Checkbook Covers

Saw this on Pinterest and said to myself, "I have checks; everyone has checks". Even if you only use your checkbook once a month to pay rent like I do, there is no reason you have to put up with a boring bank-issued checkbook holder.

Introducing, the ruffled checkbook cover.

My favorite part: you can use your scraps or fat quarters (which I wish I had more of).

Materials:

• Your scraps and fat quarters. They can match, they can not match.
• Fusible (I used iron-on, but use what you have)
• Sewing machine and all that jazz
• Iron

1. Cut your fabrics:

•  Two 7"x7 1/2" pieces of fabric
• One 7"x7 1/2" fusible
• Two 7"x6" pieced of fabric (for the pockets)
• One 3" x 20" piece of fabric (for the ruffle)

 Love cutting small manageable rectangles. 

And I love my floral print fabric.

2. Heat up your iron. Fuse the fusible to one of the 7 x 7 1/2" pieces.

3. Iron the 6 x 7" pieces in half making them 3 x 7" pockets. Iron the 3 x 20" piece long ways too. 

 4. Sew along the edge of the ruffle piece so it's like a tube.

5. Using your iron, press along the seam.

6. Sew straight up the middle of the ruffle.

 7. Pull on the string to make it all ruffly (this was the hardest part for me for some reason).

A ruffly mess, no?

8. Place your ruffle along the edge of the piece of fabric with stabilizer, about 1 1/2" from the bottom. Stitch in place by doing one stitch above and one stitch below that middle line you did.

9. Trim excess ruffle off the end.

10. Sew along the folded edge of the pockets.

11.  Assemble your checkbook. It'll be inside out so stick with me. 

Do fabric without stabilizer and then pockets on the top and bottom, sewn folded edges facing each other. 

Place ruffled fused piece ruffle down on top. The fusible should be staring at you.

12. Pin it. Pin it real good. 

13. Sew the perimeter sticking real close to the edge. Leave a couple inches open though because you'll need to flip it right side out.

14. That being said... flip it right side out.

15. Sew again around the perimeter.

16. Fold it. 

Awesome right?!?!

To use it ( 'cause that's what you want to do right?), slip your checks into the pockets.

Now off with you! To the grocery store to hold up the express lane with your precise and perfect penmanship.