Tag: Pouch

Finished: Medium Rose I Spy Pouch

I mentioned making multiple I Spy pouches when I talked about the Poppy I Spy the other day.

I made all three in assembly-line fashion, so they all got done at once and I made the same mistakes with all, which was forgetting the interfacing! 😉

Rose I Spy - medium
Rose I Spy – medium

The lining fabric on this pouch is a Heather Bailey print. I only had a fat quarter, or only had a fat quarter left, and fussy cut it so the rose would show up when the bag was empty. The motif would also be a nice surprise when I take out the templates out of the bag. 

Somehow the Echinacea print doesn’t clash too badly with the roses. At least I don’t think so. I like using different prints for the lining as it helps me associate a certain template with a certain pouch.

Rose I Spy - medium for the Newfoundland templates
Rose I Spy – medium for the Newfoundland templates

This pouch will be used for the Newfoundland pouch templates. The Newfoundland is a little like the Sew Together Bag as it has an accordion section in the middle creating some organization. It has a similar feel. 

I haven’t made the Newfoundland before. Now that I have been reminded that I have the templates, I will put it on my list to try.

Finished: Green Enigma

Tim's Enigma - front, closed
Tim’s Enigma – front, closed

I finally finished the green Enigma. I shouldn’t say ‘finally’, though it did take longer than expected.  I felt like everything that could go wrong did go wrong and I am not sure why. Still, it looks great and I am not embarrassed to give it as a gift.

I still want to rivet the handles, but that requires a little coordination with my “rivet press dealer”. LOL! And I can give it without the rivets if necessary.

Tim's Enigma - open
Tim’s Enigma – open

I am still planning on making a few more of these this year. I want to get over the drama I felt making this one and the pink rose one that I still need to finish.

The lining fabric is one I have kind of been saving. I had it in a pink/orange colorway, but think I used it for something. I really like the blue/green colorway and was looking for a special project on which to use it. I didn’t really try to match up the squares, but they sort of ended up that way, which was nice.

Tim's Enigma - back, closed
Tim’s Enigma – back, closed

Sara of Sew Sweetness’ quarterly challenge has just been announced. The challenge is to use some aspect of quiltmaking in your bag or pouch. This bag requires quilting on the bottom, so it qualifies. I may enter it as my entry. I don’t expect to win, but it is fun to participate.

Finished: Large Poppy I Spy

Poppy I Spy - large
Poppy I Spy – large

I cleared out a box of acrylic templates that had been in my fabric closet for awhile. I wanted to be reminded what was in there. I was surprised to find some smaller templates as well the large ones I knew were in there. I am sure I had a plan when I put the small templates in the box, but I didn’t remember the plan when I found them. 

I still want to make a bag for large templates, but that is a project for another day. On that day, I decided to make 3 more I Spy pouches, one for each of the template sets.

I like to highlight a special fabric on the lining. I had very little of the Anna Maria Poppy (Bright Eyes??) left, so I decided to use one of them for this pouch. The last time I used this fabric was for the Andalusian pouch.

This large I Spy will be used for the Mustang Purse Organizer templates. I made a set of these for my Mom in 2021. I have a vivid memory of making them in my machine’s old location, which was before I redid the whole room.

Poppy I Spy - large, back
Poppy I Spy – large, back

For some reason, I forgot to interface the pieces so I added a bit of the Sewfisticated 2mm stick on interfacing right before I closed the turning pocket. It was a little tricky to get the paper off the stick-on side of the interfacing, but I managed it in the end. This interfacing is much thicker than the SF101 called for in the pattern, but it worked.

The interfacing made the pouch very stiff. I top stitched around the whole edge. It made the pouch very structured and I kind of like the feel.

Poppy I Spy - large for Mustang templates
Poppy I Spy – large for Mustang templates

I am also using some tags I bought for another purpose to label the pouches. Thus far, I have been relying on post-it notes, which are unreliable in this context. All of the templates are engraved, but the words are hard to see sometimes.

 

I did make an I Spy pouch with the poppy print before. I would say ‘great minds think alike’, but I don’t think one can say that when it is yourself! LOL!

New Enigmas

Two new Enigmas
Two new Enigmas

After looking at all of the Enigmas, I decided to make more this year. I have been slowly working on two new Enigmas in between working on other projects. These are gifts, one of which will be sent off soon and the other is for later this year. I am ahead of the game to a certain extent. I think I plan to make 8 total this year, of which these are number 3 and 4.

Diana’s Enigma is already in use and the Bone Enigma is already on its way to its new home.

Finished: Paris Cell Phone Wallet

Paris Cell Phone Wallet - closed
Paris Cell Phone Wallet – closed

I started this project SIX years ago.  For some reason, I put it aside and didn’t get back to it for six years -until the past weekend. 

The pattern is Little Cell Phone Wallet by Valori Wells. I have made about a dozen of these to go with dresses that have no pockets. 

The sad part is that it only took me about an hour to finish it. The hardest part was turning it right side out as I had used a little too much interfacing.

I reflected on the stumbling block in an effort to avoid that particular problem in the future.

Paris Cell Phone Wallet - open
Paris Cell Phone Wallet – open

The issue was that I ran out of the Paris fabric before I could cut all the pieces. As you can see I decided to use an AGF solid, Festival Fuschia for the pieces where I didn’t have enough fabric. I think it looks fine! And DONE is better than perfect, right?

The reason I got back to it, however is the guild’s UFO challenge. I might grumble about it, but it is helping me to get some projects off my To Do list, which is a good thing.

Even though I don’t know what the next number will be I might start working on one of my other UFOs.

 

My Enigma Rivets

Bone Enigma side panels - pre-assembly
Bone Enigma side panels – pre-assembly

When I sewed the Bone Enigma I followed the directions exactly with regard to rivets. The directions say to add rivets before assembly. The rivets can go anywhere, but I wanted to put them on the ends of the handle, just to reinforce it. It is at the stage of assembly shown in the photo where the directions say to add rivets.

Peony Enigma with rivets - full
Peony Enigma with rivets – full

This is great except for Enigma bags already completed. I decided I wanted rivets on my Enigma bag. The bag is already complete, so I consulted with Mary and we decided it could be done.  We had to squish the top a little, but the overall procedure worked and my bag now has rivets on the handle.

Peony Enigma with rivets - detail
Peony Enigma with rivets – detail

I wanted silver, but Mary thought a gunmetal finish would look better. I am pleased not to worry about ripping out the handle.

Gerre’s Tadpole

Gerre's Tadpole front
Gerre’s Tadpole front

I finished the Tadpole I made for Gerre’s International Women’s Day celebration. This is another Sew Sweetness pattern I bought and hadn’t yet made.  I made this one at the same time I made Carrie’s. 

Gerres' Scissor Sheath
Gerres’ Scissor Sheath

The fabric I used was the same used for another of Gerre’s bags, the Enigma Pouch. I am not a huge fan of this fabric as it looks a little too creepy for me. However, first, I am almost out, and second Gerre said she really likes it. I decided to use it up and then I can get back to the Alexander Henry Dia de los Muertos fabric I also use for her gifts. Yes, I have used a few different fabrics for her gifts. She was the first one, I think, for whom I started making sets of bags. It took me awhile to settle into the process. 

This fabric does provide some good fussy cutting opportunities. Since I don’t have much of it left, I am using all the bits.

Gerre's Tadpole other front
Gerre’s Tadpole other front

This pouch is more 2 sided than Carries, because of the fussy cutting opportunities. It is interesting how different the two sides are. However, all the figures are skeleton mermaids or mermen. I mostly cut off the tail of them. I suppose I could have turned the fabric 90 degrees and included the tail. Considering the design of the pouch, that might be a better way to orient the fabric. I guess I’ll have to make another one to see. 😉

Gerre's Tadpole interior
Gerre’s Tadpole interior

As mentioned, I followed the pattern exactly, which I might not do if I make this again.

I also put an interior zipper pocket on one side of the pouch. I think this pocket could be used for extra rotary cutter blades. They might not be obvious, but a reminder could be using this same side for a rotary cutter. 

Gerre's Tadpole - interior
Gerre’s Tadpole – interior

I am paying closer attention to making sure the linings are not saggy baggy. I am pleased with the way the pockets came out.

Both Tadpoles look good, I think. I need some practice to make them better, but this is a useful pouch.

 

 

Carrie’s Tadpole

The Tadpole is a pouch that I bought as part of a 4-pack with the Cosquilla pattern last June. I am glad to say that this isn’t the first time I have made a bag from this 4-pack. 

Carrie's Tadpole front
Carrie’s Tadpole front

The Tadpole (weird name, I know) is a useful pouch with two pockets that can secure scissors, rotary cutters and other similar types of tools.

Tadpole with interior zipper
Tadpole with interior zipper

One pocket is on the top and the other is on the bottom so you have to kind of flip it around to get at both zippers.

One of the pockets includes a small internal zipper pocket. This pocket could be added to both of the larger zipper pockets. I am not sure what I would put in that interior zipper pocket, but I do think that, generally, the more pockets the better. In this case, that might not be true if I were to put something in there and then lose it or forget about it. I look forward to seeing what Carrie says.

Tadpole open with sheath (Carrie)
Tadpole open with sheath (Carrie)

The pattern includes a scissor sheath. I bought Carrie a nice pair of scissors to go with the pouch and the sheath can be customized to fit the scissors. I wanted to do that, but I didn’t want to open a new pair of scissors. I am not 100% sure the sheath is very useful with sharp scissors. It is definitely cool to have a matching scissor adornment, but I am concerned that sharp scissors will cut through quilting cotton. I might make the scissor sheath out of cork or pleather scraps in the future. It wouldn’t match, but it might be useful.

I made this first one in the fabric I use for Carrie, the Carrie Bloomston Color Theory fabric. I was able to use some smaller pieces, which was nice. 

Morsel Lunch Bag

Morsel Lunchbox exterior
Morsel Lunchbox exterior

I forgot to post about the lunch bag I made for Friend Julie for Christmas. This was a project from Minikins Season 1. Season 1 includes the I Spy pouch pattern, which is one of my favorites. The Cotton Candy pouch is another of which I have made several. I knew that I had this pattern when I decided to make her a lunch bag.

I noticed that she was carrying her lunch around in a plastic bag. There is nothing wrong with plastic bags, especially with messy food. I thought it was odd. I thought I would try this pattern and hope it was a useful bag. 

Morsel Handle
Morsel Handle

The first thing I did was get some ripstop nylon in order to make the inside sort of water resistant. I was inspired by Lynette using it for her Oxbow. Hers came out flat and beautiful. Mine came out bubbly and lumpy despite using Lynette’s tips. I have a feeling the ripstop I used was lesser quality than what Lynette used. 

Morsel lunchbag interior
Morsel lunchbag interior

The pattern had no interior pockets. I guess a person just tosses all their lunch items in and pockets aren’t really needed.I keep thinking of regular bags and pockets are always useful.

I decided, based on my lunch bag, that I needed to include an ice pack. I added a mesh pocket for an ice pack. I thought a mesh pocket would better for something that might sweat. I included an ice pack  (not shown) before I wrapped the gift. 

Morsel Lunchbag top
Morsel Lunchbag top

The bag is on the small side, so no 5 person picnics.

The top has a recessed zipper, so the contents are out of the way of the handles. It might have been useful to include a shoulder strap, but I didn’t think of it.

In general, I am pretty happy with how this bag came out. Julie has brought it to a couple of Sew Days and that is really nice to see. I am definitely happy that I was able to use another Minikins pattern.

All the Enigmas

I am thinking about making some Enigma pouches again. I wanted to know what I had made and came up with these versions.

Six is a pretty good number, but there is still scope for making more.

Diana’s Enigma

Diana's Enigma - top
Diana’s Enigma – top

This is my first finish of the year! Finally! The Enigma might be my bag of the year as I feel excited about this bag and am eager to make two more. 

I started this, because I had another one on my to do list and thought making two at a time would be quick and efficient. I also thought (and really hoped) it would, maybe, be chosen as the UFO project for the first month of the guild UFO challenge. As mentioned, no such luck, so I held off making the one on the list and just worked on this one.

Diana's Enigma - open, side view
Diana’s Enigma – open, side view

I made this bag for the Angel Mother, and my birthday twin, Diana. I have made a Day Trip Wallet and two Dogwood pouches using the same fabric. I have no idea if she likes it, so I’ll just keep on making bags for her until I run out.

Diana's Enigma bottom
Diana’s Enigma bottom

I wanted to fussy cut the front so it looked a bit better than mine. I ended up fussy cutting the bottom, which ends up being one side. It looks good, but you can’t really see it.

I really like that big flower.

The more times I make this bag, the easier it becomes, but the more I like the construction. I watched part of the video and there were some helpful hints in it. The video is totally worth the purchase when you buy a Sew Sweetness pattern.

Of course, the Enigma is part of a 12 pattern bundle. While Minikins Season 3 is probably my favorite, I have also made several of the patterns from Season 4. See the various projects and decide which season you like best.

 

 

 

Stella Pouches

Stella Pouch for Gerre
Stella Pouch for Gerre

One of the patterns I used to make holiday gifts was the Stella Pouch from Center Street Quilts. I have made a couple of these before. One was for a swap and one was my contribution to Laura’s gift basket. I got excited about this pattern when I saw the video with a half vinyl version. I also like the ability to see the fabulous prints used for the lining.

Stella Pouch for Carrie
Stella Pouch for Carrie

I made three of these for the holidays. There are no specific directions for using vinyl or adding a Flying Geese strip, as Katrina shows in the version linked above. It isn’t difficult to change substrates or add some Flying Geese, but I forgot the Flying in all three pouches! I’m annoyed because foundation paper piecing, in general, takes me forever and I worked hard at getting these strips done for these specific gifts. Oh well. I’ll make some more of these pouches and add the Flying Geese to them.

Stella Pouch for SueG
Stella Pouch for SueG

The other thing I did just to add a bit of flair was use some of my Renaissance Ribbon as the pull tab. I am not sure how practical it will be. I need to start using my ribbon and this was as good a start as any.

The one thing I need to do differently was the zipper end. It was very thick and hard to turn. I talked to Mary about it and probably need to trim more around the zipper. Another good reason to make more of these.

Another I Spy

Green I Spy for Tim
Green I Spy for Tim

I quickly made this pouch for Tim as a gift. I usually make him a gift, but for some reason I didn’t plan ahead for him. I will in 2026.

I rounded the corners of this version as it was easier to sew. I also used some great hand-dyed fabric that Sonja made for me a long time ago. It is precious so I save it for special projects.

Green I Spy for Tim-back
Green I Spy for Tim-back

Tim loves everything green and he uses the bags I give him, so I decided to use some of this precious fabric for him.

Pencil or Glasses Case

Pencil/glasses case
Pencil/glasses case

After making the Hemingways for my sister, I had a piece of quilted foam left over. I have been collecting strips of quilted foam and it is getting a little annoying. It seems like such a waste to throw them away, especially since I spent time to quilt them (or money to have them quilted). However, they are small and I haven’t found a good project for them. 

Eventually, I decided to sew the leftover Paris fabric/foam into a pencil or glasses case. I am not sure which it is and will let Lil Sissy decide. 

Hemingways for Lil Sissy

Big Hemingway for Lil Sissy
Big Hemingway for Lil Sissy

I decided to make a Hemingway pouch for my sister for Christmas. Partly this was to provide a laptop/tablet cover for her and partly because this is a quick project and I hadn’t started a more complicated bag in time to get it done before Christmas.

I like this pattern, especially the diagonal zipper. The Center Street Quilts videos I find on Instagram are also very appealing. 

Baby Hemingway for Lil Sissy
Baby Hemingway for Lil Sissy

I made this pattern once before. I ended up with a section of vinyl and half a zipper. This time I decided to take MaryC’s advice and make a small pouch to go with the larger one. Mary uses hers for WonderClips, but Lil Sissy can use her for small cosmetics or dog treats.

I am pretty pleased with how it came out, though the print looks a little sideways. I also meant to add a handle, but forgot in the process of getting it done.

Baby Hemingway - 1st iteration
Baby Hemingway – 1st iteration

The first iteration of the small Hemingway had the binding on the outside.  My machine binding still needs work. I didn’t like the way it looked so I cut off the binding, bound it on the inside and made it a little smaller.