Guest Tutorial: Embroidered Gadget Cozy

This guest tutorial is brought to you by Melissa of Sew Sweet Stitches. I think you'll agree that her gorgeous colors and stitching are extraordinary!

Materials:

• DMC embroidery floss in 318 (gray), 3011 (dark green), 352 (coral), 818 (pale pink).
• Small scraps of wool felt in gray, butter yellow, light yellow, avocado green, blush pink, ecru, and coral.
• 8” x11” piece of wool felt in aquamarine blue. (A kit with all the felt pieces and pre-cut flowers is available at http://www.etsy.com/shop/feltonthefly)

Step 1: Cut out the felt pieces- front inside, front outside, back, back pocket, and strap. Measure about a half inch around your gadget on all sides. I used my iPod for the photos, but your measurements may be different. The width of the strap will be whatever is left over from your front and back pieces, and the length of the strap is the entire width of the felt sheet. The pocket is about 3” x 3”, allowing for adjustments according to your gadget size.

Step 2: Use a scrap of thread to gather the bottom of the back pocket. Pin it to the back piece, and stitch the pocket down on the bottom and left and right sides.

Step 3: Sew the button to the back piece just below the bottom of the pocket. Cut a small slit in one end of the strap for the buttonhole.

Step 4: If you are not using the felt kit, cut a 2” x 3” oval from the ecru felt. Cut an assortment of five-petal flower sizes from the yellows, pinks, and gray. Cut a few tiny leaves from the avocado green.

Arrange and pin the flowers however you would like around the oval, letting them overlap onto the blue front. Leave room in the center for a monogram.

Step 5: Use daisy stitch, backstitch, and french knots with three thread strands to embellish the flowers and secure them to the front. Use a backstitch or fly stitch for the leaves.

Use french knots around the edge of the oval wherever there are not flowers.

Step 6: After all flowers and leaves have been stitched down and embellished, use a single strand of the green thread to make tiny leaves with daisy stitches and straight stitches for berry stems. Use three strands of pink thread to make french knots at the end of each stem.

Mark your initial lightly in pencil, and backstitch over it in three strands of gray thread.

Step 7: Center the strap on top of the inside front piece, with about a half inch overlapping. Lay the embroidered outside front piece on top of these two, lining up the edges. Pin the strap in place.

Use a straight running stitch to close the top of the two front pieces, catching the strap in the middle. Pin the back piece behind these two pieces and place a pin on each side and bottom. Use a straight running stitch to sew together the three pieces on the sides and bottom.

Insert your phone or mp3 player, tuck your earbuds into the back pocket, and button it all together with the strap. You’re finished!

Thank you, Melissa, for sharing this wonderful post with us! 
If you would like to purchase a kit with all the pre-cut felt pieces, you can find the kit here.

For more on Melissa, visit:
Her blog: Sew Sweet Stitches
Her Etsy shop