What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

I’ve been looking for a way to pack jewelry when I go away, but everything I’d seen just didn’t quite work. However, I noticed a pattern on the By Annie site that I thought might do the trick; the pattern is called Treasures and Trinkets. Since it can be made in three sizes, I thought […]

Last year mt quilt club announced a secret challenge.  We were to bring in some fabric in a jam jar, with our name under the lid so you didn't know who it belonged to.  The idea was for another club member to take your jar home, make whatever they liked from your fabric, adding one other fabric if necessary, and bring it back on the last club night of the year.  This is the anonymous jar I chose to take home, it had an interesting mix of colours inside.

Wonder what's in here?

Tucked inside was a lovely ...

I am absolutely crazy about this bag pattern. I’m not sure why, exactly, but it really is nice that it opens up into a flat “tray” for handy access. That’s really nice when I need to just toss some things to the side for easy use later. This is the third one I’ve made, though […]

 I finished up my personal sewing project for the month!

This is what I chose for the lining.

I filmed the process of actually sewing the bag and currently am offering the pattern I wrote for this bag for FREE. Click the link below and use the code FreePatternValentine2025 to get a copy for free through Thursday February 13, 2025 at 6pm Mountain Time USA.

Basic Zipper Bag PDF Pattern

To view the video you can watch it embedded right here or click the link below the video to go to it directly on my shop YouTube Channel. If you ...

I have two little projects to share with you today. First is a small bag I’ve made as a gift; it’s another Drop Zone bag from ByAnnie. I really like this bag, as it opens up completely flat and then zips completely and compactly closed. I added an adorable little zipper pull shaped like a […]

I signed up for a class at the Houston Quilt Festival that begins later this month. In looking at the supply list, I noticed that I’m going to need to bring scissors — something more than merely thread snips. What’s a girl to do but quickly make a scissor case to transport the scissors? Luckily […]

If you’ve read this blog in the past, you’ll know that I like many of the various bag patterns from https://byannie.com. A few days ago, one of our grandsons stopped by with his iPad Mini, and I was horrified to see that it was “naked”! What if he dropped it? It could be scratched or […]

 It seems to have been a long time since I had a RSC finish to share.  In fact, it is a "two for one deal" as it  also ticks the box for the Chookshed Challenge number 3 which was chosen for August.  These selvedge blocks were started in Rainbow Scrap Challenge during 2020 and each month I stitched one in the nominated colour.  I had decided to make these blocks for a tote bag, and also stitched a couple of handles, and sone extra selvedge strips in burgundy for the top of the bag.  Then it was put aside.

Bag ...

 All the pouches are finished and gifted now! I made another 7, all with the same fabric at the top and cream zips. 

I changed the colour of the faux leather at the bottom

and also the lining fabric depending on the topic of the teachers.

And of course I added a cute little label

I don't have a picture with the 7+3 pouches together, I finished them in batches as they were needed! Nothing like a deadline to get going...

Happy to have managed to make as many (well one extra) as the girls wanted to gift ...

I mentioned in a previous post that I was participating in a “Slow Along” — a slow-paced series of video steps toward making (in this case) a travel toiletries bag called Travel Essentials. We began about eight weeks ago, and the last step was released yesterday, giving everyone lots of time to stay on track […]

There are a lot of times when I just need a bag.  A simple lunch bag that will hold a few snacks, not leak, can fold flat and get tucked away, and perfect for just grabbing and going.

This free lunch bag pattern– the Simple Lunch Bag is just that!  It’s just the right height…and because it’s a flap it’s adjustable.  The boxed corners give you a bottom that can hold a sandwich size container, plus a bunch of other goodies piles on top.

DIY Lunch Bag: Create Your Own Reusable and Stylish Bag

Creating your ...

This is from a ByAnnie pattern called Travel Essentials, and it’s little extra bag (Hot Tools Holder) to hold a curling iron, with a separate pocket for the cord. It makes it possible to pack a curling iron while it isn’t yet completely cool. The last seam was stitched through four layers of fabric, two […]

About eleven years ago, I made a ByAnnie bag (Jewelry Travel Case — on the right here). It’s really nice, with pockets for various things (larger earrings, watchbands, etc.), along with a place for post-type earrings, a wonderful way to carry necklaces tangle-free, and all sorts of things. But it’s big! Closed, it measures 11″ […]

A while back, I explained that I was making yet another bag, this one called Travel Essentials. However, instead of just sitting down and making it, I’m participating in a “Slow Along” where everyone in the virtual group does the same step at the same time and has access to private videos for extra tips […]

Almost a year ago, I posted the fourth in a set of bags (photo on the right) I’d made for when I take my smaller Kaffe Fassett Bernina 475 to a sewing group. The bags were to hold all of the various tools I might need — reducing the likelihood that I’d forget to take […]

My beautiful Bernina 790Pro is still out of commission, though there is light at the end of the tunnel! When the local tech was finally able to get back to work after three weeks flat on his back, poor guy, he tried to order replacement parts for my machine. However, Bernina insisted that he send […]

 I don't get much time for personal sewing these days. As a shop owner, most of my sewing time is spent on store samples and class samples. One of my nieces is getting married soon and she asked me to make some little duffle bags for her to give to her bridesmaids. So all last week, in between my regular shop duties, I made 7 duffle bags for her.

I used fabrics from my stash so all of the fabrics I used are older, discontinued fabrics. For the zippers, I used a package of By Annie's zipper by ...

Pattern: Japanese Knot Bag by Sewn Wyoming

Tips & Tricks 

How to make a japanese knot bag

Nothing better than a tight deadline to focus my attention! I bought a panel to make a birthday present for my friend a few months ago and of course it had sat there since. Well her birthday was on Sunday and she invited us for a meal so I knew I had to finish my gift by then. I was originally planning to make a pouch but the panel was rather large at 17''+ so I decided a tote bag would be more appropriate.