Serendipitous sewing

While the boys napped for too long the other day I got carried away at the sewing machine. I admit that I am an impulsive crafter, I don't plan projects and brew over the best fabrics and approaches. If I am grabbed by an idea I want to do it immediately and I will compromise everything about it rather than plan it properly.

Am I the only person who sews this way?

So it was that I stumbled across a link via Meet Me At Mike's for this lunch bag cutlery roll tutorial from BurdaStyle.

image from the BurdaStyle website

I had recently made something similar, a pocket for remote controls that hangs over the arm of the couch, as my tongue-in-cheek crafty contribution to Tavis's fathers' day present. I am proud to say I made that one up as I went along (are you starting to get the picture of the haphazard way I craft yet?) and the instructions for the cutlery roll were very similiar so I was able to start straight away...

ready to get started

...except I only had one ribbon and it was red so this limited the choice of fabric from my stash.

first attempt - I thought I didn't need a pocket for a napkin but the pattern doesn't really work without it

Substitute the stipulated batting for purple felt in the first attempt and iron on interfacing in the second (because the purple felt was too dark for the light-weight gingham fabric), and a couple of hours later I had made two of these things and was quite pleased with the second attempt. I think these are great for anyone who works in an office where forks (and teaspoons!!!) are somewhat of an enigma.

second attempt - much more successful

But best of all, the next day I thrifted the matching cutlery from an op shop I hadn't been to in ages. Complete coincidence! How serendipitous is that?

see the yellow gingham handles on the cutlery?