Closet Flashback: A Melange of Houndstooth

A few years ago I bought several yards of this vintage houndstooth fabric that I found stashed in the back of a retro furniture store in Austin on S. Congress. I didn't have the guts to cut big pieces out of it at first so I went on a tiny bag rampage and made this matching set. I realize now that when you start to look at all that houndstooth print together it begins to feel a lot like an optical illusion. If necessary, look away and blink a few times in between pictures! 

Anyway, these are all easy, quick projects that require very little time or materials.

   

This is the gathered clutch by Noodlehead and you can get the tutorial for free HERE.

This is the lil cutie pouch by Noodlehead which you can get the tutorial for HERE. 

Last but not least, is this Buttercup bag that I made using the Made by Rae pattern HERE.

This is just a close up of the cool vintage-looking button that I found and the little pleat details that give this bag it's shape.

This may have been the first button I ever covered. I was so proud of myself!

I used different colored zippers just for fun.  If you fear the zip, these projects are a great, low pressure, way to familiarize yourself with installing them.

I probably made these 2 or more years ago and just recently unearthed them at the bottom of another bag. I find that extra pouches/purses/bags become like nesting dolls and never seem to end when you start digging!  

Buttercup Bag: Chicken Edition

This bag was made from the Made By Rae Buttercup Bag pattern (which is free!). A few weeks ago, Mom and I went to an AWESOME fabric store in Lancaster County. It is called Obi's General Store, and the place is stacked to the ceiling (literally) with fabric. It is really quite overwhelming, and I know that despite our time spent there, I probably only saw a fraction of the fabric they had. While there, I bought several pieces of fabric, including this chicken print. Now that I have chickens (!!), I should have something with chicken fabric, right?! I figured I would make myself a cute apron, but plans changed and I made a purse instead. This purse is super-easy to sew up. I added rick-rack for a little punch, and also because I can't find my red piping. No doubt it is off somewhere being used by my children to rig up a squirrel trap or something. I left out the small interior pocket, and added a divider instead. The buttons are from my Grandma Heppner's stash.

Birthday Sewing

I love having a cutie little niece to sew things for. Her birthday is coming up and I wanted to make her something as spunky, bright and fun as she is. I used a Valerie Wells design fabric that is a paisley print with birds and flowers, a pink vintage button and some ivory colored piping. The bag is the buttercup bag which I've also made here and here. I also used the tutorial for the L'il Cutie Pouch to make a matching coin purse which I also made here and here. I really like how the set turned out and I am amazed at what you can make out of a fat quarter!

Reunited and it feels so good

I was reunited with my sewing machine this week. Hallelujah! We've been working on the house and I had to put my sewing machine in a safe spot for a while. I was having withdrawals and needed something I could finish in one sitting. I used this tutorial to make a little diaper bag for church. The pattern is actually for a lunch bag, but the size is perfect. It will hold a full size package of wipes, a few diapers, a sippy cup and extras if needed. In keeping with my usual M.O., I used unconventional materials to complete it. The exterior of the bag is made from some spare quilt squares I had made several years ago. The pieces I had ended up being the perfect size and I hardly had to cut any off. The handles are made from some woven webbing (??) that came as part of the packaging on a gift. See, there are supplies wherever you look! :) And the best part? The secret to getting the bag is not some fancy-schmancy interfacing, but the foam cushioning used underneath laminate flooring. I can't take the credit for the idea; Rachel thought of it and I figured I might as well try it out too.

Quick Date Bag

My husband decided to take me on a fancy date last night and I realized that I didn't have a bag to match my dress. I dove into my trusty stash and found just enough scraps of fabric and piping to crank this out just in time! I used the trusty buttercup bag pattern that you can get for free from Made By Rae here. I used fusible fleece and lined the bag with a green, leafy print.