a duo of sew together bags

another post that is a bit different than the quilt ones to come is this one!
last year i made two sew together bags (which i've made a few before these) because of their useability (is that a word even?) and also the ability to combine fabrics and make each one cute as can be in their own ways.
the first bag i made was on a whim for my aunt to gift to her secret pal.  i had fabric bits leftover from the ruffle pug aprons as well as a chunk from amy & luke's wedding quilt from way back when.  yeah, i hold on to fabric for awhile... don't judge!
as much of a dog person as i am (i am not, in case you weren't sure) i do find the peek a boo pugs so amusing!  everything so simple, tan & green, and then BAM pocket pug!
the second bag i made was for the annual sacramento modern quilt guild holiday gift exchange.  the only parameters is that the gift has to be handmade (or purchased handmade) so after awhile of being unsure of what to make, i decided to bust out another one of these bags!
this time it was all completely from my stash, but had some plans go awry in the middle.  i was certain it was going to be blues & greens, but once i scrounged and found fabric big enough, my gray zipper set just wasn't right.  after a new set of zippers were purchased, this was created.  and it was nearly too hard to give up!
the secret sewing machines on this one just add that extra flair that this was absolutely made for a fellow quilter/sewist, and seeing the excitement when the recipient opened it made giving it away that much more worth it.  this second bag was probably the best as far as the construction process went.  the difference between the two bags is that i did not use batting or quilt the second one like i did with the pugs.  it is a step listed as optional in the directions, but it does add some extra heft when sewing those side seams in.  going forward, if i make another one of these bags (which i planned to this month for a friend's birthday, but it just didn't happen in time) i won't add batting or quilting.
and maybe someday, i'll get around to making one for myself!

sew together bag pattern by SewDemented

the great apron project of 2018

now this project here was a doozy to get through, so its no surprise it has taken me this long to get back to and put together in a post!
at the end of 2017/beginning of 2018 my aunt asked me if i would consider making aprons for her staff as their birthday gifts for the year.  the result would be that they would all have their aprons at the end of the year and each wear them to a team building event where cooking was involved.  i was totally on board, as i had made many of the ruffle aprons before for friends and family, so she sent me the list of birthdays and their interests.  as the year rolled on, more interest in aprons from her staff members for other people came out and the list that started as 15 aprons turned in to a whopping 29!
would i ever make an apron again?
considering i've already made one and have 3 more in process at this very moment, absolutely!
the hunt for some of these fabrics was half the fun, especially considering the wide variety of theme i was getting to work with.

just can't wait to be king - quilt for baby leonidas

this quilt has been a long time inspired, but a short time to happen!
at some point when amy and luke were first engaged, i (mostly)joked about making this quilt i saw on fandom in stitches if i had the skills.  at that point in time i had never paper pieced a day in my life, and it was WAY intense looking.  fast forward a few years, and having paper pieced a thing or two, i told her that some day, i would make her this quilt.  she asked me when, and i told her whenever you have a baby.  well, this past spring she found out she was pregnant, and i knew i had to make this quilt happen.  but initially, i thought i had until december.  then, luke sprung the weekend baby shower on us, and i KNEW i had to get it done in order to give it to her in person.  at first, it was pretty easy going.  i'd do a block every so often.  then school started.
then september started.  i started to power through everything, and get pieces together and hard core buckled down.  in the end, the quilt was finished just DAYS before the shower, and i couldn't have imagined it turning out any other way.  it was EXACTLY as i had envisioned it, and loved just as i had hoped.  now, for photo overload!
i found the backing on ebay as a fitted full sheet, so i chopped the elastic off so it would lay flat, and that made it end up being the PERFECT size to work for the backing.
i didn't want to quilt over the blocks, so i stitched 1/4" rows between the blocks vertically and horizontally to frame it in a bit. scar clearly looks thrilled, right?
i went with a black on black print to use for the binding in order to keep it from clashing (the colors on the front really aren't on the back... ha! but the black had these little hash marks with seemed rather lion king-esque to coordinate.
i really lucked out on finding this sheet. it had the perfect hint of simba shapes to it without having more eyeballs staring at you. now that all those photos are there, here are some close ups on the blocks themselves. simply, because i couldn't stop taking photos of it. ha! i was pretty excited it was done, as well as how it turned out :)
the quilt absolutely went over well, and i am so very glad i was able to give it to her in person at the shower. though, i know she'd love it just the same if it came in the mail.  though she's afraid to let baby use it, i think we've come to an agreement that yes, it can (and should!) be used and loved by baby, but maybe once he can control his bodily functions.  haha.
i think this marks the date of the first time i am actually in a photo with one of my quilts.  ha!  i had my mom take one earlier that day of just me holding it as well, but i kaboshed posting that one when i got one with amy.  huzzah!  and yes, there would happen to be a whippet puppy in that photo as well.  wouldn't be a real amy celebration if there wasn't one (see: bridal shower & wedding day).
alas, this completes the baby shower posts, but creates so much more anticipation for december to come and baby leonidas to arrive :)

airplanes & postcards ruffle apron - betsy's getting married!

are you all thinking what i'm thinking?
if you are, it's probably something along the lines of "FINALLY..."  because that's how i feel about getting a real blog post up.  no joke.  and i'm super pumped about this one... and the next one to come too.  but more on that later.  obviously.
dearest betsy is getting married in less than three weeks (eeeps!) and a week ago yesterday jenny hosted a fabulous tea party bridal shower at the power's mansion inn tea room and once i got that invite, i knew i had to make something for her.  i made this apron previously in 2011 for a different friend and absolutely loved how it turned out then.  when i thought of what i could make for betsy, it seemed right up her alley.
when i think of betsy's style (and look at her pinterest.  haha) it's very vintage/classy with a splash of color here and there.  like taylor swift, but prettier.  true story.  the girl loves her pearls!  the husband to be is a pilot, so i thought that would be a perfect starting point for the "theme" of the apron.
the postcards & stamps came inspired from betsy's love to travel.  there was a time where she was working for a company that involved her traveling all over the nashville area.  pretty sure i remember her saying she met nicole kidman!  she also did some traveling in europe with a friend back in 2011.  and now with a pilot of a husband, i'm sure they've got plenty of great plans ahead of them.
when a project turns out better than i imagined... i can't help but mentally high five myself.
this is one of those kinds of projects for sure.  not to brag or anything...
here is part two of her gift.  i wish i knew how to make these... or had the patience to do so.
but i just love these hangers so much.  i bought one for erika last year (that i clearly did not blog a photo of) and it got such rave reviews that i decided betsy totally needed one too.  and the result was the same.  these hangers are fabulous, and every bride should have one to hang her wedding dress on.  the vendor i've used is handcrafted affairs.  be sure to check them out!
as usual, i forgot to get something... and that would be a card, or at least a gift tag to tell her who the present was from.  i remembered i had these initially for the next project that will be blogged, so i remembered last minute and put one on here as well.  my grandma got them for me years ago, and i need to remember to use them!
it should be mentioned that jenny did a fantastic job hosting the bridal shower. betsy was given little detail as to what to expect, and when she walked in the place, she was beaming with excitement.  she was truly a bride who appreciates everything & everyone that has been involved in the process of her wedding planning.  her big day is just a short while away, and i cannot wait to celebrate that with her as well!
once again, for the original apron tutorial (metric style): click here