do. Good Stitches - April 2014

This month I had the opportunity to make churn dashes.  They've been on my quilting bucket list for awhile, so it was nice to have an excuse to try them without committing to a complete project.  That's one of the many benefits of do. Good Stitches.  Brooke asked for sherbert rainbow colors for a nice summery quilt using this tutorial from crazy mom quilts.

Fold over clutch

I think clutches are one of my favorite things to make. They're quick; they're easy; and they're useful!  Last weekend Mr. T and I attended an extremely fun and beautiful (and mostly DIY - wish I had taken some photos of all the handmade touches) wedding. Neither of my two existing clutches (see here and here) really matched my dress, so I decided to make a new one (like I actually needed an excuse).  While I really like the envelope clutch pattern and style, I wanted to try something new this time around, preferably something simple and straightforward that I could make in a single night since I knew I'd only have a few days between coming back from vacation and the wedding to make it.

During my regular blog perusing, I stumbled upon this post and was immediately drawn to the fold over style.  I ended up using this tutorial, but to be honest, it's such a simple design I really only referred to it for the measurements when cutting.

So shiny!

When considering fabrics, my mind immediately went to this Anna Maria Horner linen I had leftover from the tote I made last summer. A quick search at JoAnn led me to the metallic faux pleather - yes, fake fake leather. It's essentially fabric lined with tin foil. I don't expect it to last too long (there may or may not already be a scratch on the back), but it was almost exactly what I was envisioning, and it was within my budget, so I used it.  And I love it!

For the interior I stuck to the insect theme and used these cute lady bugs that I'd originally purchased for Rayna's quilt. As always, I modified the pattern a bit by adding an interior zip pocket. I really can't have a bag without an interior zipper. I get too nervous my keys or money will fall out if they're not secured inside. I also added a label, which I don't typically do for items I'm keeping.

I lined the interior pieces with SF-101 and, to provided even more shape and stability, ironed some fusible fleece to the outer pieces.  I was a bit nervous this would make it too thick, but I'm actually quite pleased with the heft and feel of the final product.  Because of the extra bulk, however, the bag wouldn't really stay folded if I set it down, so I included a magnetic snap to latch the flap in place. 

I expect I'll get a lot of use out of this bag, especially as the weather continues to warm and we're more willing to venture out in the evenings.

Hola!

Cómo están? Estoy muy bien!

Mr. T and I just returned from vacation in Colombia and it was great! Not exactly relaxing, though our vacations rarely are because I insist we see EVERYTHING, but certainly interesting and enjoyable. Plus it was our first time in South America, so that's fun. 

We had a little incident towards the end of the trip and managed to drop our camera in the Caribbean Sea. Even though it was in the sand/water (though mostly sand) for literally 0.2 seconds, it's not working. And our only computer with an SD card reader also isn't working. So until I determine the best and cheapest way to get the photos off the card, you'll have to trust my word and these cell phone photos that it is a beautiful country!  

 
Hopefully I'll be back soon with some more pictures and details of the trip, as well as some information on these awesome free podcasts I used to learn a little Spanish before we left. I studied French in school so I had zero knowledge of Spanish going in, but after just four weeks of listening to these podcasts - I got through about 25 of the 80 beginner's lessons - I was able to ask basic questions during vacation and, more importantly, had enough of a grounding in the language to enable me to pick up a lot more Spanish while we were in Colombia. [Disclaimer: I was not asked or paid to review these podcasts. I just think they're really awesome and wanted to share]

And since this is a crafting blog, I also have a few items I completed before the trip that I have to share. Just have to figure out the best way to take photos until I replace my camera. And mail the items to the recipients...

These three photos were taken in Salento, a small town with around 4,000 people in the Zona Cafeteria where the majority of Colombia's coffee farms are located. It was absolutely gorgeous and one of my favorite stops on our trip.