Safety Notice: Handmade items made from this pattern may contain small parts or long cords that pose choking or strangulation risks. Not suitable for children under 3 years. Please see the full safety disclaimer at sewmag.co.uk/safety.
Whether you are setting off on a staycation or decluttering your dresser, safely storing your cosmetics has never been easier thanks to this clever design from Carolyn Letten. You even have the option of using elastic to create loops inside the lid of this case so that you can tidy away your cotton buds, make-up brushes, tweezers, and nail files. This project also provides you with an excellent opportunity to become an expert at inserting zips – an invaluable skill for newbies and experts alike!
Download and print the templates from sewmag.co.uk. Use the oval template provided to cut the base and top; two pieces from the fusible foam stabiliser, three from green fabric and one from peach fabric. Place one stabiliser piece in between two green pieces wrong sides together and the second stabiliser in between the green and peach pieces, wrong sides together. Following the stabiliser instructions, iron on both sides to fuse the adhesive, then sew a 3mm seam all the way around. Mark the four points shown on the template with a water erasable pen.
Cut floral fabric, 12.5cm x 63.5cm. Snip pink check fabric, 4cm x 63.5cm. Pin them right sides together along the bottom and sew a 1cm seam. Press the seam open on the back. Topstitch in pink thread across the seam. Cut green fabric, 2.5cm x 63.5cm. Pin it right sides together along the top of the floral fabric and sew a 1cm seam. Press on the reverse. Topstitch across the seam in green thread.
Cut the stabiliser, 15cm x 63.5cm. Place the main section right side up on top of the stabiliser so the bottom raw edge of the pink check fabric matches the edge of it; there will be an overhang of 1.5cm of the green fabric across the top. Following the stabiliser instructions, use the iron across the surface to bond it. Cut green fabric for the lining the same size, 16.5cm x 63.5cm.
Cut two pieces of green fabric, 6cm x 63.5cm. Back one of the pieces with the stabiliser. Lay the unbacked piece the right side up and horizontally. Take your zip and lay it the right way up with the closed zip pull on the left, on top of the green piece so the top edge of the zip aligns with the long raw edge of the fabric. Lay the backed piece of green fabric right side down on top of the zip so that all three top edges align. Pin in place and use a zipper foot to machine stitch along the side of the zipper teeth, sew across the full 63.5cm. Fold the two pieces back wrong sides together, press with the iron, then topstitch along the fold line of the backed piece.
Take the green lining from step 3 and lay it horizontally, right side up. Lay the remaining side of the zip right side up, with the zip to the left so the edge of the zip aligns with the bottom raw edge of horizontally, wrong side up to match the edge of the zip and pin. Use a zipper foot to machine stitch all the way across, close to the teeth of the zip, then fold the pieces back and topstitch. Cut floral fabric and green lining fabric, 12.5cm x 20cm. Back the floral piece with stabiliser.
With the main body of the case laid horizontally, right side up, pin the stabiliser floral back panel, right side down, 4cm from the left hand end. Open the zip by 15cm so the zip pull is out of the way. Pin the green piece right sides together with the lining on the other side 4cm from the left. Sew a 1cm seam, remove the excess, then fold them both back and top stitch along the fold line on the front.
With the main body laid right side up, take hold of the raw edge of the stabilised floral and fold it across to the right hand side of the main body, right sides together, 4cm from the edge. Fold the green piece out of the way. Sew a 1cm seam, remove excess, then topstitch. Topstitch four lines down the back panel to secure the overlap ends to it. With the main body wrong side out, fold the remaining raw edge of the green piece over by 5mm, iron to crease, pin it in place to line the back panel. Topstitch by hand to finish the main body.