Car Roll-Up Tutorial

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Sew up a car roll up with me for that car loving kiddo in your life!!!

Cut the following:
1- 19.25"x12" piece of outer fabric (I highly recommend linen or a high quality woven cotton fabric)
1- 19.25"x12" piece of decor bond interfacing (you want the type that is not flimsy)
1- 19.25"x12" piece of innner (black or dark gray woven cotton, this piece will be your "road")
1- 19.25x8" piece of pocket fabric (a woven cotton works nicely for this)
1- 1/2" wide x 10" long piece of yellow ribbon or yellow fabric. I MUCH prefer the ribbon and that's what I'll be using in this tutorial!
1- 1/4" wide x 30"-36" long piece of ribbon for ties

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I know this is an awful picture, but this is all my things cut out!

Onto the sewing, and fusing and pinning and pressing and.......

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1.) Fuse the interfacing to the outer fabric (someone try this fusing it to the inner fabric and leave a comment! I wish I'd done that because I think it would have made sewing the "road lines" onto the innner more stable!!!)

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2.) Since you're over at your ironing board, go ahead and press your pocket fabric in half! Your piece will now be 19.25"x4"

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This picture is not so great, maybe you can see the marks better on this one....
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3.) Starting from the left of your pocket fabric that has been pressed make a mark every 2.75" along the bottom edge (and top too! I like to do the top edge, by lining my ruler up vertically and going along and making just a tick mark beside it. I found a picture!
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4.) Align your pocket to the bottom of inner fabric and clip (you're not still using pins are you?!?!?! :wink:) it on. I like to clip in between my pocket marks so that way I don't have to move them!

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5.) Oh no, see that pin? Ick. Start at the top of the pocket and make sure you backstitch. Stitch down every "line" from tick mark to tick mark. Now you have tunnel pockets....

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6.) Now, starting on the top right of pocket; stitch all the way around it. Just about 1/8" from the edge. We are wanting to *just* catch both edges into seam so it stays straight when we sew everything together and nothing accidently tucks in and gets stitch. No one wants that seam ripper to come out!

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7.) Cut your 10" piece of ribbon into 2" segments. You'll have 5 of them. Use a lighter and just barely melt the ends of each piece. This will seal it and it won't fray! Lay them out in a straight line. If you are a perfectionist grab your ruler and make marks. I am not. I also like to use a glue stick to stick them in their spots. After you've got your pieces on there, stitch them down. If you're using fabric you may want to use a zig zag all around. I just use a straight stitch. I made sure to lock my stitches too!

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8.) Attach your long piece of ribbon to the side like this picture, but NOT where it's placed in this picture!!!!!!! Measure about 3/4" DOWN FROM THE TOP OF YOUR POCKET. Stitch it there!!!

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9.) Put your two pieces of fabric RST (right sides together) and clip (seriously, are you still using pins? :p) Leave a 4" ish gap along the top edge in the middle. Do you see my fingers? In between them is my gap. It's where you'll turn your roll up right side out. Start sewing at one end of your gap to the other end. Use a 1/2" ish seam. Or 5/8". It really doesn't matter too much. Oh and make sure your ribbon is in the center. You don't want to get it caught in your seam!
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That's where I put my presser foot to sew around.

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10.) Turn that baby right side out!
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11.) Clip all four corners diagonally like so, pretty close to the stitching.
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I also like to cut a bit of the bulk right around it too. Do as you wish though. :)

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12.) Now press your car roll up, tuck in edges of your gap you left open. Press, press, press, press, press!!!!! Get those corners nice and crisp! After you've pressed it nicely. Start at one end of the gap and put your presser foot like so. You want your topstitching to be about 1/8"ish in. Sew in the direction of your gap to get that closed up first. Then stitch all the rest of the way around. Make sure to backstitch!!!

You're all done!!!

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This was my first one. Your tie will be lower and your pocket a bit higher, but it shows you where the cars go!

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Happy sewing!!!