Handmade Gifts for Men and Cute Gifts for Girls

Handmade Wallets for Men

 

My FB friend sent me a message that she wanted 2 handmade wallets for her husband and son. After discussing fabric option, we agreed on the herringbone tweed and black jute fabrics. The wallet should be minimalist with only 4 card slots and one is without flap. 

Working with tweed and jute is pretty tricky. I used  all purpose interfacing for both wallets which turned out better than I expected. The fabrics are also fray a lot, so I usually cut it bigger than the actual intended size just to be on the safe side. 

Herringbone Tweed Wallet

Black Jute Wallet

For the measurement and construction, I basically  follow the Nuno Wallet Pattern, I reduced the size a little bit since it's only 2 card slots on each side. 

After receiving her wallet, she messaged me  on Whatsapp again and wanted 2 more of the same wallets but with divider for the bill compartment. Sometimes, the best ideas are from your customers!! 

Behind The Scenes Video

With the second order she also wanted the mini backpacks! She wanted in pink floral and after she chose her fabrics, I got to work immediately as I have to finish the order before Monday as Tuesday I was leaving for Delhi to see off my boys! 

The viola mini backpack is very easy and quick to make. And I love making these cute little backpacks!! I carried one myself to keep my air buds and chap stick, very practical and cute accessories for everyday. 

Mini Backpack

Cute and practical bag accessories 

You can fit in so many things in this tiny backpack

Thank God all orders finished on time! Thank you so much Priya for your trust and support!! 

The wallets and mini backpacks are now available for custom orders in my WEBSITE and ETSY. 

Speaking about Etsy, there are so many changes recently from fee structures, algorithm to SEO. I am wondering if I should reopen international shipping from my Website as it will be more affordable. Sometimes, we have to pay fees which goes up to almost  $10 for less than $30 orders. Please let me know what do you think? Would you likely to buy from a website or from Etsy? 

Thank you so much for reading my blog. 

Have a nice day!

Elvira

Linking up to these wonderful BLOGS

Block print passport wallets

Kalamkari Passport Holder

Last month, Etsy sent email stated  there was a bug on Etsy that they belatedly found  and as a result a lot of my listings were not charged for renewal for the past year. So by April 1st, Etsy deactivated all the affected listings, and I did not realize it until a few days ago when I saw my shop were practically empty! This both affected my fabric shop and my handmade shop! Now I have more than 200 listings to relist and as I am on it, I will rework on the SEO, etc before put them back on the listing. I think it's a blessing in disguise also, as I have been wanted to work on the SEO on some of my listings. But yeah it's a lot of work - I will do it one step at a time! 

Anyway, I have been busy making a few passport wallets last week. This time I am using block print fabrics! They have been on my WIP bins for a couple of months and finally I got time (and the mood) to finish them! 

I am super happy with how these kalamkari passport wallet turned out. I have made only the rustic indigo color in the past and as I got order for the same, I might as well finish the rest! 

For the kalamkari wallets, I offered 2 closure - zip around or snap button in my ETSY SHOP. 

Zipper Closure

Snap Button Closure

The next are these red and blue-ish grey floral passport holder. I really love these floral fabrics and I love how the wallets turned out. They are so unique and light weight, you can keep upto 4 passports  in it. 

Red & Blue Block Print Floral Passport Wallet

And if you love something vibrant and bright, the yellow floral passport wallet is perfect for you. The yellow floral fabric is chanderi cotton fabric and combined it with red tie dye fabric. 

I still have the fabric, maybe I will make something else. Let's see! 

Yellow Floral Passport Cover

All the passport wallets I finished and are already available in ETSY and my WEBSITE. What do you think?

So that was quite productive week for me. Batching work really works for me, especially as I am going through perimenopause stage now with all the weird symptoms and swing of energy level! When the mood is good and everything is prepped, I can complete more work in less time. 

Recently I love watching these small (sewing) business vlog by many young women (college girls) on YouTube, and I marvel at how they organize their work around the school work, online shop and even doing crafts shows! I do learn many things from them and it's lovely to see how enterprising they are! Very inspiring! 

Thank you so much for stopping by today! 

Have a nice day,

Elvira

Linking up to these wonderful BLOGS

Pattern Update: Adding Flap Closure on Rosie Wallet

Rosie Cardholder Wallet

Hello,

Today, I will share how to make a slim flap for Rosie Wallet. This can be another alternative to the original pattern with the hidden flap. 

Materials:

Contrast fabric - cut 1 - 2" x 5.5" (5 x 14 cm)

Interfacing - cut 1 - 2" x 5.5" (5 x 14 cm)

STEPS: 

1. Iron the interfacing on the wrong side of the contrast fabric and fold the longer sides towards the center like in the picture below. 

2. Now fold the flap so that the short ends meet.

3. Sew around the three sides, leaving the raw edge side unsewn.

4. Place the flap on the center left of the exterior panel and baste stitch. The seam allowance is 1/8" (3 mm).

5. On the right side, install the snap button socket, approximately 1" (2.5 cm) away from the center.

6. The button cap should only placed through the exterior panel and the first lining panel. You can install the button cap before attaching the binding or after. 

7. On the flap, install the other part of the snap button approximately 0.5" (1.3 cm) away from the top.

Now continue finishing the wallet as per the pattern. That's super easy, right? 

If you are not sure whether you will be able to sew Rosie Wallet yet, you can watch the video below for more guidance. 

If you already purchased the pattern and have any doubts, feel free to email me. If you have not,  don't forget to use the coupon code CVG20 when purchasing the pattern

Thank you so much once again for your continued support! If you have any questions regarding sewing or quilting and want me to make video tutorials, simply reply to this email. I'd love to hear your ideas! 

Until next time,

Happy Sewing!

Elvira

More Tulip Wallets

 

Tulip Mini Wallet

Hello, 

Last weekend, I made more Tulip Mini Wallets. These wallets are just so much fun, easy, and quick to put together, especially if you have fun off-cut fabric scraps. This wallet is pretty sleek and compact, you can slip it into your jeans and hook the key ring on your belt loop. It can easily carry 8-10 cards or a few cards and folded notes. Or just clip it in your small purse or tote bag. 

Pink Blue Floral Wallet

The pattern has two versions, vertical and horizontal. The pattern also included instructions on how to finish the seam in two ways. I did the easy one as shown in the video tutorial. If you have a wrist problem (CTS) like me, don't worry, this one is pretty easy on the wrist :). 

I mostly used polka dots this time because I have a lot of them. I used it a lot in my other projects, so I have quite a lot of off-cuts that I can use to make this keychain wallet. 

Blue Strawberry Keychain Wallet

Blue Floral Mini Wallet

If you're looking for easy gifts to sew, this Tulip Mini Wallet is a great project for you. To make this wallet, basically, you need only 1 fat eighth of fabric, all-purpose woven interfacing and lightweight interfacing. This project is great for beginners as well as seasoned sewists. 

Thank you for stopping by today. 

Happy Sewing! 

Elvira

LINKING UP TO THESE WONDERFUL BLOGS

Hanami Pochette

 Hello, 

Recently I introduced the new wristlet pattern, Hanami Pochette. I've been working on the pattern since early November or so and plan to release it in December. But life happens! I had tooth problems and had to visit the dentist a couple of times, then my son's pre-board exam started and at the same time, we were busy with his college applications. So my mind was all over the place. 

Now about the Hanami Pochette. It is a versatile minimalist wristlet wallet that is perfect for carrying essential items. The largest size can fit the largest iPhone Pro Max and also can be used to carry passports when traveling. The medium size can fit in the basic iPhone model. 

Floral & Stripe Hanami Pochette

The small size is my personal favorite because I like to carry small bags and it fits perfectly in my purse. The wrist strap can be easily used as a key fob. Here are the latest ones I made. 

Grey Pochette

SHOP ON ETSY

Mustard Floral Pochette

Dedicated card slot close with contrast flap

Back zippered pocket great for coins & other small stuff

SHOP ON WEBSITE

VIDEO TUTORIAL: 

This pochette is a friendly project. The pattern comes with full-scale templates with step-by-step photos that are easy to follow. If you want to up your game in bag making, this will be the perfect project. Watch the video above for more details. And if you have any questions, you can always email me or leave a comment here. 

Thank you for stopping by and happy sewing!

Elvira

Pattern Update - Voyage Passport Wallet

 Hello, 

Recently I updated the Voyage Passport Wallet pattern to include the zipper closure tutorial, especially for those who prefer the written tutorial to the Video Tutorial. The pattern is the same as the original one and I only added the instructions for zipper closure. 

If you purchased the Voyage Passport Wallet Pattern before Dec 7, 2023, you can download the tutorial for FREE. The Add-On file DOES NOT INCLUDE a complete tutorial to make the passport wallet.

The Voyage Passport Wallet is a quick and easy-to-make accessory with a minimalist design that can hold a lot of items. It can hold up to four passports (two on each sleeve), as well as two cardholders. Its compact size makes it perfect for carrying it in your travel handbag or backpack.

Voyage Passport Wallet Pattern

A few video resources are also included in the pattern now, such as how to machine sew the binding and how to make DIY Bias Binding.

The trick for sewing a zip-around wallet is to always use a zipper foot! I don't always use it as the regular foot I am using is pretty narrow (don't be like me 😀 ) and if you can set the speed, use the slower speed. Take your time to learn. It's not rocket science, so with enough practice, I am sure you can master it too. 

In the tutorial, I showed how to sew the zipper end tab the easy way, but you can always use the metal zipper end or the button style like in this video. 

Don't forget to use the coupon code CVG20 when purchasing the pattern either from my WEBSITE or ETSY SHOP.

Thank you so much once again for your continued support! If you have any questions regarding sewing or quilting and want me to make video tutorials, simply reply to this email. I'd love to hear your ideas! 

Until next time,

Happy Sewing!

Elvira