Open wide!

Thanks to Anna Noodlehead and her fantastic tutorial I've learned a new technique, so open wide and check it out!  Even though I've sewn dozens of zipper bags, I was nervous about this zipper installation because it was different than any I've done before.  The zipper extends past the edge of the bag, allowing it to be "opened wide" - so very handy!

I LOVE IT!! It was no more difficult than any other zippy I've made - it just took a bit more time.  The one change I made to the tutorial was to cut out 1" squares from the bottoms to box them, instead of the folded method in the tutorial.  One other thing I would do next time is to trim the seams at the zipper, so I can press that area flat.  Other than that I followed the tutorial exactly, with marvelous results.

Not only does she give a fantastic tutorial - here - she also provides us with a slightly different version in multiple sizes - here - you can bet I'll be making these in all the sizes, lol!  THANK YOU ANNA!

Bags and baskets :)

  I misread one part of this tutorial and ended up with a very LONG but shallow basket - 13.5" x 6" x 4.5".   Pinned here, tutorial here.  Next time I'll stitch the correct sides and I think it'll be fantastic :)  I found and pinned this last night and finished it today - that's certainly a record for me!  ;) 

The fabric for the tall pouch (top left)

came from my friend Deb in Az - thanks Deb!  The other bags were made from stash fabric - the cat bag is an Across the Pond pouch, and the boxy bag is a regular boxy bag cut to 11x14 (after quilting), which turns out to be a really great size.  These will all go to Blue Hills :)

Hey Allie - give me 15 minutes!! ;)

I challenged my friend Allie tonight to try to sew (or embroider) for 15 minutes per day - like a lot of us, she's in a summer slump.  I've been doing a bit of sewing but hadn't felt like getting the camera out, so had no photos to blog :D  I wanted to get pictures of my Purse Palooza bags tonight so with camera in hand ...

Small boxy bag, and watermelon zippy (watermelon fabric from Deb!)

Two tall pouches - sunflower fabric also from Deb :)

Hairdresser bags made to use up the last bits of the hairdresser fabric :)

Drawstring bags - tutorial by Jeni :)

Purse Palooza 2012 - my entries

Here are my entries for the Purse Palooza 2012 challenge :)

The cancan bag is a gift - this print is one of my favourite fabrics - I just love the kicky look (pun intended!) :)   It was designed by Mary Stewart for Elizabeth’s Studio :)  

I thought this would make a fun zipper pull to go with the bag theme - charm is from (Etsy or Ebay - I forget which!) :)

Several weeks ago I won a scrap giveaway from the lovely Cynthia in Japan.  Here's the bag I whipped up to showcase some of the scraps :)   The paper pieced kimono block was a freebie download from the AJ Padilla site years ago (I don't think it's there any more), the back is a taupe linen, and the lining was purchased at Joanns a couple of weeks ago, just for this bag :) 

The aforementioned lining :D

Last projects from June

Here are the last finishes I have for June - I hadn't felt like taking pictures so projects got piled up - then I realized I couldn't make my June collage until I got everything photographed, LOL!

"Use up scraps from Chris" gift bags :D

Jeni gift bags :)

Upsized Jeni gift bags - the colour catcher sheets didn't work very well with this load and my white background went grey, GRRRR!

Jeni gift bags ... these are for Wendy's upcycle challenge - the lime green floral print is reclaimed from an Ikea pillowcase!

A few "finish up some scraps" zipper bags - the taupe one front/right is an Across the Pond pouch :)

Pink Penguin fabric basket :)

Zaaberry messenger bag :)

Tomorrow I'm working on another upcycle project - kitchen towel holders made with a tablerunner I scored @ the thrift store - this will also be for Wendy's Something Old, Something New challenge :D

More June finishes :)

Zaaberry messenger bag and matching zippy - these are for Blue Hills

2 flannel bibs, for Blue Hills

2 pillowcases for Blue Hills

2 zipper bags for Blue Hills - scraps from Deb!

Scrappy pink zipper bags for S & E --- note the jingle bell zipper pulls!

22 years ago today ...

I was in the hospital having a baby who decided not to wait for the doctor to arrive, so who ended up being delivered by the nurse on duty :D  Happy birthday Chris! 

If you're having "one of those days" and need a pick-me-up ...

Check out all the pics here :)

 Guaranteed to make you cry ... or at least ... SNIFFLE!  :)

Kitty in a basket :)

The gorgeous Miss Hermione :)

Hey Deb - do these fabrics look familiar??!!  ;)

Hey Nanc - do these look familiar? LOL!

Miss Hermione, the gorgeous kitty posing seductively in a basket, is the owner and boss (hehe) of my friend Allie in Michigan :)  Zoomer thinks H is HOT, but truthfully, given the choice between [a date with the seductress] and [a bowl of kibble], he'd pick kibble.  I didn't say he was a SMART cat!

The zipper bags are recent finishes using some scrap fabric that was gifted to me by a friend in Arizona - hi Deb!  The pillowcase fabrics came from my friend up the street - hi, Nanc!  I also have some gift bags finished but I need to find something to stuff them with so I can photograph them nicely :D 

Summer Sewing Contest entry :)

This is the bag set I completed for the Summer Sewing Contest @ Ellison Lane Quilts - per usual I wanted to get several more things done but ran out of time!

Let me in!

Let me IN!!!

Hide and seek - can you find me?  :)

Just in time to be mailed 2 months late *ahem*, today I finished this penguin gift bag based on Jeni's adorable pattern - I added an applique penguin ( this guy was the template) for fun :D  Mr. Penguin jumped in so he'd be safe for his snail mail trip :)

Here's the original post about Clarence the Penguin :D

Added July 14/12 to the Gift Wrapping linky party @ Threading My Way - here :)

Trial by Salt :)

This is somebody I would like to know, or be neighbours with, LOL!

Source

Read the comments - here - posted by readers - some of the language is rather *drumroll please* salty (hehe) but the theme is a hoot!

New bag design :)

I love this tutorial by Jeni of In Color Order - what a gorgeous bag!  Will definitely be making more of these :)

Here are a couple of (birthday) gifts I've completed in the last few days :)  The baskets are based on the Pink Penguin fabric basket tutorial.

Dessert, anyone?

Puppies :)

My basket construction notes:   rough cut to 10 1/2 x 13, quilt, trim to 10x12.5 outer, 10x12.25 lining.  Handles 3.5x7, boxed bottom measured from seam = 1.25".  1/4" s.a. for box, 3/8" s.a. for the rest of the bag
Tall pouch - quilt, trim to 10.25" x 12.25".  Box bottom = 1.25" measured from seam.

Pugs 'n other stuff :D

This is just precious!

Here are 2 sets of Canada Day bibs I got finished today - the two little ones are for twins, and the two bigger ones are for 2 older babies - nobody knows they're coming so they'll be a surprise :) 

A close-up of the fabric (from Fabricland) :)

And here are a couple of recent zipper bag finishes - the watermelon bag was a gift for a neighbour whose daughter was sick last week, and the skull one will likely go in my gift box :)

Tonight I tried a new-to-me tutorial - will post a photo tomorrow - it was very dark in the basement, lol.

Protesting the protestor :)

The young man holding the second sign is Fyraxis -- my hat is off to you, sir! 

It's travel time :)

But not for me!  A friend of Nancy's and mine is going on a cruise this month so Nancy and I thought we would make her some bags for the trip.   Here are my bags - a boxy bag and an Across the Pond pouch :)  I haven't seen Nancy's tote yet! 

A few more finishes:

Patchwork tall pouch

Watermelon zippy

A few last finishes for May :D

2 Pink Penguin fabric baskets - girl version :)

2 Pink Penguin fabric baskets - boy version :D

Oh look - they STACK!  :)

Small boxy bag and Across the Pond pouch :)

Peek a boo drawstring bag :)

I do have a few more projects to post but I have to wait until the recipient receives them, or until I can post them for the "challenge" :) 

A collage of my May projects - a Shape Collage, that is ;)

iPenguin :)

Clarence the Penguin!

I'd like to introduce you to Clarence the Penguin :D  I bought the pattern a while ago from a fellow Canadian - Christy Mooney from the Etsy shop JuneandJuly :)  The pattern is called Clara but this is for a little boy so his name is Clarence :D

Pattern review (my own opinion only!):  the pattern is fabulous - well written, well photographed, and very easy to make.  This was my first one so cutting and assembly etc. probably took a bit under 2 hours, including me doing laundry at the same time, LOL.  I didn't run into any difficulties, and only made a couple of very minor changes.  I appliqued his eyes as I don't do embroidery (and I didn't want to use a button or google eyes because it's for a little guy), and when I stitched the body right sides together, I used a 3/8" seam allowance instead of 1/4" - that gave me a bit of extra fabric and made it easier to turn under and close the opening.  Next time I might add a bit of stuffing to his little wingies.

Clarence is sized perfectly for littlies - he's about 6" x 6" (15cms) plus his little wings.  For older kids I might try resizing the pattern up by about 50%.  More Clarences and Claras will follow - I really REALLY like this pattern :)

Pinterest challenge :)

I finally got my butt in gear and did a couple of projects I had pinned on Pinterest, thanks to a challenge from Bryanne from Michelle Patterns :) (posts here and here).  I hope the challenge continues - fingers crossed! 

My first attempt at a pop bottle drawstring bag was laughable, so no photo :D  Attempt #2 came out better, but I would still make the pop bottle portion a bit shorter.  Will try again when I get more 2 litre pop bottles!  Very happy I tried it - I want to make more of these :) 

This project is based on a bag I pinned that was embellished with studs.  I found some cute studs recently so gave them a whirl.  I need more of these - I really like how they look, and on Ebay/Etsy, they have them in lots of shapes and sizes and colours :)  Another Pinterest completion - YAY!