Tool Belt 2 - Tutorial

A few people have emailed asking for a pattern or tutorial for the tool belt, so I whipped up another one today and tried to keep track.

For this one I skipped the bias tape and added a backing, you can of course do whatever you would like. Again I used home decor fabric - I like that it is stronger and will put up with more abuse than regular cotton fabric.

MATERIALS:

.6 yd Fabric A
.7 yd Fabric B (unless you don't mind making the backing out of separate pieces which is what I did, then you only need .5 yd)
thread
belt

If you want to add bias tape or anything else to fancy it up, have that ready as well.

Step 1 - Cut the following pieces:

Fabric A: 14.5" x 24" (main piece)
              6.0" x 24" (lower pocket)

Fabric B: 14.5" x 24" (backing, optional; piece together if necessary)
            10.5" x 24" (middle pocket)

Note: 24" width was ideal for me; you should measure yourself to see where you would like it to fall on your waist/hips, wherever you plan to wear it.

Step 2 - Hem one long edge of both pocket pieces. I chose to use a zigzag stitch.

Step 3 - Align non-hemmed edges of both pockets with one edge of main piece, and pin.

Step 4 - I decided to add writing utensil pockets to this one. Figure out where you would like to carry your pens, etc, and mark them with pins.

Step 5 - Sew a three sided rectangle around the outer edges, then divide down the middle (sorry for the terrible lighting). I've photographed the back for the next few steps because the black thread on black fabric does not show well.

Step 6 - Mark where you would like the pockets to be divided, then sew lines to divide. If you would like a different number/size pockets between the two layers, sew down the middle layer first. I divided both into equal thirds, so I was able to do this in one step.

If you are not going to add a backing, this is the time to finish your edges with bias tape. Or good ol' fashioned hemming, or whatever you would like.

Step 7 - Pin front and back right sides together, and pin.

Step 8 - Sew around outer edge, leaving a gap to turn the tool belt right side out. The top is the best place, as it will be folded over for the belt casing. Remember to switch to a straight stitch if you were using something more decorative.

Step 9 - Clip your corners and trim.

Step 10 - Turn right side out, press edges flat, then stitch all around the outside with your stitch of choice.

Step 11 - Fold top of tool belt over to the back, allowing enough room for the belt of your choice to slip through; pin and stitch.

Step 12 - Add belt, take photos, admire. Then put it on, fill it, and get to work on another project!

I have received several compliments from coworkers since I've started wearing my tool belt, both on the cuteness of it and the usefulness of the concept. A few have even asked if I'll take orders - can't even think about that until summer, but hmmmm, a little pocket money never hurts, eh?

Enjoy!

File Cabinet Upgrade

Got any hideous file cabinets? I sure do! Fixing this issue has been on my agenda all year, but naturally there were plenty of other things that took precedence. This week I just couldn't take it anymore! So with some gift wrap, contact paper, shipping tape, a screwdriver, and Dawn dish soap, I finally did a quickie upgrade of the worst one. There are about 79 more sophisticated ways to do this you could find on Pinterest, but for my mental health I needed to get this ugliness covered and covered fast. My apologies for the lack of a decent "Before" photo; I forgot to snap one before beginning, the one below I found from the photos I took last May during my initial viewing of my new classroom.

  

Ahhh, that's better! Now I just need to paint the outside and the handles, and it'll be quite the looker!

And you better believe that those ridiculous stencils will be dealt with this summer!

Tool Belt!

This past weekend's project: a tool belt to wear during my sewing classes!

Those who know me well know that I LOVE to make aprons. This guy's a little different, as it has six pockets, is made from a sturdier home decor fabric, and (my favorite part) instead of making straps I'm simply inserting a real belt through the casing so that the "tool belt" doesn't start slipping down with the weight of six pockets full of sewing notions. This will free me from constantly having my hands full of supplies, running back and forth, or (worst of all) allowing seventh and eighth graders to get out of their seats constantly. Can't wait to try it out tomorrow!

Tutorial added here.