2014 Year in Review

You know how sometimes a TV episode is just a mash-up of past episodes? I always think the producers were lazy that week. But when it comes to sewing blogs, the experience is totally different for me. I love seeing in one place all the projects my favorite bloggers have completed for the year. Here are my 2014 highlights:

1. Bento Box baby quilt (Waterfront Park fabric by Violet Craft)
2. Aviatrix Medallion pillow cover for #birthdayclubhandmade
3. Grandma Memory Quilt
4. Tudor Bag (cotton + steel fabric)
5. Wedding Quilt – Midnight Garden pattern
6. Disney Mini for #birthdayclubhandmade
7. Sailboat baby quilt
8. Embroidered portrait
9. Pixelated Panda
10. Drawstring Bags
11. Marcelle Medallion
12. Rag doll with change of outfits
13. Triple zip pouch
14. Christmas Dresden pillow cover
15. Christmas owl pillow cover
16. Wedding pillows
17. Frozen pillows (more about the Anna block here)
18. Steampunk pillowcase

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I love seeing all that color, and my productivity seems to grow each year!

I’m frankly not sure how I could possibly compete with my 2014 self in 2015, so I’m going to focus instead on making projects that make me happy. I had too many self-imposed deadlines in 2014. I’m going to focus more on enjoying each project.

Happy New Year!

Tudor Bag Birthday

We had another birthday in the Birthday Club in December. (See other gifts on Instagram at #birthdayclubhandmade.) I made this bag for the birthday girl:

The fabric is mostly cotton + steel.

The pattern is the Tudor Bag by Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness. I was nervous to make it because I thought bags were beyond my skill level, but it worked pretty well! I think that if I made this pattern a second time, I could probably iron out any remaining mistakes. The pattern was written really well, not leaving details to the imagination. I like a pattern that walks you through even the simple steps. You get the info you need for the tricky steps, and you get to feel like a know-it-all when you don’t need the photos!

My mom saw a photo of this bag and said she’d been wanting a tote, so it seems like I will get to perfect my technique with this bag, after all. I normally hate making the same pattern twice, but I’m excited for this one for some reason. Maybe it’s because I will use different options the second time that I was too scared to try the first (optional single shoulder strap and zipper main closure instead of a magnetic closure). I’m even thinking I’ll add another pocket to the back and an interior zip pocket.

Since I didn’t photograph the Christmas gifts I made my family, this is my last finish for 2014. Happy New Year!