Mouthy Stitches Pouches!

What is better than one mouthy stitches pouch - two, or maybe even three....?


I am way too indecisive and it shows when it comes to making things for swaps. I do look at my partner's mosaic and their blog and I read their comments about other swap items.  I will decide what to make and then unless my partner says yes with enthusiasm I go into meltdown and think that she doesn't really like what I am making for her!


So then I end up making more than one item in the hope that I can hedge my bets...



So that is why I have not one, not two but three pouches to offer my partner.

Option number 1 is quite close to something in her mosaic.  It is a mini handbag really and because I couldn't work out how to recess the zip - it would have required facings and all sorts - I just put in a zippered pocket to meet our zip requirement! Hope that keeps the mamas happy!?  It is made in cord to give it a bit of body and help to keep it's shape.   My youngest quite likes it and would have taken it for sure if it was RED!

Option number two is my original one in linen though rather modified.  I took off the button, the ribbon trim and bow!  And then added some material that went with my linen - a dusky blue, and an aqua dotty fabric and put the bow back on.  The same fabrics are inside the bag and I used the dotty fabric to make some pockets!

Option three is a wildcard based on the comments of my partner on the other pouches being made and on my own personal taste.  I have gone back to my favourite bright colours and done something I have been meaning to do for some time.  I have tried out some Kantha quilting! 



This is a technique from India which uses close stitching in running stitch.   I had to choose a suitable motif - one that my partner seems to like - an elephant.  She seems to have found a name already - Nelly!  Both Helen and Judith have named her so - so Nelly she is then!  

The bright colours continue inside with two pockets - one to take a rotary cutter or scissors, the other for a pen!  I could easily fill it up with a hand piecing project.....

Unless my partner wants it.....?

More little pencil cases!...?

Forget pencil cases the little pouch I made at the weekend is now keeping some beaded necklaces safe for me.  I have lots of bead necklaces as I delight in making them too.  Hence my need for more little pencil cases necklace pouches - here is my little collection so far.. 

Love a bit of wicker don't you?

As you can see I have altered the original design - which you can find here!  It is now longer and in my second new version it has a tab on each end!


The purple one uses fabric I dyed myself on a workshop many moons ago with the lovely Helen Deighan - my eldest now 18 was a baby at the time and Helen kindly managed to entertain her as well as run the workshop!  I like the rough texture of the dyed old cotton sheet against the smooth printed fabrics - again I used one of Karen's lovely triangle prints!  I love these but am eking them out in tiny morsels so I still can make more things with them!


Why purple? - to match my purple necklaces of course!

Now the red one obviously houses my red necklaces and uses fabric from a jelly roll of Reunion I bought at the recent Ardingly Spring Quilt show, plus a print fabric and some solid red!  The inside is a red on white flower print!  

My tabs at either end are a small section of VV Rouleaux braid which I adore and am glad to have found a home for!

Even the way the braid is displayed is gorgeous - I would love to visit one of their shops in London one day...!  Sigh - would have to save up first!  

Christmas all bagged up!

Maybe you are thinking of this!?  Have you cleaned up after all the present unwrapping that has been going on?  Have you taken down your decorations?

But I was thinking of this actually .....the last two Christmas bags or pouches I had partly made....  Two star blocks here in Christmas fabric with a lot of hand quilting which is nice enough - ooh you can tell I made these a while ago by the dark colours!

Now the other side with the nativity scene had not been even started  - so how to marry the traditional Christmas colours with something a bit brighter...well put both styles of fabric in and hope for the best of course.

What do you think!?

The angel one has a bit of a wonky log cabin round it - think she has been celebrating a bit too much...

And the Magi has a rail fence border suggested by the print....think this one has worked out better...




Both are bound so no nasty raw edge seam inside as each has a Christmas fabric interior - slightly marrred by the seams at the zip - may have to think of a way over that little problem....mmmm!

Very useful for holding some of the many scraps I have and it looks pretty too!


Anyway the bags are done for now though I still have more of this printed nativity scene fabric so I could carry on a bit longer....or leave it till about this time next year no doubt!




Happy New Year everyone!  Looking forward to 2012 are you?

Five zippered pouches and FMQ Friday!

I have sewn five zippered pouches in double quick time as gifts for the youngest to give to her guide leaders when she goes to the local panto tonight and a crafting sleepover, finishing up with Christmas lunch tomorrow!!

Then she has to leave early and go to the cinema to celebrate a friend's birthday and tea!  What a whirl of a social life she has!




The front of the pouches - pieced pieces leftover from other projects!

The back of my pouches and my FMQ efforts for this week!

And a little look inside....

Does anyone recognise this birdy print!?  A recent gift from Jeanette in the Brit Quilt Pillow Fight Swap - it was a perfect match and I've still got some left for me!

I would miss my youngest one tomorrow but I'll be too busy tomorrow meeting Karen Lewis aka Blueberry Park at the We Make London: Christmas Fair at the Battersea Art Centre!  Details are here!


 Yeah -  another meet up with a fellow blogger and what a talented woman  - if you don't know Karen and her work screen printing fabric or paper and making great goodies out of them please check her out! 

I was going to use my precious store of her fabric to make those pouches but am saving them for another project....