The Diaper/Wipes Case

My brother and SIL just had a baby, so I decided I wanted to make them something. I found a cute diapers and wipes case pattern on the Internet and gave it a try. My nephew's nursery is decorated in a Dallas Cowboys theme and my brother loves the Cowboys, so logically that is the theme I used for the main material.

The first pattern I tried was from All Crafts. While I thought this pattern was easy to follow and was well written, I wasn't pleased with the way she did the flap on the case. I just didn't think it looked as good in person as it did online. I probably would have just gone with it anyway, but I made a mistake when I sewed the flap on in an attempt to keep the wording the correct direction and it turned out smaller than I would have liked. In her finished product the pattern on the flap is upside down and while it still looked OK with the material she chose, I knew it would drive me nuts trying to do that with the cowboys material so I made another one. If I ever used this pattern again I would add a couple of inches to each side.



You can see in this picture where I messed up when sewing on the flap



The second pattern came from Tipnuts: 41 Free Baby Patterns & Projects. I really liked how the flap turned out on this one and the way she had you cut rectangles instead of having to print out a pattern. I decided to avoid the debacle of having to sew the flap on by just using a navy material on the outside back of the bag. I wasn't sure if I would like it as much that way, but I was pleasantly surprised that it looked really good that way! I would definitely do that again if I made one of these with a directional fabric. It is so much easier! I decided to add a couple of inches to this pattern as well, since it seemed about the same size as the first. I am so glad that I did. The finished size was almost the exact same as the one I bought for my daughters diapers and wipes when she was a baby. I wish I had known how to sew then!





Overall I think both patterns are easy to follow and were well written. However I would keep two things in mind next time I make one of these. First, add a couple of inches to the dimensions listed in order to be able to fit a few more larger diapers in the case. Second, if you use a directional fabric I would definitely use a coordinating fabric on the backside to make it easier. I think these are very handy little cases as we used the heck out of ours. They also make a great gift for a baby shower or for new parents!

The Zipper Pouch

The moms in my mom's group started a sewing circle and while I have attended before this was the first time I decided to actually join in on the sewing part. They were making various projects, but the one that I thought I would get the most use out of was a zipper pouch from a sewing blog we found at Flossie Teacakes. I thought I would get it cut out and maybe get it started that night, but I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to finish it within a couple of hours. Including cutting and having to run to the store for a zipper! Zippers have always been made to sound like a sewer's nemesis, so I always assume that zipper projects will be very hard and time consuming. This tutorial is very well written and while I would love to have a couple of more pictures, I think it makes inserting a zipper a fairly easy process. I love the way she has you cover the "ugly bits" of the zipper on the ends. It makes the finished project look professional. I can't wait to make another one.