Little Makes

Little makes can be very satisfying, can't they?  Not only are they great at using up odds and ends of fabric, but there is quicker gratification than larger projects that take months, or years, in my case.  Not that there isn't a special sense of accomplishment in completing the more complex/grand/intricate or just sheer ginormous stitching feat.  However, I have been guilty of attempting too many of those at once, which is why my WIP list looks similar today to how it did in 2014 (!), and now and again it's lovely to allow myself a little diversion into more swiftly gratifying stitching.

Badly in need of some pot holders for my kitchen, I quilted up some of this Ikea dec weight fabric that I had left over from covering my mini ironing board quite some time ago (maybe 2 years?) .  Then I just cut 3 squares and a rectangle (to hold a casserole dish), rounded off the corners and added binding to finish. Pretty, practical and job done!!

More leftovers, this time from my Scrap Vortex Quilt.  I used three mini panels and paired them with some snippets of Irish linen to indulge my Bonnie & Camille penchant in a new cover for my diary (a very busy and essential part of my everyday).

I also had a bit of a drawstring bag making fest during my time off work after Christmas.  This lovely drawstring bag tutorial by Svetlana made these a breeze.  I cut all sorts of sizes to suit our needs. The re-sizing is so easy to do - whatever size you decide to cut your main bag pieces, just cut the casing 2" by the same width, easy peasy!

There are more bags, but Little Miss wasn't for parting with them for the photo shoot.  Most of these now house toys that Santa brought for CT - skittles, puzzle pieces, Mr Potato Head and all his various features, that sort of thing.  I'm hoping they help all the little pieces to have a place to live and stop everything getting turfed out over the floor all at once.  I live in hope ;-)

Still living in hope, perhaps more little things might be interspersed among the bigger quilts this year, but ultimately, any sewing time is much appreciated, big project or small!

Quick Make Drawstrings

Aneela Hoey's Stitched Sewing Organisers book has a pattern for a drawstring bag and I fancied trying it out.  It didn't take too long to make but I made a bit of a mess of my hexagon tab ends for the drawstrings.  Being impatient to finish I switched them out for some squares ones, which I didn't manage a particularly neat job of either, but hey ho!

This pattern is a bit more involved than other drawstring bags I've made but I would make it again.  It has a darted bottom which gives it a really nice shape and the overall size of the bag is a good medium sized gift bag, I'd say.

No sooner had I set my bag down than a little pair of grabby hands ran off with it!  CT had so much fun pulling the drawstrings and hiding her little things inside that, of course, I had to stitch her up one of her very own.  Perfect tiny treasures bag!

Drawstring Bags

So, how's your summer sewing going?  Are you taking it easy and enjoying creative freedom in the lighter evenings?   Are you valiantly tackling a list of summer plans?  Or are your stitchy moments going in a totally different direction than you'd expected?

Me?  I have a list and I look at it occasionally and then reach for something different!  The quilts on my list are not inspiring me and I just think I'm a little tired and my mojo is a wee bit overwhelmed by them.   I seem to be gravitating towards the more contained projects, rather than longer term ones.

You have to admit that for near-instant gratification on the sewing front, drawstring bags are hard to beat.  Especially when you make them in pretty fabrics - think these are all Lori Holt's Bake Sale line.

Boring, functional, enormous drawstring bags (made as a tent bag at hubby's request 26" x 42") are not so gratifying but at least they are quick!  This one has some reinforced stitching and heavy duty cotton drill fabric to withstand the abuse it will receive.  Hubby is very impressed at the drawstring and spring toggle I fitted - I shall not disabuse him of his misconception that it was tricky.

Aside from the drawstring bags, I have been filling in spare little spaces in my evenings with more counting, hooking and recording for the oval crocheted rag rug.  I didn't manage too much last week but it is growing a little and is now approx 20" x 12".  Shaping up not too badly. I wonder how far I will get before my strip rolls run out?  This is two of the seven rolls I made up.

So whether you are stitching or taking a wee break, I hope you are enjoying the summer so far.