Travel Tissue Covers (Assembly Line Method)

The annual awards luncheon for my garden club was yesterday and I decided to make travel tissue covers as party favors.  I have made these in the past, but did not remember the cutting measurements and found this great tutorial for travel tissue covers at Two Brown Birds.

Travel tissue covers by Paige Alexander

For the focus fabric I choose a Kaffe Fassett print, Roman Glass in Leafy. And I chose two Michael Miller Cotton Couture solids for the accents in Coral and Wisteria.

The pieces were cut 5 1/2" x 6 1/2" for the focus fabric and 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" for the accent fabric.  Knowing I would be sewing in assembly line method (and fast), I cut all of the strips 5 1/2" by the width of fabric.  That way, I would be sewing the two fabrics together along the lengthwise grain where there were be no stretching as opposed to sewing on the crosswise grain.

Note:  Next time, instead of cutting the pieces 5 1/2", I will increase it by 1/4" and cut at least 5 3/4". After turning and adding the tissues, it was a tight fit.

Once the two seams were sewn, turned and pressed this is what it looks like.  There should be 1/4" of accent fabric showing on each side.

Tissue cover after two seams sewn

To quickly fold the outer edges to meet in the center, I used the rotary mat to help with alignment. I placed the two sewn pieces (with the focus fabric on top) on the mat, centering it on the boldest line of the mat (the 5" line). The accent pieces extend 1/4" on either side of the 2" and 8" lines.

Tissue cover in progress center on 5" line of cutting mat

Next, I folded one side in to meet in the center using the 5" mark on the mat as reference.  I then pinned in place.

One side of tissue cover folded to meet in the center

At this point it was not necessary to use the mat as reference, I could just fold the opposite in to meet the already folded fabric and pin.

Both outer edges of tissue cover folded to the center and pinned

 I sewed them in assembly line method one after the other.

Tissue covers under the machine

I backstitched a couple of stitches in the middle where the seam would receive the most stress.  And I overlocked the raw edges for a clean finish.

Tissue covers stitched and overlocked.

I felt like the most time consuming part was turning them right side out. Here's where That Purple Thang can in handy.

Travel tissue covers with That Purple Thang

Here they are, all 24 of them, lined up in a basket.

Travel tissue covers by Paige Alexanders 

I snapped pictures of some bellflowers and a Japanese iris yesterday while at the Kilgore Lewis House, which is the headquarters for the Greenville Council of Garden Clubs.  The Spring Garden Tour is taking place Friday and Saturday, May 13 and 14.  If you are near Greenville, SC, you will surely see some beautiful gardens of residents in the area.

Bellflowers at the Kilgore Lewis House, Greenville, SC

Japanese iris at the Kilgore Lewis House, Greenville, SC

Linking up to Finish Up Friday, Whoop Whoop Friday, Quokka Quilts hosting Thank Goodness Its Finished Friday this week, Fabric Frenzy Friday and Show Off Saturday.