zip bag
Showing posts with label zip bag. Show all posts
a piece of this & that
My newest A Piece of Me Pouch is a combination of this and that; a culmination of bits I have gathered, an unfinished project and a couple of new things I wanted to try. This is larger than the version in my pattern - it's very easy to make in any size you choose! - and I'll show you how I created a loop for carrying or hanging.
Always on the look out for interesting fabrics, I found this fabulous buttery soft Punched Faux Leather and as soon as I saw it, thought it would be great for stitching on. It has a tiny bit of stretch so rather than trying to battle with it on the bias, I made cross stitches into plus stitches. Of course it was stitched the same way, it just took a little focus to make them + + + + +
The floral pattern is part of a design in Anna Maria's Needlework Notebook which looks modern and pretty. It was tempting to add more stitches but at the same time it's nice to see the punched fabric and not have that texture lost.
To make the stitches stand out I used all six strands of Aurifloss. The bright colours work really well and the thread has a nice sheen so it doesn't look dull against the pewter. The combination of the soft faux leather and the stitches make it very strokable!
Lola pouch ~ swap
Honestly swaps make me a bit nervous, what if the recipient judges my sewing or worse doesn't like what I've made for them. There have been occasions where I haven't taken part in swaps because of time constraints but then I feel left out. Knowing I could focus on one small make, I jumped in to join the pouch swap for the Purple Stitches Sewcial Retreat which was this past weekend.
Despite the worries, it's actually made easy when you join a swap as very often you are asked what you like / dislike and you are given those responses for your partner. It is lovely to swap handmade and I like to create something for a specific person - partly because I enjoy the challenge of picking out fabrics, sort of like a stylist!
As an aside, helping people chose fabrics was one of my favourite parts about working in a quilt shop. It's interesting not choosing what you might pick but what you think that person would like. When making this pouch it was a bit of both, in a swap it is nice for the make to have a little bit of your style in it too.
scraps + stash
I have had a little bit of a splurge, nothing crazy but there was fabric I really wanted and embroidery floss that is needed, along with a couple of other utility items for making. It's not all buying, though, as I recently used up scraps to make my first ever open wide pouch...
This thread is my second order from Lakeside Needlecraft, I adore the subtle tones of the gently over-dyed embroidery floss - Sampler Threads by The Gentle Art - and the colours are even prettier when stitched.
left to right: Chalk (x2), Mustard Seed, Celery, Cornhusk, Avocado, Apricot Blush, Peach Ice Cream, Coral Reef, Copper, Adobe, Nutmeg, Heirloom Gold, Tarnished Gold and Aged Pewter.
scrabble tile bag
Today I sewed up this quick little zip bag, a request from my mum who needed a new bag to hold her scrabble tiles. She takes her scrabble board on holiday and plays a lot, so she requested a bag with a zip to keep the tiles safe and protected.
(She doesn't play junior scrabble but those were the nearest tiles I had to hand in our house!)
I used Maze in Grass, Glow by Amy Butler for the outside and a pretty grey leaf print for the inside.
I didn't do zip ends so it has some funky diagonal corners going on at the top but I'm ok with that and it kind of works with the pattern of the fabric.
I also made a start on another Secret Pocket Envelope Clutch, they are so fun to make and I'm doing all the different sizes.
This time I'm making it all out of patchwork, using a mini origami pack of Retro 30's Child Smile by Lecien that I got from Sunny Day Supply. The cuteness of these prints combined with the heart Kam snap is bringing me joy!
Last night I was productive too, finally piecing the backing for my rose star quilt. I'm using Oakshott cotton. This colour is Coral from the Jewel Collection, which I purchased with the intention of using it as backing for this quilt way back in 2012. Maybe I will actually baste it soon?! That bit is my least favourite now and probably partially why I have so many quilt tops sitting waiting.
Let's hope my productivity and enthusiasm continue all week!
pretties and a cover!!
I got some lovely stash additions this week from Pin It and Stitch. I had to get the gorgeous bees after seeing Tracey use it in her Stitchy Pie and I'm going to use the hexies to make one for my Auntie.
I Heart Bees in Denim and Mint, Mustang by Melody Miller, Red Cotton Reels, Sew Stitchy by Aneela Hoey (available here in blue) and Pink Hexagons, Sew Stitchy by Aneela Hoey.
I also loved the snaps on Caroline's Stitchy Pie and got myself these Kam snaps and pliers from ebay. There are round and heart shaped ones in this set! LOVE them and looking forward to trying them out soon. There are various bundles and deals on Kam snaps, just do a search on ebay if you want to find some. I ordered mine from the UK, there are lots of international sellers so you might want to double check they are shipping from your country.
And I received month 4 of the Patchwork of the Crosses BOM from Sew and Quilt. The fabrics are so so beautiful!
Yesterday I taught a class to make rope bowls at Patchfinders. We had a fun day and they were a really creative group, here's what they made:
I got the latest issue of Love Patchwork & Quilting and was thrilled to see my Half-Moon Tote Bag on the cover!!
Issue 34 includes my pattern for the bag and a matching purse. I loved designing and making these! Appliqué has become a real favourite technique for me. I used some beautiful Pure Elements and a gorgeous metallic Cotton and Steel canvas from Bobbie Lou's Fabric Factory.
I enjoy mixing up fabrics so that the projects match in an interesting way. The half-moon shape is modern and simple, you can play around with the layout to create a really dramatic geometric design. Thank you to the Love Patchwork and Quilting team for doing a brilliant job with the layout and pictures!
Lastly if you fancy grabbing a deal, Green Fairy Quilts currently have 40% off charm packs - including new releases. I couldn't resist some of the new Jen Kingwell lines and Little Miss Sunshine because of the cuteness and am look forward to receiving them so I can play!
a bag of fabric ~ giveaway!
**GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED**
I adore piles of pretty fabrics and I'm sure you do too! Today I'm joining in the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day and here's what you can win...
This Triangles bag I made, which featured in Issue 4 of Quilt Now (baubles not included)...
and I will fill it with lovely fabric - charm squares and scraps from my stash.
I have lots of beautiful modern prints, pretty repro and of course low volume. I will try and include a large variety of different styles and fabrics so you will have plenty to enjoy!
**GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED**
The giveaway is open internationally and ends Monday 11th May. A winner will be chosen by random.org.
As usual if you don't leave an email address in the comment and I can't contact you then you will not win so please be kind and make yourself easy to find! e.g. aquilter (at) sewingspace (dot) com
Good Luck!
tradition ~ le challenge ~ dresden lola pouch
I picked some of my very favourite fabrics (most of which are scraps from my green tea and sweet beans quilt) and then realised I had no clue what I was doing. Luckily I had an Easy Dresden ruler (that I won from Lisa in 2012, about time I used it!!) and found this tutorial for using it, really easy!
I got to work, with little help from my lovely assistant - she reminds me of a flower fairy in this picture!
Then I made a circle to appliqué in the centre, I basically use this method - although I do a running stitch around the edge of the circle to baste it slightly before putting the foil on. It also helps hold the seam in place while you appliqué.
Then I had to do something with it! So I made a bag using the Lola pouch pattern by Svetlana. This is such a well written pattern with clear instructions and I adore being able to have a binding on a zip bag, it gives it such a gorgeous finish. She has directions for two sizes of the Lola pouch in the pattern, although my dresden was too big and not wanting to cut it off I just made the bag 4" taller. It's pretty big but all the better to fill with stationery ;) I will definitely sew more of these and am itching to make a matching small version!
Excuse the stray thread in the picture above and the fact I haven't rinsed off the blue pen from my embroidery below! This is making and blogging with three kids around ;) Actually it was the kids watching Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium that inspired me to add this quote from the film. An excellent quote and nice reminder. I really enjoyed the film too!
I used Joy Mesh, Gossamer by Sharon Holland for the main fabric; 50wt Aurifil #2375 for the appliqué and quilting as it perfectly picks out a hint of pink; and the accent fabric / binding is Make Patches Shabby, Maker by AGF Studio. I used one strand of black embroidery thread for the quote and 12wt Aurifil #2214 for a bit of hand quilting on the centre circle. A pale green zip for a little pop of colour and I like that it adds to the retro feel.
I could not love my large Lola pouch more! I enjoyed making a traditional quilt block and creating something new with it.
Head over to Le Challenge to see what other people made based on the theme 'tradition'. If you have a finished project (all types of crafts welcome) that fits the theme and was made in the last month, come and link up for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!
mixing my interests - le challenge
Since I've developed a stationery addiction along with my sewing addiction I thought it appropriate to 'mix' my two loves and create a home for my pens, washi tape, notes and stickers for this months le challenge.
I totally fell for the 'Fly the Flag' quilt by Katy Jones in Issue 2 of Quilt Now magazine. I love that they look like sticky page flags, so I resized them and used some of my favourite Moonlit by Rashida Colman-Hale, Cotton and Steel prints to make little flags and a cute banner.
The background is the most gorgeous mint fabric that I picked up on a trip to Abakhan, I wish I knew what it was!
So now my stationery has a pretty place to live and I can happily decorate my organiser and get my 'to sew' list under control ;)
We would love you to come and join in the link party over at le challenge, it stays open until 8pm BST on 16th October and you can link up any finished project that fits the theme 'MIX', so long as it has been made in the last month.
One random winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!
And if you're not already then head over to the le challenge blog, check out the other links and start following us, we have some awesome themes lined up!!
buggy bag - le challenge
A couple of weeks ago I saw the gorgeous hexy bag Ange made to hang on her pushchair and fill with all the kids necessities. Since hubbie managed to lose our change bag it was the inspiration I needed to make a new one. I originally planned to make something else for the le challenge theme this month but this seemed so much more useful and since it's a fairly small bag and it's being used to hold nappies/supplies for my smallest child it fits the 'small' theme!
I was going to EPP but then realised I quite fancied triangles and they are so quick to machine piece. I started with the Erin McMorris Summersault fabric (the one I used for the strap) and went with the rainy theme, adding umbrellas, greys and a nice pop of orange just because I love it.
Totally copying Ange I put the zip on the side and added more brightness with the hot pink zip. I usually hang things on my buggy brake handle (not supposed to but I've been doing it for 6 years and it still works!!) so I didn't add velcro tabs like she cleverly did, instead I created a lanyard style handle - sewing one end into the seam and a key clip on the other. It neatly clips onto the zip pull:
I couldn't resist hand quilting it. I used three strands of Cosmo embroidery thread #168, a rich navy. I wouldn't usually pick such a dark colour but after seeing Mary's beautiful hand quilting with dark thread I thought I'd give it a go. I love it. I love that it screams out 'hand made'!
Sadly it will probably spend most of it's time hiding under the buggy or in my massive handbag since it does tend to rain a lot here! That's the first check off my FAL list.
I will be sharing my hand quilting tips later in the week.
Now visit le challenge to see the other small makes, Nat has a particularly special one!
If you've made a 'small' project or one that relates to the theme then link up your finished project on the le challenge blog for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop. Anyone can link up with any type of craft project as long as it was made in the past month!
Girly Garden Quilt and other presents!
I finished sewing on the binding on the Girly Garden Quilt last night. It's a gift for my daughter's friend who will be 3 next week.
It's made entirely from my stash. I already had the charms cut out, some left from other projects, and it has a planned but scrappy look that I really like!
All of the fabrics are from Prints To Polka Dots and I mostly got them from the fab sale section (with FQs from £1.35 you can't refuse!).
More stash fabric for the back and quilted it with straight lines using a lilac thread.
I also tried out 'The Binding Tool' by TQM Products that I won from the lovely Jenniffier and, once I got my head round it, it worked perfectly! I will use this every time now. It means that you literally can't tell where the binding ends because it matches the seams in the binding strips and there's NO bulk.
I made a couple more presents for my son's friends who are having their birthday parties this weekend:
I used an adorable mini charm pack of Aneela Hooey's 'Walk in the Woods' and had two squares left over!
On the other side I appliqued the girls' names and used my newly discovered 'baseball' stitch on my machine:
And now the winner of my Donktober giveaway:
Congratulations Jan! I've emailed you. I hope you'll enjoy the pressie from me and I look forward to seeing what you make with the donkey fabric! Erin's cute finish this week might give you inspiration :)
If you missed out make sure you're following along with the Donktober blog hop because there's more gorgeous fabric being given away on Monday
Linking up to:
at Echinops and Aster this week
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