This travel case was given to me years ago by my mother. It had been a very useful travel cosmetic case for many years.
As
you can see although it is still useful it has seen better days. I had
attempted to glue in a piece of fabric to the top several years ago.
Not my best work for sure. Must have been done in a big hurry to go
some place.
This case definitely needs some TLC and a new look to take on vacation.
This
was the results of my endeavor to reline my cosmetic case. Try finding
an older case at a thrift store or redo one of your own and get many
more years of usefulness for just a little time. The Tutorial of how I
relined it follows.
1. Carefully remove old lining. Use these pieces as your guide to make all pieces.
2.
This is just an example of how I made the bottom pattern. First
measure the lining bottom piece and then measure the bottom of the
case. I found the case did not match up with the lining. Over the
years somehow it had shrunk or they had a great industrial machine that
made it fit at the time. SO BE CAREFUL THAT THE CASE MEASURES THE SAME
AS THE LINING PIECES. Then use them as an example to make your pattern
pieces.
3. After measuring the bottom of case use a cutting board to measure and make a bottom pattern piece. I use wax paper
as it is inexpensive at the Dollar General store. Use a permanent
marker to out line your pattern, it does not go through the wax paper. I
have made hundreds of patterns this way. Just use see through tape
such as scotch tape to make larger pieces.
4.
NOTE: Because the other pieces are going to overlap the bottom piece
make the bottom piece a little larger so that it goes up the edge a
little.
5. To make the curved edges a soup cup was used. Any curved object that will give you the desired curve will do.
6. Use the above technique for making the other pattern pieces.
7. The main new lining was cut out of a drapery curtain that was bought at a thrift store.
8.
I wanted the lining to have a little more sturdiness to it, so with a
piece of quilted fabric I cut out one of each of the pieces. I used the
lines on the quilted fabric as a guide and sewed the fabric to the
lining giving it a quilted look. You could use 2 pieces of fabric with
some kind of lining in the middle like the kind used for quilts.
9.
The next step was to cut out plastic from quality Zip-Lock bags for
protection to the fabric. [Gee, wish there was a craft or fabric store
closer than 2 1/2 hours away. Iron on vinyl would have been great. The zip lock bags did fine and with stood my vacation travel for a month.
10. Using your largest zig-zag stitch (so the plastic will not tear) sew around the edges of fabric and plastic.
Do this to all lining pieces in appropriate places.
11.
After securing the plastic I used bias binding around all the edges. It
is easy to make bias binding for yourself and be able to create the
binding of your choice. Visit my post on making bias binding http://nanasknoll.blogspot.com/2009/09/bias-tape-instructions.html
12.
Apply glue to the bottom of the case. In my case the pieces overlap
other pieces, so you will have to observe how your case went
together. Taking pictures of the different areas will help when making
pattern pieces and reassembling and gluing. A fabric glue was applied
and then a little hot glue to hold it in position until the fabric glue
set up.
13.
The next piece is the side piece. As you can see 3 pieces were used to
make the length of the side pieces. Where the pieces are joined, bias
tape is used to hide the seams. This side piece is made with the same
procedures as steps 1-3.
14. Apply fabric and hot glue in the same way as the bottom on the sides, leaving the top edge unglued.
15. Once the side is secure apply glue to the top edge all the way around.
16. The next piece is the flap that hangs down from the lid to the center of the travel case. The top section of this piece does not have the zip-lock bag sewn on it as it is not needed.
17.
I measured the old piece that held bottles in the case. I made a narrow
piece and inserted elastic. The elastic was pulled a little tighter as
the old piece was a little stretched out. The elastic piece was sewed
with a tight zig zag stitch on each end. Measure the same distance from
either end and sew again allowing for 3 sections.
18. This
flap piece needed a little weight and stiffening so this plastic piece
was cut and hand sewn to the section that would hang in the bottom back.
19. NOTE: This piece is glued ONLY on the lid piece. This allows the lid to open and shut without restraint.
20. The lid is done the same as STEP 3-NOTE: make this piece the EXACT SIZE of the top to fit to the edge.
21. Glue in place.
This travel case is now ready for many more years.
