Quilted Table Topper made from Crumb Piecing & Equilateral Triangles

A while ago I had so many scraps that I decided to grab some pink fabric scraps and sew the scraps together free form style, which some call crumb piecing. I had several blocks made in various sizes and no real plan for what I would make from them.

I decided to try cutting out the largest equilateral triangle on the Crossover II Die Cut Machine, and it cut so nicely, that I cut out 5 more. I pieced them together to form a hexagon shape. Quilted it and sewed on the binding. It needed a little something else and so I sewed on a stacked button in the center. I like the scrappy look.

This little topper measures 12 3/8", measuring from the straight top to the straight bottom and 14" measuring from the pointed tip on one side to the other pointed tip on the other side.

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Hand Knit Soap Bags

I wanted and needed some soap bags, so I knit a few to see what I thought of each pattern. Some were knit straight and some were knit in the round. The drawstrings were each made differently too. I like to put those slivers of soap inside the bags so that when you have several in the bag it is like using a bar of soap. However, you can put a full bar of soap in the bags too. These make great gift bags too, whether you put in a bar of soap as the gift or something small.

I used cotton yarn. The first bag was something I already had and the next 3 bags were a small Peaches & Cream cotton yarn ball. All are worsted weight yarn. They all measure slightly larger than a standard size bar of soap.

I had this cotton yarn and it is a soft yarn. This is the same pattern as the last knit bag below, but on this bag, I decided to knit an i-cord drawstring instead (using 3 cast on stitches, but could have used 2 stitches). You have to be a knitter to understand. This one was knit in the round.

This was knit back and forth on 2 needles and not in the round. I liked this stitch. The bag was open on the top and since I will be adding soap slivers, I didn't want anything falling out of the bag. I chained some crochet for the drawstring and wove it into the top of the bag and added a cord stop. I might make some washcloths like this too instead of a bag.

This was a moss stitch (or seed stitch), knit in the round. I made this one last using this yarn, so I had another cotton yarn to finish the top and make a twisted cord for the drawstring with. I nearly had enough of the variegated yarn to make 3 soap bags out of one skein.

This is the same bag as the first one, only in a different yarn. The drawstring was crochet. I decided I much prefer making and the look of i-cord drawstrings, so I would only make i-cord if I make any more of these bags.

I am sure they will all work the same. I wanted to see if I had a favorite one to knit and to use. It will be a while before I can test the use of each one to see for sure if there is any difference. I prefer to knit in the round, but with all of these knit bags, I had to stitch closed the bottom of the bag, except the one knit back and forth on 2 needles. The 2 needle bag was folded in half, which formed the bottom, but I then had 2 sides to stitch up. I think I would have preferred to knit the bottom in the round forming a bottom as I knit and then knit up the height of the bag. Or start at the top knitting in the round and then reduced the stitches to form the bottom of the bag whilst knitting. It would make a rounder bag that way, but maybe that would be better?

These are the free knit bag patterns that I used:

1. Knit (and crochet) Soap Bags The first and last photo from above. ( Note: I didn't add a second color for stripes, since I used variegated yarn).

2. Chain Link Stripes Soap Sack  The second bag photo from above.

3. Soap Saver Knit Bag  Third bag from above.

Happy Knitting!

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Hand Knit Santa Hat

I decided to knit myself a Santa Hat over a month ago. I have never knit one before, but after seeing so many cute Santa hats around the internet, I decided to knit one. There are lots of  patterns out there too, but I decided on this FREE Santa Hat pattern from Fox and Pine Stitches. The pattern is great because it comes in so many sizes from babies to adults. I knit the Woman version. So great for knitting for all the people in your life. What fun gifts to make and give!

I did have a skein of red yarn and white yarn too. At my stitch group we brought in yarn and other things that we didn't want anymore and people could take what they wanted. There were all kinds of stuff, not just yarn. I saw a very thin yarn in a small ball that was red sparkly tinsel-like yarn and I thought at first it would be great to use to couch on the purses I make to donate to Sew Powerful, which is fun a easy way to add a bit of bling. But then I decided to knit that sparkly red along with the regular red yarn and it really came out great! I was worried I might run out of the sparkly red yarn but I actually had some leftover yarn! I also used regular white yarn and a furry eyelash type yarn that I also knit together for the cuff and pompom. I couldn't get the pompom to come out very full though. So I bought a pompom maker and will make a new pompom for this hat (stay tuned for that updated pompom).

My model, Zoe is wearing it here.

Another model here.

This hat is so cute and would look great in any color, like a gnome hat, a pixie hat, etc. Might try one in a self striping yarn or just using scraps of various yarn colors. 

UPDATE: I made a new pompom for the hat with my pompom maker I bought. Wow what a difference a full pompom makes!

This pompom has both a white regular yarn and the furry eyelash yarn and that eyelash yarn was shedding all over the place when I cut the pompom off the pompom maker!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year to you all!

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Sew Powerful Purses #183-202 (2023)

I finished these 20 purses to donate to Sew Powerful in December 2023. I am still sewing a few more purses, so I hope to complete several more before the new year begins. I had cut out so many purse kits to have ready to sew during the September Sew-a-thon this year, so I really wanted to finish as many purses as I can before I need to cut more purse kits. 

Here are the 20 purse I completed~

This purse I made using a raw edge technique I came up with. It is heavily quilted and I used tiny scraps, all raw edge batiks on this flap. I couched yarn, added some buttons, and an iridescent material scrap too. I really love making the flaps like this! 

I upcycled denim jeans for the purse body and this is the back of the purse with the front jean pocket. I flipped the flap up so you could see the entire flap, since a bit of it gets hidden on the back when the flap is folded over to the front side.

I also had done some decorative machine stitching down the center of the webbing straps on some purses. I wanted to try doing the stitches to see if it would work and it did! So I stitched up several webbing straps in various colors of webbing and used various variegated thread colors and different stitched designs too as you will se in a few of the purses below.

another upcycled denim purse, including the flap that I made using several scraps of denim in various shades of blue denim and black denim too. 

Another closeup of a decorative stitched webbing strap.

Back of purse also has the front denim pocket for the back.

2 upcycled denim purses here. The one on the left I quilted scraps of denim that was all raw edge to keep it flat as too many denim seams can be a bear to stitch through! Then I added a butterfly that I appliquéd over the quilted denim. It just needed something else and I already had the butterfly appliqué cut out. The purse on the right is patchwork denim scraps sewn with seams and I added some ribbon and even a Levi label!

Closeup of another decorative stitched webbing from the denim purse on the right.

These 2 purse backs have the patch denim pockets added to the back side and I stitched an appliqué heart onto each pocket. 

3 more appliqué flaps of wild animals.

This is a patchwork flap that started with the pentagon shape in the center. Those 3 buttons I stitched on by hand using making a little flower in the buttons with the embroidery floss.

Another patchwork scrappy flap with added heart buttons.

Closeup of another decorative stitch on webbing strap.

These 4 purses are scrappy patchwork and I sewed the flowers in the buttons on all of these as well.

These 3 are patchwork flaps. I added flower shaped buttons that I sewed on 2 of the purse flaps.

Closeup of decorative machine stitches on webbing strap from the one purse below.

Here are 4 purses with an African women print. I used red fabric for the gussets on all 4 purses, since I didn't have enough fabric to use for all the purses of this print. 3 of the purses I had enough to create the front and backs of the purses, but not for the fourth purse, so that body is all red. 

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2 More Pocket Nametags

I made these nametags before making the other 2. I made one for Donna in my stitch group for loaning me a quilt pattern and special ruler needed. It was a thank you to her for the loan of those 2 things. When she brought the ruler to our group, I gave the nametag to her and she loved it and said she needed a nametag too! That was a happy gift.

There was a bit of snow on the ground when I took photos of the nametags.

I used 3 fabrics to create the strap, as I didn't have one piece long enough.

 I love those scrappy straps!

An online friend from my Sew Powerful Purse making group bought a couple things from my PayHip Shop for gifts to give and so while I was making Donna's nametag, I thought I would make one for Karen too. It sews faster making a couple of nametags at one time. I thought Karen probably has a nametag already, but did she have one with a pocket? The pocket is so handy! Karen, like me also make Project Linus quilts too. So we have that in common as well. I tucked the nametag in with the items that she purchased from me. She emailed me that she loved it and even showed it to another friend.

Sewing machine buttons are sew cute!

I included a pen with my name on it and a note for Karen in the pocket.

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Seven Small Drawstring Bags in Knitting Print Fabric

I wanted to make this cute drawstring bag to give to someone at my Stitch Group. We usually exchange a skein a yarn, but I asked if it would be okay to do something knitting/crochet related instead and she said yes. So I made this cute bag.

My bag measures 6 3/4" wide x 7 7/8" high, but the directions in the tutorial say it should be 7" x 8", so close enough! I used a red print fabric with words on it like Santa, postmarks (which happened to be a St. Louis postmark, my birthplace). I didn't taken into account that the red lining not only sticks up, but is folded over into the lining and that made the lining inside become upside down. Oh well it's a lining and the part that needed to be right side up is fine. So in future, don't use a directional lining fabric, or figure out where I would need to make a seam so that all the fabric ends up being right side up. However, not sure I want a seam in the lining like that, so for now no more directional lining fabric.

I made 2 of these drawstring bags with the knitting print fabric and red print lining. Only the gray casing piece was a different gray print for each bag

. 

The drawstrings pulled to close the bag. I used ribbon and red beads on the drawstrings.

This is the bag I gifted. I also made 2 circular knitting needle holders. I added some point protectors and a couple of handmade hat labels. All fit into the drawstring gift bag. At first a ne woman to the group who doesn't knit (she crochets) got my gift. I said she can trade it with someone else as it wouldn't hurt my feelings and I would rather someone who would use the items get it. So she traded with someone. It turns out that the gift I received was from the woman she traded with so we ended up with each other's gifts. I received a revolving knitting needle holder and a few different skeins of yarn. So all turned out well.

I made 5 more bags using the same knitting print in a more colorful colorway. I varied the lining fabrics and casing fabric for each, so each one looks a bit different. I chose a rainbow colored ribbon for the drawstrings and added beads on the ends too.

All closed up. 

These are small, but perfect for holding small gifts, small knitting tools as well. The only things I didn't do as per the instructions (and this made these even faster to sew), was that I left off the corner accents and I made the drawstrings a bit longer and added beads on mine too. If you want to make a cute little drawstring bag of your own, with or without the corner accents, you can find the free tutorial here, from Apple Green Cottage.

Happy gift making & giving!

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Sew Powerful Purse #182 for 2023

I finished this one a week ago and have so many in different stages of completion. I know I won't get this or the others sent by the year end, but I will continue making the purses I started and the kits I have cut out ready to sew and when I get a huge box full, then will mail them all off.

I like making quilts and these purses, but I need to take a break and do something else from time-to-time. I have so many ideas in my head, but cannot sew things fast enough to try them all out.

At least I got this one finished. I hope to complete some more to at least have 200 completed by this year's end. I can do it if I just get going. Some days I cannot get myself to do much at all.

I still have quite a few wild animals that I appliquéd to several purse flaps. I made several purses already with the animals on the flaps, but of course I found several more than need to be finished and this was one of them.

Happy purse/bag sewing!

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