Happily, much sewing has been accomplished in the last couple of weeks :) I wanted to get some pictures outside but the weather wasn't very co-operative - it was either really cold, or grey and overcast, or I wasn't ready to take pics when it was the perfect weather, lol. Basement dungeon photograph studio it is!
First up we have some simple drawstring gift bags for Christmas - the size of each was determined by the fact that I wanted to use up some Christmas prints I had hanging about ;) These (boxed bottom) bags were all made using
this tutorial, but in varying sizes.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvFyB0tmHbf3CMeY62iPnZF_mSzoAv_iapSbkBY57rOG6xOAW_gQ1u9r1sG5Ys_sqRIahMbQjO0ML3GYrUvpu2GhHeQzcX3w9_C6z-Ou6h2sDVq69Fjyp78qDQ0uzLAFU3kfT3prbBXOQ/s320/aJan-2+pink+not-a-hotpad+bird+pouches.jpg)
Next up - some zipper bags based on Crafty Staci tutorials :D I call these my not-a-hotpad zipper bags, as the original pattern was for a hotpad, but I hax0red them into zipper pouches :D First up are my pink birdies from the
Bluebird pattern :)
She published a new pattern this month for a
mitten hotpad, so out came the sewing machine :D I made it about an inch narrower than the pattern - it worked better with the zipper I was using. This one is a new-to-me project and counts as one of my 52 in 16 (52 new bags in 2016) projects :)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQCRRXD2zK_91lcMDS1SoLBsBDX7xaGJ-nXXbnOTSArMzLbeOqRBZ7V0f4WtPlyvqzHKDN3PE_yI-Ub6yEyXxOBSNOd3pGItfgcSGGr_8BSJi9MMuqrzDncpAf43FDq672DsDd2N_WTYw/s320/aJan-2+polar+bear+hand+puppets.jpg)
I started these polar bear hand puppets several years ago - I don't even remember why I didn't complete them then, but I thought it would be nice to get them done and into the gift box :) The tutorial is
here - I used washcloths from Costco :D
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTEtAa40O4UWO_8bKbCXm5jrv6c6pk9gXGGqNlnnTedfRMRWg2cu4w7nScN5Lwhx7lxSHmtwki7hn2WKR3hz45mfFgLfIzyjUHk0dKQ9qz30fampE3vc3_4EXlTBbPlm8hPSfpJewGmVA/s320/aJan-Blue+floral+Retreat+Bag.jpg)
This bag worked out really well so it's going in my gift box :) I was making a
Retreat Bag for a friend, using some of her fabric. I hadn't made one in a while and I was a bit nervous about using her special fabrics, so I warmed up by making this one first, LOL. Both of them worked out very well, so I don't know why I worried :D And now that I'm thinking about it, I forgot to get a picture of hers - oh well! It was gorgeous, IIDSSM ;)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zZY6g0m_bISm3EhQ1m6HpWHYwwMZ9QweKcGUfyz5b3DX3VVW1F4iQNUiWwMb5H0cphjzPh6bAGVUe9O-A0CL5JlZf7Bn-1GK_2za8NmPBdxZcnW6Xm_BNYOmOAtDFd8emGa_HgHMmeUd/s320/aJan-Denim+Matteo+drawstring+bag.jpg)
This next bag also counts as one of my new 52 in 16 bags, but it didn't work out quite as well as I would like. The tutorial is
here - I bought a pair of kids jeans @ the thrift store so I could cut off the legs for this, lol. Next time around I'll stitch the bottom seam from the inside instead of the outside - I'm also going to box the bottom to give it a nicer shape. I couldn't get fabric paint when I was making it so the acrylic paint I used cracked a bit on the fabric - I thought I could get away with it but nope! This is a cute project - it's a great way to upcycle worn out jeans - I even bought more jeans for - the bag is very quick and easy to make :)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrjV7Bm7gSYrQaV7wCV3wzzeinKtIm0lWoFxStSW2lKnth_VQNjRAdKItlr8K2PoT1NOtCsVl2C54mpwdyE86KKXcZ7SAwjNIk5v_GtcghauXWnUxsAzM-89FfnkyMaEO_0DnI4B9W7QGQ/s320/aJan-Mickie+Mouse+earbud+pouch.jpg)
Mickie! Another 52 in 16 project - my last for the month (5 done in January - I'm impressed with myself, lol) - I'll make one minor change the next time around - I added quilt batting to this one, and it made the project thick enough that I couldn't get it pressed completely pucker-free. You can see tiny little puckers at each side of the ears - I pressed and pressed but couldn't get rid of them. Next time I'll just interface all the layers and I bet I'll be able to press it better :) Tutorial
here :)
I'm very pleased with these next new to me items - I got 2 sets of 3 hand puppets completed - one set is for a birthday gift in February, the other set goes into the gift box :) The pattern is Woodland Animals Felt Hand Puppets, a $ pattern from Craftsy
here - I haven't made the badger yet (there are 4 critters in the pattern - fox, hedgehog, badger and raccoon) but I will eventually :)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2EF-Kbw2IbAA2WIKbhGiDBVfjgv9WZ9C_mKjpVkldhDHJvn3yKJ1-Hkod97wp_8sAK5RNNRQQaXsncGCMO7wlr_rh4LKARTZrCQsNWcvMeEkoTE1WDBvHOdU75oK6avPeNNqwlialsOv/s320/aJan-Reindeer+stuffy.jpg)
How's this for cute? LOL! Reindeer stuffy - new to me, and a Christmas gift - he's a bit bigger than I would like so next time around I'm going to shrink him by 25 or 30% - I want him sized more like a beanbag than a stuffy :D Tutorial
here :)
One last project, then that's it for tonight - it's past my bedtime, lol. This is my favourite of my finishes - it's just a simple
notebook cover, but I love how it turned out :) I'm not sure if you can see from the photo (and sorry about the different background colours - that's the problem with photographing in the basement dungeon) - the raindrops are little seed beads in different colours :) I was out with hubby today doing running around, and I took the project with me and beaded most of it in the car! New to me, and right into the gift box it went :) (
Here's a post from Jennifer @ Ellison Lane - she's the designer!)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDh88YqKKSKMpJqfrasGog1lgjTMrPeerqJwPBrUNHril-aeFviNjbhA-cr59PwllsE_mzk-Z_MaeIO_Zk5kYldO5eWShrfUQH4RQhFr94poiWYMU6zvFD19YPERPL1Z05_ymjWt7toxuB/s320/Rainbow+cover+1.jpg) |
Outside - front cover :) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwwPQuhEzAylLbcSEpqoerRNYo6mrH42YTqqAgpiTl1G0Q82cUSpowLqSUxhTqHd-b0cw37EWEVFJX7r2-jI2ZyU1LmfZW-TK762jCZCNOKokowv8jcKPUv5OOojmUZdPnJ-LCI-kjW8_/s320/Rainbow+cover+2.jpg) |
Inside - there are pockets (trimmed with ribbon) on each side, and a piece of elastic (on the right) holds the pages :) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1F5I43LI7A_c11iGLS1aujSL-ECv3YAhgZzWjHjsLwocrYvppaZ3m3T2FkCXrw2dI-GpxgHmN4sQa3JyZRpXcUoWgVbKlVrH1AHGNBGXk3cETcLAlLliifP1i-bqiv1GCfVfRqrxuY5GM/s320/Rainbow+cover+3.jpg) |
Outside back - a rainbow without rain :D |
WHEW! That was a lot of photography and typing and link finding - I'm going to get this post uploaded to my favourite linky parties - both from Celtic Thistle Stitches -
New to Me in 2016 and
Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew - brand spanking new for 2016!