May quilting

 May is already flying by and since I have self-imposed deadlines, I knew it was going to go quickly. 

Yesterday we celebrated with my brother's family as his daughter was confirmed. It was a beautiful day. It's the first time we've all been together for a picture since a few years ago.

Saturday we were at my brother Jim's ranch for their branding. My brother Ed's girlfriend Rebecca was with us while he was at a shooting tournament. It was hot in the afternoon and by the time we branded it was cold and rainy. I was sopping wet. 

Paul helped with branding too. 

I picked out fabrics for my heart bargello and started cutting it out last week. 

I finished up this butterfly and dragonfly quilt for a special cousin. I hope to gift it this week. 

My hairstylist wanted to gift this fabric as a bag to a co-worker, so I made it for her. It's a panel like fabric and I quilted it and then made the bag. 

 

This week I'm working on binding a baby quilt and making a rag quilt for my cousin's son for graduation. I only have 2 weeks and I need to get working on it at a faster pace!

April Bag Making

 I've been busy sewing this month, but just too busy to post.Tuesday night I made my friend Michelle a Sew Together bag. She's retiring soon and I wanted to make her one of these. This took just over 1.5 hours. I plan to teach a class on it this summer at The Sewing Center. The fabric is Everyday Handmade. 

My MIL's birthday was last week and I made her a phone purse to carry her phone around. It's called Call Me from byAnnie

I've had this wired tote frame for probably 4 years and finally got around to making the small wired tote. I used Homemade fabric. I pre-quilted it, so I had to bind the inside, but it worked out okay. 

I covered the front with a complimentary fabric. 

I've had this Easy Does it bag cut out for quite some time. I finally got around to making it the beginning of April. It's a pretty simple bag and a free pattern. I'm teaching a class on it this summer. 

Emmalina Bags has a free pattern for a boxy wired tote. I made the small size. It was pretty simple to make and I think it turned out pretty cute. 

My dad's wife asked me to make her some bags for gifts, so I made 5 bags. This is the front and the back. She received 4 and the other one will go to a family member.

Overall I would have liked to make more bags, but I ran out of time and energy. I'm trying to get graduation gifts and teacher appreciation quilts done. These are taking presedence. 

Tote Bag Sample

 Last night I worked on a bag as a sample for the 4-H Club I am teaching to sew next Saturday. We've already done pillowcases and masks, so this year we're doing bags. 

I made a blanket for my daughter's friend. It's really tiny and is for her stuffed cow. This is a scrap of minkee, so a quick stitch, flip, and topstitch. I think it took about 10 minutes. 

Then I worked on the bag. The pattern is a Lazy Girl free pattern, With Love Tote, and uses a yard of fabric and I made the handles with webbing. It's a fairly good sized tote. 

Sewing the edge closed on the lining. 

The hole to turn it through. 

Corners cut out for a boxed corner. 

I drew it out so the kids could see. Then they will cut with scissors on the marked line. 

Ruler to show the corner size. 

I'm really frustrated that I couldn't find a one-page pattern on how to make a canvas tote with a 1/2 yard of outdoor or canvas material. I need to bite the bullet and make one, so I can teach the kids how to make it. We'll see how this one goes and then I may teach another class for the county 4-H kids. 

January sewing byAnnie bags

I've been busy doing a lot of small bags this month. I made this Piecekeeper/Project bag, which is a free byAnnie pattern. I changed the size and used vinyl instead of mesh. 

I made Just in Case. I had the alignment wrong, but it will still work. 

I made a simple planner cover for my planner for this year. 

I made a clam up in Everyday Handmade. 

I made my friends retreat gifts, Clam Up/Persimmion Pouches and Flipping Out. 

I made a small thread dispenser for a friend. 

Lots of byAnnie sewing projects and they all come out so nicely. I really love how quickly they go together. 

 

Christmas Gifts and Other projects

 I was asked to help with a charity sewing project and we made reading pillows. The four below are the front and backs for the pillows for 9 year old boy and girl.

I made an Easy Does It for a class sample I would like to teach at the Sewing Center. It's a free pattern from byAnnie. 

I made this Large Flipping Out from byAnnie patterns. It went together much better than I anticipated.

This year I struggled with Christmas gifts as the kids have 2 teachers who they have had in the past. So I decided the teachers would get reading pillows for their rooms. Mrs. Leite loves Owl's, so I made one for her. Then I made Mrs. Hammell a camping one. 

Mrs. Barbaruolo and Mrs. Preston received red pillows with flowers and camping. All three of these had red minkee on the back. 

My MIL found her brother after an extended period of time and I made his girlfriend this bag. 

I made the buffalo bag for him. 

I used up the last of my Case IH fabric for a few bags for my brothers, dad, and nephew. 

 I love making these little bags. They are super easy and the recipients love them.