Jennie's Threads

 I've had a few recent finishes - mostly smaller pieces and mostly not on my list to finish this year (because I've only just started them!) - lots and lots of pouches! Here's a round up... Three pouches I made for the kids for our holiday - all are the Seamingly Sane Pouch pattern, but I used the pattern add-on to adjust the sizes and customised with some straps and in one case, a pocket. These three pouches are made for our work Yubikeys when we travel to protect them - it's a slightly adjusted Aneela Hooey pattern - the peas are an inside joke! I knew I had pea fabric for a reason! A couple more Seamingly Sane pouches - the smaller one was a birthday present for my Dad, and the floral one was for me to protect my diary when I travel. Seven pouches made entirely from my scraps to hold EPP pieces pre sewing! This is the Peekapouch pattern by Sweet Cinnamon Roses. This is the Not So Little Zippy Pouch by Fabric and Flowers. The pattern is a bit of a challenge, but this ...

 Just a week after I posted my Fettle list and I've got a finish already! Monday was my birthday, and every year I take the day off to sew, sew and sew some more. And I like to have a finish on the day - either something I've been working on for a while, or something as a little birthday gift to myself. This year I managed both. First up, my present to myself! The Stash and Dash Pouch. This was a kit from Lovely Jubbly Fabrics that I bought last year - out of all the six kits I got (it was a subscription) this was the one I loved the most. It's made entirely from Tula Pink fabric, mostly Curiouser and Curiouser, and whilst this isn't my favourite range, these prints are just gorgeous! It's a By Annie pattern and they are really well written but tend to be a slightly different construction method to what I'm used to, so still a bit of a challenge! The interior is three mesh pockets and on the outside there is a vinyl slip pocket - I don't know what I'm go...

 The same weekend that I made the cushions for the kids, I also joined a workshop to make the Zip-Around pouch. It's a pattern I've made before by Bad Banana Patterns , but I didn't need much of an excuse to make it again and I picked up some excellent tips from Tori, who was leading the workshop (@Cloudtori). Basically, if Tori says hand-baste in place, hand-baste it, because it makes life easier and the results better! I decided two pouches is better than one! So I made a new pouch for my headphones. I make my ziparound pouches deeper than the pattern - for this one I cut each of my side strips 1.5" wide. In hindsight this is perhaps too deep as without any interfacing, they don't hold their shape - perhaps next time I'll add some interfacing? I love that 90s walkman print - perfect for a pouch for my headphones - it's from Lovely Jubbly fabrics, but I can't remember what it's called (It comes in two colourways too!). The pink is a Kona and the bl...

 I made another two pouches in the last couple of months. If you've ever come across the pouches designed by Aneela Hoey , you'll know how amazing they are, and as soon as she released the patterns for the Flip Pocket Folio and the Four Pocket Case they went on my list! The biggest struggle was deciding what fabric to use on the outsides. I started with the Flip Pocket Folio and decided to use a pattern by Berene Campbell (designer of the Hello friend block I used for a cushion and a pouch ) - I love the Stitch On banner pattern but to make it fit I had to shrink it to 50% - that made from pretty tiny piecing, but the pattern is so good that it went together beautifully! Lots of pink on the inside and this is the perfect pouch for all my hand sewing threads. Aneela's instructions are very clear and the vinyl sewing went without a hitch - though I can recommend  a teflon foot! For the second pouch, the Four Pocket Case , I used a mini charm pack of Tilda fabrics from The C...

It's a well known fact that Alison Glass designs the best fabrics - turns out she runs pretty good sew alongs too. Last year was the Trinket Sew Along and this year was the Mini Series sew along . I was a bit on the fence to start with... the cost of the patterns was a little high... but in the end I couldn't resist. There were nine patterns sewn over 9 weeks each made up of the tiniest foundation piecing. And in order to complete the sew along, all nine had to be made into finished objects - that was the challenge. I pieced four of the blocks using a rainbow of fabrics and a black background from speckled which has a copper fleck. These four became canvases for Joshua's bedroom wall. The flying geese were paired with the Love pattern from @quietplay, released earlier this year to raise money for those affected by the Australian bush fires. I made these into my first Retreat Pouch which was a gift for Linda. The crossed geese pattern was the block I struggled with the most...

Lockdown has proved to be a busy time for us: whilst my mother-in-law moved in and has been a huge support in home-schooling the girls and Joshua-wrangling, work hasn't let up - no furlough for me! I've worked on a few bigger projects during this time, but I have mostly been ddrawn to either hand-sewing on the sofa whilst watching Vera and Death in Paradise, or smaller projects for quick finishes. Pouches definitely tick that box! I've made a fair few retreat pouches - these are made using a free pattern by @emmalinebags and are slightly different from a regular zippy pouch because you create a channel just under the zip and add wire frames. And it totally transforms the pouch into something amazing. I've made two large and two small ones so far - here is one of the large ones - a foundation pieced pair of scissors on one side (pattern by @quietplay) and some lovely Tula Pink fabric on the back. And here's one of the smaller one - made with Liberty and hand quilted...

This year I spent my birthday money on a new lap top. And a new lap top obviously needs a new case! Doesn't it! Back in January our local quilt shop had a sale and I picked up a fabulous cactus and succulent fabric - with absolutely no plan in mind. And last year in an online fabric sale I picked up a larger cut of red spot fabric... well the two went together really well, so it was definitely meant to be. I made up the pattern as I went along. I knew I needed a small outside pocket for the power cable, and I wanted longish handles. I carefully measured the laptop so it would be a snug fit and I was all set. I used some heavy weight interfacing on the lining and it gives it a little more structure than just the wadding. I've experimented a bit recently with where in the structure to put the interfacing and attached to the lining seems to be quite successful! It came together very quickly and the laptop fits - just! Pretty pleased with this unplanned make!

Earlier in the year, I had some fabric custom-printed by a UK based company called Print Me Pretty. It was a bit of a risk as I had no idea what I was doing, but I ordered a metre each of two very special pages of text. First up was a page of the family marmalade recipe from my Mum's side. We're not sure if it's written by my Granny or my Great Granny, but it's the  family recipe - I have plans to try it out this coming January! I love the page - you can see all the splatter from countless marmalades over the years! I decided to use it to make a large Lola Pouch for my Mum for Christmas. On one side is this recipe fabric and on the other is a free motion embroidery of oranges and marmalade. I did a little free motion embroidery about 5 years ago, and then tried again at the Sewing Shindig retreat in September this year with the lovely Lesley (@mrs_moog). I had an image in my head and I really wasn't sure I could pull it off, but I have to say I'm pretty ...