Pattern Review - Zakka Sewing Tape Measure Cozy

I've been meaning to make this for some time!  I bought a couple square Clover tape measures last year for the project, and have finally gotten around to making it happen.

I did not use the pattern provided in the project (photocopy and enlarge, ugh).  But fortunately the plastic part of the packaging on the tape measure served as a perfectly sized template to make a pattern.  I also did not add the circle charms and so made one continuous side panel for the cover.  I did make an applique for the "button" on the tape measure, which is not included in the instructions.

This was an easy enough project, definitely good practice for your ladder/invisible seam hand stitching!  It's also very easy to adapt the pattern and just use the idea for your own tape measure cozy if you can't source any of the square Clover ones (they are available on Amazon, btw).

One of these will be for one of my sewing kits, the other will be sent to my mom as one of her birthday gifts next month.

Pattern Review - NanaCompany's Well-Traveled Sewing Book

Amy from NanaCompany blogged about this very nice sewing travel 'book' pattern she put together, based on her adorable needlebook pattern.  It comes in two PDFs, one for the book "cover", and one for the "pages".  There is enough blank space to serve as inspiration, to put your own pockets or bits of embellishment, and I added my own vinyl pocket and divided up the pocket on the first page.  I flipped the side the felt needle pages are attached on; I'm left-handed and this seemed more ergonomic for me to use.

Initially I wanted to scale the pattern up a bit, in order to accommodate my 7" embroidery hoop, but the more I thought about it I decided I would just stick to the pattern instructions.  Now that I've made it, it feels a little large and am thinking I may try to scale it down to a 3"x5" size sewing kit for dance performance emergencies.  I like the pattern very much as there is a lot of room to customize it for your own purposes.  I like the use of interfacing to make the pages stiffer, and I want to try making a needlebook with interfacing and see if I like how it turns out.

I got my zakka labels (from Fort Worth Fabric Studio) and name labels (from Heirloom Labels, did not realize their cream ribbon would come out so dark!) in time to add these in as embellishments as well.

Get your own pattern here.