Hello Passport Control!

Hey Craft-lovers! 
January is DRAGGING by for me, my bank balance is making me want to cry and February just seems too damn far away. This may also have something to do with the fact that I'm going on my first foreign holiday in YEARS in February (living in Poland doesn't count).
But this isn't time for Winter Sun. No no. I'm going to the land of minus 30 and frostbite. That's right, I'm going back to Poland for five days and I couldn't be more excited.
My boyfriend and I both want to spend some time travelling around Europe, and have our eyes set on Germany at some point this year, but decided to book a break somewhere familiar to ease into it. As I know Krakow like the back of my hand we've managed to book a cost-friendly mini break and already have most of the trip planned out. Mostly I'm excited by the prospect of actually getting to wear my snow boots in snow. I bought them in Krakow last February after weeks of skating around precariously in Uggs whilst carrying an iPad around with me. However I left Galeria Krakowska after buying them only to find that the snow was beginning to melt and then the temperature hit a balmy 12 degrees. 100zl down and all the pigeon Polish in my vocabulary couldn't have wangled a return on them.
So yeah, you'd better give me snow, Poland, otherwise I want my money back.

Poland... this. I want this. Do this.

So anyway, after a month of trekking around Central America and a few booze-filled holidays my passport has taken a hammering over the past nine years (roll on 2016 for a new picture!). Last time I was at passport control in Leeds I was told it was 'well loved' and didn't look like me at all. Which is a compliment, actually. So I decided to make a new holder for it.
What I actually made started out as a coin purse in the style of an envelope, however it turned out to be too big and floppy (LOL) so it's now my passport holder. Unfortunately I didn't log the making of this one because I got too excited by fat quarters.

Essentially what I did though was open an envelope out flat and laid it out onto two different patterns and cut round. I had to make sure I cut the outer fabric on the right side and the lining on the wrong side, if that makes any sense. I then sewed both pieces together inside out and turned them back to the right sides facing out. Then I simply placed the envelope template on top and folded the square so it was an envelope again.
At this point I should have ironed it, but I hate ironing and couldn't be bothered to get up, so I scored along the edges with my thumbnail and sewed it in place.

I decided to make my first ever button hole which was horrible and used a button I got for 50p at a local haberdashery, completed it with 'Look at this handmade thing' bragging ribbon and voila! It's a little rough around the edges but that's what you get when you lose your patience with hand sewing!

Kitten not included

It'll keep my passport from getting more tatty and will always be easy to find in my bag (as I lose my passport about 5 times every time I go anywhere!)

Fat quarters: 6 for £5 from HobbyCraft
Button: 50p from Ribbon Circus, Hebden Bridge
Ribbon: £1.50 per metre from Ribbon Circus, Hebden Bridge

Now I need a new mini project to start and fabric for my next big one!

'Til next time lovely people, keep on crafting :)