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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Kiss Me Quick, Valentine!!!

Hello, Friends!

If you're looking for a quick gift idea

from the heart, for someone who's sweet,

take a look at my Be My Valentine mug rug pattern.

This pattern is very versatile, which is great news.

This is an example of a clean and simple design,

using one single fabric for the front.

 I had all of the supplies on hand...

this mug rug started out as two 10" layer cake squares

from Sweetwater's "First Crush" line for Moda.

I used a charming label from Sweetwater,

to put into words exactly what I was thinking.

This mug rug will be a birthday present 

for my wonderful mom!

{Shhh...her birthday is right after Valentine's Day!}

It was so easy to add the label to the heart shape,

with some fusible webbing and a neat straight stitch.

I used some squiggly free motion quilting,

to add interest.

I love the contrasting red ric rac edging.

I came up with an even quicker version,

using two more 10" squares of First Crush prints.

See how easy???

I didn't even need to add quilting,

since the fusible fleece gives it a beautiful finish.

I had fun using some labels I've been hoarding

for way to long!

It's reversible, too!

For the Be My Valentine mug rug pattern,

I normally piece together a patchwork for the front. 

That's super fun, when there's time available.

I got this "kiss me quick" idea,

because the backs of the mug rugs

are just as pretty as the fronts.

I hope you'll be inspired to try some quick versions

of the Be My Valentine mug rug pattern.

Be sure to share them on Instagram

by tagging with @eamylove or #amymadethat,
or any other page.

And remember...

gifts from the heart are welcomed every day,

even beyond Valentine's Day.

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First Crush - Be My Valentine

Are you ready?

Valentine's Day is coming up soon!

If you're looking for a fun gift to stitch up,

consider making a "Be My Valentine" mug rug.

You can find my pattern here on Craftsy.

For this sample,

I used scraps from First Crush by Sweetwater

for Moda, in gray, red and black.

I love the text prints mixed in with hearts and arrows.

This modern line looks great with a bit of wavy quilting detail.

The finished mug rug is so sweet
for serving up a cuppa and a chocolate treat.

No matter which fabrics and ric rac you choose for the
Be My Valentine mug rug,
you're bound to fall in love with it.

The back is cleanly finished, so the mug rug is truly reversible.

Check out my original Be My Valentine post here...

The pattern launch post has more ideas, here.

Soon I'll be back with some shortcuts for this pattern,
in case you're really running out of sewing time.

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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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Christmas 2015 --- Getting Started

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions,

but I do like to formulate a plan

for my sewing focus each year.

Back in 2013,

I made a conscious effort to sew

something for Christmas every month.

By Christmastime, I had a wide variety

of gifts and decorations.

{See this post for a complete listing of my 2013 holiday projects.}

For 2015, I've made up my mind

 to keep up with Christmas sewing again.

I've got lots of Christmas fabrics in my stash,

and I'd love to see what I can make by December.

It was so gratifying to make this pillow

as a gift for a wonderful friend,

and I was reminded of how much I love handmade holiday presents.

Inspired by that red and black color scheme,

I've already made my first holiday project for this year!

I used two more of my "ink swatches" from Sweetwater,

and I whipped up a pair of holiday pillows.

The first pillow says,

"Joy To The World"...one of my favorite

Christmas carols of all.

I found some sophisticated damask

in a home dec weight at JoAnn's.

I think it sets off the ink swatch perfectly.

Also at JoAnn's, I found cherry red solid home dec fabric.

I used it for the backing of these pillows.

For this pillow, I chose a black and white floral print

for the covered zipper flap.

{Visit this post for a link to my free tutorial...Covered Zipper Pillow Backing!}

The second pillow of the set says "Just Believe."

The simple sentiment goes well with this classic palette.

I really love the polka dot zipper cover.

Believe me when I say this method for making

pillow backings is truly easy and versatile.

To adapt it to different pillow sizes,

just add an inch to the finished dimensions of the pillow front.

Your backing will be a wee bit oversized,

but that makes it easy to stitch to the pillow front.

So here it is, only January,

and I've got a couple of plump Christmas pillows,

all ready for next December!

Stop by again soon...

I'll be sharing yet another holiday ink swatch pillow!

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