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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New Open Wide Pouches from Noodlehead

Having a husband and two teenage sons,

I don't get a lot of chances to sew girly stuff.

This month, though,

I decided to make a few Open Wide Pouches

using the tried-and-true free tutorial

from Noodlehead.

I decided to make some cosmetic bags

for three lovely young ladies who visit us often.

{Well...they really come over to see the guys.}

First off, I wanted to make a glamorous version,

so I chose black-and-white fabrics

with a hot pink zipper and interior.

Oops...I gave it away before I could get great photos,

but you can get the idea here.

The damask was so pretty, paired with the polka dots on the bottom.

The pop of pink reminds me of Paris.

If you use the measurements for the medium-sized pouch,

fat quarters work perfectly, even with a directional print.

Click here to see the post with various measurement options.

I finally untied a treasured f/q bundle

of The Cottage Garden,

by the Quilted Fish, for Riley Blake.

Spring is nearly here, so I picked these fresh colors,

accented with a grass-green zipper.

The Cottage Garden features a text print that is

filled with inspiration quotes...

just right for girls who are competing and achieving.

DREAM BIG...shows up every time she opens this pouch.

Here's the finished pouch,

with the zipper closed. I love the shape of this pouch.

A little flower fit perfectly for the zipper tab.

This tutorial's impeccable instructions allow for success every time.

I made another pouch,

this time using the teal and steel tones

of The Cottage Garden bundle.

Oh, I wanted to keep this one.

I calmed myself..

 there are lots of prints in this palette

plus some nice-sized scraps left of these fabrics!

These modern and floral prints play so well together...

it's a lovely fabric line!

The finished pouch is nice and stable,

even before it's filled.

I always line the outer pieces and the lining

with Pellon ShapeFlex SF101 interfacing.

More inspirational reading inside...

I hope YOU will be inspired to sew something sweet for spring, too!

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N Is For Noodlehead - My Latest Divided Basket

Hello, Friends - 

I've just got time to check in for a quick post today!

I've got photos of my latest installment

in the series of Divided Baskets

from the awesome Noodlehead pattern.

For this version,

I used some of the orchid prints in

Heather Ross's Briar Rose line.

{Here is the back view of the basket...}

This pretty basket is a gift

to welcome a lovely new baby girl!

I chose to decorate the basket

with her initial...N.

I used a panel from Lakehouse Dry Goods,

found here at Desperate Quilters,

printed in bronze to look like cross-stitch.

I had a bit of Jennifer Paganelli fabric

from one of her early lines called Bell Bottoms.

I liked the way it looked

as an accent for the pocket and handles.

{I love blending unexpected prints from unrelated fabrics!}

I really love making these baskets for new moms.

They add a pretty storage option

for little diapers, little books,

little socks and shoes,

and so much more.

Look closely at the Briar Rose prints...

do you see them???

That's right...SHAMROCKS!

They fit right in with this month's

Across the Pond Sew Along theme!

Have you made something with shamrocks, too?
Don't forget to add your photos to the Flickr group!

Until next time...happy stitching!

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Celebrate! A New Mug Rug Pattern

This weekend I've got something to celebrate...

I've launched my new PDF pattern

for a fun and fresh new mug rug,

called...Celebrate!

I've gotta tell you that I didn't really plan

for this to be my next pattern,

but I've had the idea in my mind for a long time.

It came to life when

I made a kitchen-themed basket

for my son's Relay for Life team to raffle,

and I made this little mug rug as part of the prize.

I began with a Divided Basket

from my beloved Noodlehead pattern,

in a turquoise and lime color scheme.

I added a bunch of fun turquoise and lime stuff, 

like napkins, a silicone trivet,

a candle, some straws, and some picnic plates.

Here's the back of the basket.

See that Denyse Schmidt print I picked up at my JoAnn store?

I featured it, adding a sweet lime polka dot

and a fabulous turquoise chevron from Riley Blake!

I filled it with some more handmade goodies...

a stay-put tea towel

and some pretty coasters.

I know you want to see more of those coasters, right?

I whipped them up using my own Moda Bake Shop tutorial.

I'm hoping the winner of the basket

will feel happy each time she uses it.

:)

When I made my little mug rug,

I took some photos and made some notes...

and now I've got the pattern ready for sale!

There's something for everyone here...

a bit of applique using fusible webbing...

And a wee bit of embroidery...

All tied together with some bright binding.

You can find the Celebrate Mug Rug pattern 

in my pattern shop on Craftsy.

{Craftsy is running a sale all weekend

in honor of Memorial Day...

even more reason to celebrate!}

It's also available in my shop on Etsy,

called eamylove.

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Christmas Basket for May

All of my regular visitors know that

this month's Across the Pond Sew Along

theme is BASKETS...

and that I'm trying to make at least one

Christmas-y project

every month in 2013.

I'm all excited that I combined the two goals

this month, when I created my latest

Divided Basket from the pattern by Noodlehead!

Even though most of my projects for Christmas 2013

have used Cherry Christmas fabrics,

I strayed away from those prints,

opting instead for a basket that is more Winter-themed.

{No surprise that I love the ice blue and lime green together.}

For the accent on the pocket and the handles,

I stepped out and used one of my beloved Boho Girl prints!

This basket could be used all winter,

and not just for Christmas.

As much as I like the front...

I really adore the back, with the little trees

and children making snow angels!

{These prints are from 12 Joys of Christmas by Sheri Berry, from 2011.}

I really have this pattern down now...

and it's a source of relaxation for me to whip one up.
It's my new go-to gift project, too.

Last week, I needed a lovely

Mother's Day present for my mother-in-law.

She has pretty peach and blue tones in her kitchen,

so I selected some Buttercup prints

by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda.

She loved her present...

maybe she'll use it for eating outside this summer.

It would be great for carrying napkins and utensils.

The back is just as pretty as the front!

I have yet to leave out the pocket detail,

even though that's a suggested design option.

Come back soon...I hope to have at least one more basket project

to show before the merry month of May is over!

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