Same but Different Small Bag

I made this small zipper bag from a pattern suggestion at Stitch Mischief. There is no seam on the bottom and the boxing seams are made inside and covered with bias tape. I didn't have bias tape so I cut a strip of the lining fabric and covered the seam like I was binding a quilt.

The fabric on the top part was bought in Australia.

The fabric on the bottom was bought in Portland, Oregon.

The lining is some of the Art Gallery fabric I won last year. It has a Chrysanthemum pattern and feels sort of Japanese. Notice the mum centered in the bottom. Happened totally by accident.

I think this will be my go-to pattern for small bags now.

I have enjoyed the week off. We are going to a movie this afternoon. Hope you have had a great week!

Avoiding Applique

So I finished ten small wide open zipper bags today. I am pleased with how they turned out.

Cotton Blossom had a special on Kona solids and I bought some with no idea or plan for what to do with them. Then I thought of the teens in a group home we are adopting for Christmas at church. What girl doesn't need a small bag for cosmetics and other girly stuff? 

Looked in my stash for fat quarters to pair with the solids. Then matched up some zippers I got this summer.

All of this sewing was really my way of avoiding the appliqué on the WIP I need to finish.

Two different looks with light teal.

Two bright reds.

A couple of grays.

The darker teal.

I think these are my favorite and I usually don't like orange.

I made the first two from start to finish. Then I decided that assembly line would be faster. It was. I got more accurate with the bottom boxing seam. All in all very happy with them. Hope the girls like them.

Now I have to get on that appliqué. ;-)

Quick Gifts

Okay, I'm a copy cat. I saw these coffee cup cozies and had to make some. Bought refillable coffee cups for $2 each. Used scraps leftover from different quilts. Found some buttons and elastic hair bands that were not being used.

These were so quick to make. I made three last night and two after school Thursday-before returning to school for PTA. The plan is to gift them to the office staff and some coffee lovers I know.

Also, I had to do something quick and quilty. My appliqué is not going well on the finish I am hoping to have complete by Thanksgiving. I remember why I don't do appliqué. I have a hard time seeing the light colored fabrics. More on that in another post. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nine Years Later...Working on a Finish

In 2005-06 I participated in a Saturday Sampler Class and made the blocks for this quilt. A week ago I started putting the blocks together. Why did they sit so long? I blame it on the appliqué that goes around the central block. I got stuck and put the blocks away. This is my last unfinished quilt or WIP. I have cut out the appliqué pieces and made up my mind that I will finish putting the top together this weekend. Then I can quilt it over Thanksgiving break.

The photos are basically the same. The top one taken without flash.

The bottom one taken with flash.

I learned one thing about my piecing skills as I put this together-I have definitely improved over the last nine years. Many of these blocks were smaller than they should have been and very wonky.

I am much better at sewing, cutting, pressing, and trimming than I was at the beginning.

How about you? Can you tell you have improved?

Finished mob cap

Well, I hope to get this posted to join Amanda Jean's Friday finish group. I made this mob cap as the last piece of a Mrs. Claus costume to wear when I tell stories at Christmas.

This is the back view. 

This shows the ribbon tie in the front. It was very easy to make. Just cut two circles. Sew together. Turn. Topstitch around the edge.

I didn't have any elastic so I used ribbon to gather it. Just sewed two parallel lines about 2 inches from the edge. Cut slits for the ribbon. Threaded the ribbon and adjusted it to fit my head.

Hope I'm in time to join the link!

Mrs. Claus costume for Christmas

Use your imagination for this post. Imagine a white ruffled blouse with this green skirt and holiday apron. 

I am making a white mob cap to wear to cover my short hair. I think Mrs. Claus might wear a cap like that. My plan is to wear this to the children's party at church and tell stories or lead songs. Then on the last day of school before Christmas break I may wear it and read or tell stories in the kindergarten and first grade classes. We'll see.