CHARM ABOUT YOU

This is one of my very favourite things I have ever made. It was a not a quick make but it was definitely worth the time and thought put into it because it is so functional and since I sew everyday and am travelling a fair bit, it will get used a lot. If you are short on time, jump to the end to watch a little video tour of my bag.

I actually finished it a couple of weeks ago but am finally getting round to blogging about it, and in a way that's better since I've actually been using it - just yesterday I finished off a little extra addition, which is one of my favourite bits because I use a lot of thread! 

So on to the bag...

I made the Everything In Its Place Bag (also called A Place for Everything if you buy the pattern from By Annie). 

The pattern is part of a class called Sew Sturdy Travel Organisers by Annie Unrein on Craftsy. I bought the class specifically for this pattern but it also includes a Hanging Cosmetics Bag, which would be useful too - I might get round to doing that at some point!

Before I actually started I did have a good look at all the lovely versions on instagram, Lisa inspired me - she's made a few of them, and this blog post by Bloomin' Workshop was really helpful. I paid attention and made nearly all of the changes.

The Everything In Its Place Bag is a great bag for keeping all your sewing supplies (or whatever!), for travelling with and to take to classes. Mine is currently filled with English Paper Piecing supplies, along with my general sewing kit.

The bag is made up of two removable 'pages', which each have one side of vinyl pockets. The pattern includes a few different options/sizes of pockets but this combination worked best for me. It's worth looking at what you would want to put in the pockets before you make them to determine the best configuration! I used holographic glitter vinyl for the pockets, which is beautifully shimmery and cute. I also chose to bind the top of the vinyl pockets (a la Bloomin' Workshop) and leave the top of the zip as is because I like all the pink.

When you construct the pages, part of the stitching from the pockets can be seen on the reverse side. I didn't like seeing the lines of thread so (where I didn't add a mesh pocket on the back) I decided to appliqué some selvedges to cover them. I also added a little hand stitching because in for a penny...

My most used sewing make has been the Portfolio Sewing Case by Kerry Green, you can get the free tutorial here and see my version here. It was her design that inspired me to add this very useful spool holder. It means I have easy access to my most used threads and also keeps them secure when I'm sewing on the train or out and about.

This removable thread holder was made by creating a base with two 2 x 11.5" pieces of fabric, one 2 x 11.5" foam interfacing (Pellon SF101 / soft and stable). Fuse the interfacing to the back of one of the fabric pieces, place the other piece on top (right sides of the fabric together), sew using 1/4" around all the edges leaving a gap in one of the longer sides for turning. Turn though, press and either hand stitch the opening closed or top stitch on machine. 

Then stitch one (or two if you prefer) length of loop tape (approx 11") to the back of the base. You are stitching through all the layers but those stitches will mostly be covered on the right side by the spools.

For the straps holding the spools I used the same measurements and instructions as Kerry's tutorial for holding two spools and made a 1 x 4.5" strip for the single spool. I stitched across the longer one in the centre to attach it to the base, and the shorter one at one end, making sure to stitch over it a few times to secure. The spacing between the ends of the strips was 3.25" - so mark 3.25" between the stitch line to secure the strap and where the press stud will be. That was what worked for my spools of Aurifil. This might need to be adjusted for different spools.

Use tiny sew in press studs to finish - it's important to make sure they are small enough to pass through your spools! 

I am thoroughly enjoying using this bag - I can take the inner page (which has the essentials and block I'm currently working on) out of the bag and fit it in my (still rather large) handbag if I don't want to carry the whole thing. Everything is in one place. When I'm at home it sits on the side table by the sofa. 

I added my initials and some stars (just because) to the bottom of the bag - to learn how, click here.



The tassel I made is the icing on the cake for me. I actually bought one to attach to the bag a while ago (before I even made it!!), then my youngest girl got hold of it and broke it into pieces. I made a new tassel, re sewed all the shells and beads together, made new pom poms and threw in a scissor charm and a sewing machine charm. It is even more me than the original one!

This bag makes me happy. It is me on a good day. It is my inner child. It is sparkly, pink, geeky, cute and original. It isn't perfect and yes I could have just bought a bag, and a much cheaper bag, but I very much doubt I would love it this much.

Pattern Class: 

Sew Sturdy Travel Organisers by Annie Unrein

Fabric used:

Main Outer - Brushstrokes by Holly DeGroot for Cloud 9 Fabrics

Lining -  I Heart Bees, Mustang by Melody Miller for Cotton + Steel

Inner pockets - Hexagon/spring/small by ivieclothco; Sleepy Eyes, Blush Background by kimsa; Square Grid - Mint by kimsa and Black white and mint mask by pencilmein. All from Spoonflower (which now also ships from Germany!), printed on Kona cotton.

Binding - Essex Yarn Dyed Metallic in Black by Robert Kaufman
Mesh and Zips are ByAnnie from Sew Hot UK

linking up: finish it up friday at crazy mom quilts

It would be nice if I could call this post 'how I do it all' but that's not at all realistic, rather this is my 'how I get by' advice! I wrote some time saving tips in this post (including an easy way to clean your cooker) and I thought I would share a few more things I do to try and stay on top of household duties as a mum of three and how I make time to blog and sew...

I read somewhere that if you see a task that needs doing ask yourself if it will take more than 5 minutes, if not then just get it done there and then. It sounds simple but it does make a big difference to just do it! Most menial tasks don't really take much time and clearing up / tidying away as you go makes it easier than those little jobs piling up.

The biggest time saver, that also helps relive panic and stress in that crazy morning rush, is to prepare as much as possible the night before. I appreciate you might get tired towards the end of the day but it really is worth it! 

Here's what I do to get ready for the next day:

- While I'm cooking dinner I make the kids packed lunches. So if something is in the oven or cooking away on the hob, I quickly make up lunch ready for the next day. Dry food goes straight in the lunch box (granola bar, crackers, etc.) and anything that needs refrigerating (sandwiches, veggies, hummus, etc.) goes in boxes in the fridge ready to pull out and go in the morning. If it's a hot meal I just get what I need ready - like a thermos flask for soup.

- I get the kids and my own clothes laid out just before putting the kids to bed. Saves the 'where are my ... ' and the stress of me deciding what to wear in the morning.

- Go through the kids school bags, sign any notices or make note of any dates on the calendar and then recycle any unnecessary papers.

Just recently I found sticking slips and letters on the back of the front door with washi tape means I won't leave them at home and forget to hand them in to school! Just peel them off and go.

I also get household jobs out of the way in the morning, that way I can relax a little. My daughter usually helps (or just follows me around!) and I like the Clean Mama routine to keep things clean.

One of the things I dislike doing is supermarket shopping, I don't usually have a car during the day and I would much rather sew than go shopping in the evening. I prefer to shop online, I can think through what I need and quickly reorder items that we buy over and over again. There are usually deals or subscriptions for free delivery depending on the shop and time of delivery.

Another advantage of this is that many of the big stores have apps, which is really handy for creating lists or adding things to your order when you run out. When I think 'oh we need kitchen roll' I immediately grab my phone and add it to my shopping order. The day before my delivery I go through and add/delete things as needed. 

Before the shopping arrives I give the fridge a quick clean inside and check to see if there's any food that's gone off or needs eating. Then as I put away the food delivery I make a note of our meal plan for the week - usually based on the expiry dates of the food. It really helps to know what I'm cooking each night and means the kids won't keep asking me! I like this cute meal planner printable and stick it on our fridge.

I enjoyed Angie's recent post about being kind to yourself and think it's important we share the truth and admit we can't always do it all. Life is a juggling act, there might be days where the 'balance' feels right but there are also times I feel like I'm sacrificing something. The tips I have shared help me get those boring chores done more easily, which means I have more time to do the things I love and spend quality time with the people I love. 

I'm not perfect and I don't have it all but I'm getting by and keeping it together.

It's that time of year when things get a little crazy, the to do list is never ending and it seems everything has to be done yesterday... 

Or should have been done last month, like these ridiculously late bee blocks I finally sent to Helen today:

Today I woke up feeling totally yucky and really run down. No fun at all but I listened to my body and slowed down a bit, which meant lots of snuggles and reading time with the little one: