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I'm busy packing my sewing bag, as tomorrow I'm off to Yorkshire at last, on a very special quilting trip, with some very special friends. While I'm away I'm going to free motion quilt this New York Beauty quilt top, which hasn't been touched since it was pieced together back in March 2019, the last time I was in Yorkshire. 
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Another ByAnnie pattern and another gift! As you know, I enjoy mkaking journal covers, and have made several for myself and friends. However this one is on a whole new level, with a zippered front pocket, an inside pocket and a bookmark. This pattern is The Write Stuff and was purchased on line from Sew Hot - they have a great selection of ByAnnie products and patterns. I've used a combination of batik fabrics and Moda grunge by Basic Grey for this journal cover, all bought a couple of years ago at Sew and So's in Bungay (they have a super selection of batiks there) and teamed it up with a gorgeous variagated KingTut quilting thread, also bought from Sew and So's...  ...this quilted journal cover has a zippered pocket on the front (I've added a fabric zipper pull) and a slip pocket on the inside of the back cover...
...I used a button sew-on magnet for the tab closure and added a vintage button from my huge collection in a matching colour...
...The pattern has instructions for making the journal in 3 different sizes, however it can easily be adapted to make other sizes. This is the large size and I've used an A4 sized spiral bound notebook...
...this was a gift for my daughter - she loves teals and turquoises and batiks, so I knew I couldn't go wrong with these fabrics. And there are plenty of pages for her to fill it up with her hopes and dreams!  I've used a few left over scraps of fabric from the recent Zip it Up case that I made to make a very simple project. These fabrics from the Bugs and Critters collection by Nutex, were leftovers from the recent Zip it Up case that I'd made for a special little boy's birthday. I found a pattern online for a simple pencil case on the Folk Art Factory blog. I've altered the construction slightly, so the front and back of the pencil case are quilted very simply rather than having a seperate lining...  ...as I'd altered the way the pencil case was constructed, I had to change the way the zipper was put in, so I've used the ByAnnie method of zipper insertion - there are some great video tutorials for this on the ByAnnie website...
...the stripey binding was cut on the bias and machined in place a quarter of an inch around both sides and the lower edge of the pencil case, then folded over and machined again to enclose all the raw edges. I've also added a zipper pull with a piece of leftover stripey binding. This case can be adapted to whatever size you want, depending on the size zipper and fabrics that you have. This one is the size of the orihginal instructions, and the box of pencils fits inside perfectly!
Being a member of the Poppy Patch Posse is so exciting! My second kit arrived in the post at the weekend from Poppy Patch and is a pattern by One Day In May, Creations by Melissa Grant. This pretty kit includes the pattern, all fabrics including embroidery stabilizer and wadding, and 2 skeins of beautiful Cottage Garden Threads hand-dyed embroidery thread. My due date for this is towards the end of November so I've got plenty of time to catch up with a few other projects first!  This project was made as a birthday present for a very special little boy. As soon as I saw these fabrics from the Bugs and Critters collection, I just knew they'd be perfect for what I had planned. A quick order was made to The Galloway Crafts & Outback Yarns - this stripey fabric s going to look super cut on the bias for binding! The pattern I'd chosen is "Zip it Up" by Pattern ByAnnie.com and Patterns By Annie and purchased from Plush Addict. Last year I discovered Zipper Station - a super assortment of zippers in an array of colours and sizes. I decided to buy zipper by the yard with some extra zipper pulls in a few bright colours for this one and future projects...
...well I do think that stripey binding looks fabulous, but the trickiest part of using stripey binding cut on the bias is joining the ends so the stripes match! The reason the Bugs and Critters fabrics were so appropriate was because I'd already bought some bug-related gifts - a super book by Matt Robertson called Do You Love Bugs, a bugs and insects colouring book, and a large box of colouring pencils. Plenty to keep an inquisitive young man occupied for hours!...
...the Zip it Up case wasn't TOO tricky - the instructions on ByAnnie patterns are very clear. Although this pattern didn't have an add-on video tutorial, there are lots of ByAnnie video tutorials on her website and on YouTube which are super helpful, especially for putting in that zipper and attaching the zipper sliders! The front of the bag has a large zippered pocket and there's a smart handle on the top. If you wanted to adapt the pattern the back of the case could easily have another pocket added on...
...inside there are 2 large pockets - one is made with mesh, the other made with vinyl. I already had some leftover mesh from another project, which I'd bought from Sew Hot (the ByAnnie brand comes in lots of different colours) and I decided to try the ByAnnie clear vinyl which was bought from Oh Sew Sweet. I must say, although the vinyl was more expensive than ones I'd used previously, the quality is so much better, so I'll definitely be ordering more. Both pockets are zippered and I really love the pop of turquoise. For any zipperphobics, the zipper sliders went on really easily...
...well the birthday boy was absolutely thrilled to bits with it! I'll definitely make more of these as I have a few young neices and a young nephew that I think will like them, especially if I can match my fabrics to suit the contents!  I ordered a selection of continuous zippers, along with matching zipper sliders, from Zipper Station on Friday and they arrived in the post today! These glorious colours will be perfect for bag making - buttercup, navy, pink, orage, white and eggplant. Being able to purchase extra sliders mean this is a really ecconomical way of buying zipper tape too! Zipper Station is a brilliant website, selling all types of zippers in an assortment of sizes and colours. I've been buying the number 5 zippers and extra sliders - they are great quality and so much more reasonable than the ByAnnie brand. Now I've build up my zipper supply, I'm all set for making more bags and zipper projects - watch this space!  As you know, a few weeks ago I was picked to be a member of the Poppy Patch Posse, which was very exciting! My first kit arrived in the post and included all the fabrics, pattern and embroidery thread for this sewing pouch. The pattern is Forget-me-not Sewing Pocket, by the Australian designer Gail Pan. This beautiful hand-dyed Cottage Garden Thread is really lovely to use for hand embroidery. When I constructed the pouch, I used a thin felted polyester wadding (Pellon H630) and machine stitched an eighth of an inch from the outside edge once it has been turned the right way through...
...the original pattern has a button and ribbon for the closure, however I didn't have any ribbon the right colour, so I've improvised and used a sew-in button magnet to keep the sewing pouch closed, and used a vintage button on the front of the pouch. The pouch is hand quilted using a DMC perle thread in ecru in a simple cross hatch design. I've also added a wool felt needle keeper to the inside flap...
..inside there is a generous pocket for sewing supplies along with 2 smaller pockets. The bound lower edge of the flap folds over the smaller pockets ensuring everything stays in place when the pouch is closed...I've added a piece of lace trimming to the top of the pockets...
...and here is the completed sewing pouch. I am a huge fan of Gail Pan's patterns and this was such a pretty project to make. Gail's patterns are always written very simply and are easy to follow. The full size traceable stitchery design is included in the pattern along with detailed instruction of how to put the pouch together. The kit that Poppy Patch put together is really pretty, using fabrics from another Australian designer, Lynette Anderson and these fabrics are from her Swan Cottage collection. If you'd like to make one of these, kits are available on the Poppy Patch website. This has now been posted off to Poppy Patch to be on display as a "shop sample" so if you're passing you might see it! #poppypatchposse  I'd been searching through my fabrics for just the "right" ones for a project for my husband - and hit the jackpot with these! I'd bought this fat quarter bundle of Electic Elements by Tim Holtz from the Lady Sew and Sew stand at the Knitting and Stitching Show back in 2014 and these were just perfect for what I had in mind, a padded case for Mr F's Samsung tablet...  ...once I'd decided which fabrics to use for the outer case, pockets and lining, these were quilted very simply, using a variegated KingTut quilting thread. The bag wadding I'm using is ByAnnie Soft and Stable which quilts really well and I can't believe it took me so long to discover it, although I have used Bosal In-R-Form for bagmaking, which is very similar...  ...well practise makes perfect, as I'm definitely getting better at this machine binding malarkey! I had to piece a few strips of fabric together for the binding before I was able to cut it on the bias, but fortunately the seams don't look too obtrusive...  ...I've stitched this fun label in the inside of the front flap - these are by Kylie and the Machine and were purchased recently from Tangled Yarn - as this is for Mr F, I'm sure he'll understand this sentiment very well!...  ...once the binding had been machined to one side of the iCase, the binding was folded over to the other side and machined into place. Clover Wonder Clips are brilliant for this, goodness only knows how I ever managed without them! They really do make machine sewing the binding so much easier...  ...practise makes perfect, and I have been practising a lot to get these curves to look neat and tidy! I stitched along the edge of the binding using a walking foot, and repositioned the needle which enabled me to use the inside edge of the walking foot as a guide...  ...this shows the back of the iCase, which has a quilted zipper pocket. A long fabric zipper pull was added once the iCase was complete...  ...I used zipper by the metre, previously bought from Zipper Station for this project - they have a huge assortment of colours and you can urchase extra zipper sliders too...  ...this shows the inside of the iCase - Mr F's Samsung tablet is also in a protective hard case, so the large size iCase was perfect for this (I'd made one for myself a few days ago and it's a bit of a snug fit to be honest). Velcro strips were stitched on the front of the case and the flap to keep it securely closed, without worrying about the effects of using magnets...  ...this padded iCase will also add a bit of extra protection when the tablet is packed in a traveling bag...  ...and this shows the front. The pattern I used is ByAnnie iCases, purchased recently from Plush Addict and I'm sure I'll be making a few more of these for Christmas gifts. Now I just need to wrap this up along with a couple of other gifts ready for the birthday boy to open tomorrow.  Back in 2016 I'd purchased these gorgeous fabrics from Fiona's Fabrics in Woodbridge (the brand is A Spark of Happiness) and I'd used them to make a Sew Together Bag. The fabrics are quite wide and I had lots of leftlovers, which had been lovingly packed away waiting for another project...  ...I decided to use some of them for a trial run of another ByAnnie pattern,a posh new coat for my Samsung tablet! I gathered a few of my bag-making supplies together - this bright green zipper by the metre from Zipper Station was just perfect to use with these bright fabrics - along with some snag-free Velcro fastening and a variegated KingTut quilting thread. The case was quilted very simply onto Soft and Stable bag wadding...  ...the front of the case looks very smart, with machine stitched binding covering all of the raw edges...  ...the back of the case has a zipper pocket...  ...inside there is a slip pocket for my Samsung tablet, and the flap secures it with Velcro. It's a bit of a snug fit as I used some pieces of fabric that were already cut which were slightly smaller than the pattern suggested. Also, I've kept my tablet in it's protective hard case...  ...well I absolutely LOVE my new tablet case! The pattern, iCases, was purchased from Plush Addict - the pattern includes instructions for making depending on the size of your electronic devise, however it would be simple to make it smaller or larger - I'm thinking about enlarging it to make a case for my lightpad!I'm going to make another one of these cases for my my husband as a birthday gift, also my sister-in-law was admiring mine, so I'll make one for her birthday too. Now I just need to find some appropriate fabrics and I'll make a start!  I've become rather addicted to By Annie patterns, and this Clam Up zipper pouch pattern was purchased just a few days ago from Oh Sew Sweet at The Hut. The instructions for ByAnnie patterns are well laid out with diagrams and lots of diagrams and the add-on videos are brilliant! I've used zipper by the metre which I'd akready bought a few weeks ago from Zipper Station (along with extra zipper sliders). This particular pouch has 2 zipper sliders on it and opens up nice and wide, which is perfect for keeping a few of my sewing bits and bobs in! I've also used ByAnnie soft and stable wadding, which is great for bagmaking as it adds a lot of structure and quilts beautifully...
...I've used some leftover pieces of fabric and tape measure ribbon from when I made Under Cover a few months ago. Clam Up was really simple to make and the pattern has instructions for making it in an assortent of sizes - this one is the large size. I'll definitely make a few more of these - they'll make super gifts for family and friends.  |
 About me...Hi - welcome to my quilting blog! My passions are my family, my dog, my friends and sewing, not necessarily in that order! 
 
 
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