Fall Swapies

I just finished teaching a Photoshop workshop and thought I’d tell you about my recent crafty endeavors before I run some errands. Lately I’ve been working on projects for my Fall Swap partner. She loves the outdoors and goes hiking a lot so I used this tute to make her an insulated water bottle carrier:

This project was fun and included some techniques I’d never tried before, like making French seams. Because of the insulation, the layers were a bit bulky, which made things harder for a novice like me. I especially had a difficult time sewing the bottom, which instead of being a neat circle, turned out to be a wonky parallelogram. I couldn’t find any twill tape I liked so I just used matching grosgrain ribbon and embellished it with a pretty, leafy stitch. I accidentally sewed the handle’s ends to the outside of the carrier but ended up liking the way it looked. All told it was a great project and I learned a lot.

I used this tute to make a cutie boxy pumpkin pouch:

This project was fun and relatively simple. It would make a quick and easy stocking stuffer. I really love the shape of the pouch and it’s always good for me to practice sewing zippers in because it can be tricky.

I was quite pleased with how my outgoing swap package turned out and I LOVED the swap package I received. I got the best stuff – pretty fabric, ribbon, and buttons, neat stickers, an embroidered towel, a yummy-smelling candle, and a lovely little leaf dish. I may try to find a Christmas swap to sign up for. I mentioned a Secret Santa swap before but only a few of you were interested in participating. Any others who’d like to join? The more the merrier!

Ooo, I forgot to mention the pillows I made for Lean’s birthday:

Isn’t the fabric pretty? I found it on clearance for a steal and thought it would match perfectly with Leaner’s decor. I followed a great tute to make envelope-style pillow cases that fit snugly around pillow forms. They’re nice because anytime they get dirty, you can just slip ’em off and pop ’em in the washer.

I also made a fun exploding card dealie for Lean. It’s a sweet little box that looks like this when opened:

Next I’m working on a top-secret birthday present, some holiday goodies, and an adorable purse. Stay tuned!