Quickie!!

I've got a couple of projects that I am excited to show you, but they are awaiting final finishing touches and photographs. In the meantime, here are a couple of curvy knit pencil skirts I've made up for clients recently. One was finished a couple of months ago and the other finished today. Please feel free to refer to my free tutorial on this design if you want one for yourself!

Brown double knit from Mood and printed ponte knit from GirlCharlee (out of stock)

Rayon double knit and Croco Embossed Black Novelty woven fabric -
both from GorgeousFabrics.com

Birthday Present, Part 1

So today is my birthday - yay!  I love birthdays, my own and everyone else's.  I have a couple of birthday surprises to reveal and this first one is from me to the online sewing community.  I have teamed up with Rhonda from Rhonda's Creative Life and I have offered up a tutorial for my Zippered Scraps Wallet as a part of her Fabulous Free Pattern Friday series.  Go check it out!

Free Sewing Tutorial: Drafting a Facing for a Cowl Neck Top

Now that it's fall here in the Midwest, I'm in the mode of making some longer sleeve knit/jersey tops  I have a couple of tutorials that give instructions on how to draft a basic cowl neck jerey top (see here and here).  With my first few cowl necks, I was satisfied with a simple hem or leaving the cowl neckline serged, but recently I've wanted a more finished look.  This tutorial will teach you how to add a self-facing to your cowl neck pattern, so that you can't see any stitches around the cowl.

You will need:
*cowl neck top pattern
*paper
*pencil, pen
*ruler
*tape

Here's an example of what your cowl neck pattern will look like WITHOUT a facing:

The first step in creating a facing is to tape some paper to the cowl neck line, so that you can extend it.

Next, draw a line 2-3 inches above your cowl neck line.  Angle the edges so that it it is a mirror image of your original cowl neck.  It will look like this:

Cut out the front of your top as you normally would.  To sew your top, fold across the neckline at the extention that you made with wrong sides together (wrong side of facing against wrong side of fabric).  When you attach the front of the top to the back of the top at the shoulders, you'll have a double layer of fabric on the top front and a single layer of fabric on the top back.  It will look like this after you've sewn it together:

Inside cowl neckline (front)

Cowl neck from right side

For this top, I used ponte knit fabric (thicker, more stable) that I purchased at Hancock Fabric's in a sale (I think their ponte knit is still on sale).  Fabric.com, GorgeousFabrics.com, and MoodFabrics.com all have a good selection of ponte fabric, mainly in solid colors.  I wanted longer sleeves for it, so I used the sleeve piece from my Silhouettes Pattern #195 and shortened it to bracelet length.   I finished the edge of the back neckline with 5/8" fold-over elastic (I pulled it slightly as I attached it to the neckline with a zig-zag stitch - I find that pulling it slightly stops the back neck from gaping).  I originally recommended cutting on the top on the bias to make the neckline nice and drapey, but this weekend I experimented with cutting it out on the straight grain and it worked just fine. To cut the top out on the straight grain, you'll need a fabric that is nice and drapey to begin with, but most knits/jerseys are plenty drapey.  Here's how it turned out:

I made a pencil skirt with the same fabric (not to be worn together - THAT look was a freaky visual disaster!) and I'll post about that later this week.  Let me know if you have any questions about the facing and I'd love to see pictures if you try this tutorial!  Email them to poldapop@gmail.com, and I'll add them to the post with a link to your blog (if you have one).  Here's one that Diya at The Hobby Harbor made recently:

Cheers!

Free Sewing Tutorial: Refashion a T-shirt into a Sexy Dress

I just love a fancy jersey t-shirt.  They are so versatile and manage to be both comfy and flattering.  I collect images of the simple little details that can be added to jersey tops to make them special. 

A couple of years ago I splurged on a Velvet top that I had been eyeing at Garnet Hill.  The color was perfect for a pair of Boden shoes that make me feel fabulous (see here) and I loved the neck detail.  This was before I learned to sew with jersey, so it wasn't something I could make for myself at the time.  Even on sale, it still cost something like $48, but I had some birthday money so I decided to be extravagant (after all, my motto is, "Moderation is all things, including moderation.").

If you are as frugal as I normally am, you can imagine my disgust when the top developed small holes near the front hem after only a dozen washes. 

This top was supposed to last at least a decade!  I held onto it, partially because I paid so much and partially because I hoped to have the skills to do something with it someday.

And now I do!  Keep reading for my tutorial on how to turn a ruined t-shirt into a sexy new dress.

You will need:
*Jersey top/t-shirt
*Jersey fabric for skirt, approximately 1 yard
*3-inch knit elastic (I bought navy elastic from the Etsy shop AC After Glow)
*Coordinating or nicely contrasting serger thread
*2-3 hours of time


Step 1: Cut top to size
Try the top on and hold the elastic around your waist to figure out where you want the waist of the dress to go.  Put a mark on the shirt at the mid-point on the elastic band (you ultimately want the top/skirt seam to hit about halfway down the elastic).  Measure from the bottom of the top to this point and then mark all the way around the top.  I usually do this as a series of small dots:

Cut off the bottom portion of the top.  Good bye holes!

You could make a runched flower with the scraps or use them for embellishment on the skirt or top.


Step 2:  Make skirt
I used a pattern from Sew U Home Stretch by Wendy Mullin.  I cut out the size small skirt but graded up to a size medium for the waist (since I don't really have a waist).  I like this skirt base because it's quite straight and I didn't want a flared bottom.  I decided to go with a fabric with horizontal stripes because with my figure issues (I'm an inverted triangle), I thought it would help balance out my broad shoulders.

I wanted the skirt to be fitted so I choose to go with this pattern. If you want a more flared skirt you could cut out two rectangles and just sew up the side seams or go with an a-line shape.

If you don't have a pattern for a jersey skirt, you could also follow the steps that Rita from Suburbs Mama has listed in her knit pencil skirt tutorial - just don't add the elastic.

Cut fabric and sew side seams.  I used a serger for sewing the side seams but you could also use a regular sewing machine.  For a regular sewing machine, use a long stitch (4mm) or a long zig-zag stitch.  I recommend practicing on a scrap of fabric until you get good results.

Press side seam towards the back.  Use a press cloth to protect the fabric if you are using a rayon jersey.

Step 3: Sew skirt to bodice
With the bodice on top and right sides together, pin and sew the bodice to the skirt.  You may need to stretch either the bodice or the skirt to get the two to fit together.  Don't worry about this - jersey is very forgiving!  Just make sure to distribute the stretch around the circumference of the seam.  I do this by marking the mid-point on the front and back skirt pieces and the front and back bodice pieces.  I then pin at the side seams and at this marked mid-point and stretch as I sew from pin to pin.

Step 4: Cut and sew elastic waistband
Try on the dress and wrap 3-inch elastic around your waist.  Pull the elastic so that it is a little snug and cut 1/2" bigger than this.  Sew the elastic together with a 1/2" seam allowance.  Press open and serge or zig-zag stitch the raw edges.  Turn elastic band to right side and stitch down seam allowance.

If you want to add a label to your dress, add it to the right side of the center back of the elastic.

Step 4: Place, pin and sew elastic
Try the dress on again and wiggle yourself into the elastic waistband.  Place it where you want it on the dress and use a couple of safety pins to pin the elastic in place at the side seams.  Try not to pin the waistband to yourself.

Gently wiggle your way back out of the dress.  Pin the rest of the waistband in place (using regular pins), taking care to distribute the excess fabric evenly. 

Now edgestitch the top of the waistband to the dress, stretching the elastic waistband as you go so that you don't end up with pleats in the fabric.

This was the hardest part for me.  I had to un-pick and re-sew about half of the elastic because the jersey bunched up and moved around under the elastic while I was sewing.  Check frequently as you sew to make sure that the jersey is nice and flat under the elastic and that you are sewing an even distance from the bodice/skirt seam.  I did not sew the bottom of the elastic to the dress because I was worried that the jersey would bunch again.  This has not been an issue as I've worn and washed the dress.

Whew, done!  Good work!

Step 5: Finish hem
Finish the hem by simply serging the raw edges or by serging, turning up, and top-stitching.  I serged the raw edges and did not hem it.

The dress will look pretty blah just laying on the floor so make sure you try it on before you give in to disappointment.  A jersey dress really needs someone in it to look good!

 

Please let me know if you have questions or notice errors.  I hope you enjoy the results!

Free Sewing Tutorial: Draft a deep cowl neck top

UPDATE: I've added a post about drafting a facing for this cowl neck here.

My tutorial on drafting a high cowl neck top has had a lot of pageviews in the last week (this always makes me happy).  So at the request of at least one reader (see? that's all it takes with me!), I'll show you how to draft a cowl neck top starting with a pattern that has a dart.  This will produce a deeper cowl neck like this one:

I started with Silhouettes' Pattern #195 as I have already made alterations to the pattern for a good fit (changed shoulder slope, took in waist/hip as they are smaller size than my shoulders).  It has a French dart, but these instructions should work regardless of where you dart is placed.

And I need to give a big thank you to Peggy Sagers for her help in figuring out how to draft this pattern (from Silhouettes).  I took a couple of classes with her at the sewing conference I went to recently (Original Sewing and Quilting Expo) and she encouraged people to contact her with questions.  So when I was trying to figure out what to do with the dart, I emailed her.  Within a couple of hours I got a very helpful response.  And this was on a Sunday.

Materials
*1 - 1.5 yards of drapey fabric with stretch (jersey, knit, stretch charmeuse, maybe even stretch poplin)
*Tracing paper (I use Bienfang Canary Sketching and Tracing Paper, the 50 yard/24" roll)
*Clear ruler
*Top/bodice pattern with a dart

Step 1: Move dart to neckline.

Trace your orginal pattern onto another sheet of tracing paper as you'll need to do a lot of cutting.  To move the dart to the neckline, draw a straight line from the dart point to the center front neckline.

Now cut along this line until you are about 1/8" away from the dart point (this will be your "hinge"). 

Now close and tape the orginal dart which will cause the pattern to spread at the new dart point.  It should look like this:

All right!  Step 1 is done.  You have moved a dart!

Step 2: Cut & spread neckline
Draw a curved line under the neckline, 1.5 inches down from the original. Cut along this line until you are about 1/8 inch from the shoulder line.

Draw two lines that meet at a right angle on a new sheet of paper. Place your cut pattern piece along the top line on this piece of paper. Spread the neckline so that both points touch the top line. Angle the remaining bodice so that the bottom center front corner touches the side line. Tape into place.  If that sounds confusing, it isn't - I think it's just easier to understand with a picture:

Smooth out the angle created at the shoulder line:

(Please ignore the second layer of pattern - that was my first try and it wasn't correct so I just taped take 2 over the top.)

Step 2, check!


Step 3: Turn half pattern into full pattern
You need to cut on a bias for this design, so you will need a full instead of a half pattern. Take a big piece of tracing paper and draw a T with lines meeting a right angles. Trace your half cowl neck pattern onto one side of the T and then flip and trace it onto the other. It should look like this when you are done:

I know this looks like something that would never fit a human body, but trust me, it will work!  And please ignore the wide band in the middle - I had to tape two pieces of tracing paper together to get one that was big enough.

Good work - the hard parts are all done!

Step 4: Place and cut your fabric
Spread out your fabric. Place the front pattern piece on the bias and the back pattern piece on the straight grain. It will look like this:

Cut and sew the top as you would normally.  You can serge the edges, turn them under by 1/4" and topstitched them into place or leave them just serged for an edgier look  You can add any kind of sleeve or even a hem band.  This top will fit and look great.  Devon calls this my sexy top and looks suspicious when I wear it out with friends!



Free Sewing Tutorial: Draft a Cowl Neck

UPDATE: I added a tutorial for drafting a facing for a cowl neck top here.

UPDATE: You can find a tutorial for the deeper cowl neck here.

I have a simple t-shirt/shell pattern that works well for me but I have enough basic tops - I want something fancier!  I love the high cowl neck look that is going around these days: 

DKNY from macys.com

LRK from saksfifthavenue.com

I wanted to make this look without having to shell out money for a new pattern and I couldn't find a free tutorial online that was really what I wanted.  So I hid out in my sewing lab and figured it out!  I use a lot of online tutorials in my sewing so I'm always happy when I have something to share with all of you.  Here's what I created:

Materials
*1 - 1.5 yards of drapey fabric with stretch (jersey, knit, stretch charmeuse, maybe even stretch poplin)
*Tracing paper (I use Bienfang Canary Sketching and Tracing Paper, the 50 yard/24" roll)
*Clear ruler
*Top/bodice pattern that you like (if you don't have one, there are plenty of tutorials online that will show you how to create a pattern from a t-shirt or top that you have in your closet, like this one).

Step 1:  Cut & spread neckline
Trace your front bodice/t-shirt pattern onto a new sheet a paper; you need to cut the pattern so you don't want to ruin your master.  Draw a curved line under the neckline, 1.5 inches down from the original.  Cut along this line until you are about 1/8 inch from the shoulder line.

Draw two lines that meet at a right angle on a new sheet of paper.  Place your cut pattern piece along the top line on this piece of paper.  Spread the neckline so that both points touch the top line.  Angle the remaining bodice so that the bottom center front corner touches the side line.  Tape into place.  This sounds harder than it is so don't fret!  It should look like this:

Smooth out the angle created at the shoulder line:

Step 2: Turn half pattern into full pattern
You need to cut on a bias for this design, so you will need a full instead of a half pattern.  Take a big piece of tracing paper and draw a T with lines meeting a right angles.  Trace your half cowl neck pattern onto one side of the T and then flip and trace it onto the other.  It should look like this when you are done:

It looks a bit odd, doesn't it?  Trust me, it works!  Imagine that super wide neckline draping in the middle because this is what will happen.  (Ignore the wide band in the middle of my pattern piece - my tracing paper wasn't large enough so I had to tape two pieces together with masking tape.) 

Draw a new grainline that is at a 45 degree angle to the center line.

Step 3: Place and cut your fabric
Spread out your fabric.  Place the front pattern piece on the bias and the back pattern piece on the straight grain.  It will look like this:

Cut and sew the top as you would normally.  I have left the edges serged and turned them under by 1/4" and topstitched them into place - your choice.  I added a band to the bottom for this top but you could do a simple hem or leave the hem unfinished.  However you finish it you now get to glow with pride everytime you wear it because you drafted the pattern and put it together on your own!

I also drafted a cowl neck from a pattern that had a bodice dart which made for a deeper cowl.  I'll post instructions for how to do this if there's interest - leave a comment if you want it!

Credit:  I generally followed instructions I found in Adele Margolis' book Make Your Own Dress Patterns.  I strongly recommend this book if you are interested in learning about drafting patterns.

New Direction: Knits & Jerseys

I am feeling emboldened by my recent success with the Flower Button Coat.  You might even say that I am feeling brassy or fearless.  Whatever you call it, I'm ready for a new adventure.

Now that the coat is complete, I've been thinking about what I might do as my next personal project (the weekend is coming up, afterall!).  I want to do something a little less time-consuming this weekend, as I'm still recovering from the late nights of last weekend.  So the obvious choice is . . . knit/jersey fabric!

It is supposed to be easy to sew, but it involves learning more about the serger I received about nine months ago and have still only used to finish seams (a woeful under-utilization of this wonderful machine, I know, I know).  So I cracked open the book that my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas 2011, Sew U Home Stretch by Wendy Mullin, and started reading.  I think I'm ready to dive in!

Now I have to decide on my first project.  Devon and I are going out (yes!!) this Sunday night as he is doing a reading at the Columbia College Story Week kick-off (he is reading a story about the time he was banned from ever returning to Canada - it's a good one) so I'd love to have something ready to wear for our outing.  I should probably start with a simple t-shirt, but I don't really want to wear that.  Instead, I've narrowed down my choices to one of these:

Ocean Blue Wrap Top

Dolman Style Top with Banded Bottom

So, Readers, which one would you go for??  Both patterns are generously offered free by their designers (just click on the title and it will take you there).

My goal is to work up to creating this jersey dress from Boden sometime later this summer:

Wish me luck on my new adventure!!

Free Sewing Tutorial: Clutch Wallet from Upholstery Swatches

UPDATE: I now have a pattern for a zippered version of this wallet (including all pattern pieces) in my Etsy shop. Youn can find it HERE.

About nine months ago I acquired seven upholstery fabric swatch books. My friend Melissa P went to buy a daybed from someone on Craig's List, and the woman packed the bed into Melissa's mini-van using the fabric swatch books to keep it in place. Melissa immediately called me and asked if I had a use for them. I said yes, not knowing what, but then I never say no to fabric.

So I've been thinking about what to do with these swatches. I thought about making fabric flowers, but they seemed to want to be something else. (And yes, I think fabric does speak to me. Sometimes when I start a project with one plan in mind, the fabric convinces me to do it another way. I never regret listening to the fabric.)

About three months ago another friend suggested that I contact a local furniture resale and re-upholstery shop to see if they might give me scraps. Kellie from Divine Consign was happy to do so, and when I saw her carry up beautiful pieces of upholstery fabric, I knew what I was going to do: clutch wallets. The upholstery fabric pieces and swatches wanted to be Upholstered Clutch Wallets.

I arrived at this pattern after reading a number of online tutorials.  None of them were quite what I was looking for but they certainly all helped.  Melissa Stamel's Hold-It-All Clutch from LilacLane was closest, so a special thank you to her!  You can find her tutorial here.

What follows is how I do it.  Feel free use this tutorial to make a clutch for yourself or to sell, but please remember to give PoldaPop design credit.

You will need:
upholstery scrap or large swatch piece at least 10.5" x 9"
upholstery fabric swatch books
interfacing (I use Pellon 911FF)
magnetic snap
invisible thread
regular thread
7-9" all-purpose zipper
medium-heavyweight machine needles (I use 90/14)
small binder clips (to hold together layers of upholstery fabric)

I use several different seam allowances in this project.

Step 1: Cut out fabric swatches
Once I have chosen my outer fabric, I think about the color scheme I want for the inside.  I then flip through the swatch books, cutting out all the fabric swatches that have this scheme.  You'll need at least eleven swatches, but it's helpful to have more in case you can't remove the backing on one or two, or don't like how one fits with the others.

Step 2: Remove paper label
My swatches have a paper backing glued to the fabric with product details and I'm sure this is true in most cases.  Some of these will come off with gentle pulling, but most will need extra help.  I use an iron (set to wool/silk) and steam to get them off.  Apply the iron to the paper for 20 seconds (move it around) and then pull the paper off.  If it doesn't come, try more heat.  Every once in awhile you'll get a particularly stubborn label.  If multiple visits from the iron don't work, put it aside and move on.

Step 3: Plan what goes where. 
Before cutting the swatches, lay them out in different combinations to see what looks best where.  Once you are satisfied with the layout you can cut the swatches to size.

Step 4: Cut fabric swatches to correct size & apply interfacing where needed
Now you can cut the pieces to size.  As you are doing so, figure out which ones will need interfacing and cut that, too.  I always use interfacing on the cash/coupon pockets, and often for the background pieces unless they are very thick.  You only need to apply interfacing to the thinnest credit card holders (interfacing can sometimes make it difficult to put multiple credit cards in a pocket).  Do apply interfacing to the zipper pocket fabric.

Cut out the following pieces:
From outer fabric
Outer cover:  9" (width) x 10.5" (height) - 1 piece
Tab:  2.5" (width) x 4" (height) - 2 pieces
Wristlet:  3" (width) x 12.5" (length) - 1 piece

From swatches
Background: 9" x 5.75" - 1 piece
Credit card holders:   9" x 4.5" - 5 pieces
Cash/coupon pockets:   9" x 6.75" - 3 pieces
Change pocket:   7" x 8" - 1 piece

From interfacing
Change pocket:   7" x 8" - 1 piece
Credit card holders:  only if needed
Cash/coupon pockets:   9" x 6.75" - 3 pieces
Background:  only if needed

And of course you can mix and match the outer fabrics as you will.  I sometimes use one of the swatches for the tab and wristlet and sometimes just use the main outer fabric.

Step 5: Sew credit card pockets
Fold all five credit card pieces in half so that they still measure 9" across, and press.  Place one credit card piece 1" down from the top of the one background piece. Pin and sew with 1/4" seam allowance along raw edges.

Place folded edge of next credit card piece 1/2 inch below the folded edge of the first credit card piece.  Pin and sew with 1/4" seam allowance.  Continue doing this until all five credit card pieces are sewn in place on the background. 

Measure down middle of credit card holders, 4.5" from each edge, and make some kind of mark to follow (chalk, invisible ink).  Sew down your marking 2-3 times (for reinforcement) to divide the credit card holders in half making 10 credit card holders in all.  Baste sides to the background with 1/4" seam allowance.  Put aside.

Step 6: Sew cash/coupon/receipt pockets
Fold all three cash/coupon pockets in half and press.  If you would like to add a label, a good place to do so is on the edge of the top cash pocket; sew that now.  Take second piece of background and pin one of the cash/coupon pockets 1" from top.  Pin and sew with a 1/4" seam allowance. 

Place the folded edge of the second cash/coupon pocket 5/8" below the folded edge of the first cash/coupon pocket.  Pin and sew.  Repeat for the third cash/coupon pocket, which should now match up with the raw edge of the background (if not, just trim a bit of the background fabric off). Baste sides to the background with 1/4" seam allowance.

Step 7: Sew credit card pockets to cash pockets
Sew top edge of the cash pocket background to the bottom edge of the credit card holder background, right sides together with a 3/8" seam allowance.  Open it up and make sure all layers and stitch lines are included.  If it looks good, sew 2-3 along the stitch line again for reinforcement.  Trim off excess seam allowance.  The inside of the wallet is now complete.  Look at it and admire how the swatches blend and contrast with one another!  Then set it aside so that you can tackle the exterior.

Step 8: Sew zippered change pocket into exterior fabric
I use the zippered pocket tutorial from Sew, Mama, Sew! when I want to place a zippered pocket in something.  You can find her tutorial here.  I've provided a brief outline of the process below.

Fold pocket in half, wrong sides together.  Place fold of pocket 1" from the top raw edge of right side of the exterior.  Open up the pocket so that the wrong side faces up and pin in place. 

Place a strip of 1/2 wide clear tape 1/2" from the fold in the pocket fabric and 1/2" from each side. 

 Sew around the rectangle.

Peel off the tape, cut open the rectangle and pull pocket fabric through the hole to make a window for the zipper. 

Glue the zipper in place. 

Using a zipper foot, sew around the rectangle using invisible thread, sewing the zipper in place. I find it easier to do this if I line the edge of the zipper foot up with the edge of the exterior fabric and then move my need to the right so that it hits in the correct place. 

Fold the pocket fabric in half and pin. Before removing your zipper foot, sew across the top of the zipper window one last time to hold the pocket fabric in place (so as to prevent it getting caught in the zipper). Change back to your regular foot and sew around the sides of the pocket with a 1/4" seam allowance. You may want to sew around the edge 2-3 times for reinforcement.

And, Voila!  Zippered coin pocket:

Step 9: Sew wristlet (optional)
If you are using a wristlet, fold the material in half lengthwise with wrong sides together and press.  Open it up and fold one side to the middle (wrong sides together) and press.  Fold the other side in to meet it in the middle and press.  Fold it one more time in half so that the raw edges are sandwiched no the inside.  Pin and topstitch at 1/8" on both long sides.  Set aside.

Step 10: Insert magnetic snaps.
Using the guide in the magnetic snap, mark the spot for the male magnetic snap 1.25" up from the edge on one piece of tab.  Reinforce the fabric with a square of interfacing.  I usually cut a circle (slightly bigger than the magnetic snap disc) from a scrap of extra-firm interfacing to provide extra protection around the snap.  (I forgot to take a picture of this.)

Using the guide in the magnetic snap, mark the spot for the female magnetic snap 2" from the raw edge of the exterior fabric (opposite end to the zippered pocket).  You may need to reinforce the fabric with a square of interfacing. I usually cut a circle (slightly bigger than the magnetic snap disc) from a scrap of extra-firm interfacing to provide extra protection around the snap. (Ditto.)


Step 11: Sew tab
Pin tabs right side together and stitch around three sides leaving one short side open.  Clip corners, turn and press.  Pin the tab to the center of the exterior fabric above the zippered pocket, raw edges aligned.  Make sure that the magnetic snap is facing up.  Sew in place with a 1/4" seam allowance.  You may want to sew across the stitch line 2-3 times.

Step 12: Attach wristlet if using.
Baste raw edges together about 2" down from top of exterior. 

Step 13: Sew exterior to interior
Use binder clips to "pin" exterior to interior right sides together.  If the edges don't quite match up, do a bit of trimming.  Make sure that the credit card pockets are at the top and the opposite to the zippered coin pocket. 

Sew around all four corners with a 1/2" seam allowance leave approximately 7" open along top edge.  Trim corners and turn right side out. 

Step 14: Finish
Topstitch along the top of the wallet to close the gap.  I use invisible thread for this so that it isn't obvious. 

If your machine can handle the thickness, topstich all the way around for wallet for a nice finish (mine can't do this).  You may need to use a zipper foot to go past the magnetic snap.  Close the wallet and admire your fine work!

I'm sure this will work for lighter weight fabrics as well as long as you use interfacing on all of the pieces. It's a great way to use up any scraps - not just upholstery scraps/swatches.

I have tried to be as clear as possible in this tutorial but there's every chance that I've left something out.  Please send me questions if you have any.  I will try to figure out how to provide a printable download and add that later.

Good luck!