Sew Powerful Purses #58-60 for 2026

3 more purses to donate to Sew Powerful Purse Project. The flaps were all made using prints of African women that were meant for framing. Since they are a canvas and similar to vinyl, but stiffer, I wanted to use them for purse flaps. I had to cut the bottom part of each print off to fit the size of the flap, but also since part of the top of the flap is on the back side of the purse when used, I had to cut off the right amount so the head could be seen on the front, which was a bit tricky to get it right.

I had purchased several prints a couple of years ago and forgot about them. When I found them all recently, I started to finish them into flaps for the purses. Most of the prints, I bought one of each, except the two down below I bought 2 of the same print.

I tried to cut off just enough of this print so her head would still show. In doing so, the rest of the dress at the bottom had to be cut off. I could have cut more off the bottom, but it was hard to know this beforehand. This print was narrower than most and so I added fabric strips to the sides to make it wide enough.

These 2 were the same print, but when I cut off the excess from the bottom so it would fit the flap, I cut one slightly higher than the other. You can see more of the women's hand on the right one.

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Sew Powerful Purses #55-57 for 2026

3 more finished purses to donate to Sew Powerful Purse Project. 2 with appliqué and one is scrappy pieced. 

Scrappy upcycled denim jeans for the flaps with added appliqué, ribbons and buttons.

Scrappy pieced bee fabrics. I stitched the button on like a little flower with embroidery floss, but the white beads are inside this button and that makes it an interesting looking button.

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Stay at Home Round Robin 2026 (SAHRR) Prompt 5

Gail, of Quilting Gail, gave the 5th prompt for the SAHRR, which is to make a block using 2 colors, or 3 if using a background color too. I knew what I wanted to do right away was to make a block that represents the flag of Ukraine, which uses two equal colors of blue and yellow. I made 4 little Ukraine flags to either place in the 4 corners of the quilt or directly above or below the last sewn blocks. I haven't decided where I want them to go until I learn about the next prompt and what I will end up making for prompt 6. So I placed the little flags in the 2 positions to see how they will look and they will be sewn next time with the next prompt. I had planned on donating this quilt to Ukraine when I first began this quilt, hence the sunflower starting block and the sunflowers on the last prompt. I will donate it through Wrap the World with Quilts, organization based in Lehi, Utah.

Flags placed above & below the sunflower blocks here is one possibility. The next prompt will be blocks that will be sewn between the flags, top & bottom.

Flags placed at the 4 corners, leaving room for whatever blocks are made for the next prompt.

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Sew Powerful Purses #49-54 for 2026

6 More purses to donate to Sew Powerful Purse Project. Some with appliqué hearts, some with the word LOVE on them, some quilting, some rickrack and ribbons and flower appliqué added, some with batik fabric, commercial fabric and some upcycled denim jeans.

Upcycled denim jean flaps with ribbons, rickrack, appliqué word, Love, & a flower.

These flaps I used scraps of denim from upcycled denim jeans. The flap on the left I added tulle over the flap and quilted it first before appliquéing the heart. The flap on the right I stitched the scraps and using a zigzag stitch and then added ribbons and rickrack over the joined pieces. I much prefer the tulle overlay and quilted flap. The ribbon was a bit much in the end, but I thought I would give it a go and see how it turned out. I do have lots of ribbons too, so that was another reason to try this. I made another one at the same time as I made this flap as you can see below.

2 more scrappy pieced hearts that I appliquéd to the flaps and then added rickrack all around. Both flaps were started like the other denim flap above, with the denim scraps, tulle and quilting. 

These were finished in February, so I will add them to the Love is in the Air album on the Sew Powerful Facebook page for the monthly challenge. 

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Sew Powerful Purses #44-48 (for 2026)

5 more purses to donate to Sew Powerful Purse Project. I painted the white canvas material on all 5 flaps using stencils and fabric paints and then appliquéd the hearts on top.

I had made these hearts a decade or 2 ago? Been so long I forgot, so when I found these hearts, I knew I needed to add them to the purse flaps. These fit the monthly challenge of Love is in the Air at the Facebook group. The heart has one velvet fabric in the center of the left heart and a batik fabric in the right heart and both have a wool/rayon blend felt that I hand dyed and then cut the hearts out, that surround the hearts. I added sequins and beads on the left heart and beads and French knots on the right heart. After hand stitching the hearts in place, I added hotfix crystals around the hearts. When the light hits the crystals, they sparkle so pretty.

These 2 hearts are similar to the other 2. I stitched seed stitches in variegated thread on the right heart.

This heart was first pieced scraps and then I appliquéd the heart and surrounded it with metallic gold rickrack for some bling. 

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Stay at Home Round Robin 2026 (SAHRR) Prompt 4

First, let me mention that I did visit most of the blogs that posted their SAHRR's, but when I clicked on several links through Linky, it didn't take me to their blog, but to my own email! Huh? This happened more than a few times, so that was weird. On several photos on the Linky, I could only see your progress on the Linky thumbnail pic only. There are also so many blogs I am unable to comment on and many that comment on my blog that I cannot comment back as you are a no-reply and no email comes up with your comment. I am looking, reading and admiring all your work, but there are strange forces at work that won't let me see your blog or make a comment though 😕.

The Prompt for this time was from Wendy of Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life, and she chose CURVES. Pieced curves, appliqué curves, curves in a fabric print, etc.  Appliqué is what I most love doing, so I made a couple of tall sunflower appliqué blocks for the sides of this SAHRR. I added a little black bird on each one too. I wanted one of the sunflowers to overlap the previous side blocks, so I did that too. This is the round I am most pleased with! I also wanted to bring back the sunflower theme that I started this SAHHR with in the center. 

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Sew Powerful Purses #39-43 (for 2026)

Happy Valentine's Day! While I am working on more heart flaps for the Sew Powerful purses, I don't have them finished yet, just the one I shared a couple days ago. However, I did finish these 5 purses that I will donate to Sew Powerful Purse Project soon.

Painted background, appliqué flower, and pieced webbing strap using up scraps of webbing.

Decorative stitches on the curved scrappy section and a fabric strap using up some partial straps that I joined together.

Scrappy pieced flap with appliqué flower from that rainbow tank top that I have cut up into a lot of flowers. I made the fabric strap out of the same purse body fabric.

Painted background, appliqué rainbow flower from the tank top and a shiny textured vinyl for the center of the flower.

I made this flower years ago. It is fused with fabric on both sides and I riveted it to the flap. It is 3-D, as nothing is sewn on the flower. 2 flower layers and the circle center with the rivet in the center. I decided to rivet the flower on the scrappy blue purse flap.

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