Finished: Book Pouch

Book Pouch - finished
Book Pouch – finished

I finished the Book Pouch with only a little bit of fiddling. It has already arrived at its new home. I received a lot of nice compliments.

As mentioned, I used the Bristol Pouch pattern by Center Street Quilts as a guide. I am pleased that I was able to use more of the quilted book fabric. There is less of it for me to move around my workroom.

Book Pouch -open
Book Pouch -open

I didn’t focus much on the other fabrics. The lining was the mish mash I used on the table leaf covers. I pulled from scraps and bits I had laying around to finish the pouch.

I didn’t just grab anything; I tried to find a binding that looked cheerful, but also went with the other fabrics. Brown and turquoise go together so I chose a turquoise binding.

Zipper tab
Zipper tab

The zipper was also a leftover. The tail is a bit long, but still works. I was pleased that the zipper tab technique I found on Instagram worked pretty well. I had to practice a little trial and error, but it worked in the end.

I find out interesting things on Instagram, but some of the videos are too quick and they are hard to follow. This test worked out.

I found a fun zipper pull in the shape of a pair of glasses that I added.

Finished: Nykky’s Enigma

Nykky's Rose Enigma-front
Nykky’s Rose Enigma-front

I finished and sent off this latest Enigma to friend who helped me with a project. It matches the Multi-Pocket Organizer that I gave to her last year.

Nykky's Rose Enigma-top, open
Nykky’s Rose Enigma-top, open

Like the Green Enigma, I struggled with this Enigma. Many things went wrong and I felt like this project took longer than it should have. Still, I think it turned out well and I am pleased I was able to send it off.

The Tula Pink dots look so great on the inside. This line had some challenging colorways, but the pinky-purple is a favorite of mine.

It also lightens up the inside so it easy to find things.

Nykky's Rose Enigma-back
Nykky’s Rose Enigma-back

I fussy cut various parts a little bit so the roses would be highlighted on the back.

The rose pink of the background looks very cheerful. The shapes and shading of the flowers are nice as well.

Nykky's Enigma-riveted
Nykky’s Enigma-riveted

This is one of the bags that I riveted. Riveting the handles adds to the strength of the bag.

My friend sent me a picture of her closet, which she recently had redone. In  it I can see the bags I have made her on the shelf.

Nykky's closet
Nykky’s closet

The next Enigmas will be finished on the Elna, so hopefully, I won’t have as many problems.

More on the Multi-Pocket Organizer

Multi-Pocket Organizer for me
Multi-Pocket Organizer for me

A few months ago, I was excited to finish my Multi Pocket Organizer. I finally put it in my handbag and organized all the random things into it. 

🙁

My MPO in use
My MPO in use

It didn’t work for me. I have a large handbag and this MPO is too large even for my giant purse. I knew it was big, but I did try it out when it was in progress. I am even more disappointed.

The part of my handbag shown above the red zipper is where I keep my keys and wallet and glasses. I use that area a lot, so when it is squished as shown, it is hard to access. Also, the magnet snap won’t stay closed. 

Never fear! I’ll be able to use this in another bag. I think it will be good for a tote. Stay tuned for that. 

I might also consider carrying fewer random items around with me. I found three different kinds of chocolate in that section of my bag and that is even too much for me!

In the meantime, I need to go back to the 37 handbag organizer patterns I have and see which one will work for this purse. The Mustang is smaller, much smaller, so I may try that one first. There’s always more fabric, right?

Book Pouch

A reminder popped up for the birthday of a librarian friend of mine. I still have some leftover bits of quilted book fabric from when I made covers for the leaves of our dining room table. On the spur of the moment and despite all the other projects I have going on, I decided to make her a pouch. After some thought, I decided to use the Bristol pouch pattern from Center Street Quilts.

Book pouch in progress
Book pouch in progress

I used the pattern as a guide rather than following the exact directions since I didn’t have the exact pieces or sizes. This would never stand the test of an experienced bagmaker and it isn’t a terrible pouch, but for a non-sewing person, it is ok.

Book Pouch - zipper tab technique
Book Pouch – zipper tab technique

I used it as a bit of a test for a couple of techniques. One was the zipper tab, which is a technique that IG has been shoving at me through their “you really should follow this” algorithm. I was pleased with how it came out, though I had to rip and watch the video a few times and I think I have to measure the size of the future zipper tab more exactly next time. The video (reel) doesn’t have sizes.

I also used a bit of a larger zipper (#5) that was extra rather than a dress zipper. It is a pretty zipper with rainbow teeth and looks good. 

Book Pouch top
Book Pouch top

The Center Street patterns usually include binding inside seams and this pattern is no different. I found them to be really thick and probably should have tried to cut away some of the batting in the seam allowance.

I’ll be done soon and can send it off.

Finished: Small I Spy

Echinacea I Spy
Echinacea I Spy

The third and final I Spy  for this round is a small Echinacea only version.

I am not sure I have made an I Spy with this color of the Echinacea print. I checked the Minikins page and didn’t see one in this colorway. I bought the at Stitch Ferndale on my trip back from Portland in 2024.

I am pretty excited about how well I matched the horizontal zipper tabs on this one. I also feel like this pouch has a delicate look to it.

Pink Echinacea I Spy - small
Pink Echinacea I Spy – small

This pouch will house Purse Tab templates. Mary and I talked about these when we were riveting the other day. They could be used on the Oxbow Tote to reinforce the side, which was an area we decided would be detrimental to rivet, because it would cut the thread on the side seam.

Pink Echinacea I Spy - small - back
Pink Echinacea I Spy – small – back

I also top stitched this one since I used the stick-on interfacing, like the other two. 

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.