A perfect pre-holiday pouch

Before I went away I had what seemed like an ever growing list of things I wanted to do before I went, which at times got revised down so it was shorter, and then again to include just the essentials. But one of the things that stayed on the list was completing my new pouch, and spoiler I did it - I was thankful that there was a sewing group morning the day before we travelled so if I needed to I could devote those three hours to finishing it. I didn’t need the three hours in the end, but I did finish it the day before I went. Phew.

This pouch was in the Day 14 box of my Advent Calendar last year, and after moving a pile of projects in my craft room I rediscovered it, so I thought why not get it done.

The instructions were good, but I hit a small stumbling point early on. The kit was supposed to have four pieces of fabric, but I had only three - I knew this when I opened it in December, and well let’s be honest, I knew I’d have some fabric that I could substitute for the missing piece.

What I didn’t realise until my focus was on making this pouch was that I’d pulled a piece from my stash that worked, and used that earlier in the year to practice some quilting on with one of the variegated cottons I’d bought.

It was perfect, and just what I wanted - although it was about an inch smaller than the other pieces. Problem solved, my pouch would be an inch smaller. And so I followed the instructions (which were clearly written) and all was well until I got to the line which said: ‘quilt as desired’.

In my head that turned out to be hand quilt this with tiny chain stitches in three different coloured cottons, and follow the wavy design. I shared this picture in my This May post, so you’ll be pleased to know that progress happened, and the pouch actually got made!

And yes, I then did decide to hand embellish the substitute side as well, clearly I’m a glutton for punishment.

But they do look good!

The kit also came with a navy zip, but as you can see I opted for an orange one from my stash instead, I think it helps tie both sides together - and it’s far more interesting than navy!

It’s the first time I’ve added a tag on the side, and that worked well - the fabric is fussy cut from remnants from the lining fabric. I even added a custom sized internal pocket with three individual spaces to hold smaller items, which were just the size I needed them to be.

I’m really pleased with how this new-shape-to-me-pouch worked out, and I can see that I’ll be making some more. I love the finish the zip tabs give the pouch, and the boxy bottom means it stands up too.

So that’s another pouch to my repertoire, and a pretty and practical one at that.

Putting mum's embroidery to use

I have finally finished both of these project bags where I’ve used some hand embroidery sewn by my mum. It’s taken a while to finish the larger of the two, and for no other reason than I’d not got around to it. When I was helping mum to relocate her sewing room she found some embroideries that she’d completed most likely in the 1990s as part of a magazine series, which she no longer wanted. Some went to the charity shop, and I brought a couple home with me always intending to adapt them into a project bag, and that’s what I did.

Delving into my stash I found the perfect fabrics to use. The smaller of the two (which is still approximately A4 size) makes use of some tiny bobble trim I felt particularly drawn to and some pink fabric which I think also came from mum. The lining is tiny rosebuds, and that was definitely from one of her old dresses - the turquoise paisley material is one I’d bought a while back and it just felt right to use for this.

The larger orange and purple one, which just about fits into one of the cubby holes in my Kallax unit, uses more from my stash. The orange and lilac wave fabric came as part of a set - and I’m not sure if you can see it but the text on the wave says ‘a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor’ and while mum’s not a sailor, I’m sure it’s something she’d agree with. Bizarrely the material reminds me of a dress she once had, but in actual fact it’s nothing like the actual dress - I remember the dress having swirls, though I suspect they were more likely paisley shapes, and the dress was a pale blue/lilac, so I’ve no idea why this material prompted that memory!!

They’ve turned out brilliantly and I’ve adapted my usual go to pouch pattern, and although they are larger and don’t have a vinyl front they use the same principle and construction with a tweak or two along the way, but the pouch is just a small part of it, mum’s embroidery is so much more.

Aren’t they great? And isn’t the embroidery just fab?

A crochet bag for crochet

When I started going to my ‘crochet in the pub’ group I wasn’t sure how it’d go, or if I’d go back and so I wanted to take something relatively easy to do so that I could enjoy the group rather than have my head stuck in a pattern.

And so I chose some granny squares with some wool that I’d bought as part of a kit but which I didn’t really get on with.

I didn’t really have much of an idea what I’d do with them to start with, but as the weeks went by and my granny square numbers increased a plan formed - I’d make them into a bag for crochet projects, as a crocheted bag seemed a preferable option to one of the ubiquitous tote bags I was currently using.

So that’s what I did. I reckoned I’d need eight squares to cover the bag. Recently I reached that marker and joined my squares together, which could only mean one thing.

…It was time to sew in the ends!

Sewing in ends isn’t my favourite crochet task - yes I’m still sewing in ends to a blanket which was my lockdown project - but remarkably I had them sewn in in a few days, so the bag assembly could start.

Laying my assembled blocks alongside the bag I realised I could do with a bit more length so crocheted three stripey rounds at the top. And then turning the tote bag inside out - I’d decided that I might as well enjoy the patterned inside (formerly outside) of the tote - I put them together and using a dark thread attached them along the sides. Now this isn’t my neatest sewing attempt, but that’s ok - it’s functional!

I still wasn’t happy with the top though, that was until I added a row of single crochet to the top in the cream - to me it gives it the perfect finish. I was much more careful sewing the cream edging to the top of the bag, and it worked out really well.

Now I have a crochet bag for crochet! But I do need to find myself a new project to take along this week…