Spools on Parade Pouch and Pincushion

Happy Friday! Here we are at the start of a long holiday weekend, and to me, the mid point of Summer. Summer has been a huge distraction this year. There is so much I want to do to enjoy these lovely, bright and long days. I crave light and sunshine and want to take advantage of these few months. So some of my sewing hasn't gone as planned (Weekender Bag, cough cough). Sometimes the best laid plans get pushed aside, and this was one of them. Chrissy has been sewing and has updated her blog with her bag progress.

I have been sewing here and there and if you want a fun project, head here to grab a kit or pattern. The kit comes complete with everything you need to make a cute pouch and pincushion. You only need to add a zipper and cute zipper charm.

Sew and Sew by Chloe's Closet for Moda is just the most adorable and summer fabric imaginable. The colors remind me of frozen sorbet in all different flavors. These are must have in your stash.

The back of my bag was a happy accident, and I love the back of my pincushion. That measuring tape print is perfect for everything!!

I hope you all have an amazing 4th of July! God Bless America!!

Sew & Sew Sew Together Bag

Hi Everyone! I know today was supposed to be the next step of the Weekender Bag sew along, but I'm going to be honest and say I am still in the planning stages!  Between work, pool weather and watching the Cleveland Cavs finals (WE WON!!), I haven't done much with my bag. Sorry. But I wanted to share something that I did sew!!

Have you seen the new cute adorable fabric from Chloe's Closet for Moda called Sew & Sew? The colors are just so fresh and summery and lovely, and I knew right away that I wanted to make a sew together bag with cute patchwork print.

This is my first time making a non-patchwork exterior for a bag, and it took almost half the time to put together. Look at that cute tape measure print!! So fun as a binding!

I ordered 5 different half yards, and have enough fabric to make a few more bags. A tote bag might be in my near future.

I promise to get started on my Weekender Bag, and I will post on Wednesday with the cutting and sewing the panels part of our sew along! I think Chrissy is way ahead of me :)

Weekend Inspiration - Playdate Bag

Sometime last summer I found the most amazing feed on Instagram and became an instant fan girl. The feed belongs to an amazing lady named Minki Kim who makes THE most lovely things and takes photographs that make my heart go BOOM! We have since become IG friends and she recently asked me to test her latest pattern called the Playdate Bag. I think you will want to make one too!!

This is such a great way to use those little pieces of fabric that you absolutely adore. You can also use a mini charm pack with the addition of a few extra pieces. If you need some more cute fabrics you can find some here.

Working with little squares is one of my most favorite things to do, especially with some simple quilting. How cute are these little prints from Little Ruby? They are so perfect for projects just like this. The pincushion in the background was made by Minki. It is my most treasured object on my sewing table.

Little Ruby plays really well with Hello Darling, Ruby and Mochi Linen.

Minki's pattern has so many opportunities for adding your own little touches. She has such amazing attention to detail. She gives instructions on adding embroidery and cute patches. I love the patchwork strap.

This bag is the perfect size for running around town. It will easily hold your phone, keys and debit card. I know I'll be using it all summer. For those of you who are joining in on the Weekender Bag Sew Along, this is a great bag to start with.

Please visit Minki here, and you should definitely follow her on Instagram (@zeriano). The pattern can be purchased here.

Weekend Inspiration - Cute Owl Project Bag

I know it's only Wednesday but I couldn't wait to share! Plus I have something fun to announce on Friday!!

It's time for more weekend inspiration and this week we are going to make a project bag using a cute quilt block.

This block is called the Cute Owl Block by Homespun Handmaiden. You can find the pattern for the block here. It's fun to put together and the pattern includes directions for both a 6" and 12" block. I am going to assume that you already have a favorite way to make a pouch. I'm giving you the sizes I used, and a few tips and tricks. I'll also give you a few links just in case you've never made a bag.

For the project bag we are going to use the 6" block. I'll wait while you make one. Go pick out some super cute fabric and have fun!! You can find lots of cute fabrics here. The only variation I made was to NOT attach the last bottom piece. My block ended up at 6.5" x 6" so my pattern is going to start with those dimensions.

Done with your cute block?? Let's get started on your bag. Here's what you will need:

(1) 6" Cute Owl Block
To complete block and bag front:
(2) 2" x 6" linen (side pieces)
(1) 4" x 9.25" gingham (bottom piece)
(1) 2.5" x 9.25" linen (top piece)

Bag Back Exterior:
(1) 9.25" x 8" linen
(1) 9.25" x 4" gingham
OR
(1) 9.25" x 11.5" linen

Bag Lining
(2) 9.25 x 11.5" chevron stripe

You'll also need
(2) 9.25" x 11.5" batting or interfacing or both, depending on how structured you want your bag.

(1) 9" zipper
(1) 3/4" lanyard kit, or 3/4" D Ring and Split Ring
(1) 2.5" X 11" gingham


Attach your 2 side pieces to each side. Then attach your bottom and top pieces.
Stitch together your bag back pieces or use the solid linen.  Attach your interfacing/batting as desired. I used batting in my bag because I like how soft and sturdy it becomes.

Now we are ready to add the zipper. Here is a great  zipper tutorial and is how I do mine. Don't be afraid. It is easier than it looks.

Now we can stitch it all together. I love using my wonder clips to hold everything together. Make sure you leave a 2" to 3" opening in the lining so you can turn it inside out. Also remember to unzip the zipper halfway. Don't forget this step!! :) Also make sure that your outside seams are lined up. Using a generous 1/4" seam stitch all around the outside. Take care sewing over the zipper tape. You may want to stitch a few times over to make it secure.

Let's make boxed corners. You are going to line up the seams on each corner and measure 2" across. Sew directly on the mark you just made. Trim your seam 1/4". You will do this on each of the four corners of your bag.

Turn your bag right side out through the opening you left in your lining. Open the zipper all the way and make sure your corners are pushed out as far as possible. You can carefully trim your zipper tape to reduce some bulk. Once you're happy with how everything looks you can either hand or machine stitch the opening closed. The next step is probably the most important to a nicely finished bag. Press your bag, paying close attention to the top of the bag.

I added a cute zipper pull to my bag using a 3/4" lanyard kit. You can also use a small split ring and a 3/4" D-Ring. These can be found in the notions department of your local craft store.

Here's how to make the strap. Take your 2.5" x 11" fabric and fold each short side in 1/4" and press. Now fold in half wrong sides together and press. Open and fold each side in to the center fold and press. Top stitch closed and add top stitching to other side to make it extra cute. Attach to your D-Ring by slipping the ring onto the strap. Sew the ends together and then turn right side out. Slip the ring to the sewn end and sew closed. It's a bit fiddly, but I love the matching strap.

This bag is the perfect size to hold your latest sock knitting project, or cosmetics, or really almost anything.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments! Here is a link to a wonderful bag tutorial just in case. If you make one, please post it on Instagram #cuteowlprojectbag
Happy Sewing!!

Weekend Inspiration - Hexie Pouch and Pincushion

 

Hi! Are you ready for more inspiration?

This week I thought we would stick with a hexie theme, but this time go tiny!!

My daughter has been using a sad excuse of a zipper pouch for her double point knitting needles and crochet hooks. It was time to make her something cute. She has loved hexie flowers since the first time she saw them, so I knew I wanted to include one on her pouch. She's a big linen fan so that was a must as well.

I measured the dimensions of her old bag because she said it was the perfect size. Mini hexies were the perfect size, so the first thing I did was punch some templates out of card stock using my Fiskars medium size punch. You can find one at Joann Fabrics and use a coupon. I think I had a 60% off so it was really affordable. Sometimes they are already on sale too!

Stitching hexies is an enjoyable way to spend a half an hour and is about the amount of time it took to make my hexie flower. You can find a great mini hexie tutorial here.


The only zipper I had on hand that would fit was metal. I really love the way it looks and will buy more to have on hand when the urge to make a pouch hits.  My only advice is to make sure that the zipper is the exactly size you need. This was a 7" zipper and was just a tad too small, but I made it work. You want to make sure the fabric zipper ends are what you are sewing over, not the metal teeth. Your sewing machine will thank you.

Those hexies were so dang cute that I decided to make something for me. I kept seeing the Deluxe Pincushion on Instagram and knew that's what I wanted to make. It's from the book Sew Organized For The Busy Girl by Heidi from Fabric Mutt.  I always seem to modify patterns and switched the pocket to include a hexie. I also added binding to the top of the pocket.

I improved at stitching the hexies onto my project :)

Hope you try one or both of these projects. Let me know if you do and if you have any questions!! You can find a great selection of fabric here.

The winner of the Diamond Walk pouch kit is Linda who said  "So pretty, this reminds me of mermaid scales! 💙💚💜I'm working on binding a quilt, and I have the perfect zipper for this bag!!!!" I'll send you an email to get your mailing address. Thanks to everyone who let me know what they are working on. It's so fun and inspiring to find out what everyone is sewing!!

Weekend Inspiration - Diamond Walk Pouch

Hello to all of you who are visiting from Instagram. Hi to all of you who have me on your blog list....and if you don't follow me on Instagram you can find me @happylittlecottage1.
Today's Weekend Inspiration is brought to us by the super talented Chrissy at Sew Lux Fabrics. She has designed so many of my favorite zipper pouches and today we are going to make her Diamond Walk Pouch. Isn't this pretty? It reminds me of a beach in Florida.
 

If you need help with the pouch construction, Chrissy has a tutorial here. This is so much fun to put together and is a fun way to ease your way into making dresden blades if you've never done it before.

Pouches are the perfect weekend project. Once you get over your zipper phobia it should take no more than a few hours from start to finish. They are the perfect use for mini charms or your stash of little scraps. I'm still looking for the perfect zipper charm to add to this one!

You can find the kit at Sew Lux Fabric, along with so many other cute kits. Each kit has enough materials to make 2 pouches, so it's a great way to make something for you and a friend. Of course you could always make both for a gift :-)

Since I only made one pouch, I am giving away the pattern and materials for the second Coral Sea bag . All you need to add is a zipper. Just leave a comment below and tell me what you are working on this weekend. I will randomly choose a winner on Monday!

P.S. I also made this with her original kit using Lil Red. So cute. Just wanted to show how adorable this pouch is using other fabrics.

COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED!! I will announce the winner in Friday's post :)