Time to share YOUR Origami Bags!

Time to link up to your completed Origami Bags! Remember, you needed to complete only ONE bag to enter this month, not the entire six bag set. As an extra reward for those of you who were able to get more than one finished (way to go!), leave me a comment telling me how many bags you completed. You'll get an extra entry for up to six bags, so you'll have up to six entries to win this great clutch from Julie at Vibrant Designs!

I know some of you blogged more than once when you made additional bags, so feel free to link up to each blog post, and still share in the comments how many bags you made total. I'll make sure you get all your entries. We want to see all the bags you've made!

Entries will be open until midnight on Friday, April 8 and I will announce the winner Monday, April 11. This means you've got a full week extra to finish up your bags if you aren't done yet! That's right, even if you didn't complete your bags in March, you're still eligible to win (just like those who got their bags done early), so link up!

As always, if you are linking to a blog, please link up to the specific post, not your main page. That will make it easier to find later, when it's no longer your most recent post. If you are not blogging about your bag (which is perfectly okay!), please link up to your Flickr picture instead of a blog with no post about the bag.

Let's see those Origami Bags!

Until next time...

WIP Wednesday #7

Another week down!

Started: The camera strap slip cover, a nice, super-quick project I can definitely recommend. As hubby pointed out, "What's the point? What was wrong with the plain one?" I guess technically there isn't anything wrong with the plain one, except for the fact that it's plain. So why not? Besides, like I told him, it's me, when have I ever wanted something plain & ordinary? We frequently have this very same conversation about pretty much everything, including baby names. :)

In progress: Still working on the origami bags & postage stamp quilt.

I did get one block (I'm doing them 5x6 instead of 5x5) put together just to see how it looks & to show to hubby. I love it!

I've also been chain piecing my little heart out. Since I'm doing the blocks six strips wide instead of five, it's quick & easy to just sew everything in pairs to put together into blocks later. I've got a nice little pile going right now, but a lot still left to do. I think I figured out I've got about 256 strips to sew together, and I've done 40 pairs in addition to the one completed block.

This was taken before some marathon sewing last night, the pile is about twice the size now!

I'm also very happy to say that this quilt will, in fact, be for our little Goose. That's right - it's a boy!!! We couldn't be happier. :)

Completed: The camera strap slip cover. Seriously, under an hour to draw the pattern & sew the cover? That's exactly the kind of project I needed this week!

Finished up one of the three origami bags I'm working on. I'd really like to get the others finished up by the end of the month, but unfortunately I don't see that happening at this point! This one isn't perfect (I never can get the ends of the zipper to look nice when I make this sort of thing), but I'm happy with it. I just realized I really should have taken a picture of the other side of it, it's the prettier side.

Not a bad week, compared to the last few! Head over to Freshly Pieced to see what everybody else got done this week.

Until next time...

Origami Bag Set: Completed!

Alright, so technically I didn't get a full set completed. And to be fair, I wasn't even able to finish up the three bags I had hoped to make! But I'm really happy with the one bag I did get completed.

I always have issues with the zipper ends not looking nice when I make pouches like this. I've found I prefer to make the zipper just shorter than the opening & make nice ends rather than sew the zipper into the side seams.

There were a few comments in the Flickr group about some of you having difficulties making your gussets after sewing around the edges. I decided to sew the exterior pieces together & went ahead and made my gussets in that side before I sewed the lining pieces together. That way I had the full zipper opening to reach through to do the gussets, which I think was much easier than it would have been to reach through the opening in the lining. The lining side wasn't quite as difficult to reach through & do just because it was closer to the opening (and no need to reach all the way through the zipper) & because it wasn't interfaced. I did think it was odd that the instructions say to clip the seam allowance in the corners before doing the gussets. What's the point when you're just going to cut off the entire corner after sewing the gusset?!

Like many others, I didn't use home dec fabric & it turned out just fine. I did use a very light-weight muslin for my lining, so I used a light-weight interfacing to beef it up just a bit. It's not too bulky, and I think the muslin on it's own would have been too flimsy for the lining.

I really thought this would come together more quickly than it did. I'm sure the next two will be quicker, but it won't ever be a super quick go-to pattern for last minute gifts.

Remember to come back Thursday to link up to your Origami Bags!

Until next time...

Sis Boom Jamie Dress - A Sew Along

I'm excited about doing this dress sew along with Sara over at Sew Sweetness. The dress is just adorable, and looks like it'll be perfect for my ever-expanding belly this summer. Sara has even worked out a deal to get a discount on the pattern as well as fabric from SewLoveFabrics' Etsy shop! Head over to Sew Sweetness for all the details.

So my biggest problem isn't whether or not to sign up (of course I am!), but what fabric to use! So I need your input, I'm trying to decided between these two:

Mini Houndstooth by Free Spirit

or Bloom in Granite by Joel Dewberry

I know neither one really screams summer, but I'm perfectly okay with that. I was originally thinking about doing a solid grey, but I've decided some sort of a print will be best, and these are what I narrowed it down to. I was actually thinking about this woodgrain, but decided that might be a bit too out there. And also, I'm feeling lazy & don't want to have to worry too much about a directional print.

Woodgrain in Bark by Joel Dewberry

So, which do you like better?

Until next time...

Guest blogging over at Vibrant Designs

Gosh, I feel like I'm big time now! It's like Steve Martin in The Jerk, "The new phone books are here, the new phone books are here! I'm somebody!" :)

I'm guest blogging for Julie over at Vibrant Designs today, so make sure you go check it out. There's an exciting announcement about next month's Sew Along!

Oh, if you're looking at this in a reader, stop by the blog today. There's been a subtle, but important change that I'll tell you more about on Wednesday! ;)

Until next time...

Camera strap slip cover

Finally I'm getting around to crossing at least one thing off those project lists! Go figure it's from the most recent list, but it's still something.

I decided when I found this camera strap slip cover tutorial from Randomness by Petchy last week, I decided it would be a nice quick & easy project for this weekend. Since most of the stuff I work on lately doesn't give me the instant gratification of a quick project, this was just what I needed.

It took me less than an hour to draw the pattern, cut out my pieces, sew it all together & get it put on my camera. I think it might have been harder to figure out how to attach the strap to my camera (I just got a brand new camera, so it hadn't been attached before) than it was to make the cover!

I had planned to top stitch around the entire strap, but forgot to add the extra width when I was making my pattern piece. The little bit of the stitching you can see in the above photo is the opening to insert the strap. As it is, it fits perfectly on my strap, but just a little extra room might have been nice. Also, I left about a four inch opening & will probably make a smaller opening when/if I make another.

My openings for the ends ended up a little small & I was worried I wouldn't be able to get the strap through, but it turned out perfect.

The colors look a little off, but the olive in the strap almost perfectly matches the color of my camera.

I'm really not a big fan of using a strap on my camera on a regular basis, but for the times I do, I'll be happy to have this.

Until next time...

Projects (3)

You can find the previous lists here, but it's time for another installment!

I'm beginning to realize these lists are getting a little out of control & I don't think I've had a chance to make a single thing! At least I've got it all in one place so I can see how much I'm not getting done. And I'm not losing track of them like I was before I started this!

Duo Pocket Changing Pad Clutch from Vibrant Designs

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix from Daily Candy (yes, not a typical project I share, but something I didn't want to lose & thought everybody might enjoy!)

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix from From Glitter to Gumdrops

Crochet Hook Clutch from Little Birdie Secrets

Faux Piped Quilt Binding from TLC Stitches

Diaper Clutch from A Lemon Squeezy Home

Two-Tier Circle Skirt from Bugaboo, Mini, Mr. & Me (the original Circle Skirt from Made was on list #1)

Plastic Cup Washer Necklace from Dollar Store Crafts

Tiny Kitten in a Box from Obsessively Stitching

Nook/Kindle Case from Little Birdie Secrets

Car Seat Cover from Make It & Love It

Machine Piecing Hexagons from Little Bluebell (video from Lady Havartine)

Wasp Bag from Machen/Machen

Birdie Blocks from Little Miss Shabby (#1, #2, #3, #4, #5...)

Ice Cream Cozy from Rag.a.BaeBe

Camera Strap Slip Cover from Randomness by Petchy (Completed!)

Raspberry Crochet Hat from Little Birdie Secrets

Grandmother's Flower Garden from House of A La Mode

Until next time...

WIP Wednesday #6

Another weekly link up over at Freshly Pieced, go check out what everybody else got done this week!

Started: Nothing new, that I can think of. For some reason it almost seems like there was something over the weekend, but my brain is pretty much mush lately. I'll go with nothing. :)

In progress: Minor progress on one of the three Origami Bags. At this point I think I'll be happy to get one done by the end of the month, but hopefully after completing the first one the rest will be smooth sailing. I've run into a bit of a snag (silly me & skimming instructions instead of just reading...), but hopefully I won't make the same mistake twice.

Nothing new on the Postage Stamp quilt, other than trying my best not to knock all my pieces off my cutting mat. So far I've only knocked one row off, but I'm surprised I haven't tripped over it & sent them all flying. I just realized I'm going to have to get some major progress done on it, or find someplace else to put them before I'll be able to cut pieces for anything else. Well, anything else big at least, I do have another smaller mat, but I'm not a fan of it.

Maybe I can take a break from the Origami Bags this weekend & get a block or two sewn together.

Completed: Convinced hubby we should find out what we're having. Biggest accomplishment of the week! :) By this time next week I should know if this postage stamp quilt will be appropriate, or if I'll be making a more feminine version. I can't wait!

Until next time...

Interested in joining an I-Spy swap?

If you're interested in joining an I-spy swap, head over to Hendrixville to sign up! Spots are limited to the first 38, so hurry if you're considering it.

Until next time...

ATW: "It's still up in the air"

I'm a little late to the party, as usual (always late, but worth the wait?), but finally linking up to Kimberly's new party over at Bugaboo Mini Mr & Me - A Thousand Words.

This week's theme is "It's still up in the air."

My original plan was to take a picture of a nice, pink, girly fabric along side something blue & boyish to explain how we're still not sure ("it's still up in the air") about whether or not we'll be finding out the sex of the baby. Looking through my fabric tonight, I don't have anything blue & boyish! Short of the fabric for the postage stamp quilt, this was as close as I could get.

I'm also happy to report that the only thing still up in the air is if this is a boy or a girl, but we will be finding out (if Goose cooperates, of course!) next Monday! That's right, in less than a week, I should know if I'm going to have a little son or daughter. Sigh... :)

Make sure you head over & check out the rest of the entries & think about linking up your snapshot next week for the theme "A penny saved is a penny earned."

Until next time...

Origami Bag Set: Inspiration

I'm a little behind again this month, with the nice weather we're getting it's hard to spend time inside on such beautiful days!

As usual, there's some great inspiration out there if you're still working on your bags!

I like the black & white with a splash of color on this full set from c_bernard6.

Another beautiful full set from sarahbethe.

This is such a fun spring set from wildwags.

I really love the colors & these little birds on this bag from Sarah at Fairy Face Designs.

The crazy bunnies on these ones from KraftyKraut just crack me up!

And another set from KraftyKraut, minus the bunnies (so they're not quite as great, in my opinion. :) )

The Ruby Star Rising fabrics on this one from Nellie's Niceties are some of my favorite fabrics.

This set from Venus de Hilo is so bright & beautiful!

It seems appropriate that Sara from Sew Sweetness used this fantastic Amy Butler fabric for her bags!

Remember, you only need to complete ONE bag this month to be entered to win this great clutch from Julie at Vibrant Designs.

There have been a few questions about the pattern, I'll address those in a separate post. Remember, you can always ask questions in the Flickr Group, everybody there is great about sharing what has worked for them!

Also, keep in mind that if you don't have an e-mail associated with your profile, I can't e-mail you back to respond to your questions! Head over to Pleasant Home for great instructions to check and update your settings if you're a no-reply blogger!

Until next week...

TWT - 18 weeks

Just sneaking this one in today!

And thank goodness I've still got feet. :)

Until next time...

WIP #5 - update

I usually write my WIP posts earlier in the week & update them Tuesday night so they're all ready to go Wednesday morning. It's easier to keep track of everything (HA! Like it's a lot...) if I think of it a few days in advance and do any last minute updating. Typically I don't have anything to add since I do most of my sewing on the weekends. Go figure that this week, when I actually have something to update, the WiFi settings on my netbook would get all wonked & the internet wouldn't work.

Hubby is playing basketball on Tuesday nights, and even though I could have crawled into bed when I got home from work yesterday, I decided to go ahead & get a little more work done. I had planned to work on the Origami Bags, but opted against it & decided sitting & cutting while watching TV was a better choice. And a good choice it was!

I've got all the strips cut! Everything is cut & now I'm ready to sew it all back together. Does it seem silly to sew it together, cut it apart, then sew it together again? I suppose it's better that cutting a ton of little tiny squares to sew together separately.

I'm so excited to start piecing together the blocks for this & am considering how I want to quilt it. I'm leaning towards hand quilting after seeing this fantastic one over at OCD:Obsessive Crafting Disorder. I love that! I'm also digging how she pieced the back. It's all fantastic. I think I've got some time before I get to that point, so we'll see.

So overall, more progress than I expected this week!

Until next time...

WIP Wednesday #5

The weeks seem like they're flying by lately, it's funny how that always happens this time of year. Winter drags by, but as soon as it starts getting nicer outside, there aren't enough hours in the day, or days in the week! Add in the fact that I'm counting every single week (18!), and things are going even faster than normal.

Started: Nothing new. Honestly, I probably won't start anything new until April, unless I decide to join in on the Supernova Quilt Along at Freshly Pieced. I haven't decided yet since I've got limited time. I am thinking that if we find out Goose is a girl, or don't find out at all, maybe I'll make that instead of another postage stamp quilt. We'll see.

In Progress: Still working on this month's Origami Bags for the Sew Along. I'm beginning to feel like a broken record week after week, but it's hard when I don't typically have many projects in the works at once. I still have a few weeks to finish these up, and while I hope I won't leave them until the last minute, I certainly won't be surprised if I do.

Made some good progress on the Postage Stamp quilt this weekend! I got over half the strips cut into pieces, and seeing them laid out makes me excited to work on it even more. It makes working on the Origami Bags even harder, although after cutting for an hour or two my poor hand needed a break from holding the ruler down.

I've got six sets left to cut, then it'll be time to start sewing them all back together.

**Go check out the update on my Postage Stamp quilt!**

Completed: Nada. It's hard to finish stuff when I don't start anything new & don't have much in progress.

Until next time...

WIP Wednesday #4

Started this week: Getting fatter. :)

16 weeks

In progress: I actually got some work done on the Postage Stamp quilt this weekend!!! Woo-hoo! Seriously, I feel like I should throw a party. I got 6 more strip sets sewn together, so I only have 5 left before I get to start ironing seams & cutting them apart. I'm just excited to finally be making some progress & to be close to the next step. In three weeks we make the decision that will determine if I get to make another of these - if we find out & it's a girl or if we don't find out at all, I'll be making a girly version.

Obviously I still have quite a bit of work left on it, but I'm excited to finally see the strips laid out like this & see how it's really going to look. I'll lay it out better when I'm putting it together so all the same colors & patterns aren't together.

Unfortunately getting work done on the quilt means no work got done on the Origami Bags. I think it's a fair trade-off. I do need to get working on them though so I'm not crunched for time at the end of the month.

Completed: Not a darn thing. But with so few items in the works, I suppose that's okay.

Until next time...

February Winner!

Time to announce the winner for the February giveaway!

Number 3 (and I swear I did a new Random pick, it just happened to pick the same number from the same total as last month. Weird!) is from Mandy at SugarBee Craft Edition!

I really love the added detail of the ruffle on the pocket of this bag. Mandy also made a really cute smaller edition, so head over & check it out!

Mandy, please send me an e-mail so I can send you your fabric!

Until next time...

March giveaway from Vibrant Designs

I can't even tell you how excited I am for this month's giveaway & I'm already wishing I were eligible to win!

As I mentioned earlier this week, this month's giveaway is sponsored by Julie at Vibrant Designs. Julie has made a great Keyka Lou pocket clutch for this month's winner.

I am just loving this black, white, & pink combo! The inside is split into two pockets.

Julie's new pattern for the Heidi bag is now available in her Etsy shop, and she has new patterns on the way too. Julie's patterns instructions are great - lots of pictures and great easy-to-follow steps.

Her Etsy shop also has a great selection of finished bags (handbags, shoulder bags, and clutches), jewelry, and other accessories.

If you haven't already, start thinking about what fabrics you'd like to use for your Origami Bag (or bags, but you'll only need to make one to be eligible to win), and start cutting. Cutting & fusing should take even less time this month than the previous two - a welcome change! :)

Until next time...

(If you are interested in donating a handmade item, fabric, or other item to sponsor a giveaway month, please let me know. I still have a few months open.)