Friday, July 26, 2019

Sewing pouch tutorial and a recipe...



A couple of weeks ago I shared a tutorial to make my Merry Heart Sewing Bag and inside that bag was a cute pouch which held my scissors, threads and a packet of needles - all I need when I go stitching at Rosie's house (which I did yesterday and had the very best visit!) 

Near the end of that blog post I promised to share an extra tutorial so you could make the wee pouch to pop inside your own version of the Merry Heart Sewing Bag.



Today I'll make good on that promise so let's get started...

Supplies are:

* One piece of red floral fabric 7" x 9 1/4"
* One piece of fusible Parlan (or thin Pellon) 7" x 9 1/4"
* One piece of aqua/cream star fabric 8 1/4" x 9 1/4"
* One strip of aqua/cream star fabric 1 3/4" x 8 1/4"
* 40" length of 6-strand red embroidery thread
* 40" length of 6-strand aqua embroidery thread
* 2 beads


1. Fuse the parlan behind the floral fabric and machine quilt any way you like. I'm rather simplistic with that so I just quilted a few wavy lines.




2. Fold the 1 3/4" x 8 1/4" length of aqua star fabric in half along the length and sew the raw edges together with a 1/4" seam. Bring the seam to centre and press open. Sew across ONE end with a 1/4" seam before turning right side out.




3.  Fold in the open end by about a 1/4" and slip stitch closed.




4. Pin the strip 3/4" beneath the top edge of quilted floral fabric (the fabric is 7" high and 9 1/4" wide - forgot to mention that) and then machine sew it in place very close to the edges but leaving both ends open.




5. Fold the outside of the pouch in half, right sides facing, so that the aqua star strip is at the top of the pouch, and sew the sides and base together with a 1/4" seam.




6.  Make the lining - Fold the 8 1/4" x 9 1/4" aqua star fabric in half, right sides facing and sew the raw SIDE edges together with a 1/4" seam. (the fabric is 8 1/4" high and 9 1/4" wide).
Press the seam open and move it the middle. Press again and sew along the bottom with a 1/4" seam.




7. Using a seam ripper make a 3" opening in the centre of the seam and turn right side out.




8. Push the lining into the pouch, right sides facing, and pin the raw edges flush all around. Yes, the lining is longer than the outside of the pouch but this will all work out in the end...






9. Sew the lining to the outer pouch with a 1/4" seam.

10. Pull the lining out of the pouch...




11. Carefully pull the pouch right side out through the opening in the lining.




12. Slip stitch the opening closed and push the lining inside the pouch. 




13.  You'll end up with a lovely trim of aqua across the top because that's what the extra length in the lining was for. 




14. Sew a line of running stitch in the ditch between the top trim and the red floral.




15. Using the red and aqua 40" lengths of 6-strand embroidery thread make a twisted cord. Get someone to hold one end and you hold the other, and both twist in a clockwise direction. When the cord becomes tight (not too tight though), place your finger in the middle and fold your end up to your friend's end and hold the two ends together. The cord will complete the twist all by itself!

16. Thread the cord through the little aqua channel we made earlier and pop a bead on each end of cord with a strong double knot. Pull the cord and tie a bow.




This sweet pouch sits in my Merry Heart Sewing Bag and all I need do before heading out is make sure I've put the right embroidery threads inside it for the project I'm taking with me that day.



Are you ready to make yours?






Now, the other promise from way back at the end of May - the recipe for those cinnamon scrolls I make Blossom every year on her birthday.



The dough recipe is one I've been making for so long that I don't even remember where I got the bread book I found it in. Must have been at an op-shop or garage sale when the children were younger because we can't remember how long ago the cinnamon scroll tradition began with Bloss but you know, she has never changed her mind about what birthday sweet she expects each year. 

So this is the dough recipe which I make in the breadmaker using only the 'dough' setting. You could knead it by hand if you like.

Place everything in your breadmaker in the order listed on the ingredients below...





IMPORTANT:

These ingredient measures are metric because I'm an Australian and like most of the world we use metric in all our recipes.

So please weigh the water and the flour before adding to your bread machine.
Also note that 1 tablespoon is 20ml (Americans will need 4 teaspoons for that).
Teaspoons are the same world wide - phew!

The dough setting will bring you to the end of the first rise, on my machine that's 90 minutes. Remove the dough from the machine and give it a few punches before rolling out into a large rectangle about 1/2" thick.

In a bowl mix together 4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 3/4 cup of white sugar and a 1/4 cup of soft butter (not melted).

Spread the cinnamon mix across the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch free around all four sides.

Roll up as you would a swiss roll and cut into 12 slices. Place them side by side, with the cut side facing up, in a lined baking dish. Cover loosely with a slightly damp towel or plastic lunch wrap and leave in a warm spot for about 60 minutes until doubled in size. If the day is very hot and humid they may rise much faster and if its mid winter they might need 90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F) and when the scrolls have risen enough pop them in and bake for around 25 minutes until golden.

While they bake, make icing. 
I use icing sugar (confectioners sugar), strawberry essence and milk. The icing should be a thick pouring consistency.

As soon as you remove the scrolls from the oven drizzle the icing over each one in a circular rhythm. Is let the icing fall gently from a spoon as I swirl.
 This creates magic according to Blossom. Let them cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.





Goodness me that's a lot for today I think, so I'd best sign off and go begin dinner as hubby and I have a big day planned tomorrow and a picnic basket must be packed and some sewing prepared as well. 

May the good Lord above spread sunshine over your life this weekend, bringing smiles to the weary heart, a sprightly skip in your step, and laughter which multiplies among all your loved ones.

hugs


10 comments:

Joanne said...

Hi Jenny,
Thanks for the recipe!
and tutorials! Love how you show and describe each step! so clear and easy to understand!
enjoy the weekend!
hugs,
Joanne

e l i z a b e t h ♡ said...

Your cinnamon scroll recipe sounds so delicious! I will be copying this down to make in the future, along with the strawberry glaze (something I've never tried before). Thank you so much for sharing!

Hope you have a lovely weekend ♥

Kay said...

Thank you for a lovely tutorial and a fabulous recipe to try. x

Little Penpen said...

You make the cutest things!

Kristy said...

You seem to be in a happy place again! It is always so encouraging to read your blog. Thank you for the darling bag tutorial and the yummy scrolls recipe. Being that I am American I have to ask what bread improver is in the scrolls recipe. Is that extra gluten? I hope you have a lovely picnic and wonderful time with your sweetheart. Many blessings to you- K- lkw2x6-apq@yahoo.com

Dots said...

Hi Jenny, Mmmm rolls/scrolls look yummy! I hope you have a nice picnic, and a very enjoyable day.

Allie said...

Oh my goodness you do the best tutorials!!! How darling! And those cinnamon scrolls look so yummy too! I hope you enjoy your day out with hubby - sounds fun!

Nanna Chel said...

Thanks for another very clear tutorial, Jenny. Have a wonderful weekend with your lovely hubby.

Susan said...

The rolls sound delicious, especially with strawberry in them! Thank you for the pouch directions. Both things contain some magic. =)

victoria said...

Can anyone tell me what BREAD IMPROVER is please?