organizer

FALL 2011

road warrior

PROJECT

by KEVIN KOSBAB

WEB PROJECT

Whether its work or play that keeps you in your car, this organizer, with pockets for the owners manual, license and registration, insurance papers, and other glovebox necessities, will tidy and protect all your important car info.
FABRIC
13 yd (30.5 cm) of 45" (114.5 cm) wide cotton duck canvas (shown: khaki) 13 yd (30.5 cm) of 45" (114.5 cm) wide cotton print (shown: blue, green, and brown geometric print) 412" x 812" (11.5 x 21.5 cm) piece of clear vinyl

OTHER SUPPLIES
12 yd (45.5 cm) of 20" (51 cm) wide medium-weight fusible interfacing 14 yd (23 cm) of 22" (56 cm) wide ultra-rm interfacing (such as Pellon Peltex) or cardboard Sewing thread 1 size 24 (58" [16 mm]) heavy-duty snap and setting tool Rotary cutter, rigid acrylic ruler, and self-healing mat Fabric marking tool Seam sealant (optional) Cellophane tape Road Warrior Tab pattern on page 4

FINISHED SIZE
6" x 9" x 34" (15 x 23 x 2 cm) closed

NOTES
All seam allowances are 14" (6 mm) unless otherwise noted. For explanations of terms and techniques, see Sewing Basics at interweavestitch.com/ sewingbasics. The sample was sized to t an owners manual up to 512" x 812" (14 x 21.5 cm), bound on one of the short edges; adjust the overall size of the organizer or the manual pocket conguration to suit your cars manual. Alternatively, use the manual pocket to hold a pad of paper for notes, recording mileage, etc. For a utilitarian look, use contrasting thread when topstitching is called for, edgestitching 18" (3 mm) from the edge or as directed.
FOR EXPLANATIONS OF TERMS + TECHNIQUES USED CLICK HERE FOR OUR SEWING BASICS ONLINE

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FALL 2011

organizer

road warrior

following pieces: One 1814" x 912" (46.5 x 24 cm) rectangle for Main Exterior One 112" x 912" (3.8 x 24 cm) strip for Exterior Edge 2 Tab pieces (using the provided pattern piece) From the cotton print, cut the following pieces: One 512" x 912" (14 x 24 cm) rectangle for Front Pocket Lining One 1512" x 612" (39.5 x 16.5 cm) rectangle for Manual Pocket One 912" x 612" (24 x 16.5 cm) rectangle for Manual Pocket Backing One 1834" x 912" (47.5 x 24 cm) rectangle for Interior Pockets From the fusible interfacing, cut the following pieces: One 1512" x 612" (39.5 x 16.5 cm) rectangle for Manual Pocket One 1834" x 912" (47.5 x 24 cm) rectangle for Interior Pockets 2 Tab pieces One 134" x 134" (4.5 x 4.5 cm) square (for snap reinforcement) Fuse the interfacing pieces to the wrong sides of the corresponding fabric pieces, following the manufacturers instructions. Reserve the 134" (4.5 cm) square for Step 7. From the ultra-rm interfacing, cut the following pieces: Two 534" x 834" (14.5 x 22 cm) pieces One 12" x 834" (1.3 x 22 cm) piece

CUT THE FABRIC 1 From the duck canvas, cut the

figure 1

Edge strip of canvas to one long side of the Front Pocket Lining and press the seam allowances toward the pocket lining. Sew the Main Exterior to the opposite side of the front pocket lining. Leave these pieces right sides together and press the seam allowance. 3 Fold the Main Exterior to the wrong side, parallel to the most recent seam and 512" (14 cm) from it, to create the front pocket (figure 1). With a removable marking tool, draw a 334" high x 712" wide (9.5 x 19 cm) rectangle on the canvas, 1" (2.5 cm) from the fold and centered between the side edges. Draw a second rectangle 14" (6 mm) inside the rst. Fold the front pocket lining out of the way and cut out the window along the inner rectangle through both layers of canvas. Clip from the corners of the cut rectangle to just inside the larger rectangles corners (figure 2 on page 3).

CONSTRUCT THE EXTERIOR 2 With right sides together, sew the Exterior

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5" (14 cm)

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2011

organizer
interfacing sandwiched clip at corners

road warrior

(2.5 cm)

1"

1"
(2.5 cm)

fold along the lines to form pockets and press (figure 3; note that valley and mountain folds are distinguished by different line styles). Edgestitch the folds at the 4" (10 cm) and 9" (23 cm) lines, taking care not to sew the pockets closed. Draw a line along the center of the fabric from the 4" (10 cm) fold to the rst fold made. Fold the back layer out of the way and topstitch the front pocket to the middle pocket along the line to make two card pockets.

(9.5 cm)

3" 712"
(19 cm)

figure 2

4 Open the folded pocket and press the "

(6 mm) seam allowances around the rectangle to the wrong side of the fabric on both layers, folding along the larger marked rectangle. If desired, put a drop of seam sealant in each corner of the window to prevent fraying. While the pocket is still unfolded, fuse the 1" (4.5 cm) interfacing square to the wrong side of the outer canvas layer over the pocket fold, centered from side to side, to reinforce the fabric for the snap (figure 2). 5 Place the clear vinyl piece over the inner layer of the window on the wrong side of the canvas, making sure the vinyl extends at least " (6 mm) beyond the folded edges of the window on all sides. Use cellophane tape to secure the vinyl temporarily along the three outer edges; do not put tape along the edge nearest the fold, where it will be inaccessible for removal. Refold the pocket, sandwiching the vinyl between the layers and making sure the windows are aligned, but keep the front pocket lining out of the way. Lengthen the stitch to 3 mm to avoid perforating the vinyl too closely. Edgestitch around the window through all the canvas layers to secure the vinyl, then remove the tape. Edgestitch the folded edge of the pocket. 6 Place the Tab pieces right sides together and sew around the curved edge, leaving the short straight edge open. Clip the curves, turn the tab right side out, and press. Edgestitch the curved edge, leaving the short end open.

wise with wrong sides together, press, and edgestitch the folded edge. Place the pocket on the Manual Pocket Backing piece, aligning the long edges and the raw short end. Baste the pocket to the backing 18" (3 mm) from the raw edges. 8 Press " (6 mm) to the wrong side along one short edge of the Interior Pockets piece. Measuring from this folded edge, mark parallel lines 4" (10 cm), 6" (15 cm), 9" (23 cm), and 12" (31.8 cm) from the fold. Accordion

on the work surface, right side up, with the window portion on the right. With right sides together, pin the manual pocket pieces to the windowless half of the exterior, aligning the raw edges and orienting the pocket so it opens toward the top of the organizer. Pin the folded interior pockets piece over the window side, aligning the raw edges and placing pins only through the canvas sections to avoid holes in the vinyl. Trace around the edge of a small thread spool or coin at each outer corner, " (6 mm) in from the edges, to create a rounded seam line. 0 Slip the assembled tab between the exterior and the lining at the center of the 9" (24 cm) manual pocket edge, aligning the open end of the tab with the raw edges. Pin the tab in place. Sew around all sides of the organizer, stitching directly on the marked curves at the corners and making sure the pressed-under edge of the interior pockets piece remains folded at the center of the organizer. Clip the seam allowance at the curved corners, turn the organizer right side out through the opening in the lining, and press.

ASSEMBLE THE ORGANIZER 9 Arrange the assembled canvas exterior

(31.5 cm)

1212"

(23 cm )

9"

(15 cm)

6"

(5 cm)

2"

(10 cm)

4"

figure 3

CONSTRUCT THE INTERIOR 7 Fold the Manual Pocket in half cross INTERWEAVE PRESS LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.

"
(6 mm)

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FALL 2011

organizer

road warrior

- Trim two corners of each 5" x 8" (14.5

x 22 cm) piece of ultra-rm interfacing to t into the rounded corners of the organizer. Insert one piece into each half of the organizer through the opening in the lining. Topstitch along the spine of the organizer, just outside the interfacing in the front cover (about 2" [6.5 cm] from the folded edge of the card pockets), to enclose the interfacing. Insert the " x 8" (1.3 x 22 cm) piece of ultra-rm interfacing into the spine through the center opening and edgestitch the folded edge of the opening to close it and keep the spine and back cover interfacing in place. Edgestitch the perimeter of the organizer. = Following the manufacturers instructions, install the outer portion and stud of the snap in the tab, centered " (6 mm) from the curved end. Flip the tab over the front of the organizer and mark the snap location at the center of the front pocket, just below the edgestitching. Install the socket and back portion of the snap at the mark, through the pocket only and not the body of the organizer.

NOTES When preparing to print templates, make sure that you are printing at 100% and that there is no scaling. Check the settings for page scaling (should be None) and check the preview to make sure that you will be printing at full size. Make sure that the box labeled Auto-Rotate and Center is unchecked (instructions apply specically to Adobe Reader; if using another PDF reader, check for similar settings). To ensure that the template has printed at the correct scale, check the size of the TEST SQUARE. The Test Square should be 1" 1" (2.5 2.5 cm).

ROAD WARRIOR ORGANIZER

TAB cut 2 duck canvas cut 2 interfacing

Test Square
1" 1" [2.5 2.5 cm]

KEVIN KOSBAB is a freelance writer, an editor, and a pattern designer. He designs modern quilts and sewing projects for a variety of magazines, and you can find his Feed Dog Designs patterns in stores and on the Web at feeddog.net.

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