What I've been working on today ...

Drafting the pattern ...

Cutting out the fabric to use ...

It's starting to take shape now ...

Some pretty embellishments ...

I had to stop working so I could get some housework done, lol.  Man I hate it when real life interrupts sewing life!  This is a new-to-me project from Pinterest - I've not done a zipper installation like this before, but it looks pretty darn easy! :)

Travel trio :)

Patchwork travel trio :)

I used up the last bits and pieces of all those fabrics to make these bags.  Even the lining of one of the bags was pieced to get me the size I needed!  The backing is the same for all the bags - the gold TOT fabric is twin needle stitched onto batting, just like the fronts.  These little pieced bags are real "scrap busters", as opposed to "stash busters"!

I got my POS Babylock back from the repair shop - it ran well at the shop, but I haven't tested it out here at home yet.  Will do that tomorrow.  I'm fairly certain I got the ONE Babylock in the entire civilized world, that's a POS.  I much prefer Slanty (the 411) or Bella (my 201) to POS because they're metal machines that take a licking and keep on ticking - the Babylock has made me a confirmed lover of vintage machines!  Can you tell I'm a bit bitter about my very expensive paperweight?  ;)

Mr. Pibbs :)

Please meet Mr. Pibbs :)  The poor guy had been in a shelter for 6 years, and now he's got a forever home with a family who loves him and will take very good care of him (just read her blog and you'll see just how much they love their critters!)


Mr. Pibbs reminds me a lot of my Zoomer - he's a big boy and is on medication for health issues.  I thought I would make him something to call his very own, so this is what I whipped up :D  His mom can carry his treats in it, LOL!!!

Here's a close-up of the kitty zipper pull I added - meow :D

Mr. Pibbs has now received his panty bag, so I can go ahead and publish the "pre-prepared" post, lol!  I'm glad he likes it - Zoomer and I send high fives, good buddy!

Pink and purple ...

Hmmmm - the bags are pretty, but the zipper pulls seem too heavy.  I think I'll restring them tomorrow with seed beads if I have any purple ones, or with pink and purple ribbon if my seeds don't suit.  Even as I was attaching them my sub-conscious was telling me ... "Not quite ...", lol.  The purple shell buttons look great, though! ;)


Happy birthday Brian (Feb. 25/64 - Dec. 31/98) - imagine - my younger brother would have been 48 today! 

Patchwork triplets :)

Beaded pull 1

Beaded pull 2

Beaded pull #3

Here we go - a trio of bags made using fabric purchased a few years ago as scrap bags from Evelyns in Newmarket.  I took one of the bags of scraps and cut them into 3 1/4" squares to make pieced fronts.  One of the strips wasn't wide enough for squares so I used it as the top strip of the centre bag :D  The squares are quilted to Warm and Natural batting with twin needle stitching around each seam.  The backing is a yardage remnant of one of the prints from the front, also twin needle quilted onto batting.  They worked out quite well, I think!

Patchwork and linen :)

I'm very happy with this bag, and hope the recipient is as well!

Patchwork tall pouch with decorative twin needle stitching around blocks

Back of pouch - linen fabric, twin needle stitched

Canada tag

Handmade tag on inside of lining

Beaded zipper pull

Side of bag

Wednesdays @ 9:00 p.m. ...

DOWNTON ABBEY!  I've only caught the occasional episode but was very intrigued, and now Vision TV is replaying Seasons 1 & 2 in order, so Wednesday night is now Downton Abbey night!  This is one of those series that I would actually buy in DVD format :)

Here's the new boxy bag design I came up with - I spotted similar bags and wanted to try making them :)

Here's a close-up of the zipper pull on the cake bag --- that's a glass cupcake bead in the middle! 

UFO completion

38 x 38 quilt, backed with white fleece

Little hearts are appliqued into each block intersection.  Colour is the softer colour of the first photo - it's not as bright as this close-up shows :D  Quilt is going to Blue Hills :)

Fun with Nancy and Amanda :)

Tonight I went to Nancy's house with no-blog Amanda for a sewing hen party gab session :D  Nancy worked on a bag for her iPad, I made several zipper bags, and Amanda Pinterested most of the night, LOL.  Nanc will send me project photos tomorrow, I think, but in the interim here are the 2 flower bags I completed :)  I can't post the other bag until the recipient receives it in the mail, as it's a surprise :D Tomorrow I'll make a couple of beaded zipper pulls for them :)

Thank you ladies - as always it was a lovely night!  *kiss* *kiss* :) 

Ditty bag!

 My first Keyka Lou ditty bag!  This is the size medium - it finishes to about 6 x 7 x 2.  I added batting and quilted the outer fabric before sewing, just to give it a bit more body.

 Here you can get an idea of how deep it is - I stuffed it with plastic bags to give it more body for the photo :D

 Butterfly bag set - lined with the same fabric :)

 Here's a close-up of the bling on the panty bag - 3 buttons (oops, you can only see one and a bit of the other 2) and the beaded zipper pull.

 And here's the beaded zipper pull and the flowers on the other bag :)

Last, but not least, my acorn bag!  Note the acorn buttons on the front, lol!

The last of ... ;)

The last of the bandage fabric

An outhouse set *giggle* :)

The last of the outhouse fabric

The last of the cat batik, and almost the last of the travel fabric :D

Cancan dancers sing their song - doo dah, doo dahhhhhh :)

 Cancan dancers tall pouch - this goes into my gift box :)  Fabric is Can Can Girls by Mary Stewart for Elizabeth Studios :)

Here's a close-up of the zipper pull, and thank you blogger for deciding how you want my post to look, rather than letting ME choose.  @*&#$)@#$*(#$@

Boxy bag with fall fabric - I tried embroidering an acorn to embellish the inside, but my embroidery machine absolutely refused to work - I hope it was just an isolated incident *gulp*!

One more panty bag for stash :D

Page 2 of A's soft book :)

Bernie has been corrupted by Dr. FrankenNancy!

Now - I'm not saying Nancy was thinking about anything in particular when she stitched this today during our hen party, but ... really, Nancy?  You would do this to your beloved Bernina???!!  There are PILLS for this kind of thing, you know!!!  That's not the way to test out twin needle stitching!  And - the finger grips at the bottom???!!!  You should wash your mouth fingers with soap for this one!

I fixed my oops :D

Yesterday's oops ... fixed today :)  This is for a soon-to-be-4 year old who cooks at his Nonna's house!  Downloadable pdf tutorial here :)

 Page 1 of a soft book for a little girl - a counting book :)  I started this project last July *embarrassed blush* - will get it done for her first birthday in June.  Some projects need time to AGE!!! ;)

I made the button book cover yesterday, and here's it's almost twin, with the crochet flower embellishment :)

OOPS!

 I decided to work on a project today that I need for the coming weekend.  I pulled out my cute rocket fabric from Joanns, and commenced a cutting.  Looks like a child-sized apron, does it not?  BUT WAIT!!

 CRAP!!!  I put the fold on the wrong side, and ended up with this arm-pitty looking piece, lol.  I'll just cut it up and use it for something else - I had lots of fabric and was able to recut with no problem :D

Here's what that piece is supposed to look like when it's cut out properly -- notice the applique'd M ;)

 Here are the last couple of projects I completed in January - 2 first aid bags ...

... a goldens zipper bag (using up the last few scraps of that fabric), and a quilted batik cat bag :)