Sew Powerful Purses #6-9 (2025)

Another 4 more purses to donate to Sew Powerful Purse Project. Appliqué hexagon flower, 2 raw edge scrappy purse flaps, a pieced quilted block with added strips and all with the same batik purse bodies.

The second from the left and the far right are flaps made using raw edge scraps with tulle. They were quilted, then added embellishments and some yarn couching on the far right flap. 

Close up of one of the scrappy raw edge purse flaps with tulle.

Batik purse bodies.

Backs with pockets.

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Sew Powerful Purses #2-5 (for 2025)

4 more purses finished! 3 I used selvages on the flaps and one I painted the flap and added an appliqué Hawaiian flower in the corner.

I used a small quilt block in the center of 2 of these and then sewed selvages around them, while the center purse I used a small rectangle scrap. I loved upcycling selvages and denim jeans! The purse bodies are indeed upcycled denim jeans as you can see in the photos below.

The front jean pockets are perfect as the front of these purses and gives an extra bonus pocket (or 2 as in the left purse). I also sometimes add the front jean pocket to the back of the purse, but I think I prefer it this way on the front.

I used the black back denim pockets on the outer 2 purses and created a slip pocket for the blue denim purse. Oftentimes the denim jeans are so large that the back pockets would be cut nearly in half if I used them on the back, so I have to see if they will fit first.

The flower on the flap below is another upcycle I cut from this rainbow tie dye knit tank top I have. Every time I cut an appliqué shape from the tank top, different parts of the tank top are used, so this one was the section of these purple and blue colors. Some I cut were more reds, yellow and orange. It's fun to see so many colors and so many appliqué shapes that I can get from this tank top.

I painted this white canvas material first with different textures and then added a quarter of a Hawaiian flower appliqué into the corner of the flap. 

Black upcylcled denim jeans purse body.

Back with a slip pocket.

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Sew Powerful Purse #1 (for 2025)

This is my first finished purse this year (2025) to donate to the Sew Powerful Purse Project. I used my circular attachment on my sewing machine to create the decorative stitched circles, or partial circles for this flap. It's so fun to play! I added some embroidered flower appliqué trim flowers and even made French knots by hand on stitch that looks like an asterisk. It sure jazzed up this plain purple fabric. 

I may set this purse aside and use it for the Picture Your Purse fundraiser campaign. I joined in last year (the first time they did this), where you make a purse and later send it to one of the people going on the trip to Zambia (which will be this May) and they find a girl to give your purse to and take a photo of them holding your purse. Later you receive an 8"x 10" color photo of the girl holding the purse that you made and they tell you the first name of the girl too. That connection makes it more real to be able to see one girl with a purse that you made. Since I cannot go to Zambia myself, this is the next best thing. 

Decorative stitches done in a circle.

Front pocket under the flap. I love this fabric. Has metallic dots and what looks like paint brushed metallic too over the pretty fabric print.

The back pocket and the entire flap shown here. The top 2 inches or so of the flap folds to the back and isn't seen, but here you can see that orange was a full circle that was stitched.

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Ava Hip Bag (Pattern by All Sew Petite)

Monika of All Sew Petite Patterns has designed this fabulous hip bag, called Ava Hip Bag. It is a great looking bag as well as being really functional. It can be worn as a sling across your front or back, a cross body or a waist/hip bag too. 

Ava has lots of space too! 4 zippered pockets: a zippered main closure, a front zippered pocket, a back zippered pocket, an inside zipper pocket which is great for cash or coins or both, plus credit card slots/pockets too inside, so no need to carry a wallet!

Ava measures 14" wide x 7 1/2" high x 4 3/4" deep. 

Ava pdf pattern is on sale at 30% off, no code is needed, so grab yours now while it is on sale. Sale is for 72 hours only! Monika is in the UK, so make sure you get it before the 72 hours are up. Monika also has a video tutorial so you can sew along with her making the Ava Hip Bag. 

I love this brown batik fabric with the Southwest turquoise turtles and thought it was perfect for this bag. The top zipper opens to the main bag compartment and the bottom zipper is a pocket for hold your easy access stuff like keys.

I chose to add one zipper pull for each zipper, rather than 2 zipper pulls. I find it is just as easy to pull one pull around than to have to zip/unzip one pull in each direction, which seems more fiddly to do for me. Some testers did add 2 zipper pulls and some did not. The double pulls do look nice when centered, but knowing me, I will never get them centered when using the bag 😜😂. To each her own.

Here I slung it over the chair to mimic how it would look wearing as a sling on your front or back. 

The back has a zipper pocket with an overlay. I unzipped it here. 

The back side with the zipper pocket with an overlay. 

Front pocket unzipped.

Inside the main compartment are card pocket slots and a zippered pocket to hold your cash and coins, since you don't need to carry a wallet (unless you want to carry a wallet) as this is like a built in wallet. Plus, there is still room to hold other items as well, like a glasses case and a fold up shopping bag or whatever you like to carry.

The top main zipper unzipped.

I have been using this bag since I tested it. I prefer to wear mine as a sling. If you want to make as a hip bag that converts to a sling bag, you really need to make 2 adjustable straps with swivel hook attachments so you can adjust one shorter strap as a waist bag and a longer adjustable to wear as a sling bag.

Oh, and be sure to check out the Tester's Bags too so you can see how different they look in different fabric, colors and materials used. Scroll down to see tester's bags. Mine is the first bag shown.

I love this bag to wear as a sling bag so much that I have been using it a lot since I made it. I am keeping this one for me!!!

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I am joining in on the Stay at Home Round Robin 2025

I decided today after reading about the SAHRR, that I would dive in and see what happens. I first read about this round robin years ago from Brenda of Songbird Designs. If you want to know about this or join in click this link from Brenda's blog.

I chose to use one of the Cozy Afternoon quilt blocks I made back in 2015! I made the blocks, but they have sat since then, so it was time to do something with them, or at least one of them. I thought any of these blocks would be great to use for the center block. I hope to keep up and get inspired as what to do for each round. Plus, I am not always so great at the math part of figuring out what might fit in terms of sizes of blocks or units to sew so they fit around a block! I may need to shout out to someone with better match skills to help me later😜.

Here is the center block that I chose to use~

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This block 3 from Cozy Afternoon, designed by Jacqueline Steves.

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Kokopelli Batik Table Runner #3

This is the 3rd table runner that I have made using the Kokopelli fabrics in the blocks and batik fabric scraps. I placed each Kokopelli block so that no matter where you are sitting or standing, that you can see the closet ones to you as right side up. I used batik scraps in a variety of colors. The first two I made sold. I saved this one to put in the Fiber Art Show at the Corrales Library for the month of January. It is for sale at the show. This was made in 2024.

Runner measures 12" x 30".

Cactus print for the backing of the runner.

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Scrappy Love Flowers Quilt

Happy New Year everyone!!! 

This quilt I made is also on display at the Corrales Library for the month of January. I used batik fabrics to make this quilt. I made this in 2024.

Quilt measures 26 3/4" wide x 35" high.

Horizontal wavy quilting.

Machine stitched around the flowers and hand stitched the center hearts.

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