QED on the 15th + Zakka Sewing Kit + Name Badge

Don't you wish everyday could be just like Sunday?  A catch up day to get things done and get things ready for Monday and for the week ahead - everything sorted and in its place, everything all tidy and clean...  Me too!  Sundays are a nice mix of quiet and busy - and productive!  I can finish up anything I started on Saturday and prep for what needs to get done later this week!

So this weekend I made another folded flap bag with button closure with slightly different dimensions as the one I made previously, and in a different weight fabric so I eliminated the need for interfacing (yay).  This one turned out really pretty I think, and it was made from FREE sample home-dec fabrics and with the leftover coral fabric I used in the first sample (which was from a recycled skirt)!  I have [finally] decided that I will be making this bag-thing as my Fat Quarterly Community Retreat sample swap item.  I abandoned test sample #6 in favour of making these bag-things using some special fabric and really cool buttons to do the real thing with.  You'll have to wait to see those (and the contents that I will be putting in each one)!!  

Another folded flap bag with button closure.  Fold the
top down and it makes a lovely little fabric container.

I also finished my Zakka Sewing Case (with co-ordinating pin cushion) yesterday.  This means I now have THREE pin cushions where a month ago I had NONE!  I don't know what I did without one for so long actually!! 

My 'travel' Zakka Sewing Kit, with fun car fabric!

The sewing kit was fun to prep for.  I had fun deciding on the fabrics and gathering the necessary bits and pieces.  I didn't have a 'stamp' so I made something different by fussy-cutting a couple of cars from the left-over lining fabric and sewed them on like labels.  I did this to both the pin cushion and the outside of the case and I think it looks awesome!  The car fabric was chosen because I think of a sewing kit as something that travels with you :)  ...plus I've been wanting to use it since I won it from the lovely patchworknplay in Australia not too long ago!  So my kit has already 'travelled' some distance!! 

Fussy-cut cars from interior fabric used as
embellishments for the sewing kit and pin cushion.

The Zakka projects in the book (and once created) are lovely, really lovely, I must admit.  However, the biggest problem is the lack of diagrams/process photos.  I need visual aids because I am a visual person and that is how I learn and understand things.  My lovely little chewed up seam riper was once again part of the creation of this sewing kit!  Besides three little niggles with the instructions (problems with the width of the pocket binding strips, where to 'stamp' the embellishment, and the diagram of how to place the ties), I thought it was quite an easy project to do - and will probably make another one another day.  It looks pretty darn cute anyways, don't you think?!  It holds quite a bit - tape measure, Clover Wonder Clips, a needlecase (from patchworknplay - thanks!), spool of thread, thimble (in with the thread), pins, safety pins, seam ripper and pin cushion - so far!  It will be invaluable at the FQ Retreat - yay!

Anyways, today I am joining Pat's linky party over at Color Me Quilty called "Quilty Embellishment Day": QED for short!  For more info press here.  I shall be linking up my fun Zakka House Pouch as it fits the guidelines plus I am just so darn pleased with it!  I embellished using buttons, applique and fancy trim.  This linky party will be a once-a-month thing on the 15th so make sure you link up too!  I hope Pat allows me to link three things as I have a few that I'd love to share! 

Also, I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to the blog Miss Beau Jangles for my wonderful quilt book 'Surprisingly Simple Quilts' that I won.  It arrived a week ago and I have have fallen in love with a few of the patterns so my 'to do one day' list has just grown again!  I also wanted to send a belated THANK YOU to the Green Bag Lady for the grocery and produce bags that I won a few weeks back which have come all the way from the USA!  Thank you to you both once again! 

Prizes received from Miss Beau Jangles and Green Bag Lady.

Late last night I decided that I really must make another name badge for my secret name badge swap partner for the FQ Retreat as my other one was quite 'wonky'.  I've been looking at the Flickr group to see what other people have been making [WOW - some amazing name badges on there] and I decided that I definitely needed to re-do my creation!  So I did a practise one (not shown) and then badge #2.  Here it is with some hand-sewn beads as embellishment to 'bling' it up:

Another name badge for my secret partner.  This one is so much better than
the first one!  The green post-it note is hiding the recipients name! 

I hope my partner likes it.  I'm pleased with it anyways so that's another project done and off my radar.  I'll get it into the post before the price of stamps go up! hahaha

And there you have it - another productive weekend!  I didn't get everything done that I had hoped to but this just makes me look forward to Monday night that much more!  

This week, I'll be linking up with:

• sew many ways' sew darn crafty linky party
• QED at Color Me Quilty 
• Sew Happy Geek's Manic Monday 
• Quilt Story Fabric Tuesday and
• Quiting by the River's Linky Party Tuesday  and
• Such a Sew and Sew April Finishes Party

Happy embellishing!