How to make a sewing case from a cardboard suitcase.
Sewing Case Afternoon Tea
You will need:
A blank cardboard suitcase.
I bought these as a set of three and made use of all of them. I used the smallest suitcase to make the Sewing Case Afternoon Tea version. It measures approximately 7 inches (18cm) x 12 inches (30cm).
I used the largest one for the Bees & Knitting Sewing Case which is approximately 9 inches (23cm) x 14 inches (36cm).
Fabric:
You will need pieces of cotton fabric large enough to cover the inside and outside of the suitcase.
I used four main pieces of two contrasting white/blue/white/pink print fabric to cover the outside base, the lid and inside the case. I fitted and tucked it around using basting stitches and fabric glue to hold it in place.
I added little appliqué pieces of fabric with teacups, butterflies, bees and various snippets from spare fabric to decorate inside the case. I sewed some of these to the base fabric and I also used a little bit of fabric glue to attach tiny pieces such as a miniature sewing machine, flowers and bumblebees. I wanted it to have a vintage/patchwork look.
I chose a pattern that had a strong base of white with pastel pinks and blues with splashes of yellow for a fresh, bright appearance inside and outside the case. Pretty bunting added to the vintage feeling.
Sewing Pattern Weights
I keep a selection of sewing pattern weights in this sewing case but it’s also handy as a sewing box.
I decorated the front cover with a fabric block of The Sewing Bee & Afternoon Tea book because all the colours blended so well.
Templates for a cottage, teacups, afternoon tea items and cakes are in the quilt block/templates section here on the site. You could appliqué these to a piece of fabric and then add this as the front cover. Or you could use any of your favourite fabric pieces to decorate the cover.
For an extra vintage feel you could add lace trims, pearl buttons and satin ribbons.
Bees & Knitting Sewing Case
I used my bee and beehive fabric in cotton to cover and line the entire case.
I then made a flat, padded piece as a cushioned insert for inside the case using two spare bits of bee fabric sewn together and filled with a lightweight wadding/batting. The wadding I used is around half an inch thick but it’s very light and ideal for projects like this. I buy it by the yard/metre from a roll. I use it for everything from padding the sewing machine covers and tea cosy to the sew tidy books. It’s not expensive and it’s very versatile. I keep all the spare pieces that I trim off for filling pincushions and softies such as the robin softie.
I used the largest cardboard suitcase for the Bees & Knitting Sewing Case. It’s ideal for holding my knitting along with the bee and beehive pincushions, matching sewing weights and the sew tidy. Knit a Bee.
Knitting a bumblebee.
