Tutorial: Shirt collar tote bag

Somewhere in the depths of my sewing studio, I have a small collection of button up shirt collars and cuffs. They’re left over from earlier shirt refashion projects. I didn’t have the heart to throw them away, so I held on to them knowing that there would be a project that would make perfect use of them. And today I found that project!

Missy Bonkers shows how you can use a bunch of shirt collars, as well as some other bits of button up shirts, to make a mighty cool tote bag. The entire bag is made from parts of the shirt. The bag body is pieced collars, the strap from the body or arms of the shirt, and the flap from a cuff.

Click below for her tutorial showing how to make it:

Shirt Collars to Tote Bag, by Missy Bonkers

[via Refashion Co-op]

[photo from Missy Bonkers]

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I’m always tempted by the pretty velvets at the fabric store. So much texture! And the way the fibers catch the light! But sewing on velvet is trickier than you’d think. That nap that lends beautiful texture also likes to slip and crawl. That nap can also spell disaster if you cut a piece the wrong direction. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t use buy that velvet and sew it into something gorgeous, you just need to go into your velvet sewing project prepared. And Melissa at Melly Sews has a post that takes you step by step through sewing on velvet.

Velvet is such a luscious fabric, especially for winter sewing projects. Of course there are velvet Christmas sewing projects – stockings, tree skirts, santa hats – but velvet is beautiful for all winter. Think of all the gorgeous velvet dresses, evening bags, hair accessories, even pillows and other home décor that you see all winter long.

Melly Sews’ post gives you the tips and tricks you need to know in order for your velvet sewing project to end up a success. There are types of projects better suited for velvets, and kinds of projects to avoid. She describes the different types of velvet available. And she also tells the best way to lay out and cut your pattern pieces from velvet fabric. Her tutorial also covers marking, pressing, and of course sewing that beautiful fabric. There’s also a video included in case that’s your preferred method for learning.

Head over to Melly Sews to learn how to sew on velvet fabric.

And if you want to learn more about that lovely blue velvet dress shown, she has a post that tells more about it including 2 ways to style it depending on if you want to be more dressy or more casual.

[photo credit: Melly Sews]

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