Hidden Zipper Pocket Tutorial

I am working on my new pattern instructions as I drink plenty of fluids and take my cough medicine.  I thought you might enjoy a small tutorial on how to make a zippered hidden pocket.  This will be in the lining of one of the new bags.  This pocket is so easy to do, yet looks quite professional! This is how the pocket looks from the outside:

And this is how it looks unzipped:

                                                                       This is the back:

Okay, this is what you do.  Cut inside fabric for pocket 7" wide by 10" long.  Iron interfacing to the back. On interfacing side, draw a 5" x 3/8" rectangle, 1" down from the top and 1" from each edge.  Place pocket right side down on the right side of the outer fabric.  Placement depends on where you want the zipper opening.  In this example, I placed the top of the pocket fabric 1/2" down from the edge.

                                                             Stitch on the drawn line:

 Slash opening down the middle of the stitched rectangle, stopping 1/4" from each end.                                                                                                        Clip diagonally to corners to stitching, but not through the stitching. Turn pocket to inside and press:

                                            Center zipper in opening and tape or pin in place:

                                               Use a zipper foot and stitch close to the edges:

                                                              Trim excess zipper tape:

Bring bottom of pocket to match top of pocket.  Keep outer fabric out of the way and stitch around the pocket.

                                                                     
                                                          Done!  Wasn't that easy?

Message me if you have any questions or if I made a mess of the instruction order.  I haven't been the sharpest pin in the pin cushion lately!  Jerilynn P.S. Oops.  I just looked at the pictures...the opening looks a bit puckered.  I guess I went a bit too fast on the construction.  Trust me when I say all the other hidden zipper pockets I have made look MUCH better.

Addison Ryan

Addison Ryan was scheduled to arrive today by a planned c-section. She is a very anticipated first child for my oldest son and his wife. Early yesterday morning I got a phone call from said son and he told me they were in the hospital. Seems like little Addy wanted to pick her own birthday like all the other girls do. She decided that April 10 would be a good day. All went well..7 lbs., 12 ozs. She looks like she is going to be lots of fun. I can't wait to see her! I hope to drive down to Madison this weekend, but I finally found out why I have been feeling yucky...I have pneumonia. Hopefully the drugs will kick in, I'll have some energy back, I can meet Addison, finish projects for Spring Market, and pack up the condo. JerilynnLijewski

Garter Stitch Baby Blanket

This variation of the Joseph's Blankie of Many Colors was a bit faster to make. I used Martha Stewart's Extra Soft Wool Blend Yarn. She is going to be very surprised when she finds her yarn stash is gone! Anyway, the yarn is very soft, squishy, and washable. I decided not to change colors for every side of each block, which was a bit faster. Also, the size is wee-sized, so that helped. This should be a good blankie to throw over a car seat or a stroller. Mindless garter stitch knitting is a good therapy for me. I am still battling the Spring crud and arranging to move...our condo sold! Yay! Jerilynn

A Fine Mess of Noodles!

We had a big dinner tonight with Ellen, Peter, Katie and Ben. When I woke up this morning this greated me! What a wonderful surprise! Before I got up, Katie had mixed the dough, rolled it out, cut the noodles, and laid them out to dry. It was the perfect addition to smoked ham from Louie's, cheesy potatoes, roasted asparagus, rolls, orange fluff, candied carrots, apple pie, and ice cream.Yum! Poke me with a fork and I just might pop! Happy Easter everyone! Jerilynn

Location Cumberland, WI

Joseph's Blankie of Many Colors Done!

We're back!  Obviously, not a bunch of blog updates while we were gone...I got a flu shot this year.  I usually don't get one and stay pretty healthy all winter.  This year I got one, and BAM!  The crud.  It has lasted way too long for my liking!  I didn't even get to walk on the beach.  Our condo had a nice view from the master bed, which was very comfy, and that is where I spent most of my time.  Bummer.  Anyhoo, we are back, the travel days were smooth, the water here at the cabin has no ice in it at all, and the trees and grass are getting green.  What more could I ask for?  Last night I had no energy to unpack from the trip, but I did manage to knit the last few rows on the blanket and throw it in the washer and dryer.  Turned out beautifully!  You can see from the close-up how squishy-fun the garter stitch is.  It is a heavy blanket, but very soft and cozy.  The bed that I pictured it on is a queen size, so you can get some idea of the size.  It was super fun and easy to make.  The yarn was Peaches and Cream, Sugar and Cream, and a bit of Lion Brand cotton.  I started a new blanket on the two day car ride home out of Dishy cotton on the Webs site.  I am just making it a striped blanket with random widths of stripes.  Mindless, but perfect for 24 hours in a car!  The Dishy (or is it Washy??  hmmm...) yarn is just a bit thinner than the Peaches and Cream so I am using a size 6 needle rather than the 7 I used on the pictured blanket.  Thanks for checking in.   Jerilynn

What did I make today?  Well, I made a trip down memory lane.  We are in St. Pete Beach, Florida, where we spent the last 12 Springs.  The first couple years we were still working and came down with some friends for a wonderful work-break-week.  We stayed at a Travelodge, right on the beach.  The rooms were atrocious, but the pool was big, and the hotel had a fabulous beach bar, the Swigwam, that had the best Rumrunners around.  My friend, Jane, and I would grab a lounge chair in the morning, and sun and read until the bar was open around noon, and then hint and hint until someone went to get us the icy, Rumrunner treat.  Those were the days of not knowing that one of us would be gone way too soon.  The Travelodge is now the Postcard Inn.  Ultra hip and cool with a young "vibe".  Jane would have loved seeing the transformation.  The Swigwam is now just the PCI beach bar, but they thankfully kept the Rumrunner recipe the same.  Before hitting the PCI, we stopped by the Friendly Native Condos that we rented for a couple of  months for a few years, after we retired.  We were hoping to catch some of the regulars around the pool, and we were delighted to find a good collection in the back corner, toasting and saying their good-byes to each other.  Tomorrow is the 31st of March, and that is when most all of the Snowbirds head back home...Michigan, Canada, Minnesota.  It was so fun to see so many familiar faces!!  Some, we learned, didn't make it back for another year.  But the smiles were just as genuine, just as sweet as I remembered.  "Why do you go back to the same  beach every year?", people back home, ask.  We go back to visit our memories.  We love seeing what has changed.  Even more, we love seeing what is the same.  Someday we hope to be here for longer stretches again, but family needs up north come first.  We are thankful for the chance to come to the sun for a few days, and make some new memories that we can visit next year.  Jerilynn  P.S.  I have been knitting on a Joseph's Blankie of Many Colors while suffering with a chest cold for a few days.  I will post a picture soon, I promise!

Knew Knitted Blankie

Hey, blog readers! We are on the road so post subjects will be of a "portable" nature. The big knitted blanket is almost done. I have the fourth side of the border to complete. Because it is getting so big, however, I brought along a knew knitting project. It will still be a Joseph's Blankie of many colors, but it will have all four sides one color. I am thinking it will look a little more modern? Also I am using a different yarn ,slightly smaller, so I went down to a size six needle. The green row was supposed to be just one ridge wide, but I was talking to our daughter-in- law, who is due to have a baby in 2.5 weeks, and I just lost track of my "plan". So, I am making it wide and will make the next color very narrow. Unless I look at it again tomorrow in the car and decide to rip out the green and start anew. We will be in the car for two days...it is a 24 hour trip. That is a loooong time to stare at a blankie beginning that isn't too tasty. Any bets on what I will do? Jerilynn