Handmade Correspondence Case

Making Gifts Issue 4


I have been lured into another magazine subscription. This time Making Gifts. I was seduced by the introductory gifts of a book on beading and another on stamping (if you've seen my Alice in Wonderland Notebook, you'll understand why the latter might come in handy).

So, when Issue 4 arrived, I had to keep to my rule that I need to make at least one thing from each issue. The quilled frogs and leather bookmark were sweet, but not really my crafts. Hence, I settled on  Helen Henley's Handmade Correspondence Case. This is just the sort of thing I love to make - ostensibly useful, but in fact just another piece of frippery.

I used a nursey rhyme fabric I had picked up from The Fent Shop in Skipton for the outer and two fat quarters of a tiny floral print for the lining and pockets from the same shop. I personalised the case with initial appliques from Pink Pineapple (I know you are supposed to make the project as a gift, but (a) I really wanted it for me, and (b) I'd need to find someone who likes their gifts with wonky seams).

The project instructions were very good and well-illustrated, which was handy with my limited spacial skills. The cutting out was all regular shapes, with iron on interfacing on each piece. The only thing I'd say is that I think the interfacing on both sides of the stamp pocket might have been overkill - it was moderately hard to iron it back into shape after sewing it right sides together and then turning. 

I sewed it together on a Friday night when, I must confess, I'd had a bit to drink. I go to my parents for dinner on a Friday night and, being good hosts, they are generous with the wine. Although you won't find this recommended in the manual, I tend to have slightly better results with the sewing machine when mildly inebriated - something to do with lack of nerves I think. My seams weren't any less straight than usual and I actually sewed everything the right way round. This would be a typical project where I have to unpick something because it's back to front or upside down.

The project also included some useful additional tips like ironing thoroughly at each stage, but being careful not to iron over erasable fabric marker lines in case you set the ink with the iron.

As you can see I've filled my correspondence case with lots of kawaii stationary, mostly from Art Box. It's just a shame that letter writing is such as dying art.

Melx