Lined Drawstring Christmas Gift Bags

Now, on to making Christmas items!  Our Sew What?! November class project was this lined, drawstring Christmas gift bag.  These little bags make great re-useable gift bags, which can be given as part of the gift.  They don't necessarily have to be made in Christmas fabric.  They'd be cute in other holiday-themed prints, children's prints or winter, spring, summer, fall prints - whatever you'd like.

The lining allows the bag to have a little more stability and style with the lining peeking above the top edge as a faux piping effect.  I have lots of satin ribbon in 3/8" width for other projects, so the choice of ribbon was easy to make since that's the width needed for this casing.

The red bags have a red satin lining and red satin ribbon threaded double through the casing to make two drawstrings (one for each side).  The green/red/white bag has a red cotton lining with green sating ribbons for the drawstrings.

The finished measurement on these is 6" X 9 1/2", but the drawstring bags could be made in any size you want.  I'm thinking of making some infinity scarves for Christmas gifts this year and I'm not sure they'll fit into these smaller bags, especially if the scarves are very long, so I'll probably make some larger gift bags to accommodate a larger gift.

I hope you like the way these cute little drawstring gift bags look.  They go together fairly quickly, especially when making several.  As you may know, the more you make of one item, the quicker they go together!

Thanksgiving Turkey Tea Towel

My Thanksgiving Turkey Tea Towel project got finished just in time to drape it over my oven handle, or better yet - hang it from the drawer of my antique pie safe where it won't accidentally get used!  I decided to use my serger for a rolled edge all around the flounce edges with a gold metallic thread.  Then, I stitched it onto the tea towel with a zig-zag stitch using the gold metallic thread in the needle and clear thread in the bobbin.  The metallic thread sparkles nicely.  (I like sparkly things!)

At our October Sew What? class, we had a lesson on how to calculate the size needed for the circle pattern that would be used to make the flounce on the tea towel.  Then, we determined the width we wanted for how wide the flounce would be.  It was much more easy than it sounds!

I had a lot of fun working on this tea towel project.  It was begun last year for our November Sew What? class project; but, I had to put it on hold due to some health events.  Everything is back on track, now.  All the praise goes to God!


My birthday was on the 25th and my Mother gave me three stamped, ready-to-embroider tea towels as a gift, so I guess I'll be doing some more hand embroidery - which I am rather enjoying.  They are really cute, with days-of-the-week printed on them.  When I get them stitched, I'll post them on my blog, but don't hold your breath - it could be a while!

This is my favorite holiday of the year - no presents necessary, no decorating necessary, unless we just "want to".  Let's all remember to give thanks to our Heavenly Father for the abundant blessings He has given to us and to our wonderful U.S.A.!  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Mr. Gobbles Stuffed Felt Turkey Door Decoration

After years of looking at this project in an old Hancock Fabrics project booklet, I finally made myself get the necessary felt colors, trace the pattern and get the turkey project finished!  Wow!  I guess I'm a procrastinator, huh?

I don't do much hand embroidery, but lately I've made two projects for Thanksgiving: this stuffed felt turkey project and a tea towel.  I find that hand embroidery is very calming and soothing.  I know my blood pressure went down a lot!  I'll post the tea towel project in a few days, after I get it finished.  The tea towel project was what I taught at our October Sew What? Community Sewing group meeting.  Everyone did a great job on their embroidery!

I really didn't follow the exact color combination that the directions give.  Honestly, I forgot to look at the suggested colors for the turkey project before I went to the fabric store to cash in on the sale price for the felt - and to be able to use my discount.  The orange is supposed to be "cardinal red" and the light tan is supposed to be gold, but I used gold embroidery thread for the blanket stitching around all of the feather pieces.  I thought that would make the stuffed felt turkey show up a little better on the front door.


He's really a table-top project, but one of my students said she wanted to make her turkey project into a door hanging.  I thought that was a great idea!  Since I'm partial to Thanksgiving (we tend to overlook that holiday), I wanted to show my "Thanksgiving Spirit" by placing my stuffed felt turkey on my front door.

Here he is on my front door.  I hung him on a door hook - I think it's called a wreath hook.  It's a little high, but I think it shows up really well.

This is how the turkey looks flat on the floor.  If I make a second one, I'll make it for the table, to sit upright in a basket of fake straw.

Isn't he cute?  I just love him!

Let's remember to give thanks for this great country (USA) and all the bountiful blessings God has showered down upon us.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Sewing Student Wins Second Place Red Ribbon at the Kentucky State Fair!

In June, I started teaching private sewing lessons at Austin's Sewing Center in Fern Creek, KY.  I have such a love of sewing and now I can share that with many more sewing students.  I am loving it!

Two weeks ago, I had an interesting experience with a lovely 10 year old girl.  She had committed to enter into the Kentucky State Fair an outfit for her American Girl doll, but had only cut out the pattern for the tunic, leggings and shoes.  Time was running out to get it made before the deadline to submit the entries.  I got the call on Monday that her lesson needed to take place right away so she'd be ready for the deadline on Saturday.

We got the two-hour lesson scheduled and got to work at the designated time.  The young lady was already familiar with her sewing machine.  She had taken lessons at another sewing dealership, having made two projects there, so that was a huge plus.

At the end of two hours, there was still more to do.  I was asked if I could work with her for another hour.  I said, yes, so we continued to work.  After another hour and 45 minutes, my young student had all of the machine work finished.  All she had left to do was to hand-stitch the trim on the hem of the tunic, sew on buttons for trim and glue some hook and loop tape on the opening in the back of the tunic.  We decided the leggings could be finished with a drawstring instead of elastic in the waistline casing, which made the finish work on them quicker and easier for her.  She had already planned to sew the shoes by hand.

At the State Fair last night, Lee and I made a special effort to find out where the junior sewing department was located.  Well, as we were walking toward it, I spotted the lime green tunic top on a doll in the top row of the display case from far away.

As we got closer, we could see that the American Girl doll had a red ribbon pinned on it.  My student had been awarded second place on her creation (pictured here)! 

Instead of hemming the bottom of the tunic and putting in a neckline facing, we decided to use pinking shears to finish the edges.  The doll's tunic was made from polar fleece, so a hem and a facing would have created way too much bulk in those areas.  I think it was a good decision!  It not only made the finish work easier, but quicker!

Here is a back view:

I'm really proud of my budding, designer 10 year old sewing student and can't wait to call her and let her know what great work she did!  Her doll looked fabulous, dressed in her lime green tunic and printed leggings outfit!  I can see that she has a love of sewing even at her young age.

State Fair Entry Winners: Sweatshirt Makeover and Ribbon Purse!

Two of my three Kentucky State Fair entries have won a blue and a red ribbon!  I almost didn't enter anything this year, but decided to go ahead since I had some items ready to go.  The sweatshirt makeover that I've been working to complete off & on over the past two years became my last minute "hurry up and finish" project!  Here it is with its blue ribbon.

My second place entry is one of the ribbon purses I made a year and a half ago for the craft shows and for the Koi Gallery at the Galt House in downtown Louisville.  I added a layered flower with an embroidered, covered button center placed on top of the bow that was already on it.  I think because it's in the red/black/white combination, it looks like a University of Louisville Cardinal bag and that may have caught the judges' eye!  Oh, well, I'm not going to complain about a second place, red ribbon award!

The display at the Fair isn't very attractive, so I've included the photo I took of the purse just before I took it to be entered.  The second photo shows it off better.

Recycled Necktie Purse Project

Sew What! Community Sewing group is working on this recycled necktie purse project for our May & June project.  We thought it would be quick enough for only one month, but as it turns out, we need two months to get it completed. 

The purse project is from my Master Clothing Volunteer annual training last October.  It's made from (You guessed it!) a man's necktie.  An old one that's been washed or dry-cleaned will work just fine, or a new necktie that hasn't been worn would also be a good idea.  It turned out to be a really cute little purse.

This small evening bag-type purse doesn't have any pockets and only has the flap you see here as its closure.  A sew-on snap will work to close the flap, or hook and loop tape would also work.  If the latter is used, a large decorative button would be a great way to cover up the stitching on the outside of the purse flap.

Obviously, I don't have the closure put onto the purse flap yet.  But, it will be added before this month's class.  Also, I'll add some more photos of my purse step-by-step samples.

The purse project goes together fairly quickly.  The necktie is cut into seven sections and are arranged into this cute little purse.  It's amazing how much fabric is in one necktie!

My Online Shop

I have a confession to make to everyone!  I had hoped to get my online shop at www.zibbet.com/sewnsanscottage opened by now.  However, plans don't always get worked out the way we'd like.  Some of you already know that my husband, Lee, fell on November 6, 2012 and broke his hip and wrist (I won't go into all the details), then two days later I came down with vertigo. 

We were both in recuperation mode for about 3 months, missing both our birthdays in November, Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Year's.  It was well into February when I was able to get back to some normal activities, but then my chronic lower back pain and sciatica started getting worse.  I went into physical therapy the first week of March and am now doing much better.  Lee had a much shorter recovery time.  He was doing very well by the end of January.

I didn't even go into my sewing studio until around the first of March when it was time to get ready to teach two classes at the 2013 "It's Sew Fine Sewing Expo" at General Butler State Resort Park, scheduled for April 16-17.  Now that the Expo is behind me, I'm taking another look at getting the Zibbet shop opened up.  Lee & I have had some serious discussion about taking on this endeavor.  Now, comes the confession: I'm not sure sure it's going to happen.

I really think I'd love to give it a go; I have some product already made;I have lots more product ideas I'd like to pursue; I do have the shop set up.  It's now a matter of how much time I will have to give to it and if it will be worthwhile.  Lee & I are looking at taking on some additional responsibilities with our church and a couple of other churches, so we're praying about which way the Lord wants us to go.

I'll keep you posted on what our decision will be when it happens.  Please keep us in your prayers, as well.  I know the Lord will lead us to the correct decision for His glory!