On the very last day of my summer break, I've had a request for another 2 Triple Pouches (Pattern by Aneela Hoey). This time they'll be in a Pencil Club print and Essex Linen in a light gray. I'd have to look it up to give you the actual name but will gladly do so if you're interested. The plan is to keep art supplies in this set and school pencils/pens/markers in the other but plans are often subject to change. In any case, I'm happy someone is enjoying the Aneela Hoey patterns as much as I am. The second and third sets are going smooth as silk. :)

Happy Sewing,

Heather

 

Aneela Hoey's Triple Pouch #1 is Complete

 

Munchkin chose a couple fabrics for the first version of Aneela Hoey's Triple Pouch. It takes some time to complete and to be honest, probably wouldn't make them for anyone else. She's picked out some Pencil Pals & Essex combinations for the next couple. Now that I've made it through the first one, I think the next ones will go a little smoother (fingers crossed). Overall, I'm pleased with the results. 

I love Aneela Hoey's patterns but my sewing experience is limited, so I was doubting myself through the process. Plus, I naturally figure out patterns along the way and often come up with easier methods to complete it a second time. This one...not so much. I spoke with a generous Aneela fan who graciously encouraged me to keep at it, not to read ahead on the directions and to stop thinking my way through it. She assured me I'd be ok. This was also Aneela's advice lol but I guess I needed a little confidence booster. Thank you for your time and for being so kind to answer a late night plea from someone who clearly needed to take a break...which I did for a couple days.

Happy Sewing, 

Heather

♡ Another Aneela Hoey Applique To Go Bag ♡

Another Aneela Hoey amazing bag. Foxglove is such a gorgeous line, I'm excited I purchased the last set of 1/2 yard online. I still have quite a few of the other prints that could work for some more goodies. I know I said the last bag was my applique to go bag, but I think this may be perfect. 

This was my very first snap!

Happy Sewing,

Heather

A New Pin Keep & Needle Book Completed

The new fancy needle book/pin keep came together nicely and pretty quickly. I used the older tutorial as a basis and added a few bells and whistles since there will be a coordinated set of Aneela Hoey bags.  I was just chatting with a few people about raw edge applique...but am trying to find some love for the technique and knew this kit would be around a while.

The print is from a set of Aneela Hoey blocks that I seriously considered embroidering over for this project...but time is of the essence, as I'll be back to prepping for school in a week. So, while I was on breaks during a virtual conference this week, I just decided to go for it.

Isn't the print super cute??

Add a little ribbon and some small tool pockets and it's just about right.

 

I also opted for ties on this version to
keep everything inside & to vary the
fit for larger blocks and tools.

The To Go Bag Comes in Handy

The convertible was in need of some maintenance this weekend. Luckily, the new applique to go bag was in my tote with a new pack of Kona Ash 5" charms. I used my time to prep some more melons for back basting method using my actual size template and a regular pencil on the backside of the fabric pack. The 42 charms were finished quickly, which left plenty of time to make a couple new friends before the car was ready.

I'm terribly aware that I need to get my new eye glass prescription. As a result, the remaining prep is in limbo. So far, the Lizzy House Pearl Bracelet (and Mini Pearl Bracelets) are in the lead for the focus fabrics. I just love polka dots and think the irregular dots on the bias cut will have an interesting overall look. Of course, there's the gorgeous Aneela Hoey Foxglove line (OOOH AHHHH) and the super fun recent Heather Ross goodies, too. As you can see, there are some adorable options to consider.

Originally, I wanted to use just one focus fabric and who knows? Maybe that's what I'll end up doing. If so, I'm leaning towards the navy original Lizzy House pearl bracelet.

For those of you appliqueing along with us, if you're interested in using charm packs rather than cutting your own background fabrics, you can use the 5" charms or the larger 10" layer cakes. For the layer cakes, you'll need to plan on 4 (small template) melons per 10" piece. I'm sticking to the 5" charms so I don't have to think about my handwork to be honest. Each 5" charm can be set up the same way and becomes somewhat automatic as you get further along in the process. That autopilot handwork is what helps ease anxiety and lower blood pressure. The smaller size also allows you to move your melons around, which can be really helpful to those of you using directional prints and of course allows you to play around with the layouts. Do you want the Xs to be the same print and the Os to be mixed or would you rather have the Os the same color? Would you like just the petal look to show in rows? That's certainly an option, too. I don't usually know exactly what the final project will look like until I'm finished with the exception of Dear Jane...that planning is next level and I think that's why I'm just going with the flow on this project.

I have never attempted hand sewing blocks but am certainly willing to give that a try if you are not planning to use a machine at any point. Please just let me know so I can research and get a tutorial together for you, if that's of interest. Also, if you're in Chicagoland and need a machine, I have several and am working on downsizing, thanks to the recent Viking purchase (YAY!).

If you're using the 5" charm packs for background fabrics, please check out the size list here.
For the 10" layer cake size backgrounds, see the counts per size here. Most of the sites say 2 packs for queen, up to 3 for King. Please keep in mind, you'll have to be careful with the planning of the layer cake size if you're using the "small" melons, less so if you purchase the larger Missouri Star template version.

As always, if you get stuck and need some assistance, please reach out and we'll get a video conference set up.

Happy Applique,

Heather