Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I sell the bags I make from your patterns?
  
   
• Can I make and donate your bags to a charity?
  
   
• Your Professional Tote pattern on the back cover tell me to purchase a 20" zipper, but on page 12 of the directions it calls for an 18" zipper. Which is correct?
  
   
• On page one of the Professional Tote pattern it states the final dimensions of the tote as 18" wide x 15" tall X 5" deep. In the cutting directions, piece #1(front and back piece) states to cut 15" wide x 18" tall. I am confused.
  
   
• FYI - FREE COLORED LABELS
  
   
• How do I insert a magnetic snap?
  
   
• In the Professional Tote pattern , Step 11b, you say  "understitch the seam allowance to the zipper section." What is understitching?
  
   
• I seem to have a lot of bulk around the ends of my zipper, is there a way to minimize this?

1. Can I sell the bags I make from your patterns?

Not unless you purchase a cottage license from The Creative Thimble. A Cottage License cost $100.00 per year, per pattern. Under the terms of the contract, you can make and sell as many bags as you would like for a period of one year. You must tag the bag with information that it is a Creative Thimble pattern. A Cottage License can be renewed for additional years. Contact me at Laura@thecreativethimble.com and I will send you a sample of the contract to look at.

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2. Can I make and donate your bags to a charity?

Yes, I do not have any problem if you want to donate a few bags for a charity, church bazaar or a quilt show. The key word is donate. As soon as you (the maker) receive any money for your bags you will need to purchase a Cottage License as stated in question #1.

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3. Your Professional Tote pattern on the back cover tell me to purchase a 20" zipper, but on page 12 of the directions it calls for an 18" zipper, which is correct?

There is a misprint on the back cover of the Professional Tote pattern. I really wanted it to list an 18" zipper. In my first printing of the pattern, I used a 20" zipper and then decided that I really liked the 18" size better. I made the change in the directions and then forgot to change the back page. I realized the mistake the day I received 5000 copies from my printer. Because either size zipper really will work, I left it as is. I have corrected it in the next printing.

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4. On page one of the Professional Tote pattern it states the final dimensions of the tote as 18" wide x 15" tall X 5" deep. In the cutting directions, piece #1(front and back piece) states to cut 15" wide x 18" tall. I am confused.
 

I am sorry for the confusion with this matter, but both measurements are correct. The tote has side panels that will add width to the finished tote measurement and after sewing the bottom seam adding depth to the tote, it shrinks in height. Therefore, any one-way designs should be cut exactly as stated paying close attention to the height and width
measurements of each pattern piece.

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5. FYI - FREE COLORED LABELS

One of my students, Todd from Winston-Salem, NC has made very nice revisions to my cutting labels, by making them in color. You can follow this link to his web site to download a free copy of his cutting labels for several of my patterns.

Thanks, Todd

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6.  How do I insert a magnetic snap?

CLICK HERE for complete directions on how to insert a magnetic snap.
CLICK HERE to purchase magnetic snap.

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7.  In the Professional Tote pattern , Step 11b, you say  "understitch the seam allowance to the zipper
section." What is understitching?

Understitching is a garment sewing term that usually is used to help hold down a collar facing. On the Professional Tote pattern, it helps hold the upper zipper section neatly in place at the top of the tote.

1. Flip the zipper section so it is sticking straight up over the top of the tote.
2. Pull the seam allowance fabric (where you just sewed on the zipper section) up towards the zipper section.
3. Place the zipper section under the presser foot of your sewing machine (right side up, seam allowance touching the feed dogs of the machine) and top stitch all the way around the top of the tote, close to the seam line, making sure to sew through the main zipper section fabric and all of the seam allowances. This stitching holds the seam allowances in place and helps the zipper section fold down into the tote neatly.
4. One more row of stitching and you are DONE!! Continue with the last step and CELEBRATE!!

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8.  I seem to have a lot of bulk around the ends of my zipper, is there a way to minimize this?

Using heavyweight zippers or long zippers that you cut down to size will add lots of bulk to your seam allowances. Click here to get directions for inserting cut down or heavyweight zippers with less bulk.
 

Start Sewing!
 

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