A friend at work had a disappointment, and what better way to show empathy than rage-quilting a small gift?  I found this irreverent quilt block and knew it was just the thing. The pattern was easy but came in 6 sections, so I had to do a little studying before completing ​it.  I also found it easier to color in the pieces to keep the different shades of the hand 

After seeing a tote bag tutorial on Suzy Quilts, I became obsessed with making one of my own, but with a few modifications. I love a good tote , but I wanted something with enhanced functionality - inner pockets, a top that closes, and a shape a bit beyond the classic rectangle. After browsing around and reading a few books about bag making, I finally sat down and designed this rounded tote with a drawstring top.

The bag includes an inner pocket, enough to hold a few cards, a phone, and a lip balm.  My favorite detail is a key fob lanyard so I never have to dig around for my keys.  I really loved the half-rectangle star patchwork on Suzy's original tote design, and I added my own details to the block and recreated it as a  10" foundation paper pieced block for the front of this bag. 

I found some cotton chambray curtains at a thrift store and I thought they would be great to make a series of projects with sustainability in mind. I have been slowly upcycling them into various items, enjoying the challenge of giving this fabric a second life. One of my more recent projects is this pencil pouch, created using a pattern from from Stitch and Sew: Beautifully Embroider 31 Projects, by Aneela Hoey.  It is a fantastic book, full of charming projects and thoughtful handmade gift ideas - definitely a book I will be using again and again. I will be making this pouch again, but I plan to change the design to be slightly smaller and to include a vertical elastic strap to the back so I can attach it to my journal when I travel. Starting with a great idea like this one and customizing it to my specific use of it is one of my favorite parts about sewing.

I have a good friend with impeccable taste, and I don't know anyone who can pull off unlikely color combinations like she does. She mentioned one day that she really likes pinks and oranges, and I decided I would try to execute a HST project using those color combinations.  Would you believe I spent twice as much time obsessing over the color combinations and layout of these potholders than it actually took to make them? I completed two different versions.  ​I really liked how wild the first version was, but I decided to eliminate a few of the brighter shades.

I made this little blue devil potholder as a playful variation on the classic chicken pot holder from Hello Sewing. It is a super cute, quick project that would be great as a gift. I originally made a set of three coordinating chickens to prepare a tutorial to use while hosting some friends for a Saturday Crafternoon. One of my friends has a serious love for kitschy chickens, and it seemed like a good beginner-friendly project.  The shape was so versatile that I played with other designs beyond chickens, and this little blue devil was one of my favorites. Go Big Blue!

I am such a big fan of Joe, June and Mae, and living in New York, this project felt like a little piece of home from a designer so far away.  This will be a 16-inch finished block, and I started it with the intent to frame it and hang it in my kitchen.  The piecing was complicated, but not too difficult.  After quilting a bit, I put it away for a while because I wasn't sure I used the right quilt design for there is a lot of detail in the face and very thick joins.  I am keeping it around because it's a great travel project, and I will pick it back up in the summer and fall.  I would like to try some different color combinations.

I am always looking for ways to use up scraps, and I have a lot of great linen scraps. I found a bread bag tutorial on Folk Fibers, and I fell in love with the design. I did a few modifications and added a lining and outside button so the top can be twisted instead of folder.  I made a few additional scrap pieces to have on hand if I need a quick housewarming gift.  I need lots of practice on my bread, but I can usually manage a decent  overnight dutch oven loaf. 

I fell in love with a pink and red quilt I saw online; I don't recall where.  I like the monochrome look, and I thought it would be a good challenge to do a quilt in a single color theme.  Red and pinks are challenging and I struggled with this one. After piecing it, I was convinced it was too loud until my husband persuaded me to dig it out of the WIP closet and finish it.  

There are a lot of free potholder patterns out there, but I had never made them before and wanted some design options and a better tutorial. I ended up buying a pattern, and it was worth every penny because I have found myself returning over and over to this great pattern from Scratch and Stitch. Not only were the instructions thorough and very easy to follow, I found the shape of the oven mitt to be a little cuter than some of the others online, and I also love the rounded corner and pocket detail on the potholder.

This was one of those projects that I loved while designing and making, but that didn't quite stick once finished. I expected the pinks to pop more against the grays, but the shades aren't quite right together.

With this quilt, I experimented with a new marking technique using plastic canvas.  This was my first time trying it, using a 7-per-inch grid. My lines and stitch length are usually fairly consistent when I quilt on a solid line, but I really liked how the marks using the plastic grid tightened everything up. The stitches went quickly with this size of grid, but I have since found that a 10-per-inch grid results in a stitch length closer to my freehand stitching. I prefer the smaller stitch, through it takes more time and is a bit tricker to mark because of the smaller holes.