Sew Cute Fruit Pouch

I've been influenced by zakka -- the Japanese concept of making pretty, practical items to beautify your everyday life -- since I first started sewing back in 2011. This has led me to spend a lot of time finding books and fabric by Japanese designers, which are full of wonderful inspiration in this area. My latest purchase is Sew Cute Quilts and Gifts by Atsuko Matsuyama. I had already bought a copy of the book from my favorite online shop Sunny Day Supply when I got an email from Lindsay at Zakka Workshop asking if I would be interested in joining the book tour, so the timing was perfect. I'm eternally grateful to Zakka Workshop, which has taken so many wonderful Japanese craft books and translated them into English so that even more people can enjoy them.

For my project, I chose the round fruit pouch, because I had never made a pouch like this before. This is one of the things I love about Japanese sewing books: they always seem to be full of interesting techniques that I haven't tried yet. I was pleased with how easily the pouch came together, including the applique on the front, which is something I don't get the chance to do very often. Thankfully my dear friends Mary and Shawn at Sunny Day Supply had the zipper I needed in stock, and they were kind enough to send me the leaves and flower for applique as well. Be sure to check out their shop this month, because they're going to have all kinds of wonderful supplies for the projects in this book on hand if you need them!

The back of the pouch was supposed to be a four square block, but I fell so completely in love with this new print by my friend Elea Lutz (of which I'll be sharing more with you next month during her fabric tour!), that I just couldn't resist using it all in one piece. I used the tiny floral print from my Date Night collection for the lining and binding on the pouch which gave a nice continuity from the outside to the inside of the project. I love the color and small scale of this print, and I'm going to be so sad when I run out of it!

The hardest part of this project by far was sewing in the zipper by hand. The directions were perfectly clear and helpful, mind you. I'm just not used to putting a zipper in this way, and it took me a few tries to get my stitches right. Once I got in the swing of it, though, it came together nicely.

I'm so pleased with this sweet little pouch, and it feels great to tuck a few more skills under my crafty belt. The book is chock full of adorable projects featuring more techniques that I haven't tried, so I'm probably going to be pulling this title off the shelf now and then in the next year whenever I want to learn something new. If you're on Instagram, be sure to stop by my post to leave a comment so that you can be entered to win a copy of this book for yourself. I really think you'll like this one.

All the Little Things

In less than two weeks already, we'll be starting another school year. How we got here so quickly is beyond me as always. In any case, the textbooks have arrived, the school shopping has been done, and the girls -- and I, if I'm honest -- are all showing the signs of needing to be back on a routine again. In the middle of May with summer stretching out before me, I always make an ambitious to-do list for the months ahead, convinced that I'm going to get so much done. This is all completely hilarious to end-of-July me, who tossed that list aside back in June and is now wringing every last drop of relaxation out of each waking moment before lesson plans and homework take over my desk again. Really though, in spite of all the responsibilities on my plate during the school year, I do get more creative projects done during those busy months than during my vacation, probably because I work it all into my schedule on purpose. But that's for another day. Right now it's still summer for two golden weeks, and I'm happy to play while I can.

Part of that play time has been sewing, thankfully, and this month has been all about making gifts for some dear people in my life. Our vicar and his wife finished up their year-long internship at our church last week, and though they won't be with us when their baby is born in October, I wanted to send them home with a handmade gift. This long pillow is just the sort of thing I would have loved to have on hand when I was feeding my own babies years ago. I used a mix of favorite novelty prints, including the one with the expected birth month to make it more personal. I put October in the middle along with September and November, so I'm hoping that even if the baby comes early or late, we'll be covered!

This linen improv pouch was a gift for a sweet, talented young woman who spent the summer at our church working with our worship team. It was so much fun choosing the prints for this one, and I loved being able to reflect different parts of her personality in the fabrics. Many of these are by Melody Miller from her original Ruby Star lines. I absolutely love how this pouch turned out and was so thrilled that she loved it too.

This weekend I was able to work on a fun project using my Color Book pattern from my new book Patchwork USA. It features the Dorothy's Journey collection by Jill Howarth, which is a darling take on The Wizard of Oz. 

Jill's illustrations are always so full of heart and whimsy, and when I saw the collection, I immediately thought these prints would be such a perfect match for this project. I gifted the book to the young daughter of a friend. I'm hoping she'll enjoy turning these colorful pages as she grows up.

So it's been a month of making all the little things as a way of celebrating all the important things. And really, I can't think of a better way to finish out the summer than that. 

Blossom Scissors Pouch

So many thanks for all the lovely comments on my last project, both here and on Instagram! I had no idea that Liberty spool runner would be such a hit. I've received so many requests for the pattern that I'm adding it to my to-do list. Keep an eye on the blog for more news to come on that!

My dear friend Christopher (aka The Tattooed Quilter) has released a beautiful new basic print for Riley Blake Designs this year called Blossom, featuring the tiniest flowers tossed over a solid background in a rainbow of colors. I adore the small scale of this print, making it so perfect for little patchwork projects like the one I'm sharing today.

I'm a big fan of embroidery scissors, and I love collecting new pairs whenever I get the chance. This, of course, means that I also get the fun of making a pouch to hold them all, which is what I did last week. This hexagon zipper case is a variation on a pouch from the book Sweet & Simple Patchwork Gifts by Hisako Arai and Yoko Sanjo, which I highly recommend if you love small patchwork projects the way I do. I changed things up a bit so that there are only hexagons on the front and so that I could finish the pouch by machine instead of by hand.

My red, blue, white, and pink hexagons are bordered by navy gingham for a spin on patriotic colors, which is currently one of my favorite color schemes. I added a pink zipper, a red and cream twill tape loop, and an adorable scissors charm to the zipper pull. The pouch is lined in a white Blossom print featuring little red flowers, and I love the way it looks against that pale pink zipper.

This charm makes me so ridiculously happy every time I see it!

Projects like these always remind me that the only thing better than sewing with pretty fabric is sewing with pretty fabric designed by wonderful friends...

Fall Pouch from 50 Little Gifts

It was almost a year ago now that I got an email from Susanne Woods, publisher at Lucky Spool, to see if I would be willing to contribute my Pixie Basket and Key Pouch patterns to a printed collection of tutorials called 50 Little Gifts. The answer was yes, of course. As someone who often forgets to bookmark a cute tutorial and then spends a big chunk of time later on trying to find it, a book like this is gold for me. Everything in here is small, simple, and perfect for gifting to any number of people in your life . . . ahem, including yourself. And it's all in one book that you can easily grab whenever you need it.

Case in point: this adorable little Window Zippered Pouch pattern by Chase Wu, one of my favorite sources of patchwork inspiration. I pulled out some Calico Crow by Lauren Nash, the cutest fall collection I've ever seen, and sewed up this little pouch last night after dinner. I can't tell you what a pleasure it was to make something easy and seasonal like this just for fun -- and in only an hour! It even gave me the chance to use this little squirrel charm for the zipper which I've been saving for a while now.

Just looking at the back of this pouch makes me want to go bake some fall goodies . . .

Speaking of which, wouldn't this make a darling hostess gift to give along with a pie or a plate of cookies? Just slip the recipe inside and give it to a friend along with the food. Or fill it with candy for treats at an autumn party. Or tuck a gift card, notepad, and pen inside for a back-to-school gift for your child's teacher. See what I mean about this book? Gift giving options galore!

So who wants one? Lucky Spool has given me a copy of 50 Little Gifts to share with one of you lovely readers. Just leave a comment below, and I'll pick a random winner on Friday. All are welcome to enter, just make sure you write down your email address in the comment if you're a no-reply blogger. Spread the word to friends who might want to enter. Christmas is coming, after all, and this book is going to be a winner for quick holiday gifts.

Happy sewing, friends!

***NOTE: Giveaway now closed. Congratulations to Laura from Slice of Pi Quilts!***

Spelling Bee Saturday: Sewing Machine Pouch

It has a vintage school theme.

That's really all I needed to know about Lori Holt's Spelling Bee book to convince me that I needed a copy. The adorable picture blocks were just icing on the cake. When Fat Quarter Shop opened up the sign-up sheet for bloggers to choose their blocks for the sew along, I raced to get the slots for the sewing machine & typewriter blocks -- no surprise to those of you who know me. Today I'm sharing my version of the sewing machine.

I made the smaller size which finishes at 6 inches. Originally I had hoped to turn it into a pincushion, but it was just a bit too large. So instead I made a pouch, framing and backing the block in aqua gingham from Lori's Bake Sale 2 collection.

I desperately wanted to use a small floral for the machine itself, and this print from Apple Farm by my friend Elea Lutz was the perfect scale. The Handmade print from Lori's Bee Backgrounds collection made darling buttons for my machine which I hand quilted in red embroidery thread. Striped aqua accents were a great contrast, and I adore that little cross stitched heart on the spool at the top!

I lined the pouch with a pink cherry print from Bake Sale 2. It makes such a happy lining, doesn't it?

As soon as I sewed the last stitch on this pouch, I took it right downstairs and gave it to my mom for Mother's Day. I'm so happy to say that she loves it. Considering that she's a master at cross stitch, I loved being able to give her something with accents in that theme.

Several months back, my husband had a day off from work, but my girls and I still did our homeschool classes so that we could stay on schedule. I spent the morning tutoring, giving tests, soothing ruffled tempers, counseling my two older girls about struggles they were having, and so on. Finally just before lunch, I sat down next to my husband for a moment to chat.

"This is what I do all day," I said with a rueful laugh, and he smiled.

"You know," he said, looking at me thoughtfully, "it's not glamorous . . . but it's important. You're forming our daughters' character. It's the most important thing you can do."

And I remembered again why I love this man.

So happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there, as well as to all of you women who may not be moms, but are still investing your lives in loving and (sometimes) mothering the people around you. It's definitely not glamorous work and so much of it goes unsung, but we're making a difference . . . one life at a time.

Pillows & Pouches

One of my favorite presents to make for both new parents and little children is a small version of the giant Book Nook pillow from my book. I shrink the pattern down to fit a 12" or 14" pillow form and tuck a card in the pocket for a sweet gift.

As a new mom, I always liked having lots of pillows nearby to help me get into a comfortable position when I was feeding the baby, and that pocket is a great place to stash a book or snack pack or anything else I might want when I'm up by myself in the middle of the night. For a child's gift, you can still tuck little books or toys in the pocket, and it's perfect for travel. My girls and I will be making a mini Book Nook for each of them to take on our family road trip this summer.

I decided to pull out my Heather Ross stash for these pillows, carefully choosing my prints since one is for a girl and the other for a boy. It was so much fun to pick out the fabrics for these! I paired them both with different shades of linen on the pocket background fabric for a nice contrast.

I've started sewing up my own gift bags lately, riffing on the 5-Minute Party Pouch from Ruby Star Wrapping by Melody Miller & Allison Tannery. I just change up the size as needed. It's a great way to use fabric from my Five & Dime stash, and it makes the gift so much more personal. And frankly, considering how expensive gift bags are becoming, I think I'm at least breaking even on the cost!

I also had the chance to host a week of my friend Kim's sew along for her new Notions Pouch pattern. Kim is also known as Retro Mama, and she makes the most adorable things!

This is just the cutest little pouch you ever saw, and I had so much fun making one in each of the two sizes she offers. The sew along is just wrapping up on Instagram -- just check out the hashtag #notionspouchsal to see all the amazing makes.

Speaking of Instagram, I'm trying to keep up with the annual Instagram Quilt Fest hosted by Amy of Amy's Creative Side this month. There's a photo prompt for each day of March to share with the hashtag #igquiltfest, and it's given me the chance to go back and revisit some favorite makes as well as share a behind-the-scenes look at my own sewing studio. Check it out if you get the chance. These are the kind of events that really bring out the friendly spirit that I love most about the online quilting community.

Happy sewing, friends!

Crafty Little Things Blog Hop & Giveaway

Way back near the beginning of 2014, my friend Caroline asked me if I'd be willing to contribute a project to her next book.  Crafty Little Things to Sew is finally hitting stores this month, and I couldn't be happier to see it in print at last!

When I came up with the idea for my Patchwork Calculator Tablet Case, I was actually thinking that it would be a fun place to stash my daughters' math flashcards. The pattern was loosely based on the look of a calculator, mostly because I thought it would be a great way to include lots of colorful patchwork for the "buttons." My first version used a rainbow of geometric prints and a number scrap for the "screen" set against a solid black background. I quilted all of the colored pieces just inside each shape. I love to use a pouch this size for a sketchbook and drawing materials -- so perfect for inspiration on-the-go!

For my second attempt, I wanted something more whimsical. I switched out the black background for a more organic looking brown print, used a text print for the "screen," and carefully fussy cut 16 squares from Heather Ross fabrics in shades of white, pink, yellow, and orange. This time I quilted around the squares and rectangle instead of inside them. As you can see, it really makes a wonderful case for a Kindle or tablet with room to spare for a few more items if you want to carry the pouch instead of a purse.

This project makes a great gift, and it's a quick finish too. You can easily put one together in an afternoon. Caroline's book is full of these sorts of projects, which are from a wonderful array of talented designers, and it's why I love the book so much. There's nothing I enjoy more than fast, fun, useful sewing!

I'm giving away a copy of Crafty Little Things to Sew to one lucky winner. Just leave a comment below to be entered in the drawing. You can get extra entries by tagging friends on my Instagram post (@fabricmutt) too! Just be sure to leave an email address in your comment if you're a no-reply blogger so that I can get in touch with you if you win. I'll be picking a winner on Thursday.

**GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED. CONGRATS, KATHLEEN!**

Be sure to follow the other bloggers on the tour. There are so many fabulous projects coming up!

Hair Bow Pouch

I'm guest posting over at the Fat Quarter Shop blog today for this month's Pattern Makeover post. A fun block from Fat Quarter Baby has become the sweetest little pouch for hair accessories...donut charm included. Head over there to check it out!

Sewing Machine Accessory Pouch Tutorial

I have another tutorial over at the Fat Quarter Shop blog today. The Sewing Machine Accessory Pouch is the perfect spot to keep your sewing machine tools, accessories, and manual so that you can find everything when you need it. The featured sample above was sewn with Chestnut Street fabric by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda. I love that text print in the background!

Here's my first prototype, made with scraps from my own stash. I made the bottom corners round in this version, but otherwise it's the same. It's always fun to see how different prints change the look of things.

This would also make a great pouch for hand quilting or embroidery projects. A hoop is easily tucked into the outside pocket while your tools go inside the zipper pocket.

Head over to the FQS blog for the pattern!

Trinket Case

Those of you who follow me on Instagram know that our family has had a rough few months. My dad fell off a ladder at the beginning of March, shattering his wrist and injuring his knee. He finished three difficult months of recovery from wrist surgery and physical therapy last week, but had to begin the process all over again yesterday after undergoing a necessary knee surgery. On top of that, my oldest daughter Bunny had a terrible breathing attack two weeks ago, followed by trips to the emergency room and several days in the hospital. She's since been diagnosed with asthma and has been taking medicine around the clock. We capped off the week by having all three of my girls come down with a nasty cold. Put this together with sleepless nights, hours of grading to wrap up the school year, and the general stress of the past few months, and well, we're just a bit worn out over here. So when my dear friend Becca agreed to pick up a few goodies for me at Sample Spree last weekend, it was like a little ray of sunshine in the gloom.

Look at these gorgeous bundles of Trinket by Melody Miller and Les Fleurs by Anna Bond. The colors, the designs...they just make my heart sing. The ladies at Cotton + Steel continue to impress me with their skill in creating color stories and collection themes.

It seemed like sewing up a small colorful project would be the best kind of therapy right now, so I immediately broke open the Trinket bundle, which might just be my favorite yet of Melody's beautiful collections. These prints just seem to hum with happiness. I especially love the spools, but I'm just as fond of the whistles, phones, and those sweet smiling daisies. It was so much fun fussy cutting these squares to create the front of a boxy patchwork case.

I used one of the linen floral prints for the sides and back panel. The selvage was just too lovely to leave out, and I carefully trimmed it to fit along the zipper opening.

I added leather for the side tabs and zipper pull, making a wonderful contrast to the bright prints.

Between you and me, when I stepped back to look at the finished case, I was so happy that I almost wanted to cry. Because even though little joys may not solve our problems, they're sometimes just enough to help us find the strength to carry on.

Colorful Patchwork Bags & Baskets Tour

I finished today's project last weekend and have been dying to share it with you all week! My sweet friend Caroline (who writes the incredibly popular Sew Can She blog) has just filmed her first Craftsy class, Colorful Patchwork Bags & Baskets, and asked me to be a part of her blog tour. She sent me a free code for the class and a package full of interfacing so that I was all set to try it out.

I've taken several online classes over the past few years on everything from sewing to knitting to illustrating. I can say in all honesty that this class was completely worth my time. Even though I'm a veteran bag maker, I still picked up a few new tips from Caroline. The techniques she shares for making these projects are simple yet so clever. My original plan was to make one of the baskets, but when I saw her zipper pouches, I fell completely in love.

I just adore the patchwork pockets on these pouches -- so unique! Caroline uses gridded interfacing by Pellon to make perfectly nested seams, and I'm sorely tempted to use this technique on other projects as well. If you don't have the Pellon product on hand, she also shows you how to create your own version of it with regular interfacing, a pencil, and a ruler. There should actually be pockets on both sides of my pouch, but sadly I trimmed my other patchwork panel the wrong way while trying to listen to another class and use my rotary cutter at the same time. (Tip of the day: do NOT be like me.) I'm already cutting out pieces for a second pouch. Wouldn't these make wonderful gifts? Just tuck in some goodies or a gift card, and you're good to go!

Caroline is offering a discount code to all my readers for 50% off the class cost. Whether you're a beginner or more advanced, I really think there's something in here for you to enjoy. Please do check it out!

Also be sure to drop by the other stops on the Colorful Patchwork Bags & Baskets Tour -- all listed in the links below. You'll find even more information on Caroline's blog. Enjoy!

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Mini Double-Zip Clutch: the EPP Kit

Back when I first developed the Double-Zip Clutch for my book, Sew Organized for the Busy Girl, I remember thinking, "Someday I need to try making a miniature one of these." Well, today was the day...and wow, do I love it.

For those of you who might want to try one of these, I simply cut all the measurements in half. This smaller version finishes at 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" closed, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2" open. I also switched out fusible interfacing for cotton batting which I attached with adhesive basting spray. I found that I didn't need to even use the batting to reinforce the lining on the end zipper pockets; the smaller version holds up quite nicely without it.

This clutch couldn't be a more perfect size to use as an English paper piecing kit for basting hexagons. All the fabrics you see here are from Amy Sinbaldi's charming new collection Paperie for Art Gallery Fabrics, which features plenty of delicate small scale prints as well as a vintage book theme -- two of my very favorite things. These sweet prints will definitely be showing up in future projects.

This was my first time trying metal snaps as a closure, and I'm definitely a fan. I also added leather zipper pulls and trimmed it with a bit of twill tape covered in French handwriting as a final touch. There are pockets here for everything: paper pieces, basted shapes, needles, thread, scissors, and fabric. It all zips and folds up into an easily hand held package. Best of all, it only took me a few hours this afternoon to sew this up between helping the girls with their classes.

And we all lived happily ever after...

Purse Palooza Guest Post

You'll find me over at Sew Sweetness today, helping to kick off Sara's annual Purse Palooza event. I'm reviewing one of my all-time favorite patterns, the Triangle Patchwork Box Pouch from Patchwork, Please! by Ayumi Takahashi. Go check it out!

Etched (And What I'm Doing in June)

This week I had the chance to play with some fabric designed by the wonderful people at Hawthorne Threads. They were kind enough to send me two pieces from their new Etched collection to make into something fun. I had originally planned to turn these into a little clutch, but they turned out to be exactly what I needed to corral all my planning supplies for one of the biggest projects I've ever tackled: our family's upcoming move to Texas this June.

But first let's talk about the fabric. I would agree with some other reviewers that the Hawthorne Threads fabric is a little stiffer than your typical designer quilting cotton, but since I was using the prints to make a large pouch, that wasn't a problem for me. I paired Vanes in Tulip with Essex linen in Flax for the exterior, saving the charcoal Hexie Bramble print for the pouch lining. A grey zipper accented with a leather pull was the final touch. The finished pouch is 13 x 16" -- just the right size to hold my master planning binder, moving box inventory, and any other papers I don't want to lose along the way.

Etched is the latest collection designed by Hawthorne Threads, coming out this month, and I think it's their best yet. The simplicity of the prints and the pairing of just a few well chosen colors (charcoal, glacier blue, indigo, and tulip) on white make them absolutely perfect for modern accessories and home decor projects.

So Texas... Our family is really excited about making our first out-of-state move this summer, but the process is pretty overwhelming. Between managing the house, home schooling the girls, sewing, blogging, working on upcoming promotional stuff for my book, and now starting the process of purging and packing...well, life is more than a little crazy these days. I'm learning to take things one day at a time -- sometimes one hour at a time. And let's just say that I'm definitely keeping Diet Coke and Ghirardelli Chocolate in business...

Happy weekend