DIY Car Wallet Tutorial

I am a little Pinterest obsessed, like many I am sure.  There are lots of great ideas that inspire others to create even better ideas and this is what makes it so exciting for me.  I love finding an idea and then building on it, changing it, to make it my own.  I am in awe of the people (mostly women) who somehow find the time to not only make something but also take pictures while they are doing it and post tutorials on blogs or websites. Judging by my Pins Complete board I have benefited from quite a few great ideas so I decided that it was only fair that I post a tutorial myself in the hopes that others out there will be inspired by my little creation and then make it their own.  My inspiration for this car wallet came from these pins and blogs: http://pinterest.com/pin/195343702556818254/ 

 http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.ca/2009/12/cozy-car-caddy-tutorial.html 

 http://crazylittleprojects.com/2012/12/kids-car-carrier-tutorial.html.  All very cute but I wanted to add a track as part of the wallet so I took a bit from all of these and came up with this.

Here is what you need:  Cotton fabric - one piece 15 1/2" x 9", one piece 4 1/2 x 9 and one piece 6" x 12 1/2".  One piece of green felt 11 1/2 x 9 and one piece of black felt 11 1/2 x 9.  

One piece of interface 4 1/2 x 9 and small piece of velcro.

All seam allowances were 1/4" serged seams so add more to your pieces if you want to use 5/8" seams.

1. Take the 6" x 12 1/2" piece and fold right sides together so you have a 3" x 12 1/2" piece. Sew 1/4" seam on two sides and leave an end open. Turn, Press, and turn in the open end.  You could topstitch this piece - I didn't.

2. Take the green felt piece and the 4 1/2" piece and join these right sides together with a 1/4"seam.  Iron on interfacing just below seam line.

3.Cut out a track from the black felt piece.  I folded mine into quarters, cut the curve, then made an oval from paper using the same " folding into quarters" technique and cut out the middle of the track.  Place over green felt.  Applique curves, bottom edge and center.  Applique white lines. 

4. Figure out where you want the velcro pieces - I wanted this wallet to wrap tightly so it folds three times. I put the smooth piece 1/2 below the top of the wallet on the black felt track.  The rough velcro piece went onto the right side of the 15 1/2 x 9 piece of cotton 5 1/2 " up from the bottom.  It probably could have been down a bit more - maybe at 5".  Sew around the velcro a couple of times.

5. Put right sides together and sew around the entire wallet with a 1/4" seam leaving an opening along the bottom of the wallet.  Turn right side out, poke out corners, press with hands.  Then topstitch very close to the edge all the way around catching in the opening at the bottom.  

6. Add the pockets:  Use the 3" strip.  Attach the strip along the sides of the wallet, just in from the topstitching.  Using 4 cars, pin the fabric evenly in three spots between each car.  Sew that line of stitching  at those three spots.  Then form some pleats along the bottom and pin and sew the pocket to the bottom of the wallet  (See http://crazylittleprojects.com/2012/12/kids-car-carrier-tutorial.html for pics).

7. Wrap up and go!  In hindsight I maybe would have just added two ribbons at the top or webbing with velcro on the ends that could be wrapped and tied.  The rough side of the velcro is sticking to the felt if it is pulled tighter.  So it is up to the next person to make this better!  Enjoy!