Coney Island Pillow

Hello, Friends!

If you're like me, you don't have a lot of free time

for sewing, especially in the summertime.

Pillows are a great project,

because they're both practical and pretty...

a smart way to use precious time!

I made this particular pillow with a mini charm pack

of Coney Island, by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda.

The colors and prints capture summer's

carefree moments perfectly.

When it came time to choose the backing,

this apple green solid caught my eye.

I followed my own free tutorial

for making a covered zipper pillow backing.

This little pillow measures about 14" x 14".

It's not too big...just nice for cushioning a wicker chair.

I love the way this pudgy pillow fills out the form.

It's pleasingly plump!!!

Don't you love mini charms?

I love searching for matching prints

in various colorways, when I use a charm pack

or a mini charm pack.

If you have a favorite way to spend your

summer sewing hours,

feel free to comment!

Linking to:

Freemotion By The River

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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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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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Skinny Pinnie - Received!

We are closing out our 

Skinny Pinnie Pincushion Swap!

By now, everyone should be mailing

and receiving their finished pinnies.

As the "swap mama" I had the luxury

of choosing my partner,

and I selected the lovely and talented

Beverly, of golfingbev on Flickr.

Look what came in the mail for me,

courtesy of Beverly!

There is so much goodness in here,

starring the most adorable...

and petite...skinny pinnie,

composed of teeny tiny hexagons!

See that needle book in the background?

It's made to match the pinnie,

from a Nana Company tutorial

that I must try someday soon.

{Sigh...}

{Photo by golfingbev on Flickr}

There are little treasures I'd never seen before,

such as Japanese zippers...

with French sayings...

Or little cherry zip pulls!

There are Japanese sewing and crafting goodies galore

in this little stack of sweetness.

I love each one to bits!

{Everything was all bundled up with bits of Washi tape!}

There was something old...vintage feedsacks!

And something new...this handy Seam-Fix

seam ripper with a little thing on top

for picking up the snips of thread.

{Of course I may never need to try that tool, since I'm such a perfect stitcher. Ahem...}

There are more fabric samples, too...

little teapot prints I had admired on Bev's Flickr site...

and even a Glamping mini charm pack!

{Can you find it, among all of the treasures?}

And look at this darling little tag!

I first noticed Beverly's sewing talents

during the Zakka Along 2.0 Patchwork, Please sew along.

Beverly has a distinctive style,

mixing bits of fabric to create detailed treasures

that leave me breathless.

Check out her photostream, and you will see what I mean!

Beverly's Patchwork Please Apron - Polka Dot Cafe

Thank you, Beverly, for spoiling me rotten!

{I will be able to trace my new Japanese sewing fixation to this magic moment.}

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