A welcome gift

....well, a tutorial for a gift envelope that is!

When I chat with people about the things I'm making, they often respond that they would love to be creative too.  Well, with a helping hand, I'm certain that most people could. Working out where to start can be daunting. So I want to show you the construction processes involved, know what materials are needed and which equipment is best to use. Hopefully with a few of my tips along the way.  So I'm starting a blog where I can share with you my makes and step-by-step instructions to help you get your creative juices flowing.

I thought we'd start with something fairly straightforward, a gift envelope which you can personalise.  These are lovely when giving someone money or tickets as a present, more special than a boring manila envelope don't you think! I sell them in my shop (link here), but if you have an hour or so and the right materials, they're so easy to make.

The original design came from issue 2 of Love Patchworking and Quilting and is by Jeni Baker.  I've adapted it a bit to add personalisation and changed the size to accommodate a standard ticket size. While we are on the subject of size, and therefore measurements, this is where I have to admit that since getting into patchwork more seriously, I've actually started working in imperial measurements (despite being born post-decimalisation!). Obviously, I'll try to give you measurements in both metric and imperial so you can follow what comes more naturally.

NINKY TIP: accuracy is everything, try to make sure all your measurements are checked again before cutting ("measure twice, cut once"). I always make sure that once I've picked up my cutter, I check measurements one more final time before it touches the fabric.  We've all cut a wrong measurement in our time and it's really frustrating, time consuming and often costly to put right.

So, for the gift envelope you will need:

• Outer fabric: 9.5" by 7.5" (24cm by 19cm)
• Lining fabric: 9.5" by 7.5" (24cm by 19cm)
• Bondaweb: 9.5" by 7.5" (24cm by 19cm)
• Small piece of plain fabric for the label on the front, approx 4" by 2" (10cm by 5cm)
• Another Bondaweb piece to match the size of your label

Start by applying the Bondaweb to the back of the label before embroidering the name or message on the front. I usually hand embroider names when they are a gift from me as I feel that makes it feel more personal. But for the envelopes in my shop, where time is of the essence, I use my sewing machine which has a basic font included. Chose which you prefer and i
f you don't want to sew your message on, you could always use a fabric marker and your best hand writing.

Once your message is finished, the label then needs to be applied to the front of the envelope.  Remove the paper from the Bondaweb on the back of the label, carefully removing it from in between your stitches.  Then measure about 3" (8cm) down from the top of the outer fabric, securing it in place with a press of the iron.

I then sew round the edge of the label for additional security.  I prefer to use a stitch length of 3.0 when top-stitching (this has more to do with my inability to top stitch neatly and the ease of unpicking a longer stitch length, than it being aesthetically pleasing!).  The picture below includes my machine settings in case you find it useful.

Once the label is in place, the corners need to be cut off the flap. Place the outer and lining right sides together and measure 1.5 inches (4cm) from each corner at the top and sides, then cut diagonally.

With both materials still both sides together, sew all around the edge, leaving about a 4 inch (10cm) gap for turning the fabric. Clip the corners ready for turning.

Then, before turning it the right way out, trim the Bondaweb to fit and iron it to the reverse of the outer fabric . Once cooled, remove the protective paper and turn so the right sides are out (as picture below), making sure you push the corners out.

NINKY TIP: I love my bamboo point turner from Merchant and Mills. Bamboo is a soft material which doesn't tear or snag your fabric and it's ideal to poke out those tricky corners.

Now it needs to be ironed to ensure the Bondaweb fuses the two fabrics together.  Take care to fold under the seams on the turning gap.  Then top stitch all the way round, which will close your turning gap.  Back to the ironing board to fold it into an envelope shape (turn up about 3.5" or 9cm from the bottom) and press with the iron.

Then sew each side of the envelope, making sure you backstitch at the start and end to secure. 

Finally, to finish off, I use a snap fastener, but you could add Velcro (it's best to add this at the start at the same time as adding the label), a button, or just leave it as once ironed, the flap with naturally close.

I hope you found this guide useful. I'd love to see your results, so please share your pics. You can find me on Instagram or Twitter under @byninky

Have fun

Ninky x