RECENT MAKES, SPOOKY EDITION. SHE’S A LONG ONE!

The photo layouts in this post were created on a desktop, and therefore look their best when viewed on a desktop. The mobile version alters the layout slightly.

I've been sewing some things for myself lately, AKA, "selfish sewing." Not everything I make can be sold; patterns have to be tested and re-tested to work out the kinks, which means guinea pig bags and pouches end up in my stash. I'm not upset about that--I love creating, and most of the time, I have to fight the desire to keep everything I make. Also, can you really have too many bags? (That's a rhetorical question.)

Sometimes, though, I just need to make things with zero intention of selling them. These are the freeing projects. The projects where time is NOT of the essence. Creative juices flow more effortlessly, and it becomes more akin to Kindergarten days, where safety scissors would rip through orange construction paper, freeing a pumpkin shape from its previous rectangular form, and the black wax of a fresh Crayola would fill in triangle-shaped eyes with reckless abandon.

I have such a pumpkin, given to me a few years ago. (Thanks, Mom!) He was in a storage tote that I didn't know existed until I was in my thirties, trapped with miscellaneous school papers and crafts for probably 27 years. Long story short, a house fire stole 99.9% of my belongings when I was 16, so this faded and worn pumpkin with crepe paper streamers jutting from his ass is one of my most prized possessions, because he's one of my only possessions from the era of safety scissors and fresh Crayolas. And especially one of my only HALLOWEEN possessions. So he's extra special to me. Here he is, in all his early '90s glory.

Emotions aside, he simply reminds me of creating for creating's sake, which is something that's too easily forgotten when making things to sell to others. So, I thought I'd share some of the things I've been sewing lately, just for fun, with probably way too many photos; you've been warned. Since I don't have social media anymore, this is essentially my creative scrapbook slash digital photo album, the only place I have to share photos of my projects. So, without further ado, I present: Recent Makes, Spooky Edition. 

First up, I made a tester of the Atlas Zipper Case, by Center Street Quilts. The exterior fabric was custom printed from Spoonflower, and I love it! I want a Spooky Meal, minus the worms, of course.

Currently, it's holding a Hello Kitty and Friends cross stitch kit, plus a few other goodies.

I specifically bought this little kit to make Keroppi, but there are patterns for other characters in this tiny book.

The pouch has slip pockets behind each of the main panels. This Ruby Star Society sewing notebook fits perfectly on one side.

The other side is currently housing a few EPP works-in-progress. (Yes to thread basting and no to glue basting, thank you very much.)

Here it is, empty. Clear vinyl for the left pocket, as well as the upper right pocket, showing the quilted fabrics underneath.

This pouch requires foam, so the quilting makes it super squishy, and in turn, makes my label feel like a vintage, puffy sticker!

Little ghostie zipper charm!

Overall, I'm really happy with how it turned out, since it was my first stab at this pattern specifically, as well as this type of pouch. My exterior binding was supposed to be a classic checkerboard, à la MTV, but since it had to be cut on the bias for maximum stretch, the boxes were diagonal and became diamonds instead. Less à la MTV, more à la Harlequin. But that's ok! You can mess up on "selfish sewing" projects and it's not a big deal. Bob Ross would be proud of me for going with the flow on that one. "There are no mistakes, just happy accidents."

Anyway, I'll absolutely make more of these! It was fun to curate fabrics for, fun to sew, and it's a practical pouch for all kinds of things on-the-go.

What started as a little idea to take Heidi Kenney's Halloween Fussy Cut panel, make a few Economy Blocks and possibly turn them into a mini quilt or pillow cover, quickly turned into a full blown obsession to pair as many coordinating squares in batches of 9 that I could muster. And it all started with a little candle..

I pulled out several Ruby Star Society charm packs (they work perfectly for this Economy Block) and started laying fabrics out, quickly falling in love with the process. This is my absolute favorite part of "sewing." The pulling fabrics and pairing them together phase. SWOON!

So, I decided on a "witchy" theme, with the adorable witch in the center, surrounded by things you might find in (or around) her little cottage, sticking with a classic Halloween color palette. This was my first time making Economy Blocks, and I realized that a scant 1/4 inch seam allowance would be better than an exact 1/4 inch seam allowance, because many of my points were clipped on these blocks--but again, that's ok, we don't make mistakes, right Bob? I'll adjust the SA on the next one. (Trust me, this little dude was only the beginning.)

I added some black sashing, did some very simple (and minimal) quilting in an orange thread, and bound it with black and white striped binding to complete a mini quilt. I'll either hang it somewhere, or lay it on a table with a candy bowl on top this October. Ah..October. Anyone else dying for summer to get bent? 

   

Anyway, things escalated quickly after that.

I laid out my next 9 squares, that I dubbed "Monster Mash." The end result was slightly different than this layout, with Frankie being in the center, and the little potion bottle getting swapped for a jack-o-lantern.

I used a scant 1/4 inch seam allowance for these dudes, so the points were on point, if you will, more than they were on the mini quilt. 

After all the blocks were assembled, it was time to baste! I knew this one was going to be a pillow cover, so no sashing was needed. I also wanted to quilt this one differently than the last, with multiple colors of thread, and in a different direction.

I used purple and fuchsia on the straight seams, and lime green on the diagonal.

I stuffed a large pillow form inside to really fill it out, and I love how it turned out! It's basically a quilt pillow. From selecting fabrics, to cutting, piecing, pressing, assembling, quilting, and binding, it took many hours to make.

Texxxxtuurrrreeeee... *drools*

Can you hear his potion bubbling?

   

For the back, I used another one of Heidi Kenney's Spoonflower fabrics, which matches the pumpkin on the front. I opted for a zippered back, rather than a slip-in, just so it would be nice and tight. (That's what she said.)

Then, I laid out the next 9 squares, which I like to call: Templeton's Treats. (In case you've lived under a rock for any part of your life, Templeton is the rat in Charlotte's Web--a childhood favorite of mine, and let's just say, Templeton likes his snacks.)

*insert musical notes*

A fair is a veritable smorgasbord-orgasbord-orgasbord
After the crowd's have ceased
Each night, when the lights go out, it can be found, on the ground, all around
Oh, what a ratly feast

The initial layout changed again, once the blocks were assembled, and I swapped the orange candy piece for an adorable cream-filled donut. (I think Templeton would rather have the donut, anyway.)

Melon rinds and bits of hot dogs
Cookie crumbs and rotten cotton candy
Melted ice cream, mustard dripplings
Moldy goodies everywhere

Upside down, all the seams carefully pressed out.

Like stained glass!

I then went a little crazy coming up with 3x3 layouts, attempting a loose "theme" for each, with a main piece in the center.

Vampire Stuff ... Trick-or-Treating ... Fall: Pumpkins, Gourds, Leaves

Tea and Cookies ... Monsters and Zombies ... Halloween Party

Monster Lab (in Earthy tones) ... Halloween (in Mid-century Vibes) ... Zombie Stuff

These little 3" squares are all from the same fussy cutting panel. Every single square is different, so the possibilities and combinations are endless. I still have plenty more squares that haven't been put into little layouts yet, and it does get more challenging as I remove more, but coming up with these arrangements was so much fun.

I initially cut out every square on the panel, then organized them into piles of like items, such as Food/Drink, Animals, Nature, Objects, Monsters, then began laying them into 3x3 grids, trying to keep in mind the background colors as well as the theme. Some are vibrant, some are in rainbow order, some are muted tones, while others are Halloween-only colors. I can't wait to see how they look once they've been sewn into blocks, and eventually, into quilted pillows.

Pulling all the accent fabrics, and finding combinations that speak to me, has been such creative and necessary "play" for my mind. Though, I also love alphabetizing things and putting objects into rainbow order, so..I'm not surprised that I enjoyed this process as much as I did.

Next up, "Scarecrow Sam." He's from a cut-and-sew project panel, from what looks to me like the '70s, maybe '80s? It's just a simple front and back piece that you cut, sew, stuff with tons of poly-fil, and hand stitch closed. There are lots of vintage project panels on eBay and Etsy, if you're wanting to add some homemade retro swag to your sofa this Halloween..

Also, I feel I need to mention that he isn't covered in pet hair. (I don't have any pets.) It's just poly-fil fibers coming through the fabric. Carry on.

I also made another QAYG (Quilt As You Go) zipper pouch. These are so fun to make, again, allowing for creative play, by using fabric scraps. I love the freeing nature of this type of project. Just pick up scraps, stitch in place, quilt, repeat. Turn the quilted panel into anything you want!

I gave this a metal zipper, and attached a little scrap of fabric for a zipper pull. It will fray with use, and add to the charm, IMO.

   

The back..

And last, but not least, my newest shop additions, and nod to my OG Etsy offerings: Bitty Banners!

Around 13 years ago, I made full-sized banners that became the first items I sold when I opened my Etsy shop. They were all I made for several years. They were so fun to make (in the beginning), and that's where my love of fabric pairing began. Eventually, I wanted to branch out, so I started making little zipper pouches, and then more advanced bags and accessories, pouches, pillows, quilts, etc. I'm sure I'll be "learning" to sew forever. And honestly, I'd be sad if there wasn't anything else to know! But banners were where I got my start, and I may have stopped making the big ones, but these tiny guys feel like a fresh (and adorable) take on the thing that got me started. 

Here are a few banners I made back in the day, mostly from 10+ years ago. I sold many of them to photographers who would use them in their photoshoots. They would then allow me to use those photos in my Etsy listings.

I mostly made holiday and seasonal themed banners. Lots of 4th of July, some St. Patrick's Day, winter, Valentine's Day, Christmas, etc. But fall and Halloween were what I made most often. (Shocker.)

I also made a lot of custom banners, and would hand-paint phrases and names on the pennants for birthdays, wedding and engagement photoshoots, Hanukkah, senior pictures, kids rooms, etc. In hind sight, I WAY undercharged for the amount of time it would take me to paint them, but that was all part of the learning process back in the beginning. It's tough to know what to ask people to pay you for your time. Still is, tbh. 

The hand-painted banners were definitely time consuming, though. I used to use my Cricut to cut out the letters on scrapbook paper, then carefully trace them onto the pennants with a pencil. I would then use a teeny tiny paintbrush to fill them in with fabric paint. If I ever painted outside the lines whatsoever, I would scrap that pennant, re-cut and sew another, then start over from scratch. Luckily, I was very careful, and that didn't happen often, but it was not fun when it did; it was usually due to using such a dinky paintbrush with rogue bristles.

But eventually, I got burned out on making banners altogether, because of the custom orders. I didn't have as much time to curate fabric combinations that I personally wanted to see. Instead, I was meticulously hand-painting letters onto white muslin, when what I really needed was to play in my fabric again.

I had also gotten very specific requests for things like Yo Gabba Gabba!, John Deere, My Little Pony, The Cat in the Hat, etc. It was one of my first realizations when it came to sewing for my shop: I'm not a fan of custom orders, and just because I know how to sew, doesn't mean I want to sew everything. The only exception is if that custom order is something I already make, like a specific bag, in a Halloween fabric that I already own. I sew for fun; I just have to sell the things I make, or else I'd be living in an accessory warehouse. But that means I need to be in love with the whole process, and taking the time to make things purely for fun, "selfish sewing," is a very important part of that process. It keeps the creativity alive and helps prevent burnout. 

Enough time has passed since I hung up my "banner making hat," that sewing these tiny guys is fun in the same way that the full-sized banners were over a decade ago. The little banner below is the very first tiny version I made, over 10 years ago, which I recently unearthed from my stash. After removing the old ribbon and attaching some fresh binding, I popped it up on my bookshelf, and I think it looks so cute! Like, vintage floral bedsheets meets autumn in the '70s. 

They'd probably look adorable strung up on a wall-mounted mirror, open kitchen shelf, or mingled in with Halloween items on a mantel. 

   

I'm having a lot of fun making them, though! It's taking me back to my OG sewing days, where I'd pull fabric, pair colors and patterns for holidays and seasons. Create vibes. This little version seems much more versatile, as well. It's not 8 or 9 feet long. It doesn't require a fireplace mantel. It's definitely not geared towards photographers, unless maybe they're photographing hamsters. Damn, now I want to see a hamster photoshoot with Bitty Banners! Anyway, cute things make me happy, and playing with fabric is my jam.

The "selfish sewing" of a single tiny banner prompted me to make many more for my shop. 

   

So, that's about it for my recent makes! I know it was a mile long, but not having Instagram anymore to post what I'm working on, means I have a backlog of photos, and I need a place for them to live. Also, I personally love posts from other makers where they show lots of photos of their creations, as well as their creative spaces. So, I assume others enjoy this as well. And if you're reading this and hated how long it was, why did you hang around? BEAT IT! SCRAM! GIDOUTTAHEYAH! ;)

One final thought: go make stuff. Create because you can. Create because you can't NOT. Let the safety scissors fly, and the Crayolas lose their pointy tips. Let your inner Kindergartener loose to run amuck amongst the craft cart, just don't eat the paste.