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J ULY 3 , 20 18

Closet Hanger Caddy Safe

Great for Travel + Home
EDITOR: LIZ JOHNSON

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We originally designed this clever little storage solution for frequent

travelers. It’s perfect to slip onto a hotel hanger, fill with your valuables, then
cover up with a hanging garment. But it works equally well in your own
closet. It’s also a great way – when traveling or when planning your daily
work wardrobe – to collect all the accessories that go with a particular outfit.
 Put lingerie, jewelry, scarves and belts into the zippered and slip-in pockets,
then hang up the outfit itself over the Safe. Everything you need for that
day’s outfit in one handy place! Even with double zippers, clever pockets,
ribbon ties, and more, our Hanger Safe is surprisingly easy to make.

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We made both a pretty floral version as well a more masculine striped
version, originally using fabrics from the Petal Sateen collection by Tanya
Whelan for FreeSpirit Fabrics. This is an older collection that is no longer
readily available, but there are always lots of great alternative collections
coming out every season. We do recommend staying with a slightly heavier
fabric for the best results.
This project is easier than you might think, but there are quite a few steps. As
always, we recommend reading through the directions once or twice to
cement the steps in your brain. As we often say, “Make it in your head first,
then start sewing!”

Our Closet Safes finish at approximately 12¼” high x 16¼” wide. The front
pocket fits documents up to 8½” x 11″. The two back zippered pockets are
excellent for wallets, passports, jewelry and more. The zippered opening of
each pocket is about 14½”. The top pocket is approximately 5″ deep, the
bottom pocket is about 6″. The hanging straps are a 6″ high loop.
Sewing Tools You Need

Sewing Machine and standard presser foot

Zipper foot
Even Feed or Walking foot; or engage your machine’s built-in fabric feeding
system, such as the AcuFeed™ Flex feeding system we use on many of our
Janome studio machines

Fabric and Other Supplies

NOTE: Supplies listed below are for ONE hanger safe.

1 yard of 54″+ wide decorator weight fabric for the body of the safe, the
back pockets, and the zipper end tabs; we originally used Petal Dot in Pink and
Petal Dot in Red
¾ yard of coordinating 54″+ wide decorator weight fabric for the front
pocket and straps; we originally used Sweet Rose Bouquet in Parchment and
Wallpaper Stripe in Red
NOTE: We used the stripe fabric for the pocket and straps on our Red sample,
but opted to stay with the main pink dot for the straps on our Pink sample. The
straps require just FOUR 2″ x 13″ strips and so can be cut from one WOF (width of
fabric) 2″ strip from either 54″+ fabric.
1 yard of 45″+ wide mid-weight fusible interfacing; we used Pellon Décor
Bond
 1 yard of 20″+ wide lightweight fusible interfacing; we used Pellon Shir-Tailor
TWO 16″ standard zippers; we used Coats Polyester All-Purpose Zippers
½ yard ⅜” wide ribbon for the front pocket closure
½ yard of ⅛” wide ribbon for the zipper pulls; we chose colors to best
coordinate with both the fabric and the zippers
All-purpose sewing thread in colors to match fabrics
Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
See-through ruler
Straight pins
Seam gauge
Seam ripper
Iron and ironing board
Hand sewing needle

Getting Started and Pattern Download

All our pieces were carefully fussy cut to make the best use of all motifs in
our chosen collection. If you are new to this technique, check out our tutorial
on How To Fussy Cut.

The sample shown in our in-progress photos is the Red Hanger Safe. The
Pink Hanger Safe was made following the exact same steps. The only
di%erence, as mentioned above, was the choice to the make the straps for
the Pink Closet Safe from the main dot fabric rather than the front pocket
fabric.

1. Download and print Hanger Safe Patterns: Piece 1, Hanger Safe Piece 2,
Hanger Safe Piece 3, and Hanger Safe Piece 4, which have been bundled
into ONE PDF to make the download easier.
IMPORTANT: Each pattern piece is ONE 8½” x 11″ sheet. You must print the PDF
at 100%. DO NOT SCALE to fit the page. There is a guide rule on each page to
make sure your printout is to scale. Print horizontally (landscape).
2. Cut out the four pattern pieces along the solid lines.
3. Butt together the four pieces to create the full pattern, following the
assembly arrows drawn on the pattern. Do NOT overlap. Tape together
4. From the fabric for the for the body of the safe, the back pockets, and the
zipper end tabs, cut the following:
ONE 17″ wide x 2″ high rectangle
ONE 17″ wide x 5¾” high rectangle
ONE 17″ wide x 5½” high rectangle
FOUR 1″ x 2″ tabs
Using the pattern, cut TWO
5. From the fabric for the front pocket and straps, cut the following:
TWO 17″ wide x 12″ high rectangles
FOUR 2″ x 13″ strips for the straps
6. From the mid-weight fusible interfacing, using the pattern, cut TWO.
7. From the lightweight fusible interfacing, cut the following:
ONE 17″ x 2″ rectangle
ONE 17″ x 5¾” rectangle
ONE 17″ x 5½” rectangle
ONE 16″ x 11½” rectangle
8. Cut the ⅜” ribbon length in half into TWO 9″ lengths.
9. Cut the ⅛” ribbon into TWO 5″ lengths.

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

Main panels
1. Find the two main fabric pieces and the two interfacing pieces you cut using
the assembled pattern.
2. On the interfacing pieces, measure 2″ down from the top curved edges and
make a mark. Do this on both sides.
3. Using a see-through ruler and rotary cutter, trim ½” from both sides, cutting
from the 2″ mark down to each bottom corner. In addition, cut ½” o% the
bottom.
NOTE: You can use scissors, but a rotary cutter makes this step faster and easier.
If you only have scissors, first draw a line to follow.
4. Place a trimmed interfacing piece on the wrong side of each main fabric
piece. There will be ½” of fabric showing along the sides and bottom; only
the top curved edges will be flush. Following manufacturer’s instructions,
fuse the interfacing in place.

NOTE: The reason for cutting back this interfacing is to keep it out of the seam
allowance. Without first trimming, the multiple layers of the heavier fabric plus
the interfacing would be too hard to turn and work with.
Front pocket
1. Find the two 17″ x 12″ contrasting rectangles and the 16″ x 11½” piece of
lightweight interfacing.
2. Place the interfacing on the wrong side of one of the two fabric pieces,
 aligning the top edges of the two layers. This will leave ½” of fabric showing
beyond the interfacing along both sides and across the bottom. Following
manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the interfacing in place.

3. Place the fused rectangle and the plain rectangle right sides together. Find
the exact center point along the top of the plain piece and mark with a pin.

4. Find one of the 9″ lengths of the ⅜” ribbon. Pin the ribbon at the center
point mark against the right side of the fabric. One end of the ribbon should
be flush with the top raw edge of the fabric.
5. Pin the layers together along the top edge only, sandwiching the ribbon
between the layers.
6. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch together along the top edge only,
securing the ribbon in place with the seam. Press the seam allowance open.
7. Fold the two layers wrong sides together, pulling out the ribbon. Press well,
making sure your seam is straight along the top edge.

8. Edgestitch across the top.

 9. Place one main fabric panel right side up on your work surface. Place the
front pocket panel on top of the main panel, aligning the sides and the
bottom edge. Pin the layers together along the sides and across the bottom.
10. Find the remaining 9″ length of ⅜” ribbon. Pin it at the center top raw edge
of the main panel so it lays right on top of the ribbon stitched into the
pocket panel.

11. Machine baste the second ribbon length in place within the seam allowance.
12. Set the in-progress front panel aside.
Back zippered pockets panel
1. Find the two zippers and the four 1″ x 2″ fabric tabs.
2. Place one tab right side down on each end of each zipper. The tab should
cover up the zipper stop and be approximately ½” in from the raw end of the
zipper.
3. On the bottom of the zipper, simply pin in place.

4. On the top of the zipper, open the zipper first, then pin in place.
5. For each tab, stitch straight across, through both layers, at approximately 1″
in from the raw end of the zipper tape. You want to stitch just below (zipper
bottom) and above (zipper top) the zipper stops.

6. Fold the tab back along the seam line and press. Edgestitch in place close to
the raw edges.
7. Repeat for each end of each zipper. These tab ends will fill in any gaps within
the pocket openings, creating a lovely finish on both ends.

8. Find the three main fabric rectangles (17″ x 2″, 17″ x 5½”, and 17″ x 5¾”) and
the lightweight interfacing cut to the same sizes.
9. Following manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the interfacing piece on the
wrong side of its matching fabric piece.
10. Press under the bottom 17″ raw edge of the 2″ strip ½” to create a clean
folded edge. If your motif is not directional, just pick one side to be the
bottom.
11. Unzip one zipper. Place it right side up on your work surface with the zipper
pull to your left.
12. Center the folded edge of the 2″ strip along the top zipper tape. The folded
edge should sit approximately ⅛” from the zipper teeth. Pin in place.

13. Attach a Zipper foot.

14. Edgestitch the top edge of the zipper tape to the bottom folded edge of the
pocket strip. Start with with the zipper about half way open.
15. Stitch to the middle, where you’re approaching the zipper pull. Stop with
your needle in the down position. Lift up your presser foot.

16. Twist your fabric around slightly in order to be able to carefully close the
zipper.
17. Re-position your fabric and finish sewing to the end.

18. Find the 17″ x 5¾” piece. Press under the top 17″ raw edge ½” to create a
clean folded edge. As above, if your motif is not directional, just pick one
side to be the top.
19. Repeat the above steps, pinning and then sewing the top of the pocket piece
to the remaining bottom half of the first zipper. Take the time to carefully
measure the distance from the folded edge to the teeth; you want it to
match the ⅛” distance you used above.
20. Press under the bottom 17″ raw edge (the remaining raw edge) of the sewn
17″ x 5¾” piece to create a clean folded edge.
21. Unzip the remaining zipper. Place it right side up on your work surface with
the zipper pull to your left.
22. Repeat the above steps, pinning and then sewing the bottom of the sewn
17″ x 5¾” piece to the top half of the remaining zipper. As above, take the
time to carefully measure the distance from the folded edge to the teeth;
you want all the distances to exactly match.

23. Finally, find the 17″ x 5½” piece. Press under the top 17″ raw edge ½” to
create a clean folded edge. Again, if your motif is not directional, just pick
one side to be the top.
24. Repeat the above steps, pinning and then sewing this top folded edge of the
 final pocket piece to the bottom half of the remaining zipper.

25. You now have a complete back panel made of three fabric rectangles and
two zippers. The top, bottom, and both sides are still raw edges.
26. Fold under the top raw edge ½” and press well.

Assemble the back layers

1. Find the remaining main panel (the one without the pocket and ribbons).
Place it right side up and flat on your work surface.
2. Place the zippered pocket panel on top of the main panel, aligning the sides
and the bottom edge. Lightly pin the layers together along the sides and
across the bottom, then pin across the panel along the top folded edge.
3. Re-attach your regular presser foot or a Even Feed/Walking foot or engage
your machine’s built-in fabric feeding system.
4. Edgestitch across the top folded edge of the pocket panel through all the
layers

5. Measure 3½” from the bottom of the top zipper down towards the second
zipper. Use pins or draw a guide line across the entire width of the panel at
this 3½” measurement.
6. Topstitch across the width of the panel, following the guide line. We
attached a quilting guide bar to keep our line straight. This line of stitching
creates the bottom of the top pocket.

Make the straps

1. Find the four 2″ x 13″ strips.
2. Place two strips right sides together and pin along both 13″ sides. Using a
½” seam allowance, stitch along both 13″ sides. Leave both ends open.
3. Turn the sewn tube right side out. Press flat.

4. Repeat to assemble the remaining pair of strips.

5. Fold each sewn strap in half, aligning the raw ends.
Assemble all the layers to !nish
1. Place the assembled front and back panels right sides together.
2. Find the original paper pattern. Transfer the markings for placement of both
straps from the paper pattern to the top edge of the back zippered panel.
Pin the straps in place between the layers at these points.

3. Remember, you should have already folded your straps in place. So between
the layers, the doubled raw ends should be flush with the top raw edge of
the panel and the looped end should be hanging down against the panel.
4. Pin around the perimeter of the entire piece: the top, both sides and across
the bottom. Along the bottom, leave an approximate 8″ opening for turning.

5. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch around the perimeter of the entire piece:
the top, both sides and across the bottom. Remember to pivot at the top
and bottom corners, to go slowly and evenly along the top curve, and to lock
your seam at either side of the 8″ opening left for turning.
6. Clip the corners and notch the top curves.
 7. Turn the entire piece right side out through the bottom opening.
8. Push out the bottom corners so they are nice and sharp and gently round
out the top corners. A chopstick, long knitting needle or point turner works
well for this.
9. Press the entire piece well; you want it to be nice and flat. Steam and a
pressing cloth is good for this step.
10. Fold in the raw edges of the bottom opening so they are flush with the sewn
seam. Press flat.
11. Thread a hand sewing needle and slip stitch the opening closed.

12. Find the two 5″ lengths of ⅛” ribbon. Fold one length in half; loop and knot it
through the hole in the zipper pull, as if you were attaching a gift or price
tag. Repeat with the second zipper pull.