List strikeouts

I have managed to complete a few items from my last post----

The corrected and filled mongo chicken pincushion which matches my sewing room changeover.  The thread catcher one stays in that spot and the chicken at my side at the machine.   If I need to stand up to pin/unpin, it goes with me.

I put the finishing touches on the Koin Keeper today.   Exterior of the two wallets

Interior of the wallets

Also in the same tote of sewing goodies was this kit from way back in June.  The quilt came from Quilt Taffy and was what I selected with the gift certificate provided in Carol of Just Let Me Quilt blog hop giveaway that I was lucky enough to win.  I had started it at the June sew-in and did not get very far with it so I had to track down just where I left off today.  Basically the front of the bag and the zipper unit were prepped and that was it!

But my knitting will fit in their perfectly without the chance of one of the critters dragging out the yarn or the needles because I left it laying on the coffee table.  I really should get back to making some of these in the evening again. Though a 2nd one is almost done, I have not touched it since my return from vacation in mid August.  Blog Hops intervened, LOL.

I think I am done with all the red, white, black and gray projects that I want to do unless I make a tissue holder or a small zip bag for some reason.  All those pockets in the tote sort of make that un-necessary.  I put the fabric grouping up for now.

BUT I still have that list of gingham and coordinates stuff for the sewing room I want to do---

• replace my little basket around my pin tin ala Linda of Buzzing and Bumbling snack tray or fabric basket tutorial
• Replace the existing hot iron cover but may need to modify the pattern from Kay's Quilt Hot Iron Holder
• Sewing machine mat---there are free tutorials but I want mine bigger
• Cafe curtain to disguise the wires on the computer desk
• Another chicken pincushion??
• Mug Bucket from Buckets Gone Wild
• AND pacie clips!

None of these will be a huge time investment and I cut and kit these.  Well, all but the curtain for my desk that is.  I figure another week of playing in the sewing room and then I will have to buckle down and machine quilt a bit.

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We got some much needed rain this morning.  I am not sure how far behind we are on our rainfall totals but it has been dry again for awhile.  Word is that we are due for a cold front, that rain was probably the leading edge of it, but we could have overnight temps down in the 40's tomorrow.  Maybe even 30's in some of the lower spots come Sunday.  I am ready for it to be acting like fall.  Still wearing shorts and the a/c is running.  Some days it may not click on till about 3 or 4 pm but once it hits about 78 in here you are ready for it!   Here and there you see the signs of leaves changing.  A couple flocks of geese flew over when Oscar and I were out for our last walk of the day.  They were angling away from the nearby lake heading sort of  north and west.

Well, I've got a dog barking to come back in the house.  He does this lately, acts like he needs to go out do his business but all he does it bark, as far as I know.  What exactly he is barking at is not apparent but I don't leave him out there to annoy the neighborhood!  Hope you have a good weekend planned------

Snap Happier and accessories

I spent a good part of Wednesday sewing accessories to go with my new Snap Happier purse.  Of course, I have pictures to share! Lots of them, LOL.   I thought was done last evening but by 8:30 this morning I had whipped up a Wonder Wallet, just in case something else I tried does not work out as I hope.  Before I put the fabric up, I thought "why not?"

The overview, glamour shot.  Left upper, Wonder Wallet.  Left lower, banking envelope rendered in cloth.  Center zip bag.  Right upper, Koin Keeper wallet from This & That.  Purse:  Snap Happier purse  (pattern also has a larger tote version)  At center, a zipped pouch that finished at about 6 inches square.   Would you believe me if I told you that I used up practically the all the cute Michael Miller "Michelle Meow" fabric?  Just scraps left.

I started off yesterday morning thinking zipped pouch.  After all, I had picked up two pink 7 inch zippers along with the longer tan one used to make an interior zipped pocket for the purse.  Might as well, right?   This way I could re-purpose the "wrong" bag exterior too.

I didn't have directions, flying by the seat of my pants.  However, something must have stuck with me from all those Atkinson Designs tagalong totes I have made or maybe it was how you do the zippers in a Lazy Girl Design purse.  Who knows?    Basically I knew what it should look like when it was done----the teeth of the zipper tape encased in the main fabric and lining.  I over cut the lining and the old bag bits were backed with fusible fleece. 

Trimmed down and ready to apply the backing.

 All finished!

Next, I was going to move on to a wallet of some sort, thinking the Koin Keeper and/or Wonder Wallet.  Then it came to me.  Bank envelope!  DJ always gives me cash for the groceries and in a bank envelope.  How about one in cloth??  Two layers of fabric right sides together.  Might work----do it like faced appliqued shapes?

Stitching around my template  er, bank envelope opened up

 Turned, loaded---one end has velcro and the other is partially fused with stitch witchery.  Coins go in that flap behind the currency.  My guess is that your bank uses roughly the same thing in your drive up area??

But I also added a little velcro bit to the folded edge so the same velcro loop would close the deal if it were folded.  My plan is to try it and see how it works for the grocery monies.

Then I moved on to pocket tissue holders.  This will sound gross but who has not been caught in a public restroom that has no toilet paper, someone stole it or there is inattentive staff.   Carrying this is a must!

I messed up the first attempt---tab too short, cats upside down, trimmed off too much, didn't need to double seam the side seams----well, take my word for it just wrong.  This was much better!  Hooray for Google for finding the inspiration for this one.  Love the trim and button idea.  Inspiration site:  http://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/2008/06/make-kleenex-holder.html

After supper,  I moved on to the Koin Keeper wallet.  I have not made one of these before so it was slow going but I like the end result.  Three card pockets on the left though that top one is blending in with the background fabric.  There is a zipped pocket for coins on the right plus those sections were sort of free floating so it forms a pocket behind them.  I would NOT try to top stitch those edges though---rough sledding though I had switched to my older Singer as it handles more layers better.  (Brother gets pissy about just 4 layers sometimes).

All closed up

My only gripe would be that they tell you to stop and start at an inopportune spot.   It made getting the seam allowances tucked back in a little more difficult.  My new best friend, Mr. Glue Stick, to the rescue till I could seam it.  I used that thing a lot on all this recent sewing, that and the Frixion pen.  

Which brings up to this morning----Wonder Wallet and sewing before I even had breakfast!  I have made quite a few of these in the recent past, like ones to match each of my Tagalong totes and the Carol's convertible.  Still, it is like a review each time.  I interface all the pieces but trim cut the folded sections at least 1/4 inch all around using the folded pocket measurement.  The pattern says just the cover piece and even then optionally.  It gives the pockets a bit more body.  Pam got me started on that

Interior, it lays flat, trust me!

Folded up, exterior   (I had to seam the fabric to get this squeezed out.)

Pam also got me started with adding a bit of elastic to what will be come the top flap.  With as much wear as these things get Velcro would wear out though I could add a pretty button or a flower if I want!  I might, I might not, LOL.

So there you have it----I am done with this little endeavor and ready to move into my summery purse.  I think I will take the rest of the day off some sewing, clean out the machines before I get ready for the next project, put away any fusibles and fabrics.  Most importantly, vacuum up the floor in here!  I have picked up the biggest messes and thread nests already as I worked.   I have cat who will eat string in a heartbeat!  

Next up, my projects for HO HO HO blog hop.  Carol our head cheerleader gave us a tenative schedule and I'm up on August 2nd.  That will be here before you know it!   THX for stopping by!