It's all about Heart and Melissa's Quilters Rule! A quilt ruler case tutorial.

Thanks so much to Madame Samm for letting me blog here today! I'm Melissa Stramel, the designer at Lilac Lane. I have lots of patterns with more coming out each month. For the most part, it's all about the cute -- kids' clothes, doll clothes, bags, and quilts. But once in awhile I get practical. That's where we are today. But I think it's cute too; I hope you agree!

Madame Samm has agreed to host this tutorial for me for 48 hours only! After 48 hours, it will be written up in pattern form and only available if you buy it. So if you love it, act fast and print it out.

Introducing . . . Quilters Rule! This is a traveling ruler case that also holds a lot of notions. It's big enough for almost any ruler -- 17" x 28". Isn't it time you faced that New Year's resolution and got organized?

Here's the inside:

Supplies:

1 yard fabric for the outside of the case

1 yard fabric for the inside of the case

1 yard fabric for the largest pocket

5/8 yard fabric for the medium pocket

3/8 yard fabric for the small pocket

2 packages double fold extra-wide bias tape

60 inches of Velcro

60 inches of heavy duty cotton webbing. I like 1 1/4" wide.

1 3/4 yards of Fusible Fleece (60" wide)

1 canvas see-through pencil pouch (available at discount stores in the school supplies)

If you have these, you need this!

Cutting:

Cut both the outside and inside case fabrics into rectangles, two for the outside and two for the inside. Each rectangle should be cut 17" x 28". Cut four rectangles of fusible fleece the same size. Apply fusible fleece to each piece by placing the fusible fleece with the glue side up on the ironing board and the wrong side of the fabric on top of the glue. Use steam to help activate the glue. Press, press, press.

Cut the pockets as follows: small 13" x 28" with 6.5" x 28" fusible fleece, medium 20" x 28" with 10" x 28" fusible fleece, large 28" x 28" with 14" x 28" fusible fleece. Apply fusible fleece to each piece as above, but only apply to one half of the fabric. Then fold the other side of the fabric over the fleece, creating a pocket.

Here's all the pieces you should now have.

Take all the pocket pieces and place them on top of one of the case inside pieces. They will stack as follows: first the inside piece, then the large pocket, then the medium pocket and finally the small pocket. Make sure all the pieces line up across the bottom and then pin them along each side. Baste in place.

Take the pencil case and center it on the other inside case piece. Sew all around. I did not sew over the zipper. You also may need a denim needle to sew through this thick canvas.

Sew the two inside case pieces together with a 1/2" seam. The bottom of all the ruler pockets should be included in this seam.

Cut the velcro into two 15" pieces and one 27" piece. Apply the 27" piece across the top of the case and the corresponding 27" piece across the bottom of the case. Each piece of Velcro should be 1/2" from the edge of the case. Apply the 15" pieces to each side. To ensure the correct orientation, use the soft loop side on one side of the case and the prickly side on the other side of the case. Top stitch around all four sides of each piece.

Cut two pieces of webbing, each 60" long. Take the first outer case piece. Measure 8 inches from the edge of the case at the bottom and then place the outer edge of the webbing there. Place it again at the same point towards the top of the case, just 1" from the top. Mark a line here. Measure 8 inches from the other edge of the case and place the descending loop of the handle there. Sew around three sides of the handle: up from the bottom, across the top (1" from the top of the case) and then down the other side. Do this for both sides of the handle. Place the other handle exactly like this on the other outer case piece.

Sew the two outer case pieces together with a 1/2" seam. Take care to match the webbing on both sides.

It should look like this after sewing both pieces together.

Fit the inside and outside cases together, wrong sides together and matching the center seams. Take the bias tape. Notice that one side is just a bit larger than the other. We will begin sewing in the larger side. Open up the bias tape and line it up on one long side of the case. Sew in the ditch of the first crease, making sure the outer edge of the bias tape and the outer edge of the case are aligned. Use matching thread! Do this for both long sides.

Now fold the bias tape around to the front of the case. Pin in place, just over the stitching line from sewing on the back (inside). Topstitch in place.

The same technique is followed for both short sides except first press under 1/4" on the end.

When you've almost reached the end of the seam, cut about 1/4" extra and finger press under the 1/4" to finish off the ends of the bias tape. Fold to the front and top stitch to finish the case.

Thanks again to Madame Samm! Make sure you print this now because it two days it will look like this:

Love,

xoxo