Summer Fun - Red White and Blue Zippered Pouch

Hello, Friends!

Who's ready for summertime?

I am!!!

Whenever I need a nice gift, I like to make a new version of

the Open Wide Zippered Pouch,

from this free tutorial by Noodlehead.

I've made so many of these...

and I've never been disappointed with the results.

This time I chose some red, white and blue fabrics

that I bought from Connecting Threads a few years ago.

The line was called Smooth Sailing.

{I love the anchors, all lined up!}

The addition of gray to the 

traditional patriotic palette looks so smart! 

That's why I chose a gray zipper to bring it out.

The lining fabric is a gray dot,

with a little red star popping up every so often.

The red and gray stripe provides a nice contrast 

for the bottom of the pouch.

I use Pellon ShapeFlex SF101 interfacing on my pouches,

for all of the exterior pieces, as well as the lining.

It adds soft shaping, and the pouch

is stable enough to stand, even while it's empty.

Once I've finished making one of these pouches,

I often add a ribbon for the zip pull.

I found this red gingham and could.not.resist.

I hope you'll have time for some summertime sewing, too!

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Whipping Up A Pretty Pouch

Hello, Friends!

Have you tried the ever-popular free tutorial

for Noodlehead's Open Wide Pouches yet?

This is a favorite go-to pattern of mine,

because these pouches make awesome little presents.

I didn't know whether to be insulted or flattered,

when my son said, 

"Mom, can you whip up one of those pouches that you always make?"

{I decided to be flattered...apparently, I make it look easy.}

It was a Valentine's Day present, 

so I chose some pretty pinks and a gray zipper.

I used the small sized dimensions from the tutorial.

There was still plenty of room for a big Hershey bar.

Once the chocolate is gone,

she can keep some makeup in there,

or whatever else strikes her fancy.

The bottom is boxed,

which gives the pouch great structure.

I was in a big hurry to take some photos,

before the present was given away.

A funny thing happened...

I think this could be my all-time favorite photograph

of something I've made.

{It kind of took my breath away. Do you like it, too?}

Fabrics are from V and Co's Simply Colorful II.

Using a layer cake, you can easily make

a very sweet Open Wide Pouch with only 3 squares

and a bit of fusible interfacing, plus a pretty zipper.

I highly recommend this wonderful Open Wide Pouch tutorial,

and you can see a few more examples of mine here.

Come back soon,

and see what else I "whipped up" for my other son.

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Tour des Fleurs - Double Exposure Zippered Pouch #3

I can't stop thinking (and talking) about

my new pattern for the

Double Exposure Zippered Pouch!

Today I'll share a new version,

something with a completely different look.

For this pouch,

I've used some gorgeous fat quarters

from a line called Tour des Fleurs,

designed by Mary Jane Carey of Holly Hill Quilt Designs.

I chose a few favorites from this lovely line,

and put them together with this

beautiful cotton ric rac, 

in just the right shade of red.

I wanted to show the versatility of this

Double Exposure Pouch pattern.

Instead of accenting the exposed zippers with lace,

you can leave them plain,

or add ric rac or ribbon trim instead.

I really enjoyed stitching the ric rac with

some matching thread.

If it's too hard to find the right shade of thread,

you can just use invisible thread to apply the trim!

The interior fabric is a pretty paisley print.

I like the plain vanilla zipper

with these colors and designs.

{I'm not kidding - it's actually called Vanilla, shade #121, from Zipit on Etsy.}

Once the bag was finished,

it was time to collect some items

for storing inside the two pockets.

First I found some tools for measuring and marking.

{That little silver tool set in the back is my favorite...tiny screwdrivers that are so handy.}

On the other side,

there was plenty of room for my box of Clover clips,

plus some specialty feet for my sewing machine

and my straight stitch throat plate.

{When I'm using that one, the standard zigzag plate is stored away.}

It's amazing how much stuff can be zipped away...

and yet it doesn't take up much space

when the pouch is folded in half.

So there you have it...

yet a different look for the same pattern.

I'm sure there will be more coming.

I truly enjoy dreaming these pouches up!

If you make some of your own,

please feel free to link to your blog

or share photos on my Flickr page,

Amy Made That!...and So Did I!

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A Hexie Flatware Pouch for the Across The Pond Sew Along

In my last post,

I shared photos of some little hexagons

I made using a mini charm pack

of Glamping by Moda.

My mom was quite taken with the cute

little 1" hexies,

so I decided to use a few of them to make something for her.

But what should I make???

I turned to a comment by The Patchsmith

for inspiration.

In my post for this month's

Across the Pond Sew Along,

Amanda suggested using a single cutlery pouch

for a breakfast tray or a Mother's Day present.

{Brilliant! No need to make an entire set!}

I made up a single one-of-a-kind pouch,

just as a special gift for my mom...

for no reason at all.

I chose three of the prettiest hexies,

and used white Kona cotton

as a glamorous backdrop.

I stitched around each hexie by machine.

So easy, actually!!!

{I shortened the stitch length to 2.0 on my sewing machine.}

For the lining of the flatware pouch,

I selected a piece of Sunshine Roses

by Tanya Whelan.

I love the aqua polka dots in the background.

This little flatware pouch

will brighten any day, don't you think?

Enjoy, Mom!

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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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