut Maker. It took a little trial and error, but I managed to make it work. I imported my newly created SVG file to the Cricut Design Space and again, with a little more fiddling around, I managed to make it work. I was THRILLED! I love Anna’s pencil pouch and I’ve now sewn a few different variations trying to improve my sewing skills. I love this little pouch but, I’ve been wanting to make one that is larger and will hold things other than just pens and pencils. I decided to modify Anna’s pattern a bit and make a larger zipper pouch to give as holiday hostess gifts this year.

Why Sew with the Cricut Maker

This is a BOLD move for me! I’ve embraced all kinds of creative gift ideas, but I’ve never sewn for my friends and family. I’ve always thought it was too hard, too troublesome, too time consuming. This cute, stylish and heartfelt gift is quite frankly one that I would LOVE to receive. So, why not make several? I’ve always shied away from sewing because I could never cut the pattern just right. Something would ALWAYS be off… Not anymore!!! I’ve been cutting fabric for sewing projects now for a few months and man am I hooked. Knowing that you are starting off with good bones makes the sewing so much more enjoyable. Reasons why I love cutting fabric with the Cricut Maker…

Precision cuts – you’ll always start with good bones.
Less waste – you’ll use far less fabric by using a precision cutting tool.
Empowerment – the Cricut Maker is bring sewing to the masses, no more excuses, you CAN do this.
More intricate designs – have you always kept things really simple? With the Cricut Maker, you can get as fancy as you want.

Here’s a quick little video on how I cut my fabric for the zipper pouch

The WhipperBerry Zipper Pouch Material List

10″ zipper
14″ x 28″ of cotton fabric for lining + I used Cotton + Steel black and white Checkers for the lining and the accent fabric
16″ x 18″ main print cotton linen canvas – I used Cotton + Steel Tapestry Midnight Canvas
8″ x 12″ accent fabric
1/2 yard Fusible Ultra Lightweight Interfacing
thread that compliments your fabric
download the SVG cutting files

Instructions

First thing to do it to visit my post on How to Import and Use a SVG File in Cricut Design Space. I have a full video Tutorial on how to cut this exact pattern and it will really help the cutting go super smooth. Before I start cutting though, I fuse my interfacing onto the lining of my pouch. If you are using a lighter fabric for either one of the exterior pieces, you’ll want to fuse that fabric as well. Make sure to do this step BEFORE you cut your fabric. Pro Tip • If you don’t have enough interfacing to cover your entire piece of fabric, don’t worry. Keep your interfacing scraps and piece it together. No biggie!

Piece the Outside

Start by sewing the outside together by placing the main print and accent fabric right sides together and sew using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Press seam to one side and topstitch. Then repeat with the other side of the exterior of the pouch.

How to Prepare the Zipper

Before you attach your zipper, you need to prepare both ends of the zipper by folding it over towards the back side and placing a few stitches to hold it in place. Repeat on all four ends of the zipper.

Attach the Zipper

With exterior panel right side up, center zipper right side facing down (zipper pull at left) along top edge then pin in place. Place one lining piece, right side down on top of the exterior piece again pin into place. Using your zipper foot, sew along top edge using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Open like a book and press exterior panel away from zipper. Topstitch along zipper using an 1/8″ seam allowance. Make sure NOT to top stitch both layers together. Position outside panel and lining panel wrong side on together and press away from zipper. Repeat the same steps to attach the other side of the bag with the remaining exterior panel and lining panel to the other side of the zipper. This time placing zipper pull at right. Keep and eye on your top seems and make sure they match up. Then press both sides again.

Finish the Zipper Pouch

Open zipper halfway. This is an important step. Position exterior panels right side together and lining pieces right side together and pin along sides and bottom. Be sure that you place pins on either side at the intersections of where the lining meets the exterior on each side of the pouch and where the seem of the exterior meet. Sew along the bottom and sides of the pouch using a 1/4″ seam allowance. You will need to leave a 4 inch opening in the lining so that you’ll be able to turn your pouch. Make sure to not stitch together the corner cut outs. Speaking of corner cut outs… Check out the precision of how the fabric lines up. That’s solely possible because of the Cricut Maker. You can sew with confidence knowing that your fabric will line-up easily because of the perfect cuts. Ok, back to work… Reach inside your bag and shimmy the zipper open all the way. Box your corners by pinching the corners together and line-up the seam and pin. Repeat on the remaining 3 corners. Sew straight across with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Repeat with the remaining 3 sides. You’re so close to the finish line! All you need to do is turn out your pouch so that it is right side out. That’s where the 4 inch opening comes in handy. Pull it through that opening just as if you were turning a sock right side out. Are you just swimming with PRIDE now!!! Take a minute to make sure everything is settled in all the right places. Push the lining corners into the right spot. You may want to use the eraser side of a pencil or a chopstick to push those into place. You may want to even press your pouch again if it needs it. That’s it, you now have a beautiful, stylish large pouch that you made yourself. It has your fingerprints all over it. You chose your favorite fabric and it screams your style! Now, you can profile all of your friends and figure out what their perfect little somethings zipper pouch would look like. Then, whip one up for them to take as a hostess gift, holiday gift, friend gift, it’s Tuesday gift… Basically, it’s a great creative gift that ANYONE can make with a little help from the Cricut Maker & a sewing machine. You could even personalize it with some Cricut Iron-on Lite and the Cricut Easy Press. That would be really cool. What to win some amazing Cricut goodies for yourself? Enter below for a chance to win! a Rafflecopter giveaway If you’re looking to make a shorter pencil pouch, visit Noodlehead for that pattern and directions.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

How to Import and Use a SVG File in Cricut Design Space

55 · Nov 21, 2017 · 2 Comments

I LOVE to create my own designs for all kinds of things like signs, printables, special gifts and now, thanks to the Cricut Maker… Sewing projects! The issue that I ran into at the beginning was figuring out how to effectively use my own SVG files in Cricut Design Space. If you’re like me, and would like to either use either your own designs or other designs that you purchase from Etsy or other sites, this video tutorial is for you! You could use a Silhouette or a Cricut. If you’re unsure of which is better you can read my review of Cricut vs Silhouette here.

Whether you are a sign maker, a paper crafter or you love to work with fabric, chances are you’ve wanted to either create your own SVG files or download files that you’ve purchased and use them with your Cricut Projects. The Cricut Design Space is pretty robust but there are times when you need a little more in the design area. For example, create curved text and such for a project. I stumbled across a way to covert PDF sewing patterns into SVG files to use with my Cricut Maker. Don’t worry, I’ll have a tutorial for that soon. Today, I want to focus on how to import and use that SVG file into Cricut Design Space and use it effectively. I’ve been working on this for a bit so I’ve managed to come-up with some great tips and tricks to help speed-up your work flow in order to cut down on possibly technology frustration.

Video Tutorial on How to Import and Use Your SVG Files in Cricut Design Space

Take a few minutes to sit and watch this video. I promise it will make your time in the Cricut Design Space much easier!

DIY Fall Throw Pillow • Oh, Delicious Fall

9 · Aug 30, 2017 · 3 Comments

Summer is coming to a close and it’s time to start thinking about Fall decor! This DIY Fall Throw Pillow is Perfect for your front porch or any room in the house!

{ This post brought to you by • Cricut }

It’s time to start decorating for Fall and I’m over the moon excited to finally have a front porch that I can decorate! I’ve been working on all kinds of projects for the porch design and today I’m going to show you one of the elements. My DIY Fall throw pillow with the cute saying, “Oh, Delicious Fall.” Earlier today if you have been following my Story on Instagram… You watched live, how easy it is to make this simple accent pillow with the new Cricut Maker & Easy Press along with the Cricut Heat Transfer Material. It’s sooooo cool!!

The Cricut MAKER

You guys… I know you’ve seen all the buzz around the creative world about the new Cricut Maker and Cricut Easy Press. I’m here to tell you, everything you’ve heard is legit. These two new machines are game changers in the creative world. I’m sure you’ve seen some of the stuff the new Cricut Maker can do, it cuts…

fabric { without any type of backing }
felt
leather
balsa and bass wood
crepe paper
chip board
mat board
and the list goes on and on…

The engineers at Cricut have come up with an adaptive cutting tool system that is truly inspired. They have also dramatically increased the cutting power which allows for all of the new materials. They’ve increased the cutting power 10x… That’s seriously impressive! Here are some of the displays with amazing vignettes all created with the Cricut Maker for the launch event earlier this month.

Well, enough about that… Let’s get to work on the Fall throw pillow. Now keep in mind, I am using the new Cricut Maker but, you can use any of the Cricut cutting machines like the Cricut Air 2 for this project. We are using the Cricut Heat Transfer Material that any of those machines can handle just fine. Also, I am using the Cricut Easy Press, which is FABULOUS!! But, you won’t be left out in the cold if you don’t have an Easy Press yet… You can use your iron to create this accent fluffy pillow as well.

Instructions for the DIY Fall Throw Pillow

Materials needed:

pillow cover
pillow form
Cricut Iron-On Lite – black
Cricut Light Grip cutting mat
Cricut cutting machine
Cricut Easy Press or an Iron
light cotton towel
Cricut Design Space

Directions:

First, you need to download the “Oh, delicious Fall” design that I’ve created for this pillow.

Then you’ll need to upload it into Design Space…

You’ll do that by clicking on the upload button on the left side of the screen.

Now, the design is already sized for your standard 15 inch throw pillow but you can size it larger or smaller if you like. You will also need to add the maple leaf from the image library. I searched for a maple leaf in the search bar and then selected the leaf below. You could always select whatever image you like.

Size and place the leaf into the design and then you need to select your designs and then Weld them together and then Attach them to your “cutting mat.”

Now, it’s time to “Make It” by clicking on the Make It button at the top right of the screen. When working with iron-on material, you need to make sure that you mirror the design so that it cuts properly.

Now, you need to place your Cricut Iron-On light onto your cutting mat. Make sure to follow the package directions for how to place it on your mat. Basically, the shiny side needs to be placed face down on the mat. If you were following my Instagram Story, you would have seen that I don’t bother to cut the material off of the roll until I have finished cutting my design. It cuts down on waste and makes it easier to remove your design from the cutting mat. All you need to do is roll it right back up. It’s super slick.

Now, you need to load your mat into the machine, connect your machine to your computer, iPad or other mobil device via Bluetooth and then select your material that you will be cutting.

Click on Iron-On and you’re all set to cut…

Once you have finished the cutting process, you’ll need to weed your iron-on vinyl to remove the excess material.

While you are weeding your iron-on vinyl, you’ll want to pre-heat your Cricut Easy Press or your iron so that you’re ready to go once you’ve finished weeding.

I have found a setting of 350˚ for about 50 seconds usually does the trick when I’m working with the Cricut Iron-On Lite. The nice thing about the easy press is that is has nice consistent temperature over the entire base. Check this out…

This is showing the heat variance with a traditional iron. That’s why some people have been frustrated in the past with creating iron-on projects. You don’t have to worry about that anymore with the Easy Press. It has a large 9×9 inch plate which is AWSOME!! That’s how you’ll achieve professional results without investing in a bulking and expensive heat press machine. It’s light weight and easy to store which is a total bonus.

First, I pre-heat my pillow cover, this helps to start the iron-on process with the vinyl. Plus, it irons out any wrinkles in your pillow cover.

Oh, I also use a portable ironing blanket that you can find at Walmart or Target in the laundry section. It’s perfect for protecting your surface while you’re using the Easy Press.

Now, center your design on your pillow cover.

Cover your design with a light cotton tea towel.

And then, place the Easy Press onto your design with the timer set for 50 seconds and press the Cricut button to start the timer. Lightly press on the Easy Press and wait for the timer to go off.

Now, my design was a little larger than the 9×9 plate so I did it a few times to make sure I had transferred the entire design onto my pillow cover. Then I removed the protective plastic cover, replaced the towel and then did one more go with the Easy Press to make sure everything was set.

That was it! I put the pillow form into the pillow cover and voilá… I had a fun accent piece for my new front porch bench.

How simple is that? If you don’t have a Cricut machine or the Cricut Easy Press… I would for sure start dropping hints to Santa pronto! This is a new era for creating and these are the must have tools!!

Disclaimer • I am a Cricut Ambassador this year and I’m thrilled to be a part of that crew. I truly love these products and for sure would not share anything that I didn’t naturally use in my own life and LOVE. I have received product and payment for my time in putting together this informative post for you guys. I hope you ENJOY!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

DIY T-Shirt Design + Salty but Super Sweet with Cricut Rose Gold IRON-ON Foil

14 · Mar 7, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Anyone out there have a middle school girl, a sassy friend or teenagers at all? I have ALL THREE!! The level of sass in my life is epic. I have three girls all in the teen years and there is a new term floating around our house these days… “ohhhh, SALTY!” OR, “You’re being soooo SALTY!” Isn’t it funny when the newer generation comes up with their new slang or vernacular? If you haven’t heard the term before, think of it in terms of a person who has the same kind of savory bite like salt. It basically means that, you are upset and throwing a bunch of sass. I decided that with three teenage girls and a truck load of sassy friends they all needed a special tee that describes them to a “T.” After a particularly rough afternoon with one of my girls the perfect saying popped into my head, “Salty but Super Sweet.” That’s exactly how I felt in the moment. She was being so hard to deal with, yet under it all, I know that she is, and will always be SUPER SWEET. That’s when I set to work to design a perfect DIY t-shirt for her and all of the other “SALTY” ladies in my life using my Cricut Explore Air 2 and my FAVORITE Rose Gold Iron-On Foil!

Materials for the DIY T-Shirt

I ran over to my local Michaels and grabbed some of their black v-neck t-shirts in their fabulous t-shirt section. Have you checked that out yet? You can get all kinds of sizes, colors, youth, adult and even v-neck tees. The v-neck that I bought was $5.99 AND… If you keep and eye-out, they usually have some crazy awesome sales on the t-shirts that make them an even better deal.

I decided that with a “SALTY” kind of tee, I needed to use a material for the graphics that REALLY stood-out. I combed through Cricut’s vast array of iron-on materials and selected the metallic Rose Gold Iron-On Foil. I’ve become a HUGE fan of all of their foils and this one REALLY does not disappoint. It adheres to the t-shirt fabric beautifully and looks fabulous against the black tee.

I’ve used other iron-on materials from other brands and sadly, the materials are peeling off by the end of the day. Incredibly frustrating after spending time & money to create something special just for it to peel off the first time you wear it.

• PRO TIP •

Creating the DIY T-Shirt Design

This is where things get super exciting!! Did you know that you have a couple of different options when it comes to creating designs to use with your Cricut when creating your own shirts or, anything really!

First off, you DON’T have to be a mad designer in order to utilize your Cricut machine. Cricut has made it so easy to browse through a whole library of projects in the Cricut Design Space. If you want to do the whole DIY t-shirt thing and you don’t know where to start, go into Design Space and search the whole Fashion section and you’ll find all kinds of fun ideas.

It’s also easy to create your own designs within Design Space. If you’ve already done some basic design work in other programs like Adobe Elements you’ll feel right at home within Design Space.

If you are more of an advanced designer, you can create designs within programs like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, save them as .jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp, .svg, or .dxf files and upload them right into design space.

That is one of my favorite ways to create. I’ll be creating and sharing some fun files with you a few times a month so you’ll want to make sure you stop by often to see what the new designs are. I’ll also be creating tutorials to teach you how to create with your Cricut cutting machine along with all kinds of handy PRO TIPS.

Don’t forget, here is the PNG file that you may download to create your own DIY T-shirt with my Salty but Super Sweet design… Here is the download file for the Salty but Super Sweet tee. This is for personal use only please.

It’s time to get creating, go grab your Cricut and let’s get our creative juices flowing!

Disclaimer – I am a proud member of the Cricut team and look forward to sharing my experiences with you every month. As always, I will never share with you a product that I don’t absolutely LOVE and use often in my everyday life. This post does contain affiliate links and I am paid to cover my time and materials when creating these posts.