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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~


Thanks for stopping by!
~ Kat ~

Rag Bag

Have you heard of a Swag Bag?  It's the goody bag full of overpriced fancy designer merchandise given to celebrities after red carpet events like the Oscars.  (The 2012 Oscars swag bag was valued at over $60,000... you can see what was in it here.)


My version isn't a Swag Bag, it's a Rag Bag.  And it has nothing to do with rags!  "Rag" is short for "Ragnar" -- which is a series of 200 mile running relays held all across the country.


This 1 minute video gives a good overview.  According to the Ragnar website:

Ragnar is the overnight running relay race that makes testing your limits a team sport. A team is made up of 6-12 individuals; each individual runs 3 legs. The legs of the race vary in difficulty and distance, from 2-11 miles, allowing elite and novice runners to run together. Over 2 days and 1 night, teams run across 200 miles of the country’s most scenic terrain. Pair that with crazy costumes, inside jokes, a great finish line party and unforgettable stories. Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it Ragnar.

As a runner, I always seem to need more than sneakers.  There's my iPod, ear buds, phone, Garmin, protein bars, pre-race drinks, water, towels and a whole lot more.  I wanted to have a cute but durable bag to hold all of my running goodies.  I knew that Terri's Stuff Sack pattern would be perfect.

I chose denim fabric, since I run outside and this bag will spend a lot of time on pavement and grass.  I needed a dark, durable fabric.  I used pink as an accent to "girly it up" a little bit.  I struggled  with the piping, but I think that's because I used 1/4 inch cotton rope I found in my garage, rather than real piping cord.  It was a little too thick and stiff to sew around the circular base of the bag.  Next time, I'll definitely use the right materials!

I used Terri's measurements for the "large" stuff sack.  The circular base measures 8" across and my bag is about 10.5" high.


I added one pocket on the outside (complete with the Ragnar logo) and a row of pockets around the inside, to hold all my small items.  The main part of the bag will hold my water, small towel, reflective vest and lights (required for night running).  I also added a strap on the back for easy carrying, though I don't know that it was necessary and I'm not sure I'd add a strap the next time.

It's been a very long time (read: never) since I've made a project for myself, so I'm even more pleased to have tried this bag.  I think it's cute, it's incredibly practical and it's unique just for me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Linking up with: 

Crazy Mom Quilts for  "Finish it Up Friday" 

Confessions of a Fabric Addict for "Whoop Whoop Friday"

AmyLouWho for "Sew and Tell"

I'm looking forward to seeing what you've worked on this week!

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~