If you like to sew like I do, here are some quick to make sewing projects that make pretty nice gifts. Just click on the picture to take you to the project. If you’ve got an hour, you’ve got time to make one of these!
Even if you have never sewn in a zipper before, you will be able to make this cute little bag in about an hour and a half. To make it, you’ll need two fat quarters of fabric (18″ X 22″), two pieces of batting that measure at least 8″ X 10″, one zipper at least 10″ long, scissors, thread, pins and a sewing machine.
To get started, cut two pieces from each of the fat quarters that measure 8″ X 10″. Decide which one will be the outside of the bag. In this tutorial, the outside will be the puppy print fabric, and the inside will be the yellow prints.
Make a “sandwich” using one piece of each fabric and one piece of batting. Make sure the right sides of each fabric are facing out, with the batting in between the wrong sides of the fabric.
Sew some lines of stitching through all three layers to quilt them. I usually sew from corner to corner in both directions, then do a couple more lines. It is up to you how much you want to stitch.
When you are finished quilting both sides of the bag, set one sandwich aside for later.
Lay the remaining piece right side up, and place the zipper face down along the edge of the piece.
Pin the zipper in place with a couple of pins. Then, starting at one end, stitch along the length of the zipper. Open the zipper part of the way to begin. After you stitch a few inches, close the zipper back up so that the zipper pull doesn’t get in the way of the needle and presser foot.
After stitching the length of the zipper, fold the zipper to the inside. Press with an iron.
Go back to the sewing machine with the piece, and top stitch 1/4″ from the edge of the fabric.
This is what it will look like when you have finished top stitching:
Next, repeat all the steps for sewing the zipper with the other piece of sandwiched fabric. When you have finished sewing in and topstitching the other side of the zipper, the bag will look like this:
Next, fold the two pieces so that the outside pieces of fabric are together, on the inside. Match up the edges, and pin. Make sure the zipper is open half way before you start to stitch.
Stitch along the three sides of the bag, starting at the zipper edge and ending at the zipper edge on the other side. Be careful not to stitch over the hard pieces of the zipper. Stitch the beginning and ending few stitches back and forth a couple of times to reinforce the stitches so they won’t come apart.
Stitch around the entire seam again with a zigzag stitch to prevent ravelling of the seams inside the bag.
Turn the bag inside out, and press with an iron to set the stitches.
This little bag can be used for so many things! I use one for manicure supplies, one for jewelry, one for holding toothbrush, toothpaste and floss, etc.
What is your bag going to hold?
After that zipper pull came off, I had a date with my good friend, the seam ripper, to take it out and start over. By the time I got the zipper ripped out, I was O.V.E.R. sewing for a bit. While I love to sew, I really hate taking out stitches. Bleh!
Today was my day off, so I sat down at the sewing machine and finished up the backpack. It turned out really cute. I know Sarah is going to love it! I posted pictures of different fabrics on Facebook, and she picked the ones she wanted. I also gave her a choice of patches for the front, and she chose the Grand Canyon one. It does go with the colors very well.
It has a large zippered pocket on the outside so Sarah can take lots of her things with her.
It has lots of pockets on the inside too, big enough to hold a sketch pad, and some pens and pencils, and maybe a cellphone, but I don’t think her Mom lets her have one yet.
Fabgrandpa modeled it for me. You know he loves his granddaughter to do this:
And here he is again:
What a guy! Isn’t he just the cutest? The backpack has adjustable straps, and a loop at the top. It is not a hard item to make, just have to be careful of those zippers!
And the adjustable straps:
And of course, it has a FabGrandma label in it:
I’m going to do my best to get this in the mail to Sarah tomorrow. If you want one, just contact me here, and we can discuss what color fabrics you want. This backpack sells for $45 plus shipping.
Last year before Amelia was born, I made her an adorable baby quilt. While I was making it, I took lots of pictures so that I could make a tutorial on how to do it. I have finally gotten the whole project finished and saved in a PDF file, so that I can now offer the pattern for this cute baby quilt for sale!
This quilt uses half of a precut triangle pack, 1 yard of medium fabric, 1 yard of dark fabric, and 2 yards of a light fabric to make a 52″ X 43.5″ finished quilt. It is very easy to make, and the pattern is explained with lots of pictures so that even someone who is a beginning quilter will find it easy to follow.
I have this pattern for sale in my store, FabGrandma’s Crafty Stuff. You can buy it and download it for $5.00. To get to the pattern in the store, click here!
I finally got a chance to sit down at my sewing machine today, and make a tote bag for myself. I have been wanting a new one ever since I got my NOOK Color, so that I would have a bag big enough to take it with me everywhere I go. I wanted to have pockets inside to hold all my stuff, like my Droid, my glucose meter, my shopping list, the charger for the NOOK and the charger for the Droid. So, here it is:
I made the handles longer than the pattern called for because it was more like a purse, and I wanted more like a tote bag.
I can take everything, even a change of clothes if I want to!
This bag measures 17″ wide X 9″ tall X 4.5″ deep. Lots of room without being too big, and lots of pockets to hold everything I need. If you want one like it, let me know, and I can make one for you for $45 plus shipping. I have a lot of different fabrics on hand, or you can send me a link to your favorite fabric store online.
Yes, I do! Sewing is fun, and creative, and artistic. Sewing lets me take that pile of fabric over there:
or this fabric here:
and turn it into something beautiful and gorgeous and cute, like this laptop bag:
or this tote bag for my daughter in law made out of my son’s old Air Force uniform:
There are all kinds of things I can make and use my creativity, like quilts, which to me is the ultimate in sewing and art and creative juices flowing:
But, what sewing is NOT for me? Hemming pajama pants that are too long. Or fixing the crotch of your pants after they have ripped. That? is like me asking you to unclog the toilet. Like asking you to take out the trash. It is work. It is a chore. It is, well, just not fun. But, because I love you, I do it, and it takes me half a freakin hour to fix that crotch because those pants have some of the weirdest seams I have ever seen.
Mending pants is not sewing. Just so you know.
I missed the last Blogger’s Quilt Festival, because I didn’t find out about it until after it was over. I have had this one on my calendar for quite some time, just waiting to be able to participate.
I have been working on a lot of projects lately, from re-doing my RV bedroom, to making an elegant handbag for my sister for my niece’s wedding, to finishing up the T-Shirt quilt for Judy. I also have been trying to finish up a quilt for my son, Seth, and his wife, Sarah. The quilt I am making for them may look familiar to you, because I made one in the same pattern for Becca, which was finished last October.
I started the one for Seth at the same time I started Becca’s but since I DO sew for other people, and sew other things for sale, I have pushed his aside too many times. So, I am not allowing myself to start or work on any other projects until I get this quilt finished. (well, while it is gone to the quilter I can do something else). I have finished the top, and am working on the back. I think the next time I get a day off from work it will be ready to go out to Jorja, the lady who does quilting for me on a long arm machine. I am really excited to get it so close to finished.
This quilt, and the one I made for Becca, have not been easy quilts for me to make. As a matter of fact, if I had not already started the one for Seth, I would never have made a second one after Becca’s was finished. I would have used a different pattern. However, I have met the challenges these two quilts have presented me, and am very proud of the results.
Now, I am piecing the back, so this quilt will be very interesting on both sides. Can’t wait to get it done and show you!
To see all the beautiful quilts in the this Blogger’s Quilt Festival, click on the banner below.
When my sister saw the little bag I made for myself for Becky’s Wedding, she asked me to make one of her to wear to Stefanie’s wedding. She bought the fabric to match her mother of the bride dress. Today I made my sister’s bag for her.
This bag is not very big at all–that is a 12 oz Coke sitting next to it. I put it in the pic to show how small this bag is. It will be big enough, though, to hold all the things my sister needs on the day of the wedding–some tissues, lipstick, extra batteries for her camera, her cellphone.
You can’t tell much by this pic, but the bag was made with three layers–one layer of rayon lining, one layer of a glitter sheer fabric, and one layer of lace. They are beautiful together, but they were a PITA to sew! Linda, I love you, but don’t ever ask me to make anything again that is made with slick fabric. I’m just sayin…..
Here is another view with a glittery rhinestone button pinned on. Do you like it plain, or with the button?
