A "Pocket Thingy"

I've been working on purse design for the past 3 weeks, and, while I love working up prototypes, I love it much more when the first one is perfect. The first attempt was a tiny "Hatbox Purse" -- it will need to be mostly disassembled before it actually works & I can't decide if I should just start over or not. The second is a "Candy Box Purse" -- it is getting gorgeous, but fails to meet the basic durability criteria.
In my attempt to design purse #3, a "Valentine's Purse", I have decided that needlepoint would be both durable & beautiful, as well as easy to make for anyone with basic needlepoint & sewing skills. This will hopefully be offered in future as a pattern here [as long as I have learned enough from the mistakes in designs #1 & #2!].
I have chosen a tone in tone scheme in a pink to red color scheme. This means that if I get my yarns mixed up I might never get them sorted properly again -- some of the colors are extremely close. I decided I needed a way to keep my yarns organized & even portable while there would be no chance of accidental mix-ups. So, I set aside the purse for a couple of hours & made a "Pocket Thingy".

Here is a free pattern for "Pocket Thingy Part One" -- everything you will need to know to design your own "Pocket Thingy". The construction instructions will be in "Pocket Thingy Part Two"

STEP ONE

What do you need to organize? A "Pocket Thingy" [hereafter referred to as PT] is good for many different purposes. I have one hanging in my closet that I made from a commercial pattern years ago that holds my unmentionables. People who carry briefcases have a very formal PT. My daughter needs somewhere to store her electronic gadgets, pencils, etc -- an office organizer PT. I needed to keep 7 yarns separate, so I have a craft roll PT. This is very important to remember: The things that need to be organized will dictate how you will make your PT. You probably think, "Duh", right now; but, I get in the midst of these things & forget my original plan/goal for a project & usually end up doing something that seems so clever at the moment of inspiration which makes it impossible to accomplish the original goal I had.

So --

• Collect the items to be organized together in a container
• Decide if this will be a permanent wall-hung organizer or a portable organizer
• Write down a SAM goal to help you focus
  
• S- Specific
• A- Achievable
• M- Measurable

A SAM goal for my needlepoint yarn caddy would look like this:

"I need a portable carrier for my needlepoint project that

• Is durable [can protect my project supplies]
• Has at least 7 pockets
• Allows me to see what is in each pocket
• Allows me a way to label each yarn color for any project
• Uses things I have on hand [I had no car to run go buy something]
• Is small enough to carry around with me anywhere
• Is simple enough to complete quickly so I can get back to my needlepoint!"

My PT fulfilled these goals. I used heavy upholstery fabric on the outside. I put in 8 pockets made of clear vinyl so I can see both the yarn & the color code number on the label I put in with each color. I used an upholstery scrap left from a Christmas project, tightly-woven burlap for a supportive interfacing, a neutral beige fabric scrap that would never snag my yarns, some bias binding tape I inherited from Grandma, a vinyl remnant I had picked up 'just in case', and a yard of ribbon from my scrap box. When rolled with my canvas safely rolled inside is is about 5" in diameter and about 12" long -- very portable. The entire project from design concept to completion took about 3 hours.

PASTE PICTURE OF MY ROLLED UP PT HERE

ALSO PASTE PIC OF MY OPEN PT HERE

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If it will help you, Copy & Paste this form to your computer, print it out, & use it for your design process with my cyber-blessing. If you use "narrow margins .5" in Word, it's only one page.

What will I organize? _____________________________________________
How many pockets will it need? ____________
On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being totally practical and 10 being an heirloom work of art my PT will be a:
----1----2----3----4----5----6----7----8----9---10----
[Keep in mind that the higher the quality the greater the investment of time & possibly $$$. Practical does not ever have to equal ugly; but, if you have a Victorian decor, and the PT will be visible, you will need to make it blend in with your life which will equal many hours of extra detailing. I'd say my PT was about a 3-4 on the scale because that's how long it took to make something sturdy out of pretty fabric]
Circle one:
Portable ------OR------- Wall-Hanging

If Portable:
What is the max. size? Width_____" x Length_____" x Thickness or Diameter______"
How will I close it?
---Snaps ---Zipper ---Buttons ---Velcro ---Ties ---Other______________
Where do you plan to take it? __________________________________________
Any special rules [i.e. If I intend to take it on airplanes, will the airlines let me?]____________________________________________________

If Wall-Hanging:
Where will it hang? _______________________________________________
How much wall space is available? Width_____" x Height_____"
Do I have a curtain rod or dowel rod to hang the PT? [Save yourself stress - get the rod first!]
Is it wide enough or will my PT need to be narrower? Max Width______"
Will it support the weight of the items you will place in the pockets? [Test it if in any doubt. Put everything in pillow case & use safety pins or clothes pins to attach the pillow case to the rod temporarily. Balance the rod between two chairs. If it sags at all consider getting a stronger rod.]
How big around is your pole? _______" [Your finished hang tabs have to be longer than this by at least 1/4". Example: If my pole's circumference is 3", I would add two 1/2" seam allowances and an extra 1/2" for a total of 4 1/2" of length for each tab.]
How many tabs will I need? [The heavier your items or the narrower your tabs, the closer the tabs need to be. 3" - 6" is a reasonable range.] ____________tabs spaced every ________"

State your SAM goal: I will make a PT to organize _________________________________________________________

My PT must do these things
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

If all proceeds as planned, I want to spend no more than ______ hours on this project.

[This is the end of the copyable form]

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STEP TWO

Now that you have the 'brain ache' from the planning process, you get to do something more fun. Grab the container of stuff you collected and find [or make] a clean surface. A table is great, but the floor works, too. A self-healing mat with measurements on it works great. If you want a full-sized pattern, put a large enough piece of paper down before you start laying out your things.
I've already finished my prototype PT, but my daughter wants one now. I'll use hers as an Example as we make our PT's together. I copied the form above in STEP ONE & we filled it out together.

Example of my Daughter’s Design Sheet for her PT:

What will I organize? Ipod, Game Boy, Cell Phone, Wallet, Brush, pony tail elastics, journal, pencils, pack of cards

How many pockets will it need? 10

On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being totally practical and 10 being an heirloom work of art my PT will be a: 6 [Ribbons as Trim, Pretty Fabric, No beads, Blue sheer fabric with chenille dots for pockets, Creamy white background fabric

Wall-Hanging
Where will it hang? Inside Clothes Closet
How much wall space is available? Width 12" x Height 30"
Do you have a curtain rod or dowel rod to hang the PT? YES
Is it wide enough ? YES How wide? 24"
Will it support the weight of the items you will place in the pockets? YES

How big around is your pole? 2" My tabs are 3” finished length , 4” cut length

How many tabs will I need? 5 tabs spaced every 3" = 20” of ribbon for tabs

Daughter's SAM goal: To have a PT to organize things I use the most.
My PT must do these things:

· Be cute, but not frilly

· Functional, but ornamental.

· Must match my room

If all proceeds as planned, I [Mom] want to spend no more than 4 hours on this project.

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Here is what I came up with for my STEP TWO. This is a picture of my daughter's stuff laid out. I used low-tack tape so I could write notes about measurements on my self-healing mat.
IMPORTANT: Notice how all the rows of pockets line up at the bottoms. Each row will need to be sewn down individually in this design, but that won't be too hard. If your pockets don't line up either vertically or horizontally, your PT will take forever! If pockets are aligned both vertically & horizontally, sewing them down is quick & easy.

PASTE PICTURE OF HER STUFF LAID OUT HERE

A few things to keep in mind as you work on your PT layout:

• I think the Wall Mounted PT hangs better if it taller than it is wide. If you still crave a square or wide rectangle, you may need to secure the bottom as well as the top in some way to prevent curling, or you may need to add a little pocket at the bottom to insert a 1/4" dowel or piece of wire coat hanger.
  
• PT's are not the best thing for heavy loads. They are great for all the little things that get lost in drawers [like sticky notes and scissors]. They also work well for keeping all of your specialized tools ready-at-hand. Maybe I need one in my kitchen to get things off my counter...
• Bulky items will probably need pleats or gathers at the pocket bottoms so the PT will still hang flat on the wall when filled.
• You will be a much happier person if you design your pockets in straight horizontal rows. Try to group things that need similar pocket depths together.
• Heavier things need to be put in your lower pockets.

STEP THREE

Make decisions about how you will construct your PT. My Example piece will be sewn. If you want an almost instant PT, you can buy 'fabric' that fuses two different materials together. The only brand name I can think of right now is 'Wonder-Under', and your local shop will probably have it stored with the interfacings. You can buy it by the yard. Your local shop should have instructions available for its use as well as useful advice. I have used it to fuse vinyl to calico to make a washable surface like 'oil cloth', and to laminate fabric together to provide stiffness and to prevent fraying. If you fuse your layers together, the only sewing in this project happens when putting on the pockets and either hanging loops or ribbon ties. The fused fabric can be stitched around the edges, but if done properly it is supposed to hold together on its own [but I always sew it because I believe in over-engineering everything!].

If you choose to use vinyl, it would be wise to invest in a Teflon-coated presser foot for your sewing machine. It is possible to sew vinyl [and other 'sticky materials] without this foot by using tissue paper on top of or under any vinyl & then tearing it off [but it is totally not any fun with all that extra work, & it is harder to see what you are doing, too]. I've done it both ways & I LOVE my Teflon foot.
STEP FOUR

Gather all of your materials together so we can start sewing with my next post "Pocket Thingy Part Two".

Stocking Ornament Pattern

Here is the Stocking Ornament Pattern. I don't know if this will work, but we'll never know if I don't try...

Just in case it works...

Here are my rules for using this pattern free of charge:

1. FREE for personal use only. This means you can make one or 1,000 or 1 million as long as you are using the item yourself or are giving them as gifts to your sewing circle friends or even the entire town you live in and are not compensated in any way.

2. Do not copy the pattern(s) (electronically or otherwise) to pass out or share with others. You may make one copy for your personal use. If your pattern wears out, then you may make another copy for more personal use. This means you can refer people to this site to get their own copy. If you know someone who would like a copy who has no internet service available, I would be happy to place one in a SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) if they will send me one. Anyone can arrange this with me by sending an email from this blog.

3. You may purchase the right to use my pattern(s) for your personal profit or for fund-raising for your non-profit group. This means you can purchase a license from me for making & selling a specifically agreed upon number of finished items from a specific pattern. A possible alternative arrangement could be the purchase of a license to make and sell an item for a specific period of time in unlimited quantities. Anyone can arrange this with me by sending an email from this blog.

And, no list of rules is complete without this one these days...

4. When you use my pattern(s), you agree to use them at your own risk. Using my pattern(s) for any purpose indicates that you have read & understand my terms for using my pattern(s) and you agree to abide by my rules. This means I am not responsible for anything that happens as a result of your choice to use my patterns.

The Philosophy Behind the Rules

I want to be generous with my ideas. I want to feel free to share. Some of you will think I am naive -- I know there are people out there who are 'takers', those who think that any rules are for everyone else, who think their situation is different and so stealing will be OK. If you really think you have an exceptional situation, I would be happy to discuss it with you through e-mail to see if an alternative arrangement or agreement can be reached. I wish to honor you with my trust & I will treat you the way I wish to be treated in return -- with integrity -- because I believe that anyone who chooses the path of integrity makes the entire world a better place to live.