Time is of the essence

Before Christmas a few projects was put on hold, I hit a speed bump!  When one get sick and have to rest and recuperate, everything gets put on the back burner. It was a spanner in the wheel, something unplanned.  Once I could carry on, time to do things the way it is normally done, was gone.  Time to create innovative ways to do the same thing, in a lot less time!  Not possible? Thinking outside the box, remarkably it is.

Two new ways to do something old,  was created:

 How to make a casing and insert the elastic at the same time.  The second how to make a tube to turn inside out, while sewing around the safety pin pinned to the fabric.

The Casing.

 Fold fabric in half, wrong sides together, stitch a line of top stitching close to the folded edge, then open.

 Place elastic flush to the line of stitching between the two layers of fabric, making sure it sticks out on both sides.

Now fold the fabric over the elastic, make sure it is all flat.  Attach a zipper foot, stitch close to the elastic, making sure not to stitch the elastic.

 Once the casing is stitched, sew the elastic and the casing together at one end. Trim excess elastic at this end only.   Now it is ready to be pulled to the require width.  Then stitch this side down, trim.  Attach to the Mani-Pedi Pouch.  This is the casing for the nail varnish.

 The zipper pocket contain the rest of the tools for the job.

 The closed pouch.

 Magnetic fasteners is used to close the pouch.

The Quick Ties and Tubes.

 Place two strips right sides together.  Pin a safety pin close to the edge that will be sewn closed, making sure it is not to closed to the edge, as one will be sewing around it.

 Cover the safety pin, it is now sandwiched between the two layers of fabric.

Next stitch the two layers together, leaving one end open.

Using the pin to guide the fabric through the tube. Then remove the pin once it is turned inside, out.

Iron flat.

Then top stitch, close to edge around the tube.  This will prevent it creasing badly once it is washed.  Making it a breeze to iron.

Ties ready to be attached to a project.

The Mani-Pedi Pouch pattern can be found here.  It has been requested as the Birthday Gift of choice by the ladies in the family, young and old.  As for the nail varnish, the sparkly colours is best.  Thanks to Kate from artsandsocks.blogspot.ca for this great gift idea!