Anita Vacation Tote Bag - Black, Red and Linen Version

Hello, Friends!

Are you going to be traveling this summer?

I took some business trips recently,

so I made myself a new tote bag.

Do you recognize the pattern?

It's my very own "Anita Vacation Tote Bag" design,

available as a PDF pattern here on Craftsy, or

here in my shop called eamylove on Etsy.

For this latest version,

I wanted a mostly-neutral bag that would go with

a lot of my business wear.

The main exterior fabric is a floral print

from the original Mama Said Sew line

by Sweetwater for Moda.

The contrasting fabric near the top of the bag 

is Essex Linen by Robert Kaufman,

in a color called Flax.

The interior of the bag is also made from

the Essex Linen.

I find it to be very durable, especially when interfaced with

Pellon 987F fusible fleece, as I do for all of my purses.

Inside my bag, along one edge,

I use a strip of pockets,

to keep my sunglasses and other key items handy.

How do you like that cute zippered inside pocket?

For the inside of the pocket, I used a coordinating Sweetwater print,

from Volume II. 

What about that magnetic snap closure?
If you don't know how to add those,

my pattern will teach you...it's sew easy!

Even if you're not going on a vacation,

you might want to consider making one of these totes.

They make an excellent gift for a new grad!

Come back soon...we'll chat about this sweet pouch

that I also made, to coordinate with my new Anita Vacation Tote Bag.

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Valentine Coffee

Good morning to you!

Just a quick post, to share my latest

"Be My Valentine" mug rug.

This one is made using Bonnie and Camille's 

Handmade collection for Moda.

I chose to make some HST's and a bit of wavy quilting.

Voila! My mug rug was done in no time.

A favorite mug rug adds so much pleasure

to a little break, even when you're in a hurry.

You can whip up your own mug rugs

before Valentine's Day,

with plenty of time to spare.

My PDF pattern is available here for instant download.

For more inspiration from my "Be My Valentine" pattern,

visit my blog here...

and here...

and here...

and stop by again soon for some new ideas!

Now...if only I could make my own frothy design,

like this delicious Maple Latte from Peet's!

Have a great day!

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Snowman Coasters

Hello, Friends!

Happy New Year!

Today I'm sharing some snowman coasters

that I made for a dear friend.

I bought the pattern here.

It's so cute in grays and whites, with colorful scarves.

As soon as I shared the pattern photo on Facebook,

my friend asked me if I wanted to make some for her.

{It's hard to say which one of us was most excited!} 

Photo from Annie's e-Patterns Central
Snowman Family Mug Rug Set

I chose some of my Cherry Christmas prints,
by Aneela Hoey for Moda...

and I made each one a wee bit different,

but coordinated.

This was such a clever pattern!

True...the little scarves were very tiny

and a bit fiddly to turn right-sides-out.

But they're simply adorable, right?

I found some snowflake buttons at my local Walmart.
They're nice and flat, with just the right amount
of silvery sparkle.

 These little snowmen will warm hearts
all winter long.

Living in Pennsylvania,
we have already seen some snow this winter.
I'll have to make some more snowman
projects to warm my own home!

Have you found a favorite winter pattern?

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Social Butterfly Mini Quilt

Beautiful butterflies are one of the best parts of summertime!

They inspired me to stitch a new mini quilt

called "Social Butterfly".

This pattern was designed by Lella Boutique.

I first fell in love with this project

when I watched the YouTube video

hosted by Fat Quarter Shop,

which featured the full-size version of the quilt.

You can see that project and lots of other

inspiration on the Lella Boutique blog.

I was looking for instant gratification,

so I was super happy to see that the pattern

was available in the "mini" size,

in a downloadable PDF format.

I got started as soon as the file was delivered

to my email account!

I chose some favorite prints from a

Riley Blake line called The Cottage Garden,

created by The Quilted Fish.

I've used this fat quarter bundle a lot,

 most recently to make this little pincushion.

Before long, I had my pieces cut out for the block.

Usually I like to do my cutting in the evening,

then stitch my projects another day, when I have more time.

At first, I was a bit disappointed in myself,

for not choosing fabrics with lots of contrast.

Once my little butterfly was completely finished,

though, I learned to love her more each time I see her.

So...quilting is always a challenge, right?

"Quilt as desired," the patterns always say...

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Since this was a mini quilt,

I let myself go and tried something new...

free motion pebbles.

This was not within my comfort zone,

but I'm really glad I tried it for something I intend to keep.

I like to think I did an "okay" job with it...

my husband actually admires the rich texture.

I don't plan to do this pebble quilting any more, though.

Why? Two big reasons:

1 - I don't prefer heavily quilted projects,

because they interfere with the feel and drape of the fabric.

The thread can also sometimes interfere with the fabrics,

in my opinion.

2 - This. Took. Forever.

And it's only a MINI quilt!

My patience wore thin, and I was afraid

my circles would grow bigger and bigger,

 just so I could finish it.

{Note to self: try making bigger circles on even a smaller project.}

All the same,

I'm very happy with my pink and teal butterfly,

all bound in a tonal print from V and Co's Color Theory line for Moda.

Can you see my little faux pas?
I forgot to create a hanging sleeve!

In my rush to photograph,

I just used some Clover Wonder Clips to attach  my mini

to the cute little display frame.

I have a strip of binding left over that I'll add to the back,

to finish it off more professionally.

I loved making this pattern,

and I hope to use it again to make more pretty butterflies.

Mini quilts are great gifts...

if you can bear to part with them!

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Mr. Sunshine Mini Quilt Pattern - Supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

A brighter future lies ahead...

Someday we will wake up to a world

where the words, "You have cancer"

do not send people into a panic.

I'd like to do what I can to help

make leukemia and lymphoma treatable,

by supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

My husband is an only child,

but he's had a best friend, Dan Chianese,

for over 50 years. They are like brothers.

"Dan the Man" was diagnosed with leukemia

two years ago.

Dan is fighting back as a candidate for the

Man of the Year with LLS Suncoast.

One dollar equals one vote, from now until May 7, 2016.

The Man & Woman of the Year (MWOY) campaign is a spirited fundraising competition in communities across the U.S. in which participants build fundraising teams to compete for the title of Man or Woman of the Year. They raise funds for LLS blood cancer research in honor of local children who are blood cancer survivors, the Boy & Girl of the Year. The titles are awarded to the man and woman in each community who raises the most funds during the ten-week campaign; the top local fundraisers in the country also win the national titles. You can support their efforts by donating to or joining their campaigns, because everyone wins when cancer loses!

In Dan's honor,

I designed the Mr. Sunshine mini quilt.

Dan lives in Florida now,

so I decided to put some sunglasses onto

a sunburst design.

You can buy this pattern on Craftsy for only $3.00.

I will donate all of the sales of this pattern from now

through May 7, 2016 to Dan The Man's campaign for Man of the Year.

You can also make a direct donation here.

The future is so bright that

even the SUN needs sunglasses!

Linking up to Bits N Bobs Design Board Monday!

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A First Crush Mug Rug - From A Free Craftsy Pattern

I like to play matchmaker for patterns and fabrics...

I think this time I got it right.

I used a few pieces from my First Crush layer cake

and a free pattern on Craftsy called "That Red Cup."

If you have a few paper-pieced blocks

under your belt, this is a fun project.
I must admit that I had to restitch or two,

until I remembered how it goes.

When I saw that LID, though...

I knew it was worth the small struggles.

I fussy cut the band for the cup.

{What IS that paper thing called, that protects your hands???}

I used some wavy quilting, similar to the stitching

shown on the pattern, but mine is more random.

I think it looks like steam.

I.Love.That.

How was I going to finish this one off?
Ric rac? Machine binding?

Nope.

I used kind of a faux binding.

I made the outer border very narrow, almost like a binding.

I just added the backing and left an opening,

then turned it right-side-out and topstitched.

On the back, I made a little "tag" from one of the prints.

This was a Valentine present for my son's girlfriend,

and she loved it.

I bet you'll love it, too, if you try this pattern.

They're popping up on Instagram and Pinterest.

I first noticed this mug rug design

when Kelly of Pinkadot Quilts 

made up a bunch of them last Christmas.

I haven't seen one yet that I didn't love.

Head on over to Craftsy and see what else you can find!

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