Edelweiss backpack pattern testing...

The sweet Sara over at Sew Sweetness sent me one of her new patterns to test - the Edelweiss Backpack.  My youngest daughter's backpack was looking a little tired, and I had some fabrics sitting on my shelf just waiting for a project for her.

This was a pretty quick sew, and the instructions were fantastic.  I love how simple it was to put in the zipper, and the outer pockets were a great way to show off some cute coordinating fabrics.

I went a little young and fun with my fabric choices, but this is a great size bag for any age, and the small outer pockets would fit cell phones and keys nicely.

sneak peek...

We're in the middle of Spring Break over here - so far we've made trips to the park and the library, visited with friends, had eye appointments, and spend a morning at the pool. I've only had a bit of sewing time, but this is something I've been working on... a tutorial for a divided bag.

This bag is just my sample, and I need to tweak a couple measurements.  It's a quick sew and uses five fat quarters. It could be used as a project bag, or I plan to make one for myself to take to the gym (it fits my runners nicely in one half).


The tutorial will be posted here and on the Sew Sisters blog (along with a giveaway) the second week of April. I'll be using a set of Kona solids from their Kona Club.

Mystic Forest duffel bag...

My oldest daughter turns 11 today! And for part of her birthday gift, I sewed up a duffel bag for her.  She will be using this for some upcoming overnight trips, but I wouldn't be surprised if she also starts using it as a school bag.

The outer fabric is one of Fabri-Quilt's pre-quilted fabrics - they have a huge selection of prints to choose from. The fabric line is called Mystic Forest, and the coordinating purple print is from the same line.  My daughter actually picked out these fabrics some time ago, but they been forgotten about and re-discovered when I moved everything to my new craft room recently.

The pattern I used is from the Sew Serendipity Bags book by Kay Whitt.  The only change I made was adding an adjustable cross-body strap to the bag, and shortening the smaller straps. I think it looks more like a duffel this way, and less like a diaper bag.  I also stitched her name, 'Elayna' to the outside of one of the outer pockets.

Tonight we're celebrating with her favorites - chinese food for dinner, and ice cream for dessert. Looking forward to it since they're my favorites too :)

little aprons...

Here are a couple aprons done up for some birthday girls lately, one of my 'stand by' quick birthday gifts. One for a sweet little niece...

And another one for a daughter's friend (and a second one is being made for my birthday girl next week).  I had to make some adjustments to my pattern to make it larger, seeing as my oldest 'baby' is turning 11! 

Hopscotch Baby Outifts...

Last week, I sewed up a couple outfits using the Hopscotch pattern from the Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop.  And I may be biased, but these outfits turned out adorable - makes we wish I'd had more time for sewing when my girls were little.

There's a double baby shower this week, so I sewed up two in the tunic length, and paired them with some diaper covers.  This pattern is a quick sew with lots of sweet details. The only change I made to the pattern was lengthening the strip on the bodice and gathering it.

The fabrics were all in my stash - the blue fabrics are from Riley Blake's Sugar & Spice, and the orange fabrics are from Patty Young's Luscious.  And I put my snap press to use with the heart snaps on the backs of the tops.

Thank-you to Peek-a-Boo Patterns for providing me with this pattern to review - it's one I would definitely make again!

self care sewing...

A couple projects were done for myself this week. A purple chevron cosmetic bag...

and a cover for my Kitchen Aid made with some home dec fabrics...

quilt retreat sponsors...

Our 6th annual quilt retreat is coming up!  Each year, we get together with a large group of ladies for uninterrupted sewing and quilting, eating yummy food, and being inspired by each other's work.  This year, we have two amazing sponsors for door prizes for the event, Pink Chalk Fabrics and the Fat Quarter Shop.

Pink Chalk Fabrics sent us a beautiful little bundle of fabrics and a $25 gift certificate to their shop.  Their shop has a great selection of modern prints and patterns, as well as lots of organic and home dec fabrics.

The Fat Quarter Shop sent us some fantastic modern sewing and quilting books, and a charm pack of fabric.  Their shop is where you'll find all the newest fabric lines, exclusive quilt kits, BOM's, and quilt clubs.

So I'd like to extend a HUGE THANK-YOU to these generous sponsors!  Door prizes always add some fun to an event, and I'm looking forward to seeing some of my fellow quilting friends get these great prizes!