Zippered Pouches

I got my sewing fix this weekend. I'm so glad there were three days of it, too. Saturday was rather like a recovery day from the previous week, but Sunday, I took on this:

some pretty grays, and even a zipper

It ended up looking like this, when I was done.

zippered pouch

I looped the strap on this one because I did not get out to any store to get some clips.  I really love the grays, and the little pop of green on that flowered fabric. It is one of the pieces from my mom's stash, so definitely vintage, and I think it is a gorgeous fabric.

The pouch even has a pocket inside.

just enough of those cute grey flower to make a pocket

On Monday, I started another. I didn't take nearly as many pictures of the second pouch as I did the first. I was thinking blue/green/purple jewel tones with gray. I found some blues and some greens, but not really jewel tones, and the only purple I found did not play well with them. Really? ALL that fabric and I couldn't put together something in jewel tones? Still I liked the blues and greens together, and the gray stripe really helps.

Check out the silver zipper!

While I'm not one for adding trim and lace to everything, I do think details make a difference. This little pouch has a D ring on the strap, and a divider inside.

a place for everything...

I came across that pretty flowered fabric while searching through my scraps. It is another vintage piece, and I fell for it big time.

These two pouches will be heading for their new home this week!

Zippered Pouch, the First!

Yesterday, when I went to sew with Roxanne, she wasn't up for much sewing. She has a couple of conditions which were catching up to her, but she still wanted some visit time. Me too. I've been wanting to make a zippered pouch for a while, now, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it out!

First, we picked out the pattern we wanted to try. I had printed out this Goody Pouch pattern from the Moda Bake Shop. I love looking at their "recipies" and I've picked out several that I want to try.

After that, we let Roxanne's five year old grandson pick out some fabrics. Dragons, check! Orange (for the flames) check! Grey for the smoke! Black for the coal (you know, so the dragons have something to burn...). Roxanne had a red zipper, the swivel clasp, and the split ring. While I don't usually like to use a dark fabric for the inside of a bag, I went with the dragons anyway, since I knew they were his focus for this project, and it is a small bag. Hopefully he won't loose anything in there.

It took a couple hours to make the bag. First I made sure I had everything ready, so I checked the pattern, and cut one set of pieces... and rechecked the pattern, and cut the next set, and so forth. I find that prepping take the most time on these projects, and the actual construction goes quickly, if I've done the prep. I took construction kind of slow, since it was my first time, and I didn't want to mess it up.

My first zippered pouch!

Her grandson LOVES it! It didn't quite work as a holster for his ray gun, but the matchbox cars were cozy. He barely let me borrow it back for my brother to snap this photo on his phone and email it to me. I'm very pleased with the way it came out, and I'm looking forward to my next one. Maybe even today...

New Year Finishes

I'm bad because I haven't got pictures to go with any of these, but I've been busy at the sewing machine this past week, working on finishing some garments that have been cut out since this past summer.

When my niece was here, I started several pieces for her. She does love new clothes, and the attention of someone making them especially for her. Unfortunately, I didn't have time while she was here to finish everything we started, and it went on the back burner. Otherwise known as the project basket. This past week, I finished up a tiered skirt in a very cute fabric that has stripes that look rather like rick-rack. It has bright colors on a light background, and looks like it will go with many different tops, and especially colorful t-shirts. I also finished up a top (no, it doesn't go with the skirt) that will be perfect over leggings. It has a round neckline, and a short bodice (in solid purple) with a gathered skirt (in a purple/white blotchy kind of flowery fabric [doesn't sound cute, but it is - AND I found buttons that went rather perfectly with it]). I wish she were here to model them for pictures, but she is at home. I asked Raine to stand in, but chances are slim that she will...

I also finished a button down camp shirt for myself. I've made shirts from this pattern for many years, for many people. I tend to have two or three in my closet at any given time, but had not made any for a while. Then I found a piece of fabric I though was just the thing for one! It has shades of grey in it, along with tan and a little bit of green. Perfect colors to go with several pairs of pants I already have, plus - of course - jeans. I even modified the pattern a little by shortening the sleeves, which I have used as the pattern says for many iterations, even though I find them a little long when I am wearing the shirts and have often rolled them up. Even though I'm here to model the shirt, I'm not doing the photo in the bathroom mirror thing tonight. Sorry.

There are still a couple of things in the project basket all cut out and waiting to go, but it is a lot emptier than it was. Time to sort through the fabric and patterns again soon? I hope so!