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Friday
May062016

a spoonful of sugar ~ book tour

Lisa Cox has been a fixture in our blog community for many years and she never fails to delight us with beautiful photographs, pretty fabrics, and inspiring projects/tutorials.  I was over-the-moon happy when I heard she was writing a book!

It's finally here and I have great pleasure of showing you one of the projects from "A Spoonful of Sugar".

You know, I've been meaning to make a sewing portfolio for ... a really long time.  My sister even asked me to make one when her store-bought one was falling apart (back in the 90s or early 2000s ... I wasn't kidding when I said a really long time!).  I just never got around to it, I guess.  So when I saw Lisa's verison, I simply needed to make it.

I used all "Flower Sugar" fabrics by Lecien.  The main fabrics on the cover and the inside are from the newest collection that's coming out later this year.  But the handle fabric is about four years old and the binding fabric is from five years ago!  That's one of the things I love about Flower Sugar - it mixes so well from year to year.

Oh, and the solid pink is a Lecien Flower Sugar basic.

My first fabric pull for this project was pink for the main fabrics and yellow for contrast.  But at the last minute, I remembered my recent apology to yellow and a promise to myself to use it more often, so I did a last minute switcheroo.  I love how sunny and happy it looks.  Yellow is just cheerful.  Period.

A few "full-disclosure" items:

One - the original pattern in the book has a delightful hourglass patchwork cover, but sadly I didn't have enough time so the cover of this one is just something I made up on the fly, it's not in the book. 

Two - I'm really naughty about reading instructions carefully.  I'm embarrassed about that, but it's true.  It's quite ironic too, because if you've ever bought one of my patterns, you may have read the "Please Read Carefully" clause on the first page!  LOL!  Gotta love karma ... I got caught with this pattern.  One of the photos of the finished project shows what I thought was a decorative measuring tape ribbon stitched to the inside.  I thought it was a sweet and clever design detail, and I just so happened to have such a thing it my ribbon box.  I realized later that it is an actual measuring tape that's supposed to be functional!  (I'm such a donut sometimes, honestly.)

Three - I fussy cut a pretty rose for the tab closure and decided to use a magnetic clasp rather than a snap that would hide some of the rose.  That's just the way I roll.

I hope you are inspired to make one of these super handy portfolios for yourself, or even for a gift for a sewist you know.  If you've never sewn with plastic before, don't be scared!  The sewing machine goes through it like butter. 

I'm only one of many stops on this book tour.  Here's a list of all the blogs you can visit to find out more about Lisa's book that I think belongs in every sewist's library. :)

April 26 – Jodie Carlton from Ric Rac

April 28 – Melissa LeRay from Oh How Sweet

April 29 – Jemima Flendt from Tied With a Ribbon

April 30 – Beverley McCullough from Flamingo Toes

May 2 – Sedef Imer from Down Grapevine Lane

May 3 – Nadra Ridgeway from Ellis and Higgs

May 4 – Amy Morinaka from Chick Chick Sewing

May 5 – Caroline Critchfield from Sew Can She

May 6 – Me ;)

May 7 – Bronwyn Hayes from Red Brolly

May 9 –  Anorina Morris from Samelia’s Mum

May 10 – Peta Peace from She Quilts A Lot

May 11 – Faith Essenburg from Sarana Ave

May 12 – Angie Wilson from Gnome Angel

May 13 – Sharon Burgess from Lilabelle Lane Creations

May 14 – Stacy Olson from Stacy Olson

May 16 – Ayda Algin from Cafenohut

May 17 – Jennie Pickett from Clover and Violet

May 18 – Wynn Tan from Zakka Art

May 19 – Lisa Cox from A Spoonful of Sugar

Lisa, thanks a million for inviting me to participate in this book tour.  Your work delights and inspires me always.  Congratulations on a lovely book.  Looking forward to your encore publication! ;)  xo k

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Reader Comments (15)

I love what you made even if (or because?) it's different from the pattern in the book. I'm good at reading the instruction just not good at follwing them;-)
May 6, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterHildy
I love this bag and the fabrics you chose for it are so happy. I have a list of bags to make, but I'll be adding this one to it, and adding the book to my wish list.

I'm just the opposite with instructions - I stick with them to a fault, even if it appears that the instructions are incorrect I assume it's something I've done wrong. I'm getting better at improvising though.
May 6, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterTanya
Love Love Looooove your sewing portfolio!!! It is Gorgeous!! & I think the tape measure ribbon is Perfect touch!! You made it Yours..and it is AWESOME!! Thank you for sharing!! :)
May 6, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterLori Morton
Beautiful portfolio, really OMG!!! Your post just made my mind decide that I have to have this book! I have so many books that I have not made anything from but you never know when I might change, right, lol!
Thanks for sharing, and yes that yellow is gorgeous!
May 6, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterKathleen O'Grady
Oh, this turned out beautiful! I love Lisa's book, and your take on this fun project is adorable!
May 6, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterElnora
Kristyne - your Sewing Portfolio if breathtaking! You have the gift of combining the perfect fabric and trims. It looks amazing in the pretty Flower Sugar fabric. Thank you so much for being part of the tour!
May 6, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterLisa
I have some plastic to use and I am going to try it. crystalbluern at tds dot net
May 6, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterDebraKay Neiman
SO PRETTY! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!
May 6, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterLINDA
Gorgeous!
May 6, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterSandy O
As usual you make something already adorable even more so. All i want to do is follow along behind you and copy everything, every purchase etc. #kopykrystine xo
May 6, 2016 | Unregistered Commenterpam
I always love everything you make, you have such good taste with colour. x
May 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterKay
Very pretty! Looks like a beautiful book too! Your work is always gorgeous and thanks for sharing the changes you did, etc., but it really does not look easy! Maybe I'll give it a try, but directions are not my friend at all!
May 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterSusan
You take a wonderful idea and make something extra special. Love the bag.
May 9, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterLJ
Such a beautiful project! I just adore the red accents on the inside! Well done my friend!!
May 14, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterStacy Olson
I haven't sewn in almost a year.... almost! a year! And now the garden season begins once again. I am itching to get back to my beconing machine(s) and plan to tackle something just for me this time.
Thanks for sharing the beauty of your work.
Your creations are timeless and, dare I say, exciting!
May 15, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterHeather (mtl)

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