Other Small Makes

Looking back, I apparently started my pre-holiday sewing with a Pop Open Pouch, pattern by Aneela Hoey. I think I was really celebrating having finished my Modular quilt by trying a new pattern - something small and doable in a couple of hours. This pouch totally fit the bill, at 10" x 5"x 5", a great size and the pop-open design is really clever!

Fabric is all Carolyn Friedlander, which I love to pair for pouches.

And finished off with a leather pull and zipper tab, it became my new favorite and since I had the perfect use for it, I gifted it to myself. It's good to do that sometimes!

As always, I had ambitious plans for all the reusable fabric gift-bags I'd make. First were a handful using s.o.t.a.k handmade's drawstring bag tutorial, which I've made so many of, I have it memorized.

Then were a few using the Lined Drawstring Bag pattern + Expansion Pack from Jeni Baker. I especially love the new Mini Accent variation, like the two on either side of the basic bag below. Though they're all so great for gift-giving, and truth is I made a couple more that got used so quick I didn't get a photo.

Next up was a set of potholders that I hadn't planned until I saw Allison/@allisonehs post, inspired by a pattern in Modern Rainbow by Bryan House Quilts. They looked so perfect for what I needed, I stopped by my bookshelf for my copy of the book, then headed straight to my stash, where I happened across a "Strip-It Bundle" of Ombre Hand Dyes by Marcus Fabrics. It'd been there a while, obviously saved for this project. Made for someone who loves the ocean, the varying blues were just right. I loved them with that gray Essex, and quilted the potholders with straight lines.

I used the full width of the strips to piece backs for the potholders, and then found the ombre to be perfectly perfect for the binding.

On I went to make a sweet and small Wee Braw Bag, using Laura Cunningham's pattern, which I'd made a few times before, so I knew it would be enjoyable.

It's fun to pick out fabric for these, and I coordinated everything to go with that Rifle Paper Co. floral. Super sweet.

And finally, a Boxy Pouch, the original size in Pink Stitches' tutorial. Waxed Canvas is perfect for this pouch, in my humble opinion, and though I didn't get a photo, it's lined with a handsome print from Carolyn Friedlander's Instead. And again, a bit of leather lacing is the perfect finish.

So I think that catches you up on December's "special" sewing. Now I'll head to that WIP pile and see what else I need to finish up....

If Not, Then

Early in the summer I thought it might be time for another scrappy quilt and decided to try my hand at a scrappy spiral block [aka crazy quilt block in Abby Halverson's tutorial]. I kinda liked it, but got distracted by other projects and it sat around until last weekend when I decided to get back to it.



I started in on three more blocks, and honestly, I wasn't feeling them. I mean, they were interesting enough, but I just wasn't really enjoying making them.



To give them a fair shot, I finished all four that I'd started and then came to the conclusion that I didn't want to make any more.



So..... it dawned on me that it was a perfect time to try Katie/Sew Katie Did's Box Pouch pattern, which I luckily picked up when she had it for sale a while back.  Anyway, I've often heard Katie say that box pouches are perfect for those orphan blocks, so now was a perfect time to try one, right? 

Oh yeah. This pouch was pretty quick to make (about 2 hours including quilting the panels) and I confess I like the pouch better than I did my blocks by themselves!

Plus I still made good use of some scraps and feel ok about moving forward to something new. I have two more blocks to make into another pouch at some point, and I'm feeling pretty good about that. Time well spent after all.

Linking Up with Finish It Up Friday!

Guy Gift

Considering all the encouragement and help I get from hubby in support of my crafting, I sure haven't sewn for him much. Sad but true. I've made him just one quilt to call his very own, and the only other time I can think of is when he requested a case for his sunglasses. Pitiful, right? So when it became apparent that he needed a new travel bag [aka dopp kit], I decided to try my hand at making one. I settled on the Boxy Pouch tutorial from Pink Stitches. She gave the dimensions for a 'larger sized pouch' which proved to be just what I was looking for. [Note to self, I used the measurements given for the larger pouch, cutting the corner squares at 1.75".]



On a trusted recommendation, I had ordered a yard of 10-ounce Hand Waxed Cotton Canvas from A. L. Frances Textiles on etsy, which just so happened to come 60" wide - more than generous for my need, but I'm hoping to continue to dabble with the canvas, making a few more items.



As I do when trying something I'm not familiar with, I went slowly, step by step. Due to the heavy and stiff nature of the waxed cotton, I left out the suggested batting and quilting, and that was a fine (and pretty obvious) decision. Otherwise the construction was relatively straight-forward, tho I did use a jean needle with heavy duty thread threaded in my machine and 50wt in the bobbin, and that combo worked like a charm.

Already, the pouch has a 'used' look. That happens naturally as it is handled, and just adds to its appeal. It took unzipping it and seeing the lining before it dawned on hubby that his new bag was handmade. When I just asked him what I could say about what he thought about the bag I made him, he said simply, "I like it!" I'll take it.