Sew Powerful Purses # 146-147 for 2026

Here are 2 purses made from scraps of denim jeans I had leftover from making purses. I used all scraps and covered in tulle and quilted the pieces. After quilting, I added rickrack or gimp braid, yarn couching, buttons, and a Handmade label. A Shabby Chic look? Donating these to Sew Powerful Purse Project.

Various colors of denim scraps in this one.

On the back I added this flower that I cut from an old felted sweater.

Close up of the wool felted flower. The center felt circles were not wool. I snipped all around the lavender circle to make it look like fringe.

Here is the 2nd purse, also using a variety of colored denim scraps. I used a gimp braid on this one, along with yarn couching.

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Sew Powerful Purses #300-303 (for 2025)

These 4 scrappy purses were made with all sorts of scrappy bits and tulle covering the flap and then quilted and embellished. Bodies of the purses are upcycled denim jeans.

Upcycled denim jeans for the purse bodies. 2 have instant pockets from the front jean pockets.

Four sweet girls will benefit from these purses as they will be filled with monthly hygiene items so they can go to school the whole month long every month. This is why I sew these purses to donate to girls who do not have what we have. Please help them get a good education and keep them in school, otherwise they have to drop out and cannot get a good or self respecting job as many have to turn to prostitution in order to earn money for themselves and family to survive.

Hello sweet followers, I'm competing in a Sew-A-Thon fundraiser and I'm doing my best to help as many girls as I can. I am making cute cross-body purses and then the organization, Sew Powerful,

has seamstresses in Zambia who make the pads and soap. This is my heart.

You can get involved by honoring me with a one-time gift, or a gift for based on my

purse goals. Just go HERE to make a donation in my honor. Thank you for your support, it means a lot! Sharing this post would really help too!

Hugs!!!

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Sew Powerful Purses #247-250 (for 2025)

I made these purses before the Sew Powerful Sew-a-thon began (made in August). I sewed denim scraps first and then added couched yarn in various ways. Some added buttons last. It was fun to use up yarn scraps and try different couching designs. I used all kinds of yarn in varying thicknesses. Eyelash yarn, fuzzy yarn, smooth yarn, ladder yarn, chenille yarn and more.

I need to take photos of the purses that I have completed so far during the Sew-a-thon (which started on the 1st for the sewing purses part). My sewing progress so far is this: Day 1~ I spent sewing the main lining fabrics together and any pocket linings for a sack full of purse kits. Day 2 I completed 8 purses. Day 3 I completed 11 purses, for a total of 19 purses so far. My sewing goal for this month is 80 purses.

Upcycled denim jeans were used for the purse bodies as well.

Please help to fill the purses with the hygiene items that they need by making a donation. Every dollar counts and adds up. I enrolled in the Sew Powerful Sew-A-Thon (sewing part is September 2025) to raise funds so schoolgirls in Zambia Africa can have the feminine hygiene supplies they need to attend school all month. I make purses to hold the supplies as a special gift for a girl living in poverty. Together we can help keep girls in school! You can donate on my behalf here. Thank you so very much! Or use the QR Code below. Thank you so much for your help and generosity!

Back to sewing purses for the sweet girls in Zambia.

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Sew Powerful Purses #74-75 for 2025

One more upcycled Starbucks apron turned into 2 purses to donate to Sew Powerful. Daughter had one more apron to give to me, so I made these. I used a 4-Patch Posey block I had made a long time ago for the flap on the left, along with additional scraps sewn to make the flap the correct size. The flap on the right has the Siren Starbucks logo and I couched yarn in a wavy grid onto the flap.

I had a yarn that had pompoms throughout the yarn, so I used that yarn to couch around the round Siren Starbucks logo embroidery. You can see the 3 pompoms around the circle. 

I used the same lining for these purses. I got an ink stamp made with my first name added and stamped it on a scrap of fabric to create the label. I finally ran out of the You Look Beautiful labels that I ordered a 1,000 of years ago. I still have those labels sewn on some lining flaps that haven't been finished into purses yet, so you will still see those labels for awhile along with these stamped ones too. I also pieced the apron neck straps together, along with some leftover pieces of neck straps from the last Starbucks aprons I made into purses, in order to create one purse strap. The other strap is pieced together webbing scraps.

Apron pockets became the purse backs with pockets. I added a fussy cut strawberries fabric appliqué

 the the left pocket to cover up an ink stain. Apparently my daughter had her pen in the pocket at one time and it leaked ink 😜.

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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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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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Raw Edge Art Quilt #2 & Small Art Quilt too

Here is another quilted raw edge art quilt I made that I mounted on an artist board. On this one I added a fabric border, plus embellishments of buttons, appliqué flowers, yarn couching, organza and mesh. I quilted it in a waves in both horizontal and vertical directions, as I also did when I couched the yarn in those directions too. Similar, but slightly different look from the one I posted yesterday.

I also made a small piece (scroll down to see it) that is about postcard size. Both of these will be on display at the Corrales Library too all January. More to share tomorrow as well.

16" x 20".

Closer look.

I love sewing buttons and creating a flower in the button holes.

The shiny organza adds a nice bling punch.

This small piece is about postcard size. I added tulle over the piece. a few crystals were added and some sparkly yarn bits. 

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"Oh Happy Day": Raw Edge Batik Art Quilt

I named this fiber art piece, Oh Happy Day, as it made me happy to create this piece. It is a happy mix of fibers that I quilted and mounted on an artist board. I added embellishments like buttons, couched yarn, bits of mesh netting, organza bits and crystals. 

This and some other fiber arts that I created will be on display at the Corrales Library the month of January, along with others who have submitted their fiber art pieces. There will be quite a variety of fiber art: knitting, hand embroidery, quilts, Hardanger and more. Some pieces will be for sale by the artist and some are not for sale, but just on display. I have a few more items that I have made that I will be sharing here on my blog this week for you to see what I have put in the show. I have my work for sale.

There will also be a one day artist reception and I will be bringing some of my bags to set up on a table to sell there as well, since they couldn't be hung in the show. This is the first time our stitch group will be displaying our work in a show, so I hope it goes well. We might do it again if it is well received. 

This piece measures 16" x 20".

Closeup of the quilting, buttons, crystals and yarn couching.

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