More Zippy Pouches and A Pretty Package

I'm still having fun with this month's

Across The Pond Sew Along theme...

I just LOVE that tutorial for the

Easy Zippy Pouch, from Dog Under My Desk!

Do you remember the first one I made?

I couldn't stop at making just one of these pouches.
It was too much fun to choose fabrics and zippers!

Here's a sharp little number using red, black and white fabrics,
with a splashy red zipper.
The outer print is Zen Blossoms from Michael Miller.

Inside is a Half Moon Modern print by Moda.

I love the little mini lobster clasp.
You could clip this pouch to a key ring or a backpack.

I had an irresistible craving to make a pouch
that used a tangy orange zipper...
I chose two coordinates from Joel Dewberry's Heirloom line.

Awesome!

I really love the soft turquoise and maize tones,
contrasting with the brighter orange.

How about those diamond quilted designs?
They were surprisingly easy to execute,
using masking tape to guide my stitching.

It just so happens that
my son needed a special gift-wrap
for a certain special young lady's birthday present.
I offered to jazz up the jewelry box.

{Before...a pretty embossed lid, but kind of plain.}

{After...much more interesting!}

I used a tutorial by A Spoonful of Sugar blog
adding just a bit more batting in the lid.
I wanted to cover the base as well,
but the fit was too tight after I decorated the lid!

This box just called out for a matching zippy pouch,
don't you agree?

I used random chevrons, stitched vertically,
for the quilting on this one.
The fabric on the exterior is Simply Color
by V and Co. for Moda.

Inside is another one of my favorites...
Cufflinks in Turquoise from Summer Soiree
by Paula Prass.

So fresh and pretty - just right for the lovely young lady!

Keep an eye open for some of these zippy pouches to appear
in my shop on Etsy, eamylove!

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Signature Pillow

If I could sew whatever I wanted to sew, what would I make?

This is my favorite question to ask myself!
So often, I'm making a project for someone or for some reason.

There was the Zakka Style Sew Along...

And there were gifts to be made...

And orders for custom sewing.

All of those are great reasons for sewing, right?

I just LOVE it when someone asks me to make something special, 

just for them! 

{You betcha!}

But, what if I could make something special, just for me?

What if I could sew something

that says "Hi, I'm Amy, and I made that!"

What, exactly, would I choose to make???

{I think I've just solved my identity crisis, while making a pillow!}

The colors are turquoise and lime...

Bits of Paula Prass's Flights of Fancy, Sis Boom's Pretty Please, and Patty Young's Flora and Fauna

the prints include lots of polka dots...

the quilting is modern...

and the textures are smooth, mixed with stitchy and cushy.
When it was done, I knew it was MINE!

Here's how it all came together:
I've been admiring the Lone Starburst
paper pieced block by Six White Horses for quite a while.

{Anna has been so generous, offering a free templates for this awesome block!}

Lone Starburst block by Six White Horses

I've "favorited" a whole bunch of them on Flickr.
Finally, when I saw Cindy's Terrain star, I knew it was time to give it a try!

{I love every version of this block I've ever seen!}

Lone Starburst by Adventures of the Singing Quilter - Cindy

I got busy with my own block...ahem...for a few hours...

and eventually
I finished 8 of the sections, each with 8 pieces of fabric.
Keep the seam ripper close, people!

{It's just a good thing I don't swear on a regular basis, 
because some bad words threatened to pop out more than a few times.  
Mothers: work in private on this block!}

Next I auditioned some borders...and the Ta Dots by Michael Miller
won the beauty contest.

{The runners-up were featured on the back...lime Mints from Paula Prass's Summer Soiree, paired with Sandi Henderson's Farmer's Market print.}

Once my borders were added, I fused the back of my entire block
with Pellon 987F fusible fleece, then added a backing of muslin.  
This gave me a really smooth finish for the pillow top, 
and it was so easy to sew all the straight lines
with my walking foot.

For the back of the pillow,
I used Pellon ShapeFlex 101 fusible interfacing, to add some body
to the quilting cotton.  Perfect!!!
I used a decorative flap to hide the zipper closure.

 {A little peek under there...cool,huh?}

I stitched it all together,
and it was like magic to reveal the finished pillow!

I hope someday that people who know eamylove

will be able to look at what I made and know,

"Amy Made That!"

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A Peacock Wedding

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful bride,

with four lovely bridesmaids to attend her.

The bridesmaids gowns were a brilliant shade of teal called Mediterranean...

we call it Peacock in my real-life workplace.

{But that's another tale...don't get me started.}

{Source:  Pinterest}

Each gown came with a fabric stole, 

made from the same teal fabric as the dresses.

The bridesmaids felt certain that they would NOT want to 
wear stoles for the August wedding.

{Can you blame them?}

{Source:  Pinterest}

Someone suggested making little purses from the stoles,

and I was asked to make them!

{Yay!!!}

I knew right away that this Sweet Pea Totes pattern,

the Zip and Go Wristlet,

would be a perfect choice!

I made up all four of the wristlets from the silky taffeta peacock fabric,

which has a fantastic, rich sheen and wonderful texture.

{I lined the fabric with Pellon ShapeFlex 101SF,

and it made perfect pleats.}

For the interiors, I chose four different prints to match.

I used one print for the pocket and the other for the lining.

{I switched up the prints, so that all four coordinated,

but each was unique. These are from Paula Prass and Jennifer Paganelli.}

For the interiors and the pocket, I used Pellon 987F fusible fleece interfacing.

The wristlets are soft, but hold their shape, even when empty.

{Man, I love that stuff...I buy it by the bolt!}

This pattern is fabulous!!!

I've used it many times and it's fun every step of the way.

{Here are some of my favorites...}

I bought a bunch of colorful zippers,

because they add some "zip" to these great bags! 

{I got mine from Zipit on Etsy.}

I do follow the fabulous well-written pattern exactly,

except with two modifications I like to make.

1.

I prefer some extra shaping to the bottom of the bags,

so I make darts in the corners.

2.

Secondly, I LOVE putting a skinny shoulder strap

on my bags, instead of using them

as a wristlet.

They can be carried on the shoulder, or even cross-body.

{When I go to an amusement park, I can tuck mine inside my shirt

for the roller coaster rides!}

I generally make a matching key fob, too...
so I made up a few for the bridal party.

{You just can't have too many of these key fobs!}

{I have a few of these purses for sale in my shop on Etsy,

or you can always contact me if you want me to sew something just for you!}

I had some more of the peacock fabric left...
and I used it to make up a drawstring bag
from this tutorial by Jeni of In Color Order.

I love the lively accent fabrics, once again by Jennifer Paganelli...
It's for the bridal dance, so of course
it's got to rock!

And for the final chapter in this storybook wedding...
the bride needed a pretty purse, too, don't you think?


How lovely is this?


{Made from elmstreetlife's Bow Clutch Tutorial 
that I've already posted about here.}

The lining is from a Jennifer Paganelli's print called Matt's Tux.


{I do so love names that sound like they match the occasion!}

Wishing the bride and groom, their family and friends
a beautiful wedding day!

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