OK. So does anyone know about moo.com?? It’s a company that prints business cards. Really cool business cards. Less business card, more trading card. They come in two sizes. Regular and mini. The regular size are normal business card size (3.5 x 2 inches, or about 8.89 x 5 cm.) Mini moos are teeny tiny and awesome – around 2.75 x 1.125” (6.98 x 2.85 cm.) ANYWAY. The cool thing about them is that you can upload different files as your ‘artwork’ – so you can get a pack of 100 cards with 100 different pictures on the back. They are especially nifty for working artists and crafty sorts – in fact, the site even allows you to download image files directly from Etsy! I ordered a bunch with my little hand drawn (ok, drawn in Illustrator with my clever fingers and my mousepad) illustration set against some of my favorite colors. The flip side just shows my name, my email address and my website. I meet a lot of people and always am looking for a pen to jot down my email or web address – now I have a little mini moo to pass out! Once I got my cards I realized I really wanted a case that could hold some of my personal cards as well as some of the full size cards from the shop where I’m working… here’s a picture of what I came up with – along with some shots of my mini moos…

The construction of the case was pretty simple – the one in the picture was my third try… Here are my pattern pieces:

Steps for construction…

• Cut the outer pattern piece and pocket pieces from main color (mine was pink wool)
• Cut inner piece from contrast fabric (mine was chocolate brown flannel with white polka dots)
• Cut interfacing
• Stitch the pocket pieces to the ends of the inner fabric (as shown in the cutting layout above) – I used quarter inch seams.
• To sew on standard sewing machine – lay pieces in the following order… interfacing, then outer fabric (right side facing the ceiling), then the inner fabric/pocket fabric piece (right side facing table). Sew around two long edges (1/4” seams), one short edge and part of the final short edge. Press, trim seams, clip corners, turn and press. Slipstitch opening.
• To sew on a serger (what I did) – lay pieces in the following order…outer fabric (right side facing the table), interfacing, then the inner fabric/pocket fabric piece (right side facing the ceiling). Serge around all edges (1/4 inch seams)
• Turn up pockets pieces. Press.
• Topstitch around all four edges.
• Stitch the pocket ‘separator’ for the mini – moo side.

If you just want to make to fit standard business cards on both sides – or business cards on one side and money, ID, etc, in the other, follow the same instructions, just cut the main fabric and interfacing .75 inches shorter – 4.25” x 9.5” – and cut the two pocket pieces the same size – 4.25” x 2.25”.

I will say that I have definite ideas to make it better – adding an elastic band to keep closed and integrating some stretchy knit fabric on the pockets and in the center (where the fold is) to make it more adjustable, size wise. I looked FOREVER, though, to find some basic measurements to start from, so maybe this’ll be helpful to someone else??

So that’s part of what I’ve been up to… I have been sewing (you know, actual clothing…) but what with the reason for the season, I’m unable to include photos of what I’m really working on {hello snoops.} Updates will happen… just not yet. So stay tuned for more utilitarian sewing… and some very cool dream jobs posts in the near future!