i'm teaching a weekend workshop for the alberta quilt study society ...

and there are a few spots available. 

I'll be talking a little bit about feedsacks and their history.  And then we'll be making 2 projects: 

• a "Feedsack Shopper", which is a pattern I designed specially for this workshop
• and Amy Sinibaldi graciously gave me permission to teach the little zippered pouch pattern from her book "Sweetly Stitched Handmades".  We'll be using feedsack scraps for the patchwork.

In a nutshell, here are the patriculars:

• Dates:  Nov 14-15, 9:00 - 4:00 both days
• Location: St Andrews Community Hall, NW
• Fee:  $160
• First day includes a one hour talk on the history of feedsacks
• Both patterns and all supplies are provided EXCEPT you need to bring one yard of fabric for the lining of your shopping bag
• Shopping Bag is 9” x 12” x 12”
• Pouch is 4.5” x 6"

If you're interested, please email me - mail@prettybyhand.com - and I'll send you the newsletter with the registration form.

I hope you can come out to play!  If you're a feedsack fan, I don't need to explain the joys of working with these wonderful, vintage textiles.  If you're new to feedsacks, I'll be delighted to open the door for you to their fascinating history.  And by the end of the weekend you'll have two handmade Christmas gifts that you can either give to your favourite people, or ... you know ... keep for yourself. ;)

xo k

how to end the weekend properly

With a little sewing, of course.  And better yet if it's with your favourite fabric that magically appeared on your doorstep earlier in the week.

I was invited to be a Flower Sugar World Ambassador on Instagram and ... well ... you know I said yes. :)  I managed to find an hour again today to make this jelly clasp purse. 

The dot lining is from my Flower Sugar stash from a few years ago.  That's the lovely thing about this collection - they always coordinate.

That's all.  Hope you have a great week ahead!

what's purple and cute and more fun than netflix?

Ok!  Well, now ... the last thing I thought I'd be doing last nite is making a little last-minute gift card holder for my daughter's friend's birthday present, that's for sure.  It was Friday nite.  It had been a very busy week - including a trip to the mall to buy the gift card - and I was done.  Or so I thought.

Apparently we don't have any nice gift bags/wrapping in the closet. 

Now, you know me.  I'd really rather not leave the house, especially on a dark Friday nite when I've already got my fuzzy socks on.  So instead of running out to the store, I decided it was "easier" to make a little gift pouch instead.  It's what I do, make birthday gifts for little girls.  It's my thing.

I ALWAYS used to make super cute things for birthday gifts when my daughters were invited to parties.  But teenagers don't want sweet little purses with ruffles and bows, or tooth-fairy pillows ... and I'm sure I've made all their friends at least a few pencil cases over the years.  But this year my daughter reeeally wanted to give a gift certificate to a clothing store. 

Sigh.  Ok.  But it didn't occur to me until she couldn't find a nice gift box or bag or even wrapping paper that I had the perfect opportunity to still do "my thing" and make a gift card pouch!

It measures about 3.5" x 5".  The stripe is Old/New 30's and check is Petit Fleur, both about four years old, both by Lecien.  I did a little happy dance when I found a purple zipper in the bottom of my zipper bin (yes, I have a zipper bin ... don't judge ... it has saved me many a trip to the fabric store, case in point!).  Lace was a scrap.  I almost used white lace, but I didn't want this pouch to look TOO similar to the one I did last week with the same stripe fabric but in orange.

I love it when I'm "forced" to spend an hour on a Friday nite making something cute and useful.  It's so much more rewarding than surfing Netflix for an hour, no? ;) xo k

she's not me ... and that's a good thing

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians!  I've got store-bought pumpkin pie defrosting in the fridge and I'm sure my mother-in-law is whipping up the most delicious turkey with all the best homemade stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatos ... ... ... .  I've already planned my outfit for tomorrow's feast.  It includes a black jersey dress with no waistband or buttons or zippers.  It's pretty much pajamas disguised as something appropriate for a holiday family gathering. I will throw on a nice cardigan and maybe a necklace to fool everyone.  ;)

Ok.  Sigh.  I have no time or inclination for large sewing projects these days.  So on weekends such as these, I try to start and finish something that is quick, fun, and creative.  I managed to accomplish that already and it's only dinner time on Saturday!  Woohoo!

I hope you aren't tired of my little coin purses.  I got five kits (if you're paying attention, you'll know this is the third) from Zakka Workshop and of course my daughters asked if I might one for each of them.  They've been sitting on my desk here, waiting patiently to be made.  I had so much fun with the pumpkin version last week I decided I could manage another one. 

However, my 12-year-old has a strong sense of her own style and as a good mom, I need to respect that.  So when I ask her what colours/fabrics she'd like, and she picks two of my favourite polkadots (by Lakehouse Drygoods) that I wouldn't normally pair together, I gotta be ok with that.  And when she won't let me embellish with buttons of bows or lace, I gotta be ok with that too.

So.

This is what she asked me for (I suggested a few different patchwork options and she picked checkerboard, and then I went rogue on her and set it on point, which as it turns out, she is ok with thank goodness) and this is what she got.

And you know ... the more I look at it, the more I like it.  I mean, polka dots - they are just quite simply the happiest of prints, right?  I happen to be a HUGE fan of this shade of green, blue is her favourite colour, and ... it turned out super cute.  Like my 12-year-old.  :) xo k

pumpkin coin purse

I found myself with an unexpectedly quiet house a few nights ago.  I can't say that I had nothing to do, because there's always something around here nagging for my attention.  I know you know what I mean.    But I gave myself permission to ignore all those somethings and spent a happy hour in my sewing room instead.

It was October 1st.  I was craving some Fall colours and this coin purse hardware from Zakka Workshop has been sitting on my desk, patiently waiting for me to make it.

So my mind went to "pumpkin".

The tiny floral print is a new addition to my stash and the stripe - which is literally the ONLY other orange fabric in my stash and I may have had a slight moment of panic when I couldn't find it right away - has been around for quite a while.  Both are Lecien.  And my PamKitty stash had the perfect glowy-moonlit yellow for the lining. :)

And of course ... some lace and a bow.  How else would you know I'm the one who made it?  Funny thing, though, I had the hardest time picking a colour.  Light green, hot pink, deep maroon, white, black, purple ... I auditioned pretty much every skinny ribbon I had.  But I was going for pumpkin and this nice kelly green - that just so happens to match the leaf in the fabric - worked the best.

Are you doing any Halloween/Fall sewing?