A Birthday Bag

I bought two charm packs of Lily Ashbury's new line called Tradewinds for a quilt.  The minute my daughter saw them she begged for me to repurpose them into tote bags.  The bright colors and bold patterns in this line are just like that....love at first sight that demands instant use!

The color scheme is a departure from my norm, but these brights are so much fun to work with.  I used a simple market tote pattern; very basic with straight line quilting, a boxed bottom, quilted handles, and a small pocket in the lining.

We found the bling at Joann's - two for one, no less - so I'm obligated to make the second tote.  :-)

This one was for my daughter to give to a friend on her 19th birthday.  The report was that she liked it a lot.  It makes me so happy when my kids and their friends appreciate the homemade stuff.  Now I have to make the second tote for my daughter.  Hers will have a paler color for the lining. I  have it all layed out on my sewing table....just need to get to work.

Then I also need to go buy two more charm packs so I can have them on hand for their originally intended purpose!  :-)

Mother's Day

Mother's Day broght a little crafting this year.  I made an ipad case for my Mom.

I put a quilted pocket on the front to hold her charger.

My favorite part.  :-)

I think I need to start adding tags to everything.

I didn't have a pattern for this...I just made it up based on a basic zipper pouch concept.

I also made a set of tissue covers.  One for each lady at our mother's day luncheon.

I followed the quick and easy tutorial from The Cottage Mama.

They were fun to make, and practical too!

Paired with a pack of pocket tissues, they made a fun and quirky gift, considering there are lots of spring sneezes this year in the south!  

Star Spangled Table Runner

There is a church around the corner from where we live that offers an amazing music program for children.  My son has participated in choir there for the past two years with several of his friends.  This week was their huge spring performance....a circus theme, and my son played a clown.

The woman who directs the youth choir is a talented, generous, patient soul who my son adores!  This week marked her 20th anniversary of working with the children at this church.

My son wanted to do something special for her to mark the occasion.  I've never even met the woman face to face, let alone knowing anything about her color schemes or decorating preferences.  In situations like that, I find that going seasonal is pretty safe.  I figure even if people aren't into "crafty" or "homemade", maybe they would display a seasonal item briefly each year?

So I decided to go summer-y with red, white, and blue.

I found this pattern for free online by doing a google search for quilted table runners.  (Sorry!  I can't seem to find the link again.)  The pattern called for only ten blocks, which was super small, so I added five more.  Honestly, I would have liked it to be even bigger, but I had a major time constraint.  So, this is more of a topper than a runner.  Maybe that will give her more options for places to put it?

I really like the play of color and design, both of which are on a very petite scale.

This is where I got a little greedy.  I purchased fat quarters for this project, and when it started coming together I really liked it.  

A lot.

So much so, that I abandoned my original plan of using my left overs for backing because I wanted to hoard the fabric and make a second topper for myself.  (blush)

Instead, I pulled this small print from my stash and simplified my design for the backing.

The verse Hannah chose for this project is Exodus 15:1

"I will sing to the Lord,

for He is highly exalted."

Perfect for a choir teacher, right?  ("C9" is her signature.)

We purchased a mason jar, some red marbles, a patriotic bow, and a bunch of carnations to include with the gift.  My son went out and gathered some greenery to add to the fullness of the bouquet.

It makes me really happy that my pre-teen considers something homemade to be a special way to honor someone he loves.  He thanked me many times for taking the time to do this for his teacher.  I hope he doesn't outgrow his appreciation for simple, homemade art!  :-)