A new pouch pattern by Cynthia!

My good friend Cynthia has drawn up a new pattern for a Take it With You Pouch.  It is the perfect size for your iPad, a charger, some pens and a notebook.  I love it!  I made it up the other day with some Sevenberry cotton and linen dot.  Lined it with a super lovely dark yellow floral print that I found in the stash and used some peltex for stiffening.  It sewed up super easy and it will be perfect to grab as I go off to meetings or conferences once I am back to work next week. 

I left off the handle just because I wanted it to be more like a clutch but the handle is there for you if it is your jam.  Way to go, Cynthia!  Another great pattern.

Sometimes you need to make a zippy pouch or two

 My buddy Cynthia was over for a sewing day last Friday.  She was busy making pouches so I joined in.  Sometimes you just have to.  Zippy pouches are so satisfying!  I went diving into the scraps and came up with this combination.

And then this one.
Lots fun!

Hello spring!

Spring break came and went.  Lots of family and not as much sewing.  I now know a lot about strollers and car seats.  And let me just say that the options that exist for those essential baby gear items has certainly changed in the 31 years since our first baby arrived!  This Gramma had a lot of learning to do!  One of the things I did do over spring break was clean up my linen scrap box and when I did that, I found the gorgeous butterfly scrap and it needed to be made into something.  So here is a butterfly zippy completely made from scraps found in the linen scrap box.

Lots of lovely quilting with some Aurifil 40wt in a yellow-gold and on the back a 40wt Aurifil in linen. So much fun.

I do love zippy pouches

I made this zippy pouch last Monday. So much fun.  Mum was down for Thanksgiving and she watched me make it.  I think it took about 25 minutes start to finish.  How awesome is that?  A little bit of quilting with some Aurifil 50 wt in white and some Cotton and Steel fabrics,  Yum.  I made this to put the little extra treats in for the Schnitzel and Boo Mini Quilt swap.  And I do hope my partner likes it.  After all, happiness is a new zippy pouch on a sunny fall day!

Just another zippy pouch

I needed a zippy pouch to give as a gift.  The thought was that I gift card could be stuffed inside the pouch.  I have all the little scraps from my Lucky Stars Block of the Month quilt still in a bag so took the scraps and got a little busy.  This one is similar to the pouch I made a bit ago.  I made the corners on this one rounded just for fun.  The back of the pouch is a scrap happy conglomeration but I forgot to take pictures.  Ooops.  Quilted with Aurifil 50 wt in lovely light grey.

I actually think that I should have had the zipper going the other way but what the heck.

I have been very busy taming my scrap boxes.  But more on that tomorrow!

Some pouches and some signs of spring

The other night at quilt guild, I did a wee demo on zippy pouches and zippers without zipper feet or pins.  I had prepped 3 sets of pouches to demonstrate zipper tabs etc. but the pouches remained unfinished until Saturday when I whizzed them through the sewing machine to completion.  I will have to post all my hints, tricks and favourite zippy pouch tutorials another day.

I think they will become door prizes at future meetings.  These are totally scrap projects as I used all the little bits leftover from the Robert Kaufman challenge and my string theory mini.    And I think I will just have to link up with Leanne for Scraptastic Tuesday.    Today is the last day!

I would never want to rub it in but we have had GORGEOUS weather.  Sunny and totally t-shirt weather.  The crocuses are in full bloom.  Just saying.  Here's proof.  Snowdrops too.

Warp and Weft Sewing Society Project... just a little bit zippy!

 I wanted to make a yet another zippy pouch to demonstrate some zipper tricks and hints for my quilt guild people.  I just happened to have the perfect fat quarter of Aneela Hooey's Sew Stitchy fabric from Warp and Weft.  So here is a little Warp and Weft Sewing Society project.

Then I had a little bit of fabric left over so I made a needlebook to go along with it because I just love making needle books.  I used this tutorial for the needlebook.  

Pouch:

1 zipper... at least 14"
2-2" by 3" scraps for the zipper tabs.  I used some of the black dot from Lotta Jansdotter's Sylvia line also at Warp and Weft.

Prepare zipper as in my tips and hints from yesterday.

I used for the body of the pouch:

2-2" by 12" linen
2-4" by 12" Sew Stitchy
2-12" by 5" linen

Lining:
2-12" by 10" Sew Stitchy

Batting:
2-12" by 10"

Piece the main body fabrics and sandwich with batting.  Quilt as desired.  Make the pouch and enjoy!

The Best Night of the Month!

Tomorrow evening is quilt guild night.  It is such a fun time and a great group of quilty peeps.  We do a lot of show and tell and I am going to give a wee talk on Flickr and Online Swaps and Bees.  We also have door prizes.  Lots of door prizes.  I try to take something to each meeting for the door prizes.  This time I made something.... a zippy pouch with my little bitty scraps.  I stuffed it with some fun items and we are good to go.  Look at it sitting there with all that lovely Aurifil thread!  Fun!

Swap making...

I signed up for a couple of swaps on Flickr.  This is for the Sweet and Simple Swap where you swap 50 charm squares from your scrap stash and a sewn item.  My secret partner wanted a pouch so I played around the other day with this.  Lots of hand quilting around the scrappy star and then lots of machine quilting on the green dots.  I was able to dive into my solid scrap bin for the back of the pouch.    I am calling this a finish!

 the back...

And here are the charms that I have cut... There are a few more than 50 but I don't think anyone will mind!

The essential wristlet...

I spent a bit of time making this clutch this morning... the essential wristlet.  This is a pattern from Erin at Dog Under my Desk.  I have quite a few of her patterns and they are awesome in their detail.  She also has a no nonsense approach to zippers.  Husband test drove this pouch after I finished it and told me that the zipper was very good.  Hmm.  He also liked the the feel of the pouch and wondered what I had done to it.  Hmm.  That is the awesome combination of both interfacing and batting.  This little clutch houses a pocket for your cell phone and one for your cards... debit or credit, you decide.  Nice little wrist strap and you are good to go.  I like it!

Oops.  I see a thread that needs clipping.

Hope you had a great mother's day!  I did.  Nice and lazy. Phone calls from children.   Blueberry crumble too.

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story.

Will you look at this?

I am putting myself through zipper boot camp.  The time has come for me to cowboy up and deal with some zippers.  How cute is the pouch?  It is tiny as you can see from the scale addition of the loonies and Mr. Stitch Ripper.  Check out the tiny cross hatch quilting too.  Just for fun.  A wee change purse I think.  

And the fabulous tutorial is here.    Erin Erickson is the lady behind the blog Dog Under My Desk.  She has some great tutorials and she is all about zippers, let me tell you.  

Here's the back.  Snazzy!

Sara at Sew Sweetness has lots to say about zippers too.  Check it out!

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story!