Unofficial OMG for January ... and more finishes :)

I didn't get signed up for OMG for January but I did pick out a UFO quilt top, and got it finished.   It'll be my unofficial and successful invisible entry for January ;)  I don't even remember when I made the flimsy, but it certainly has been a few years!   I backed the quilt with dark grey flannel from stash, and had enough scraps left over for a couple of bibs.  This set will go to Blue Hills :)

A close-up of the bibs ...

... and a close-up of the fabrics (quilt has been washed, so that's why it looks kinda wrinkly).

A friend gave me a bunch of flannel scraps ... so I made bibs :)  I still have more bits and pieces to use up - quilt store flannel is SO much nicer than the regular fabric store stuff!  I'm talking to YOU, Fabricland, with your crappy pilly flannel!

17" x 17" dolly quilt - I had 8 X 6.5" squares bagged up in stash for several years - I finally grabbed a scrap piece of chenille for the center block, and whipped up the dolly quilt in under an hour :)

Large boxed bottom drawstring gift bag from a Joanns post-Christmas remnant purchase -- I call this ... Does a Bear **** in the Woods?  ;)  Play!  PLAY!  What were YOU thinking I meant?!  ;)

One of my favourite finishes for this month - I got a lovely Frosty the Snowman remnant at Joanns after Christmas :)   I was able to make a pillowcase for a great who will be moving into a bed near Christmas ... as well as 2 drawstring gift bags.  I didn't have so much as an INCH left of that fabric :D  The "pre-Christmas gift set" will include the pillowcase for the lil squirt, a Frosty the Snowman DVD for his older brother, and both pieces will be packed in a Frosty drawstring bag.  I'm very pleased with my finishes and with my gift set idea!  *Sandra pats herself on the back even though that's kinda weird* :)

I got quite a few pillowcases whipped up this month - they'll all be donated.  I just about froze my babushkas off getting these clothesline pictures today - brrrr!

Here are a couple of close-ups of the fabrics I used - it's hard to really see what they are from the group photo. 

Cupcakes fabric - from Hobby Lobby

Large dotty design - pillowcases are the reverse of each other :)

Nursery rhyme print :)

That's it for January - I'm shutting her down, and will go pick out an OMG project for February :D

NOT posting this to January's OMG - but I'll include the link so you can go look at what other people accomplished - that's where I'm headed in 3 ... 2 ... 1 :)

TR ... tr ... tr ... TRIA :)

A few January finishes:

"Use up scraps and extra ribbon" zippies ;)

Orange and pink zipper pouch

A close-up of the cute bird zipper pull :)

Construction wallet :)

Batman wallet :)

My first new project of the year - a TRIA Coin Purse - pattern from AppleGreen Cottage on Craftsy.com - link to pattern here :)  It's a very simple pattern, but it's very small, and my fiddly arthritic fingers struggled with it.  It finished to 5" wide X 4.5" tall - I posed it with a can of nectar of the gods Diet Dr. Pepper to show that it's rather itty bitty :D  I totally forgot to install the little tab that it's supposed to have - I even MADE the tab, but forgot to stitch it on - oops!  I won't make another one that small - I upsized the pattern by 25% to make it easier for me to work on, and will try it out.  The problem was not the pattern - it's rated for Intermediate sewers and that's very accurate.  The problem is mine, but I think it'll be a very easy fix, so I give it 2 thumbs up :)  No raw edges - YAY - and she designed the pattern so that the lining fits perfectly into the outside without bunching and scrunching - I like that Damjana went the extra mile to give us a pattern for such a nicely finished bag :)


Posting to Celtic Thistle Stitches January New to Me linky :)

Sometimes - I hate Blogger >:(

A couple of days ago I started a post with photos of a set of bags I had completed from a bag of scraps I had in stash.  Today I sat down to finish the post, and as I usually do, I saved it frequently while I was working on it.  Strangely, I couldn't open a preview page, even though the screen showed that the saves WERE saving.  I hit publish, and apparently that caused black holes to form in the universe, because despite all the saving I did - Blogger erased all of my saved edits, sending the page back to the original few sentences and one picture.  Can't tell you how much I appreciate that, Blogger - I'm sure someone is chortling at their desk right now, enjoying my annoyance :D

Rather than redoing the post - which - obviously - would have been the Best.  Post.  Ever.  in the history of posts ;) - I'll just show you what I finished :D

Here are 8 of the items --- a tallish zipper pouch (back), earbud pouches and a wallet (middle), and 4 humbug/triangle bags (front).  I've linked the tutorials where I used them.

Here's a regular old scrappy pipper pouch (haha typo but I'm going to leave it because it made me laugh :D) ...




And here are 3 sets of bags from a design by Kristin Link of Sew Mama Sew.  She offered up a lovely no-raw-edges front zip pouch tutorial several years ago, then gave us a great bonus of a tutorial do make the bag in more sizes!  Both links are on my zipper tutorial page (here).

This whole collection is going with me to aquafit tonight, where I'll deliver it to my Blue Hills connection - aka my friend, neighbour and sewy buddy, Miss Amanda :D

Fingers crossed that the post will go up without more black holes being created ...

A good start to the sewing year ...

Like most sewers, I plan on getting much done this year - much stash denting, and much less shopping.  For fabric, that is - I've already sent an order to Connecting Threads for 15 spools of thread, hehe.  I put fabric in my cart and then took it out ... which made me happy and unhappy at the same time :D  Baby steps!

Here are some of the quicky finishes I have under my belt for January.  With the exception of the pillowcases, these items will be going to the counselling center (I'll be delivering them to my contact tomorrow, as long as she shows up at aquafit, lol!):

A couple of denim zippies, and a use-up-some-Batman-fabric-scraps cat pouch :D

6 flickies, using some of the fleece leftovers from my dinosaur quilt :D

Doggy and soccer pillowcases - these are part of several birthday gifts I'm working on for spring birthday gifting :D

Eunice zipper pouch (a $$ pattern from IThinkSew)

Monkey Retreat bag (without the frame) :)

Orange Retreat bag

Floral Retreat (blue zip)

Floral Retreat, pink zipper

Skip to my Lou Pleated Pouches

I actually have more finishes - I'm hoping to get some pictures outside but the back yard is sheer ice, so I need to wait until it's safe for me to be out there :D

OMG for December - completed :)

Despite - you know - CHRISTMAS - and despite the fact that hubby has been home for a week (and I don't want to say that he's driving me crazy, but he's driving me crazy), I got my December OMG goal completed.  I wanted to finish this dinosaur quilt, and it's now done and in the washing machine :)  I posted my December goal here ... and here's the completed quilt, hanging on my clothesline :D

OMG dinosaur quilt completed :)

The back of the quilt

I did a quick finish to get this project done and donated - I couldn't find dinosaur fleece on sale when I looked, so I picked a print that had the right colours in it, and birthed the quilt with it.  I did some very simple stitch in the ditch quilting to anchor the backing to the QAYG quilt top, and called it a day.  He's done, and he's warm and snuggly and cute - I'm happy :)  He'll be headed off to Blue Hills next week for a kiddo who will hopefully be very happy with it!

Posting to December's OMG finish link-up here :) ... and my previous OMG posts here :)

The last tidbits (I think?!) of my pre-Christmas sewing :D

Last minute batcapes completed just before we went to visit friends with 2 granddaughters - I'm up for equal representation for the ladies, in the superhero department ;)

One last Batman wallet finished as a little extra in a Christmas gift :)

Source

Speaking of my Batman fabric - I'm definitely not done playing with it.  My Batman, though, is the Adam West and Burt Ward variety from the 60's ... that was pretty rockin' fare for kids back then!  BAM! POW!  ;)  *still crushing on Adam West almost 50 years later :)*

I ran out of drawstring gift bags while I was finishing up the last minute wrapping, so I whipped up a few reindeer that were already kitted :D

This is a good bag to have on hand in varying sizes - you never know when you'll need to wrap something in a reindeer!  ;)

Due to a miscount and a gifting rearrange episode, I was short a couple of snowman puppets, so I whipped these up in time to tuck them into the gift bag for Christmas gifting :D  This is another one of those items that would be handy to have stashed away in the gift box for unexpected or last minute gifting!


OK that's it for now - I have a large-ish project to upload before I get cracking on the housework ... stay tuned ... ;)

Batman :)

It's been a Batman kind of month so far, and I'm finally done my Batman projects - here are some photos :D

Batman wallet under construction - tutorial here :)

Finshed wallet (inside) and a Batman pillowcase :)

Outside of the wallet :)

Then I went outside into the snow ...

I took a chair with me for company ...

And I hung a bunch of Batman capes on the clothesline :D  As you can tell, it got pretty windy!

A split second of almost calm :)

 But of course the wind picked back up again, so I went inside ...

And took this photo from my kitchen patio door, LOL.

16 Batman capes are all finished for a birthday party :D  The Batman pillowcase and the wallet (along with a Hot Wheels batvehicle and some Batman stickers) will be tucked in with the capes as a surprise bonus :D  I need to find a box big enough to hold these, and then get them in the mail tomorrow - I hope the recipient likes them!  I made 18 capes altogether - one has already been gifted, and one - well - it came to a sad end when there was a glue mishap.  Sad - very sad.  But he died valiantly, and gave up his life so that another cape could live freely, without extraneous glue.  It was very touching.  Or possibly, I'm just a bit touched - one or t'other ;)

I'm not finished with Rudolph yet :D

When I spotted this applique, I knew it needed to translate into a drawstring gift bag :D  Or rather - THREE drawstring gift bags, for my neighbour kiddies :)  Tucked inside each bag is a pillowcase (these two, and this one), some candy, a fun pen and a key cap cover.  They're also getting a snowman set - I used one of my snowman drawstring bags to hold 3 hand puppets, snowman and snowflake stickers, some glittery snow playdough (which I'll make the day I give them the gift), and some cookie cutters :D  I think this will be my last upload to Bag It - the challenge closes in 4 hours, and I'm about to head down to the basement to hem 3 pairs of work pants and make a Batman cape :D  An elf's work is never done, apparently!

Posting 3 bags to Bag It :)  Thanks Patty, for all your hard work!

Snowmen, dogs and foxes hang out in my back yard :D

I took this picture while the snow was coming down, lol.  Here are 3 snowman drawstring gift bags (tutorial here) that I made for Christmas gifting purposes :D  I want to make more of them so I ordered more large buttons from Ebay - it's way cheaper than buying them @ the fabric store in town :D  These will be uploaded to the Bag It challenge (ending December 16), and will go also go in Ho Ho Ho for December (when the link goes up) :)

 I've been making Batman capes for my niece, for her son's 5th birthday party next month :)  I think having a Batman party qualifies mom for the Coolest Mom Ever award!  I believe the superhero himself will be visiting - for some reason I wish I was a 5 year old boy now, LOL!  These ones are all size 6 ...


Here are a few more of the capes - the 3 on the left are size 4, then there's a size 2 and one of the size 6's.  

Here are all the capes that are completed (I have 12 done of 16 needed), hanging out on the clothesline for their photographic debut.  The penultimate one, far right, is shy, so he's showing off his lining instead of his emblem ;)

 A couple of Christmas gift pillowcases - dogs (left) and foxes (foxii?  ;D) (right) :)

A close-up of the dog fabric ...

... and a close-up of the fox fabric.  This print seems to dance and wiggle when I try to take a picture - like some prints I've seen, it doesn't like having it's picture taken!  It's mini foxes :D

I spotted a cute pin yesterday and got it made less than 24 hours after I found it :D  Tutorial is here, and includes a downloadable template for Rudolph :D  His nose, by the way, is a fluffy pom pom ;)  I think this is a great bag design for the gentlemen we know and love and have trouble shopping for!  Rudy counts as #26 in my not-very-successful 52 in 16 attempt (52 new bag designs in 2016) - I still have 18 days left in 2016 to complete 26 more bags - where are the sewing elves when I need them :D


Linking up to several linky parties with these projects:
Reindeer bag will go to New to Me, Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew, and Bag It.   The snowman bags will go to Ho Ho Ho and Bag It.  The pillowcases go to Ho Ho Ho, and the Batman capes won't be going anywhere other than Stittsville, Ontario (when I get the last 4 finished) :D