Tutorial: On-The-Go Checkers

My daugther Ella's good friend Todd (who is 4 years old) loves Checkers. He continually asks her to play, even though she does not yet know the rules. He plays with his Mom often and loves to indulge in this game. I wanted to create a homemade gift for him that would make it possible for his family to play checkers anywhere; in the park, at the doctor's office, at a friend's house or in the car on a long road trip.

The finished product is this fabric On-The-Go Checker Game.



The best part is I used only scraps from my fabric stash to create it...no cost and it took about an hour to sew start to finish.

*All sewing seams are 1/4". Finished dimmensions: 14" square

- 1/2 yard cream or white fabric (this could be 100% cotton or flannel)

- 1/2 yard patterned fabric #1 (small scale)

- 1/8 yard patterned fabric #2 (small scale)

- 4.5" strip velcro or 3-4 velcro dots

- 2 sheets of craft felt (one in each of two different colors)

- 1 sheet double sided fusible webbing (I used this product.)

- iron and ironing board

- sewing machine

- white thread and bobbin

1. Cut fabric to the measurements picture below

2. Sew patterned fabric strips around the edges of your cream square.

3. Peel off one side of the paper on a sheet of your fusible webbing. Lay onto an 8.5x11" piece of your Patterned Fabric 1. Press to adhere double sided fusible webbing. Leave second layer of paper on. Cut 32 1.5 x 1.5" squares from fabric.

4. Lay your sewn square on your ironing board. peel off paper backing of each square and arrange on cream square in checkerboard pattern.


5. Use iron to adhere squares to cream square using directions on packaging for your chosen fabric.

6. Now, if your slightly obsessive compulsive, like me, you'll want to section off the area that will become your pocket and top stitch on it before sewing the front and back piece together. Otherwise all of the rest of the playing board will have identical top stitching except that portion. Mark with pins the squares that will become the top layer of your pocket and top stitch them with a zig-zag stitch.

7. Now you're ready to sew the front to the back. Lay right sides together and pin. Be sure to put double pins at the place where the pocket will be. This is also your are to turn your fabric later. Sew around edge using 1/4" seam.


8. Turn right side out and press. Make sure to press down the seams along the opened edge so they are even with the seams of the sewn edges.

9. Sew loop side of the velcro into inside opening of the pocket. Sew hook side of velcro into opposite inside of pocket opening.

10. Top stitch around outside edge of checkerboard with straight stitch.

11. Top stitch all lined of checkerboard. The back will look like this (except the pocket edges of yours will have a zig-zag stitch.


 
12. Cut felt into 1&1/4" squares. Cut 14 squares of each color. You actually only need 12 of each color, but I cut 2 extra of each color checker in case some got lost.




13. Store felt checkers in pocket.



You're finished! This can be folded in half and half again and stored in your purse, the car or your child's backpack. And because the checkers are made of felt, they stick slightly to the fabric, making it wind-free and slip proof.




One more note: When someone has his/her checked "kinged", simply put two square checkers on top of each other with one at a 45* angle to the other. This will create a star silhouette which will distinguish it from other "non-kinged" checkers.

Enjoy and HAPPY NEW YEAR!