Project Two: Checkbook Cover (tutorial)

Checkbook Cover Tutorial

This will be my first in a series of tutorials.  We’ll call it “Tutorial Tuesday”.  Each week I’ll try to post a new design by me or a way to personalize someone else’s design.  We’ll see how things go; like I said before, this is a constant work in progress. 

Without further ado—The Checkbook Cover

This is an easy 15 minutes from start to finish project and is a great gift for anyone.  I came up with this design after my plastic checkbook cover (you get for free) ripped.  All you need is all your basics (machine, scissors, thread, pins, iron, etc), 2 fat quarters, and less than ½ yard of interfacing (I used medium weight fusible, in this tutorial I only interfaced one side since the other side was a thick duck cotton, if you’re using two regular cotton weaves, I’d advise to interface both sides)

First, cut an 8”x14” rectangle out of each fabric and a rectangle of interfacing per outer fabric.  Iron the interfacing to each fabric’s wrong side.

Lay them facing right sides together and sew all the way around with a ½ inch seam allowance (I always like how much flatter the seams look when you flip them with the larger seam allowances.)  Leave a 3-4 inch opening at one of the short sides (for flipping).

Clip corners so that it will lay flatter

Turn right sides out, making sure the corners get pushed out.  I use a closed pen to do this.  Then iron flat.

Stitch an 1/8 inch seam along EACH of the short ends (for continuity and to close the seem used to flip it)

Fold each seamed end down 2 ¾ - 3 inches toward the center and iron again

With seams folded up, stitch a 1/8 inch seam around the entire thing. (This will make the pockets)

Fold in half with the pockets on the inside and iron it again.

Viola! You’re done.  Insert your checkbook and drop it in your purse.