Sew Powerful Purse #73 for 2025

For this Sew Powerful purse, I appliquéd a hot air balloon that I cut out from fabric. I added some appliqué clouds too. As you can see, I used denim jeans for the flap and removed the pocket, but the fabric under the pocket was much darker since it was covered by the pocket. Kind of adds some interest.

I pieced some webbing scraps together using ribbon to cover the joins and make the strap long enough. The body of the purse is also denim jeans that I upcycled.

Front pocket of the jeans was used as the front pocket for the purses, with the jean pockets adding some extra pockets.

The back jean pocket also provided a pocket on the back. This purse will be donated to a sweet girl in Zambia through my donation to the Sew Powerful Purse Project.

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Sew Powerful Purses #71-72 for 2025

2 more flowers made with upcycled rainbow tank top and texture painted flap background. One batik purse body and one upcycled denim jeans purse body. Also, one pieced webbing scraps made into a long enough strap. These were donated to Sew Powerful Purse Project.

I love these 1/4 Hawaiian quilt block flowers to use in the flap corners. I reduced the flower on the right. The one on the left is larger and folds a bit to the back of the purse. 

More decorative machine stitches on the denim scrap front.

Back of denim purse also is made of denim scraps and decorative machine stitches. You can see the pieced webbing strap on the left purse a little better here too. I had a couple of webbing pieces I had used for something else and I sewed a ribbon on one and rickrack on the other  and joined them together along with a light purple webbing scrap.

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Sew Powerful Purses #69-70 for 2025

Two more purses donated to Sew Powerful. I painted the white canvas background of the flaps with textures first. Then I appliquéd an upcycled tie dye tee shirt by cutting out a piece of the rainbow shirt using a portion of a Hawaiian flower quilt pattern place in the corner of the flap. Both have batik purse bodies. I even pieced scraps of webbing together to make the straps long enough on each purse.

Back with slip pockets.

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Sew Powerful Purses 66-68 for 2025

3 denim purses donated to Sew Powerful. These were upcycled denim jeans that I turned into purses. Decorative stitches, yarn couching and buttons were added to the flaps. I even sewed a decorative stitch on the one webbing strap.

Front jeans pockets for the front of 2 purses adds an additional pocket to the front.

Scrappy denim with decorative stitching on the backs of the purses.

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Sew Powerful Purses #64-65 for 2025

Another 2 purses donated to Sew Powerful. The purse flap on the left I stitched decorative machine stitches, rickrack, couched yarn, added French knots by hand, buttons, ribbon with words, and crystals. The purse on the right I painted the background using a stencil and added an appliqué flower with double stacked buttons for the center of the flower. I love creating and experimenting on the flaps.

Denim purse body on left and cotton print on right.

Purse on left I even stitched a decorative stitch down the webbing. Needed to add a fabric strip to make pocket wider for the right purse back pocket.

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Paloma Tote Weekender Bag

I tested the larger size Paloma Tote Weekender size bag by Imazz Patterns recently and she has it for a fantastic price right now at half price!!!

Grab the 50% discount on Etsy - only $4.99 (April 13-15). No code needed. Go here to Imazz Patterns on Etsy.

Paloma Tote and Weekender Bag (pattern includes 2 sizes) is a practical, simple and attractive bag. Intended for airport use and travel, the main feature is a luggage/trolley sleeve at the back (the optional plain/ no-sleeve version is provided). The bag can be use as a hand-carry in airplane and placed safely atop bigger suitcase. However, you can also use the bag for everyday needs, especially shopping or as a weekender bag. The two sizes will delight any big bag lover. So go ahead and choose your favorite materials, colors and start making this multi-functioning bag!

Bag features a front slip pocket, which I accidently placed opposite of the pattern placement 😜, a zipper pocket too. The back you have a choice of the luggage sleeve with a zipper pocket (or not) or a plain panel with no pocket. The bag closes with a recessed zipper or you can choose to add a snap if you prefer. Inside you can add a slip pocket or a zipper pocket or both.

For all of you who sew or quilt, this would also be a great bag to make with the back luggage sleeve to slide over the handle of your sewing machine trolley/cart too! Then you could put your project in the bag and wheel your sewing machine to a class or a retreat.

Slip pocket and zipper pocket on the front.

Divided slip pocket inside.

Luggage sleeve with a zipper pocket.

Using a quilt ruler to show the luggage sleeve. 

Medium Tote is 14" high x 14" wide x 4 1/2" deep.

Weekender (larger size which I made) is 15" high x 17" wide x 5 1/2" deep

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Sew Powerful Purses # 61-63 for 2025

Three more purses donated to Sew Powerful. I fussy cut these Debbie Mumm fabric centers from a fabric I have had for years. I appliquéd them onto a fabric background and sewed fabric scraps around until I had the size I need to trim into the purse flap. Glad I could use those Debbie Mumm prints at last and scraps of fabric as well. All have denim purse bodies and webbing straps.

Backs with pockets.

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Sew Powerful Purses #59-60 for 2025

Another 2 purses I donated to Sew Powerful. I used a fabric that had these sweet squares all over it and fussy cut them for the center, placing some on point if they weren't directional. I made several that are similar to these. It was a fun print to use scraps all around for the flap. I used denim for the purse bodies.

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Sew Powerful Purses #57-58 for 2025

Two more purses donated to Sew Powerful. I wanted to play around with yarn couching using up some scraps of yarn, so these 2 purses are the results. I used a denim for the purse bodies. I also stitched a decorative stitch on one webbing strap.

Some added buttons and crystals for extra bling.

A bit of ribbon on the back pockets. The ribbon hides the seam where I needed to piece the denim to make the pockets large enough.

Closeup look at the gridded flap.

Closeup look at the wavy yarn couching.

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Sew Powerful Purses #55-56 for 2025

2 more purses donated to Sew Powerful. Denim purse bodies, appliqué flowers on the flaps.

Appliqué flowers.

Front pockets and flap linings.

Decorative stitches on one and a pocket added to the other back side.

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Dancing Pigs Quilt (Donation Quilt)

Here is another quilt donation I made and sent to Wrap the World with Quilts. I made the center part of this quilt almost a year ago. Later I made the free form pieced blocks in red and green and sewed those around the center. It sat for months as I didn't know what else to do and it needed more to make it larger.  I finally decided to make some string blocks and add them and call it done! I forgot to measure the quilt, but it measures about 42"-ish square? I need to remember to measure and write these things down 🙄.

After all these years, I finally tried sewing the binding completely by machine. It is soooo much faster! What took me so long?

I quilted the center area with double wavy lines.

I quilted the string blocks in a serpentine stitch.

I hope a little girl who loves to dance will receive this quilt.

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Scrappy Greens Quilt (Donation)

This was another quilt I made and donated to Wrap the World With Quilts. All scrappy green fabrics.

Quite a variety of green shades and prints were used.

Quilt was backed in this lime green flannel and quilting with a serpentine stitch.

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