Friday, June 1, 2012

Wrapping up the May project list


At the beginning of May, Amanda Jean from Crazy Mom Quilts set up an informal Small Project Sew Along for the month.  I created an overly ambitious list but I am pleased at how much I managed to accomplish.  

Original list: 22 items
Complete: 16 items
In Progress: 2 items
Deferred: 4 items


Here are photos of my 2 most recent items.  A full list of projects (with links to the completed ones) is at the bottom of this post.


These are tote bags for my daughters' teachers as year-end gifts.  Only 4 more days of school after today!  One is thrilled, one is heartbroken.  Yup - Night and Day - those are my girls!


I love, love, love how this bag came out.  I think I might have just enough fabric to eek out one just like it for me.  I made the pattern myself, based on some tutorials I've seen and some previous bags I've made.  This time I actually wrote it down so I won't have to make it up all over again next time!


A little dark (too dreary to take outdoor pics today) but the lining coordinates with one of the outer bag stripes and the same fabric is used on one side of the handles.

I wish I could say I was as happy with this one, but I'm not.  I don't like the stripes with the flowers but hey -- my daughter likes it and it's for HER teacher, so I'm trying to let it go and not re-do this one over the weekend.








Lining on this one is yellow.  There are pockets on both insides of the bag.



I also snuck in a few things that weren't on the list, like sprucing up my daughters' puppet theater and this little zippered pouch that I made from a Moda Bake Shop tutorial


I really liked having this list and crossing things off throughout the month.  I am definitely going to make myself more lists (all in one place) rather than trying to remember what projects I have started, need to get done by a certain date or just wish I could find time to try.

16 of 22 items are complete!!
1. Complete H2H quilt - link here
2. Complete Laura's quilt - link here
3. Make pillow to match Laura's quilt - link here
5. Make 3 small memory (t-shirt) wall hangings link here
6. Make 3 small memory (t-shirt) Mickey pillows - link here
7. Make a green mug rug in time for Mother's Day - link here
9. Finish April Seasonal Skinny - link here
10. Complete 2 ladybug Seasonal Skinnies for May - link here
12. Make a portable sewing kit / bag / holder / something-or-other - link here
13. Start (and finish) embroidery for "The Forever Project" - link here
14. Complete "Om" block for "The Forever Project" - link here
15. Make or find a simple pattern for a tote / beach bag - DONE! (used to make 16 & 17)
16. Make a year-end gift for my kindergartener's teacher -  DONE! (photos above)
17. Make a year-end gift for my 3rd grader's teacher - DONE! (photos above)
18. Make a birthday gift for kindergartener's BFF - link here
19. Make a "surprise" for my 11 running partners + myself - link here


2 items in progress:
4. Finish quilt for Sujay - The flimsy for this quilt was complete back in April, but it took me all month to get it sandwiched and quilted.  It still needs a binding.  I was going to show it here, but Sujay deserves his own post, so I'll wait until it's 100% complete before I share it.

21. Update my running scrapbook (no sewing involved!) - I printed all the pictures I needed and organized all the things I want to add for each race / event.  I am not very creative when it comes to scrapbooking, though.  I'm actually hoping the Scrapbook Elf will visit my house one night and turn my piles into pretty pages for me!


4 items deferred:
8. Make a pink mug rug just because I want to - Didn't start this one.  I'm waiting for inspiration to hit.

11. Cut fabric for summer hexie project - I tried some hexies this month and I love them!  I've seen so many beautiful hexie projects on other blogs that now I'm not sure what I want to do with mine.  I'm going to give this some more thought before I start cutting up fabric.

20. Make an Unruly letters pillow for Kim - I have a pile of blue scraps ready to go, but haven't started it yet.

22. Figure out a plan of attack for the "Unless" quilt - My original plan was (is?) to make an Unruly letters quilt which has this quote on it, from The Lorax by Dr. Seuss: "Unless.... someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It's not." I love this quote and try to live by it, but I'm not sure if I want to make it into a quilt.  This one is going back on the "someday" list.


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Linking up with: 

Confessions of a Fabric Addict for "Whoop Whoop Friday"
Sew Many Ways for "Find a Friend Friday"
Pieceful Life for "Show Off Friday" 
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~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~


Thanks for stopping by!
~ Kat ~

9 comments:

  1. How I wish I was your daughters teacher,those bags are gorgeous .xxx

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  2. The bags are very nice! You've gotten a lot done!

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  3. Visiting from Sew Many Ways FaFF. :)

    Oh, to have time work on 22 projects! I also enjoy making bags, and have never made the same bag twice... gotta' learn to write down what I'm doing, and not just on a post-it that's likely to be misplaced. LOL

    I love the top bag...

    ~k

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  4. Hi. I've come over from Sew Many Ways. Love your bags especially the top one. I too love making bags.

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  5. Love the totes and my goodness, what a long list! Best of all just look at how many things on that list were finished! I get tired just thinking about it....LOL.........oh, you could start a new list and add your tote tutorial to it!

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  6. Lucky teachers to get such pretty totes!!

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  7. I really like the bags too. Maybe you could use the white stripes on the flower one for your daughter to write a small message to her teacher?

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  8. I gotta tell you - that is quite impressive - that finished list!! Love the bags! And your daughters reaction to school being over - thats quite funny. Enjoy!

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  9. Great work! Love the bags and those teachers are very fortunate! You had a very productive month! Congratulations!!
    Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier. Your comment went to spam! It gave me a great excuse to visit!!

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