Are you feeling stressed or sad or do you know someone who is? Try sewing up a sweet Kitty. Her whole purpose is to hang around and brighten your day.
Hang In There Kitty pattern
Hang In There Kitty is a new pattern from Nancy Ota. Kitty makes a purrrrfect addition to any room. This cute fabric kitty makes a sweet and thoughtful gift to cheer up a friend or brighten your own space.
Click here to read more about the Hang In There Kitty pattern.
I enjoyed a fun evening of sewing into the wee hours yesterday.  I made this cool vinyl mesh tote bag from the Nancy Ota Tote It pattern.
My new Tote It bag!
My vinyl mesh wasn’t quite as wide as the dimensions provided in the pattern, so I “fudged” it and just adjusted spacing and placement so everything still lined up evenly. Even though my bag width is a little smaller than the pattern specifies, I find it still offers plenty of room for all my goodies and it is comfortable to carry. The 6 exterior pockets are FABULOUS.
I used cotton webbing for the straps on this bag. I could have chosen nylon webbing, but I prefer the softer feel of cotton webbing in my hands. I gotta say, NOT having to make straps certainly sped up the process and I LOVE how they look and feel on this casual tote.
This bag just exudes an energetic summery feel. She is SEW bright and cheerful. I love how she turned out and I’m looking forward to taking her on shopping trips…or to the pool.
This is a great gift making idea–just customize the fabrics to suit the recipient. To make it extra special, you might even fill it with goodies suited to the occasions such as: vacation, baby, animal/pet stuff bag, sport, even a tail-gating tote. The sky is the limit–just use your imagination.
I enjoyed sewing my chili Tote It bag so much I’m planning to make another one tomorrow.
Nancy Ota offers several other mesh bag patterns. Click here to check out the selection.
I’m continuing to make progress with the writing, testing & editing of this soon-to be new bag pattern. It’s on track to be released within the next 7 – 10 days, give or take.
Make sure you are signed up to receive the free SewThankful eNews if you want to receive an announcement when the pattern is ready. It will be provided as a free project for a limited period of time.
Here’s the most recent variation. This bag makes a bold statement and it’s a great way to use up some of the more narrow pieces of vinyl mesh that may be left over from other projects:
2-color Swim~Shower~Stuff Vinyl Mesh Bag
Finished bag – approximate measurements:
Top width – 14″Â // Height – 16″Â //Â Boxed Bottom – 10″ wide x 4″ deep
Sew Thankful stocks the vinyl mesh used to make this bag (and the fabulous Nancy Ota bag patterns).
I’ve been so busy with new products, running the business and family that I haven’t had any real sewing time for quite a while. So, last week I put myself on the calendar. I made an appointment for me to sew on Sunday. Sounds silly? Yes, maybe it does…BUT…it worked!
I picked a small project pattern, marked out a block of time here’s what I’ve got to show for it: FOUR fantastic new checkbook covers made using the LazyGirl Checkbook Cover pattern – I made two of the top (blue) checkbook covers.
Click images below to open larger image in a new window.
LazyGirl Checkbook Cover #1 & #2 - Blue
LazyGirl Checkbook Cover #3 - Tan
LazyGirl Checkbook Cover #4 - Purple
This pattern offers two options:
I decided I was feeling “really” Lazy so I went for the plain fabric cover version on all 4.
First things first…my own personal rule #1 is ONLY SEW ONE! Having learned from expensive and painful mistakes in the past, whenever I sew any “new-to-me” pattern–no matter how simple it looks–I will only allow myself to sew ONE the first time I sew it. This rule may sound boring, slow and restrictive but it actually allows me the opportunity to concentrate on the pattern more closely and *if* I make a mistake or if I mis-read or mis-interpret a pattern, I will have that issue with ONE. Additionally, while sewing the first one, I may decide that I want to change the pattern just a bit to be more customized to my needs or style. Sewing only one (of whatever it is) allows me the opportunity to evaluate and make better decisions. The first one is the investment that pays off with big rewards for all that come after!
Now for my review of the pattern… The LazyGirl Checkbook Cover pattern is a super SWEET and easy pattern for a making fabulous looking fabric checkbook cover.
LazyGirl Checkbook Cover pattern
Seriously, the hardest part for me was deciding which fabrics to use.   Since the finished checkbook cover is NOT quilted–and especially if you choose the plain fabric version–it goes together SUPER fast. My first one took under an hour. After that, I was able to sew the 3 others in under an hour. The pieced version would take just a wee bit more time, but certainly would not be difficult as long as you follow Joan’s instructions.
TIP: Always read through the complete pattern before cutting any materials. If you’ve never used a LazyGirl pattern before, you’re in for a treat. Designer, Joan Hawley writes excellent instruction, but you need to be certain you are setting aside your own projections or ideas of how you think the pattern should go together and simply follow exactly what Joan says to do. If you follow her instructions and picture guides, you will end up with a nicely finished product.
Did I make any changes? I loved how my first checkbook cover turned out, but it felt a little too squishy to me. This is a personal preference thing, not anything “visible”. I decided that I wanted to add a little more firmness on the others so I did make one small change. I fused a piece of decor bond to my cover fabric and proceeded with all the remaining instructions as listed.  I thought I might have more difficulty “turning” the project, but by carefully clipping my corners and grading the seams it worked very nicely.
Want to see the insides?
Inside the blue checkbook cover.
Inside the tan checkbook cover.
Inside the purple checkbook cover.
If you’re looking for a checkbook pattern so you can accessorize with your favorite purses or handbag–or if you want to make a slew of gifts to give to friends this year (idea: use novelty fabrics that match your friend’s personality or style)–consider the LazyGirl Checkbook Cover pattern. It’s fast, easy and produces a very nice finished product.
Fabric Yo-Yo Key Chains are sew easy and stylish you’ll want to make one to match each of your handbags. A fast, functional and easy-to-make purse accessory!
Scroll down for the link to the FREE pdf project.
This Fabric Yo-Yo Key Chain project instructions and images are protected by copyright law. ©Tracy Chapman & Sew Thankful Inc. September 2008. All Rights Reserved.  SAVE on threads, patterns & more!
Click the thumbnails below to view larger images in a pop-up window.
Click here for the project instructions which are provided in PDF form.
*NOTE: These FREE project instructions require a RECENT version of Adobe Acrobat Reader available for FREE from adobe.com. If you are not able to open, read or view the file, your version of Acrobat Reader is not recent enough. Sorry, SewThankful is not able to provide technical assistance for Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you are unwilling or unable to update your version, please consider asking a friend to print the file for you or try at a public library.
