Sidewinder pouches from Minikins Season 1 have been on list for Christmas gifts. I finally started them last week. While I was on the phone, I cut out most of the pieces. I say most because I found out later that I forgot to cut out several pieces. I found out once I started to put the pouches together. I guess I was paying more attention to the call the cutting. Oops!!
I decided to make 4 of these pouches for various family members. Part of the reason I wanted to make them was the striped fabric version in the Minikins ad is so cool looking. I also wanted to make use of the patterns I bought. I have made several Cotton Candy pouches from Minikins Season 1, but I want to make more of the projects. Also, I enjoy making pouches and there are only so many I can use.
Two Sidewinder pouches in process
I have to say that I felt giddy after making good progress on Saturday. It wasn’t that I didn’t struggle a little, but I was just so excited about how cute these pouches were turning out to be.
I still have a bit of work to do on them, but they will be great. I hope the recipients like them.
I joined the most recent guild swap and made an Oslo Craft Bag for Cyndi. She said she wanted any kind of tote bag. I was on the fence about this bag as it doesn’t strike me as a straight tote bag.
A few years ago I wrote about this bag and have been wanting to make one ever since. This was a great opportunity. I put a note in the bag that I would make her a real tote if this wasn’t what she was expecting. I thought about making her a Multi-tasker tote as well, but lost steam and didn’t get to it. I kind of want to make her a Superbloom tote as well.
Oslo Craft Bag Swap Gift
This bag went together with no problems. I thought the pockets with the yellow binding were a little too fussy. However, I like it that they have dimension. I don’t know if I would make them the same way again, but I like to make the pattern as is the first time, as you know.
I saw another version in the Facebook group (a good use of FB, IMO) where the maker put two pockets like the top photo shows, but put a second mesh pocket over the first. I am thinking about making another one and I might do that. I like mesh for some reason, though I am not sure what it is good for in terms of storing sewing items.
Oslo Craft Bag Swap Gift – interior
I was disappointed in the interior. Not the design, but the saggy-bagginess of it. The seam allowance was 1/2 inch, which I thought meant that Sara had included enough to take up some of the lining so it wouldn’t sag. No such luck. The exterior was sewn with a 1/2 inch seam allowance as well. I tried a few things to make the lining fit better. Short of taking the whole thing apart, none of my efforts worked.
It is a nice rectangular bag and I think it would be useful for various tasks including bringing things to Sew Day. We’ll see what Cyndi thinks.
I finished the latest Cotton Candy Pouch over the weekend. This is the one that Friend Julie cut out using her Cricut Maker. You last saw it as a bunch of pieces. I am always interested to see how strangely shaped pieces turn into something 3D. It was awesome to not have to cut anything but to have it all ready to go.
Zipper Beginning
One reason I keep making this pouch over and over is to perfect some of my skills, especially Veering the Zipper, which went much better this time. I was also able to get the beginning of the zipper even with each other. So progress.
Yes, I could have gotten the head closer, but that is a challenge for another day.
I also like the shape of this pouch a lot. I am going to try the sidewinder next. Bronwyn, one of the moderators of the Sew Sweetness FB group, had so much trouble with the Sidewinder that she threw out her first attempt. This scares me!
I forgot to use a deeper seam allowance for the lining :(, but c’est la vie. It is fine for this time. Another part to work on.
The Sidewinder is another part of Minikins Season 1. I have two dozen or so patterns from Minikins Season 1 & 2 to try, so I need to get busy! I am constantly wondering if Sara will come out with a Minikins Season 3? Yikes! I need to get busy.
As I mentioned, Friend Julie cut some Cotton Candy Pouch pieces out for me with her Cricut. I pulled them out over the weekend with the intention of starting to sew them together. I have to wait to finish until my zipper order arrives, but I thought I could, at least make a start.
Cotton Candy Pouch cut from SVG files
I was super pleased when I delved into the bag to find ALL the pieces required – Soft & Stable, SF101, everything! She is a rockstar and this work was super appreciated, because cutting is not a favorite task for me.
These were cut before her recent adventures. She is back to sewing now, which is great. I may want her to cut more pieces for me, if I like these. Alternatively, though space is an issue, I may just buy a Cricut of my own. 😉
Cutting Cotton Candy -cutting by me
Cutting Cotton Candy using SVG files
I sewed the Cotton Candy sides and main panels together and came up with the same problem I had when I cut out the pieces. The main panels did not line up with the sides. I feel better now about my cutting. There is no problem as I can trim the pieces after they are sewn together. I can see why this slight extra might be a feature as it gives the maker a little wiggle room.
Friend Julie and I have been talking about her relatively new Cricut. We are doing a sort of test of her Cricut for fabric cutting. She has been playing around with cards, but this started when I asked her if she had cut out fabric from SVG files. When she said no, I sent her an SVG file for the Cotton Candy pouch and said that if she cut one out, I would sew it for her. I kind of wanted to see how the SVG files would work.
Cotton Candy Pouch cut from SVG files
Recently she sent me some pieces of a Cotton Candy pouch she had cut out for me. I am curious to see how these pieces fit together versus the ones I cut.
I have talked about the two other pouches, Green and PJ Ivy, I made last weekend. This, however, is the main one. I decided to make this one, then added the others on to the project.
I tried to think of how a non-sewing person would use this pouch (or any pouch??) and could only come up with a makeup bag or a cord carrier. I hope the recipient will find some good uses for it. It is a large pouch so it might be good for a project. I know she started an embroidery or cross stitch project recently.
Tulip Dot Cotton Candy Pouch- inside
I made the inside light, as I try to do, so she could find whatever she puts in the bag. It is a kind of fun newspaper print that I haven’t used before, though I have used fabric like it. I still like the text fabrics.
I used some of the Michael Miller French Journal Collection from London Portfolio for this pouch. It has good areas to fussy cut. I bought a lot of it several years ago and keep cutting bits off for this and that. It is fun fabric.
I don’t know what the recipient likes, so I made some thing that I liked. Also, this pattern lends itself to fussy cutting and I was able to cut this fabric in such a way as to highlight the featured flowers.
Tulip Dot Cotton Candy Pouch- back
This is kind of busy fabric, so I used the black and white dot fabric to keep the French Journal Collection under control.
This is the second of the three pouches I made over the weekend. I used the Philip Jacobs Variegated Ivy fabric in pink for the ends and the lining. In order to tone down the large and exciting flowers, I used the black and white for the main panel.
It is actually not for one of my co-workers. I made this for my co-worker’s daughter. They are having an especially tough time at their house. Another zipper, some time and fabric were not that big of a deal.
I sent this one off with my co-worker’s yesterday.
In some ways this will be pouch Week. I didn’t intend it to be, but I have a lot of pouches to show.
I made three Cotton Candy pouches over the weekend. As mentioned before These are to be gifts for co-workers who have helped me.
Green Cotton Candy Pouch-open
I really want to get good at this pattern, so I keep making it even though I have many patterns from the Minikins to try. There are a couple things I need to work on. One is veering the zipper. I didn’t get both sides of the end even this time. Next time, I think I will mark where I want to veer the zipper off the fabric and see if that works. I ripped it out a couple of times, but couldn’t do better, so I’ll try to do better next time.
I am making 3 more Cotton Candy pouches as gifts for people at work. I am also trying to perfect my efforts at sewing this pattern.
Making 3 requires a lot of cutting time. It took me about two hours to cut out all the pieces, which didn’t include forgetting to cut out the lining side panels! Duh! I guess I have decided that cutting out all the pieces at once is the best way to work.
Cotton Candy Pouch side panels
One of the things I found was that basting the side panels to a square and cutting the shape out later was really handy. Cutting out the side panel, which is tulip shaped, with the rotary template on the Soft & Stable is difficult. It is difficult, because the Soft & Stable is so thick. Cutting the shape out after basting it worked really well.
I also found that basting the pieces to the Soft & Stable in advance was really helpful. I know the pattern says to do it, but I hadn’t done it before.
I am still struggling with veering the zipper. Apparently, I need to make more of these to get that right. I made some annotations to the pattern so I remember what to do next time and where salient points are in the videos.
I finished another Cotton Candy Pouch over the weekend. As mentioned in a previous post, this pattern is from the Minikins Seasons 1 & 2 (no affiliation) by Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness.
Chrysanthemum Cotton Candy Pouch – inside
I made an effort to fussy cut fabric this time so my pouch highlighted some great fabric. Sara does this in her pouches and I really like the look. I cut the side panels out of the Philip Jacobs fabric, which was not correct – I keep thinking those side pieces are the main fabrics. I decided to use them on the inside, reversing the way I put in the fabric.
I had some trouble with the zippers, but in the end the video about veering the zipper off the project and the project video finally got the thole technique into my head. I want to cement it. I think I might make another pouch with some of the Echinacea fabric I got from the last Modern Quilter’s Box.
As mentioned, I had (took) Friday-Monday off for Memorial Day weekend. While I had to clean the house, I also took the time to finish a few projects that needed finishing or knocking other must-do projects off my list.
Minikins 2: Sewing Room Stand
One thing I started and finished was a Sewing Room Stand from the Minikins Season 2 patterns.
I made the item in a couple of hours. I used the video portion of the pattern (Sew Sweetness Minikin patterns comes with a video as well as the printed pattern). I didn’t find it difficult. I thought it was a lot easier than Tooly McToolston, though the Sewing Room Stand is smaller and doesn’t have as many pockets. It is the same idea.
Minikins 2: Sewing Room Stand tablet side
One of the things I like about this pattern is the possibility of standing a tablet on it and having the tablet oriented in such a way that I could see a pattern as I was working on it.
I thought the stand would come out larger based on the picture on Sara’s website. My tablet is not large (*inches?), but the one in Sara’s photo seems larger and the stand is still larger. Granted, my tablet does not hang over the ends, but still seems like it is overwhelming the Sewing Room Stand.
Minikins 2: Sewing Room Stand tool side
Thetool side is tall enough to accommodate a medium sized tool, so you could have your tools and your tablet in use at the same time.
I turned pretty quickly to the video to make this item. I was not getting what the printed pattern was saying. The video made it very clear, so I was glad to have it.
As far as I can tell, the pattern doesn’t fold up into a flat package.
Minikins 2: Sewing Room Stand empty
I chose the colors as this will be a swap gift and these are the colors the person requested!
I finally bought the Minikins Seasons 1 & 2 (no affiliation) a few weeks ago when I received a bonus from a vendor with whom I work on occasion. I talked about being obsessed with these patterns back in January since they came out. They are on sale when they first come out and then they went up in price. I plan to buy Season 3, if there ever is one, when it is on sale.
Cal themed Cotton Candy Pouch
Anyway, I made my first project from the patterns, the Cotton Candy Pouch. I made this for my SIL for her birthday. Fortunately, she lives around the corner, so I just put the bag on her doorstep during my morning walk and then texted her to take a look. Not as good a party with cake, but something during this shelter-in-place situation.
There are a few things I had trouble with. I am pretty pleased with the evenness of the zipper, but the ends were a bit of a problem. Next time, I think I will use a coordinating or solid fabric for the side pieces. I think it will highlight the themed fabric better. I find that making a project the first time is always an adventure and a learning experience.
Cal themed Cotton Candy Pouch
I also added a leash. I don’t know if she has a bag with a D-ring, but when she does, she will be able to attach it.
This pouch takes an 18″ zipper, which I thought was long. I don’t have many that size, so I’ll have to think about getting some.
I forgot to take photos of this pouch before I sent it off, but Friend Julie was kind enough to send me some photos. The photos were much better than I would have taken so I was glad I asked her.
This is another version of the Persimmon Dumpling Pouch by Sara Lawson. You can find this free pattern at the Sew Sweetness website. I made a few of these during my fabric gift foray (November 2019) and found it to be a clever design.
Persimmon Pouch for Julie side 2
I made this one, as well as another, with Soft and Stable*. I think the pattern calls for Soft & Stable, so I cut the pieces out, but decided not to use it in the first pouches I made. I just used fabric with SF101/ ShapeFlex* and that worked fine. After making a few of these, I decided I was ready to tackle one with Soft & Stable*. I used the Soft & Stable as a base and piece it using the Quilt as you Go. This prevented me from having to quilt the pieces later. I also got to use up some scraps. I didn’t do anything crazy, though I can see improv possibilities using QAYG.
Persimmon Pouch for Julie bottom
One thing I like about this pattern is the zipper installation. It is very clever and there are no issues with the ends of the zipper. The ends get tucked into the lining out of sight. There is no need for zipper tabs or cutting zippers or anything.
Persimmon Pouch for Julie lining
Turning the pouch was a little tricky because of the Soft & Stable, but not terrible. Normally, I like to make my interfacing a little smaller than the fabric, to reduce layers. When I make this pouch again with Soft & Stable, I will cut the piece larger than the pattern and then trim after I sew fabric pieces to the Soft & Stable. I had a couple of problems with the ends and I think this method would increase accuracy.
I did not hand sew the inside shut. I just wasn’t up for it. Still, I think the piece looks nice and Julie seems to be happy. The only other thing I would change is to get a zipper than matches.
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Like the pouch I talked about after Christmas and back in November, this pouch is made using the same Persimmon Pouch pattern, still FREE from Sew Sweetness. I made this one and Julie’s at the same time. I used Soft & Stable* for the lining.
I used the Soft & Stable as a foundation piecing base and sewed scraps to the base. The Soft & Stable* makes for a good base and I liked not having to quilt the sides separately.
I also used some of the artist fabric I had in my scrap pile to keep the idea of the set of items going.
Mom’s Persimmon Pouch inside
Mom’s Persimmon Pouch amazing end finishing
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This isn’t very Christmas-y, but I knew my friend would like it. I cut this one at the same time I cut the other Persimmon Pouch. Same pattern. Same FREE pattern.
I used the fabric leftover from some pillowcases I made for her.
Dia de las Muertos pouch end
I wasn’t able to get this zipper to behave as well as the one in the first pouch, but the pouch still closes and I think it looks fine.
I still love the way this pouch finishes! It is so clever.
