Last night was Halloween.
We don't get kids anymore. They all grew up.
So sad.
Well, since finishing Linda's birthday surprise quilt,
(Happy Birthday, Linda! Today's your special day!)
I've been winding down my sewing,
and getting ready for my annual migration south.
My summer scrap baskets were full to overflowing,
so thought I'd make a few zippered pouches
to gift my very large extended family
in Massachusetts.
17 pouches later,
they didn't make a dent in my scraps.
Either that, or they kept multiplying each night
while I slept.
Here are a few closer up.
If you click the pictures, you can enlarge them.
I've also finished up some small projects
that kept getting shuffled to the bottom of the pile(s).
Sometimes even for a couple of years,
shame on me.
This little 12" square mini
is called The Forgotten Five
by Easy Patchwork.
It was fun to make and was a flimsy immediately.
But it took me all this time to quilt it.
I played "What If" and tried making a Granny Square block
with 1.5" squares. It measures roughly 4.5" square,
was fun to do, and I will definitely be revisiting it again!
And I threw in a couple of key fobs,
just because I could.
Actually, I needed one.
The family I'm gifting the pouches to have 10 daughters,
and one older teenage son. I had to make him something, too,
and I wasn't too sure he'd appreciate a zippered pouch.
Well, maybe if it was made from camo fabric.
(I showed the Ranger my yard of camo fabric, and it disappeared.
Hmmmm.)
Speaking of gifties,
there are still a few retractable scissors keepers left
in my daughter's Etsy shop.
Free shipping in the US.
Christmas is coming!
I love mine,
and don't know how I lived without it all these years.
That's enough for now.
Next week I head to Boston for a few weeks,
then on to TX for the rest of the winter.
Hope I decide on a good hand project between now and when I leave
because being away from my sewing machines for almost a month
is going to be excrutiating!
Oh, one last thing!
Check out this adorable Raggedy Ann that
Sheila made for my great niece!
She made one for big sister a couple of years ago.
Some traditions are worth keeping alive!
Thanks, Sheila!
Enjoy the rest of your week!
XO,
karen
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40 comments:
Isn't it amazing how scraps seem to multiply like that? I love your pouches and the Forgotten Five. And all your other little gifties. That Raggedy Anne doll looks fantastic!
Wow Karen! You have really been a busy elf creating all these wonderful pouches and key fobs for gifting. Your quilting is lovely and you should feel quite accomplished with sew many finishes. Safe Travels to you...<3
Your work is always so precise and beautiful! The pouches are perfect!!
You have been one busy bee! That is an impressive stash of pouches you whipped up. I really do think scraps breed like rabbits when we are not looking :) Wishing you happy and safe travels over the next few weeks!!
you have been "sew" busy!! so many pouches - I have seen these so many places and keep thinking I need to make some and just never get to them always busy with quilts instead but I make so many quilts I need to change it up and make some other things now and then instead.
Your pouches are just so creative , your little friends will be thrilled for sure . Nice setting for Raggedy Anne , they really are a nice tradition to keep alive . Hope you come up with a sewing project to take along , hate the thoughts of you leaving 😥
Great gifts! I am totally with you about the scraps, I try to use them in a bunch of projects but the piles of scraps never seem to go down.
OH all wonderful stuff!! I dig my pouch beyond special it holds my most treasured objects! I know you are going to come up with the perfect project while you're away from the machine, are you into cross stitch? That would be fun if your fingers can take it...ouch! Safe travels!! And we want pictures.
The pouches are so adorable. Very special gifts. It doesn't seem possible it is time for you to head south. But it is cold here and we had snowflakes this morning.
Wow! This is a whole lot of sewing. Wonderful gifts all the way around and that little tiny granny square block is so sweet! Enjoy Boston and safe travels throughout!
Hi Karen,wow you sure have been busy my friend,love those pouches and that little mini is adorable,happy migrating my friend xx
what a lovely post... those bags are so great, so are the fobs. You are always clever on ways to use up your scraps. Cute Raggedy Anne - she looks perfect in her photoshoot with the photographer in the background...
Hugz
Lots of great projects.... All lovely..... Better find a hand project fast I say.......
They are so sweet ❤
Those pouches are great gifts!
What a lovely collection of pouches! Great way to use up scraps. 10 daughters sounds like a very expensive family to me!LOL I love that little mini quilt. xx
Great post! Wow! Such wonderful pouches! I love them all. And thank you for the birthday wish and of course, my birthday quilt. I cant stop looking at the motif that you quilted on my quilt and I am going to practice it today. You have inspired me to try slowing down a bit and see what happens! Big emphasis on "try"!
I know how much you will miss your machines but your reward is being with your sweet daughter for a while. take care and hugs
What a great bunch of gifts! How long does it take you to make those pouches? Do you keep a stash of zippers on hand all the time?
Such fun seeing all the wonderful things you have mad! I LOVE that tiny little granny square block. You've inspired me to try it!
The pouches are wonderful, love how you have flashes of colour in them. They will be much appreciated. The fobs are great too and the scissor keepers. The Raggedy Ann doll is cute. Love the mini quilt and the pieces in that blcks are so tiny, I wiuld probably sew my fingers! 😆😆 Happy travels south...hope you come up with a project.
What a sewing power house you are!! Those gifts are fantastic. I'm sorry you'll be away from your sewing machine for awhile. That happened to me whenever I went back to Thailand for a visit. I sure missed my machines.
OMGosh....look at all those lovely little bags.
Great looking pouches. Safe travels.
I can't believe how many little bags you made...wow! They all look so cute and I'm sure they will be loved.
You have such a wonderful workflow Karen, the pouches are lovely and some of them had a lot of piecing in too. Have a safe journey and a lovely visit with your friend.
Wow you are a zip bag making genius!! I love the teeeeeeny geese. Lovely personal gifts. Xox
that is a lot of zipper pouches...maybe I need to make some but like you, it wouldn't make a dent.
Wow, 17! I'm so bad at those kinds of things, I'd be lucky to finish one! These look great, as do the other items. I have a similar keychain that came with a purse I bought from someone, and it's great because it fits around my wrist and I don't leave my keys sitting on the oranges bin, or in the meat department at the market. LOL Great post! I hope you have your handwork sorted out, and are ready for a wonderful visit in Boston - may it refuse to snow while you are there! Enjoy Texas. I really wish I were going down for the winter myself!
Wow - you have been busy with such great results! The bags and key fobs really are great gift items and they all turned out so well.
Gosh! You're quite the "machine" when it comes to cranking out zip pouches! But every one of them is uniquely different. It's apparent you spent some time thinking about what combo of fabrics and techniques to work into each one. For TEN girls?! Wow, I'll say you have a "very large extended family!" You're always so generous with your time and talent. The fella will surely like his key fob too. And that little "Forgotten Five" is really cute. How come it always takes us the longest to finish up the littlest things? Straight line quilting was perfect for that one. I sure you hope you travel safely and enjoy good times visiting on your way to Texas. I know how being machine-less is rough, as I haven't been able to touch mine since October 21 due to have so much company. That will change tomorrow! :-) Hang in there!
That's a lot of pouches. My first thought was that you were packaging the scraps, not transforming them. And I couldn't figure out how you were so fortunate to have so many quilters in your family. Haha.
I have your pouches, Karen, and your mini quilts! They are absolutely amazing! And great key fobs! What a lovely way to use your scraps! You are a busy lady! Kisses, my friend.
Wow! Lots of beautiful pouches! Love the little mini...gorgeous! You've certainly been busy. Safe travels and happy quilting this winter!
Dang girl - you're sure giving your machine a workout, those pouches are great! And I am swooning over those little quilts, that takes skills I don't have - I can't even get big pieces to stay straight, lol! You're amazing!
Scraps DO equal lots of gifties ... and rarely is a dent in stash noticeable - the math doesn't seem to work when it comes to scraps, lol. All the projects are great but those scrappy patchworked bags make me happy - soooooooooo pretty :) The mini is awesome - I don't think I could even pick up a 1.5" square, let alone stitch them, lol!
I hope you're enjoying Boston :)
Safe travels Karen I enjoyed your post
You are one busy gald...love it all!!
Safe travels my friend; you'll be south ahead of me this year! A neighbour just emailed to tell me it's 82 right now, waaah. Incredible 17 pouches! More incredible 10 daughters and the parents are still living to talk about it all?! Two were too much in their teenage years under one roof ha! Every one of those pouches is fabulous Karen, wow! You bet I clicked on the photos. Did you invent all the styles and details? Gorgeous work.
What do you do when life gives you scraps? Make cute little zippity things or a scrap vortex quilt. Love all your little bags and things. Speaking of retractable scissors thingies, I just bought that fabric. It is so cute. I have yet to make a Granny Square block but when I do they will be made with larger than 1.5" squares. The smaller the block, the greater the pain. Kudos to you if you wanna revisit. Yes, I was living under a rock this month. That is how I missed your post. Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. Hugs.
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