One Yard Adventure: Plein Air Paintbrush Case Tutorial

Now that my plein air painting basket is done, I have a small piece of fabric still left to use. A paintbrush case to roll up and put in my basket seems just the right thing.

Plein Air Paintbrush Case



Supplies

• Fabric
• Sewing scissors
• Zig-zag or scallop-edge scissors (optional)
• Needle and coordinating thread
• Piece of wool felt 8“ by 11”

Step 1: Fold up the bottom of your felt towards the top 5” and pin in place. This forms a pocket. Beginning at the top of the pocket on the right, sew a ¼” seam down that side, across the bottom, and up the other side to where the other side meets the main body of the pocket—backstitching at each end. Do not stitch across the top of the pocket as this is where you’ll insert your paintbrushes later.



Step 2: Using masking tape, mark where you want to sew individual pockets for your brushes.



Step 3: Beginning at the bottom of the pocket edge, and using the tape as a guide, stitch up to the top of the pocket for each section you want to create. Backstitch at each end. Then trim around the edges of the entire piece with either zig-zag scissors or scalloped-edged scissors like I used.



Step 4: Depending on your fabric scraps, do one of the following to make the piece that will form a tie around your paintbrush case: (a) cut one piece 18” by 1½” or (b) cut 2 pieces 9½” by 1½”. If you need to do (b) like I did, then place the short ends of the right sides of the two strips together and stitch a ¼” seam and press open.



Step 5: Turn the short edges under ¼” towards the wrong side of the fabric; press. Fold each strip in half (wrong sides together) so the long edges meet and press lightly. Open and fold in each of the long sides in to meet at the middle crease. Press.



Step 6: Now fold this in the middle so the long edges meet and press again. Stitch close to the edge along all four sides.



Step 7: Find the middle of your prepared tie piece. Pin it to the back of your paintbrush case so that the middle of the tie piece is over the stitching you did around the edge of the entire case and where the top of the far right pocket begins.



Step 8: Now measure down 3” from the top of your case and stitch across. You’re not stitching this piece to anything else. You’ll fold this section over the tops of your brushes.



You now have a new paintbrush case to put in your plein air painting basket. Tuck in your brushes, roll it up, secure the little tie, and you’re ready to go.



The following are the miniaturized versions of everything I take for my little painting adventures.



As promised, nothing will get wasted with the one yard of fabric I used for all my projects. The teeny snippets of scrap leftovers are going to a quilter’s group for use as filler in the comfort blankets they make for animal shelters.



My plein air kit is packed and I’m going out for a lovely day of painting at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.



Thus ends my adventures with one yard of fabric. I hope you enjoyed my series of tutorials.