Where is my business card??

….said every woman as she digs through her purse at the most opportune moment, when the best business contact ever in the history of the world is standing before her…..

The answer? Something CUTE! These are cute cute cute. And easy. And fun to make. I made 14! So far. The cute scraps of fabric in my stash call to me to make another one!

The little ribbon tab allows you to attach a small hook, and attach the envelope to your phone case, your purse strap, or your wallet. Anywhere you think you can find it fast, and avoid the awkward digging, searching… looking… I will find it… it is in here somewhere…..

Ok, here we go!

Make a pattern first. I cut a piece of paper 5 ¼ “ X 8”. Then, at one of the short ends, I made a center mark, and a mark 1” down each side. Using this as a guide, I cut the “arrow” portion.

Using the pattern, cut one of each:

Outside fabric

Flannel – any flannel will do, as long as it does not show through the outer fabrics.

Lining fabric

Cutting for this project is important, so I tried hard to trace the pattern carefully onto the fabric before cutting. (It is a good idea to only cut fabric that has been pressed. It will allow you to cut more precisely, and make the sewing step much easier. )

If you are using an outer fabric that has a definite up and down pattern, be careful how you cut the piece. I chose to have the base of the little envelope display the pattern right side up. But, this means that, when the flap is folded, it will display upside down.

Here is why. See? On one the dogs are right side up, and upside down on the other. Ooops.

Similarly, if there is an image on your fabric that you especially want to have on the front of your envelope, position the pattern over it, and fold the fabric the way it will be folded into the envelope, to be sure you have the image you want in the correct orientation.

Cut a 3 ½ Inch piece of ribbon, or twill tape. It is fun to match the ribbon to the pattern. I used dog paw ribbon for the case I am going to give to my dog sitter, and cute measuring twill tape for the sewing one. Have fun matching this up.

Now, place the flannel piece on a surface. Cover this with your outer fabric, good side facing up. On top, add the lining fabric, good side facing down. Pin together.

Now you are ready to sew. Sew a ¼ inch seam all the way around, but leave a gap about the width of two fingers near the bottom of one of the long sides.

For mine, I started sewing at the lower right hand side of the envelope, and ended a bit above that.

Clip all corners, turn and press. Use a turning stick, or a crochet hook to be sure the corners are turned to a sharp point.

Top stitch the short, straight side.

Fold the little envelope into the correct shape. Press again.

Double the ribbon or twill tape, and insert it into the little opening where you did not sew.

Sew all the way around, catching the open area where you turned the envelope right side out. This will also catch the little ribbon.

Press.

Sew on little Velcro circles. I did this by hand. Or, you can attach a button, or a snap.

For a gift, it is nice to insert the person’s own business card!