A trip to the African savannah, anyone? The new collection by Gabrielle Neil, The Waterhole, makes it possible to head out on your own creative safari – and you don’t even need to leave your sewing room. Hi, I’m Damjana from AppleGreen Cottage and I got to play with these beautiful prints, making a few new KALINA Mini Wallets. A small, back-pocket wallet pattern that felt perfect for the beautiful animal prints, earthy colors – and called for some lovely fussy cutting. (Have you spotted a meerkat peeking out from the tiny tab?)
I designed the KALINA mini wallet pattern when I realized I was actually only using one single credit card, and only a bit of cash here and there – usually, when passing by our local bakery shop. (Mmm, those mini croissants!) No need for a full, large and heavy wallet! If you’re at least a bit like me, you’ll find a good use for this simple bifold wallet.
When you open the snap, you’ll spot a handy zip pocket for coins, and there is a slip pocket behind it for folded bills. On the other side, there are three card slots.
It’s the perfect minimalist wallet – small enough to pop in any bag or clip to your keys, but still providing space for cards, notes and coins. And the best part? The smart zipper pocket sewing hack that will reduce the bulk when sewing. I know you’ll love it!
The Watermark collection is perfect if you like fussy cutting. If you don’t know where to start, give the cheater print a try. And the rainbows – must-try, in all three colorways! I loved playing around with the large and smaller ones, they are perfect for fussy cutting. Another closer look here:
Monochrome rainbows as background for the magnetic snaps? Yes please! You’ll notice them on the tiny flaps, both sides. I couldn’t resist them. While the original Kalina had a KAM snap closure, this time I chose to play around with the small magnetic snaps. I had a pack of dark metallic magnets sized at 9/16″ (14 mm) and they were a perfect match for this fabric line.
There’s a tutorial AppleGreen Cottage on how-to add these small magnets to the mini wallet. Feel free to check it out, I even snapped a few more in-process closeups to make it easier for you.
Remember to use the hashtag #kalinawallet when you post a photo of your Kalina, I’d love to see what you make! Now go ahead and enjoy The Waterhole collection – the storyboard will walk you through the stunning African savanna:
Tag @rileyblakedesigns when you sew something with this collection, or use hashtags #thewaterholefabric #rileyblakedesigns #iloverileyblake. The fabric is available your favorite quilt shops.
About the author
Damjana is the owner and pattern designer behind AppleGreen Cottage pattern shop. Her customers love her for making her instructions super easy to follow, and for all the clever tips that make sewing a breeze. Also, grab a bunch of free patterns when you visit her blog: