More ITH (In The Hoop) Embroidery - pouches

One of the catchwords thrown around by the embroidery crowd is 'ITH'  (I say the letters, I-T-H, like how my oldest actually says "Shrug" as she shrugs, or my kids will say "LOL!" instead of laughing).  It only took me a few days to figure out what that meant, and now that I know, I feel super special. 

Anyway, my latest ITH projects are these super cute and fun gift card/business card holders.  There is no sewing anything shut (although I may fray check the one opening for turning) and I've had some good luck changing the design to match the recipient.  The pattern come with each letter of the alphabet, but the size is perfect for a little design too!  I plan on making a few for the teachers this year, so much nicer than just a plain gift card in an envelope!

(Pouch for my Sister-In-Law, forgot to put the ribbon on during the initial construction!)

Gizmo Garage - Laptop bag Pattern Testing

Thanks once again to Christine for letting me test another of her great bags!!  I saw her sneak peek of a laptop bag on her blog, and volunteered right away to test because my oldest had just gotten her very own laptop and needed a bag!  Perfect timing!  The Gizmo Garage is a fun bag that has some nice detailing that isn't really as difficult as it might look.  I love all the different looks the testers came up with, and any time I see something I made on a popular blog, it makes me feel like I'm one of the cool kids!  LOL! 


(Embroidery from Urbanthreads.com, matched the fabric almost perfectly!)

The Sugar and Spice Bag is Very Nice!

 

A long time ago (at least a year, which seems like forever!) I ran across an awesome purse pattern that was only available from Homespun magazine in Australia.  I really wanted to try it, but didn't want to sign up for the $$$$ shipping and subscription.  Fortunately I am part of a great group of quilting ladies on facebook and one of them happens to live in Australia AND her mom had a copy of that same magazine that she was willing to ship to me.  I almost passed out when I saw the shipping, but the magazine was amazing.  The purse was Sugar and Spice by ChrisW designs, and now you can actually buy the pdf without having an amazing friend in Australia!  Before I got a chance to make the bag, I was distracted by some other cute projects in the magazine, which led to making a super cute fox for my oldest and eventually a penguin, but that is a story for another post!

(Slightly distorted picture because it's stuffed full of everything!)

Relatively Fast Crochet - Cowls and Tutus

I am always looking for crochet patterns that are cute, easy to do, and fast.  I'm not the world's slowest hooker, but I'm definitely not the fastest either!  Last winter I started making the Ava cowls, which use bulky yarn to work up fast and are also super soft and cuddly.  I was able to finish them in just a few trips in the car on the way home from work.  (I like to pretend I'm being productive so I hate to just sit in a car without my hands doing something.)

(A lovely grey with matching button)