Hello, my crafty friends!!! If you like Halloween then you will probably like today’s post, because I will show you what I’ve made for the Halloween sewing challenge organized by Modes4U.com 🎃.
Modes4U Halloween Challenge
On the 31st of August I received an email from the Modes4U asking if I would like to take part in their upcoming Halloween sewing challenge? This was a first time I received any type of email like that, so if I am completely honest I wasn’t sure if it is a SPAM or some sort of a joke. I was intrigued, so politely asked for more details before I give them my answer. The next day I got an email with all details and after reading it I decided to give it a go!!!
As part of the challenge, myself and four other creators received a mystery box with some spooky fabrics and other small goodies and we had to create something unique!
So what was in the box?
Alexander Henry – Nocturna (1 yard)
Timeless Treasures – Day Of The Dead – Kitty (1 yard)
Timeless Treasures – Sugar skulls (1 yard)
Michael Miller – Dogs in costumes (5 panels)
Washi Tape – Happy Halloween x 2
Halloween squishy x 1
Halloween food picks x 1
Thread x 1
Once I received the fabric I had about 10 days to sew my projects, film and edit the video for the big reveal! I must say, that it was intense, but as you can see below I managed to complete everything within the timeline. I am very proud of myself 😊, especially because it takes me ages to film and edit a video.
Although the fabrics were very beautiful, at first, I wasn’t sure what to make. I knew I wanted to make something useful and thanks to my partner’s suggestion I made all my projects around a D&D game. What is it you ask? It is a role playing game called Dungeon & Dragons, that I play with a group of friends. I am not going to bore you with details (my nerdy-side cries when I say that), but I will mention that this year it is my turn to be the Dungeon Master (DM), and since I had to bring crazy amount of items with me, such as rule books, maps, character sheets, dice, monster cards, timers, miniatures and more I decided to make a backpack!
The timing couldn’t be better, because as you may know I was in the middle of testing my next sewing pattern, the McFly backpack. The McFly pattern comes in two sizes, regular and mini, and I used the regular size (printed at 90%) to make my DM Halloween backpack! For this project I decided to mix Sugar skull fabric by Timeless Treasures with a pink faux leather I had previously used on one of my Isabella pouches. Since I had limited amount of each fabric, I had to carefully plan where to place each piece. At the end I used the Halloween fabric as a main feature on the front of the backpack and used it as an accent on all pockets, zipper tabs, shoulder straps, connectors and back trim. For the remaining external pieces I used the pink faux leather and for the lining I used a white waterproof canvas.
I changed the side pockets to slightly bigger elasticated pockets and added a velcro strap on one side, so I can securely strap my map holder. You may also noticed that I’ve added two elasticated mesh pockets to the lining. They are great for organizing the smaller items I have to take with me.
I must admit that I absolutely love my new backpack and I will probably use it way past the Halloween 😆
From the Nocturna fabric by Alexander Henry I made two separate projects: a binder cover and few drawstring bags for my dice sets. One of many responsibilities of being Dungeon Master is not only to keep track of the game mechanics such as movement, initiative during combat, countless MPCs and more, but also to tell a story so players can fully immerse themselves in the game. This requires pre-session preparation and planning so the story can progress naturally and without any hiccups. Throughout the game I need to stay organized, so I use a binder or two to keep my notes, spare character sheets and maps handy.
To make the binder cover I adapted my own tutorial for the notebook/journal cover. I omitted the pockets, but kept the snap connector. I really like how it turned out and I am planning to decorate the pages with the Halloween washi tape I received with the fabric.
I had some of that fabric left, so decided to make some dice bags. I usually take 5-7 sets of dice with me, just in case if anyone forgets theirs, and thought it would be a nice gift to give it to my friends. It goes really well with my binder cover!
From the panels I made 3 separate projects: large zipper pouch, dice tray and map holder.
For a while now, I was playing with an idea of a large zipper pouch with double zipper opening at the top. At this point I had no pattern, but I took this opportunity to test if my idea is doable and if I actually like the overall style and shape. I knew I wanted to use one of the smaller panels with dogs on the front of my pouch, so had to take the dimensions of the panel into consideration when drafting the pattern. I ended up with a basic rectangle with rounded corners, then added a gusset with double zipper flap and a leather handle on one side. To test the idea further I also included a mesh zipper pocket and two cargo style pockets inside the pouch, so I can keep smaller items organized. I had some orange faux leather in my stash which was the perfect match to use with this panel.
To make my dice tray I used the other small panels. I actually failed twice, but luckily on the third try I managed to make one that I was happy with. I’ve seen a tutorial on YouTube for something similar, so I had to try it out! To make it easier to pack I decided to add press snaps on each corner, so the tray can be unfolded and stored flat.
I really like this design, because after the game I can use it to keep some fruit and candy on the table.
I did not know what to make out of the last panel, which was very large comparing to the other panels, but at the end I decided to use the top portion with “Howl-O-Ween” written on it to cover my map holder. I use a cardboard tube to store D&D maps, so I simply measured the circumference and length of the tube, then cut the fabric slightly bigger, folded all raw edges toward the wrong side of the fabric and topstitched around to keep them in place. Then I took a hot glue gun and glued the fabric to the tube. Quick and easy!
Since the game session usually lasts 5-7 hours we have to bring food to keep the energy level high, so for the final project I decided to make a lunch bag. It was no brainer for me, because similarly to the backpack, I already had the pattern. The lunch bag pattern is available for free, so if you would like to make your own visit my shop to get the copy.
I wanted to do something a bit different this time, so I quilted the fabric before I even started the project. This gave the fabric some stability and texture, which I really like. The lunch bag is fully lined with waterproof canvas, so I don’t have to worry about any spillage, plus it is a great opportunity to bring these cute and spooky food picks with me! To make this lunch bag even more cute I added a rainbow zipper and some blue faux leather as an accent and I can honestly say I am obsessed!
I didn’t know how to incorporate the squishy cat toy into my sewing makes, but I can say that it is fun to play with and very relaxing.
Taking part in this Halloween sewing challenge was totally a new experience but I had a lot of fun throughout! I would like to thank Modes4U.com for organizing this sewing challenge. If you are looking for good quality fabrics and more make sure to visit their website.
Watch the Halloween sewing challenge reveal video and check out the other creators to find out what they’ve made from the same fabrics.
