Today is My Day - Say What?

Welcome
to the Sticks
and
 the second day of the
"Say What?" Challenge

Here is my finish:  Today Is My Day

Joan at MooseStashQuilting invited a great group of Bloggers to

create something inspired by something they have to say.

Thanks, Joan, for inviting me!

I listened to a motivational speaker once and he said that we should tell ourselves

every morning that "this is my day".

So when I found this project in the book "Sew Illustrated" by Minki Kim and Kristin Esser

I tweaked it from "This is the Day" to "This is MY Day.

I've been trying to use my books.

I bought them because they "spoke" to me.

Why do they sit and not get used?

So with my goal to dust my crafty and quilting books,

this is the one that "spoke" the loudest for the challenge.

From the reinforced corners to the quick zipper pocket inside,

the project was super fun and used techniques I hadn't done before.

And a few I had a little experience with.

Plus, I used some of my favorite Tula Pink fabric to make my new tote

perfect for me.

It's the perfect size for taking my lunch and more.

Check out the others that are saying "Today is My Day" today:

Tuesday April 18

Creatin' in the Sticks (YOU ARE HERE)
Inflorescence
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Just Because Quilts
BeaQuilter
Joyful Quilter

Joan has the rest of the schedule HERE

Have a great week
and make today yours!

Break Out the Flip-Flops - Here Comes The Sun Blog Hop

  Welcome to the first day of the

Here Comes the Sun

 Blog Hop!

I'm happy to kick things off with my

Travel Bag for Flip-Flops  

Carol at Just Let Me Quilt presented the bloggers with the challenge:

Sew something that has a summer theme like:

sunglasses, beach items, sunny skies, and/or yellow colors.

It can be a quilt, a bag, a toy, or whatever you want it to be.

Thank you, Carol, for inviting me to the hop!

There are 2 things a girl can never have enough of, friends and shoes.

When I pack to travel, I’m always tucking my shoes into the bottom of my bag with the soles down, so they won’t touch the rest of my clothes.

I created this bag for Thermoweb several years ago.

  By putting my shoes in this bag, there are no worries about street dirt getting on my clothes.

(I don't wear THESE shoes anymore - in case you were wondering - lol)

I am packing for a quick trip this week and I thought that this time of year I really need a 

flip-flop bag.

SO...  I used the same pattern (click here for the free pattern)

 only I made a flip flop embroidery and applique block for the center.

It's the perfect size for a few pairs.

Bring on the sunshine and the flip-flops.  I'm ready!

I'm sharing my sunshiny day with these bloggers:

June 20

Creatin' in the Sticks (You are here)

Becky’s Adventures in Quilting and Travel

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

For The Love Of Geese

That Fabric Feeling

Get inspired by all the blogs posting for the Here Comes the Sun Blog Hop this week!

Carol has the full schedule HERE.

Have fun hopping!

Don't forget to leave all the bloggers a little "comment love!"

See you here next month for Joan's UFO Blog Hop.

In August we will be thinking about TRAVEL.

Anything from places to go, to how you get there, and anything in between.

Maybe even an alligator?

I'm out of town (ironic) so I have to delay the sign-ups until July 1st.

Stay tuned for the announcement here at 

Creatin' in the Sticks.

See Ya Later, Alligator

Layer Cake Market Bag - Foodie Blog Hop

    Welcome to Creatin' in the Sticks
and
my day in the Foodie Blog Hop.

To all that are participating or visiting and commenting -

Thank you so much!

Yesterday was amazing!

I'm excited to share my Foodie project -

Layer Cake Market Bag.

You can't really make anything food without going to the market first unless, of course, you grow your own.  Even then this bag could be used.  

In this day and age, we are all a little more aware of our environment and the less trash the better.

I hate those little plastic bags at the store and would rather pick up my groceries with a reusable bag(s). This is the newest one of the many I've made.

Why not make it a fun, HUGE eclectic bag with lots of colors?

The fabric in this one is a 10" stack of "Punch" by Island Batik.

My layer cake market bag is perfect to carry a LOT!

I designed the bag to use one layer cake.

It's so fun to play with all those 10" squares.

It's my most requested bag pattern, but it's out of print.

So, I had planned to offer a new version of the pattern today.

Oh, life...

But, I'm working on the new version and should have it ready soon in my Etsy Shop.

Now check out the other bloggers posting Foodie ideas today:

Tuesday, May 24th

Creatin' in the Sticks - You are here

Samelia's Mum

Quilting Gail

Quilt Schmilt

Quilted Delights 

Words & Stitches

You can find the rest of the schedule HERE.

I enjoy hosting blog hop events so much!

Joan from Moosestash Quilting, Carol from Just Let Me Quilt, 

and I, Carla from Creatin' in the Sticks

take turns hosting the blog hops and themes/challenges.

I hope you are having as much fun as we are!

Sun and Sand Applique Beach Tote Bag

Who’s ready for a vacation?  I know I am! 

 I'm over on the Thermoweb blog with a free pattern to craft a 

Sun and Sand Applique Beach Tote Bag.

It's the perfect size to fill with all things VACATION!

This tote bag is all about my ideal vacation, relaxing at the beach.

It's big enough for all the essentials and stylish too.

Here is what I used to make the bag:

HeatnBond Lite Fusible Adhesive

HeatnBond Fusible Fleece  

HeatnBond Medium Weight Non-Woven Fusible Interfacing

HeatnBond Light Weight Non-Woven Fusible Interfacing

Island Batik Fabrics and of course, Aurifil thread.

Click here to get the free tutorial and pattern over at Thermoweb!

Even if you aren't going on vacation, this 
Sun and Sand Beach Tote Bag
 is great for the pool too!

Be ready for the warm weather and make it today *smile*

Kids Four-Leaf Clover Bag

 I have a project full of luck to share today.

I'm over on the Thermoweb blog with a free pattern to craft a 

Four-Leaf Clover Bag.

The perfect size to fill with chocolate gold coins for the littles or anyone

to celebrate the day of green.

These Kids Rainbow Four-Leaf Clover Bags are like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

Here is what I used to make the bags:

Heat-n-Bond® – Craft Extra Firm Fusible Interfacing to keep the bag in perfect shape no matter how much weight is added and, of course, HeatnBond Lite Fusible Adhesive, my favorite fabric adhesive for applique.  Rainbow fabric strips, green lining, green polka dots for the four-leaf clover, and black fabric to make the rainbow fabrics sing.

Click here to get the free tutorial and pattern over at Thermoweb!

Sending the luck of the Irish!

Crayon Drawstring Bag for a Certain Little Valentine

I have a fun project to share today.

I'm over on the Thermoweb blog with a free pattern to craft a 

Crayon Drawstring Bag.

My little granddaughter loves to color so I made her a little bag of coloring books and crayons.

 This drawstring bag is the perfect size for a couple of coloring books and all the crayons too. 

 HeatnBond Medium Weight Non-Woven Fusible Interfacing keeps the bag in shape and you can add HeatnBond Liquid Vinyl Gel Coating to the lining to prevent stains and make cleaning a breeze.  Of course, the pattern calls for HeatnBond EZ Print Lite to make the applique crayon tops so much easier.

Click here to get the free tutorial and pattern over at Thermoweb!

Happy Stitching!

Baby Shark PJs Transformed

 It's kids week over at Thermoweb this week
and
I have a fun project tutorial on the Thermoweb Blog.

Why not take an outgrown favorite and give it a new life? 

I’ll show you how to make a pajama set into a fun kids tote bag.

Here is the list of Thermoweb supplies:

HEATnBOND® FUSIBLE Medium Weight Interfacing

HeatnBond Fusible Fleece

EZ-Tee Woven Fusible Stabilizer

Plus you will need a Pajama set,1 fat quarter of fabric for lining, thread – Aurifil thread:  50wt # 4660, an iron – I love my Oliso Pro, and other general sewing supplies.

 After all, how can we have kids week without a little Baby Shark?

You will find a giveaway over on the Thermoweb Blog for National Craft Month!

Hopefully, that song isn't living in your head...

It’s In The Bag! Blog Hop with Island Batik and ByAnnie

 Today is the last day of the

4 week

Island Batik 

It's in the Bag! Blog Hop with ByAnnie

where all the new fabric collections are being showcased

with bag patterns by Annie Unrein of ByAnnie.com

As an Island Batik Ambassador, I was able to choose which ByAnnie pattern I would like to use for the blog hop.

I chose Pocket Packers!!

Island Batik and ByAnnie set me up for success by providing everything I needed to make not just one pocket packer, but I was able to make all 4 of the Pocket Packer styles from one pattern.  There was even a coupon to view a video online to help me make Pocket Packers.

The fabrics are from the Island Batik Spring 2020 collection,

William's Garden, designed by Kathy Engle.

Aren't the colors fun?

Fellow ambassador, Carol Moellers is also playing with these fabrics today.  Be sure and check out her ByAnnie bag.

The fabrics are shipping to stores now!

I chose Pocket Packers to organize personal items when I travel.  

Pocket Packers has 4 styles in one pattern.  

Each style features one large zippered mesh pocket on the back.

The front has either 1,2,3, or 4 zippered vinyl pockets.  The pockets can also be divided into more than one section.

This is the back of the Pocket Packers.

The pattern has instructions for a short or long handle, but I chose the short handle so I can hang the bag on the back of a door and it will have all my essentials right there in clear zippered pockets.

The bags are also perfect to carry supplies to quilting classes.

The matching Aurifil thread shows the size of the pockets.  Even the Pocket Packer with 4 pockets has large pockets.

The Pocket Packers are 18 1/2" x 13 1/2" and are fun to make.

The pattern and support video made the zippers so easy.

Even the quilting was a cinch with this manageable size.

Each Pocket Packer was quilted with matching  Aurifil 50 wt thread.

The only tricky part for me was working with the vinyl.  Vinyl likes to stick to plastic, but a tip from ByAnnie to place tissue paper over the work surface of the sewing machine and painter's tape on the pressure foot made the vinyl slide and feed right across the surface smoothly.

I hope you have a chance to check out all the new fabrics by Island Batik and the beautiful ByAnnie bags made by the Ambassadors.

September 8:

• Janet Yamamoto
• Suzy Webster

September 9:

• Michelle Roberts
• Gail Sheppard

September 10:

• Sharon Riley
• Alison Vermilya

September 14:

• Sally Manke
• Gail Renna

September 15:

• Mania Hatziioannidi
• Emily Leachman

September 16:

• Connie Kauffman
• Leah Malasky

September 17:

• Vasudha Govindan
• Joanne Hart

September 21:

• Carolina Asmussen
• Sandra Walker

September 22:

• Jennifer Fulton
• Pamela Boatright
• Jennifer Strauser

September 23

• Denise Looney
• Maryellen McAuliffe

September 24:

• Megan Best
• Jennifer Thomas

September 28:

• Carla Henton - me!
• Carol Moellers

Island Batik is having a giveaway too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When we get to travel again, I will definitely be putting one of my Pocket Packers in my suitcase!

Thank you Island Batik and ByAnnie for this fun month!