From A - New Toy

As an avid reader I have long debated about adding an eReader to the household. I love physical books and wasn't sure I'd like the experience of reading without the book.

I finally caved this week and bought a Kobo Mini. In honour of Cyber Monday, they were priced at only $50.00 and I figured that at that price, it was worth a try. When I went looking for a case for my new toy, all that seemed to be available on this side of the drink (ie. North America) was a $20.00!!! piece of plastic that made the back of the device look pretty but did nothing to protect the screen.

My crafty instinct kicked in and I found this tutorial, re-jigged the measurements so that it would fit, dug through the stash for supplies and bought some Velcro. For about 20 cents, I had enough supplies to make three cases.

I used some leftover Storm Clouds by Tula Pink from my Swoon quilt for the exterior and some Four Square voile by Anna Maria Horner from one of the baby blankets I made for the lining. I used some Pellon Thermolam Plus for the inter-lining/padding from my Hoop Travel Bags. Not a huge fan of Pellon generally but the Thermolam is the perfect thickness/density for these padded pouch projects.

After thirty minutes of planning, and 1 hour of sewing I had a perfectly tailored and not bulky at all sleeve. In fact my Kobo is way smaller than any book I've read lately. Perfect for my new life as a frequent traveller/long-distance wife effective January.

In case you were also sucked into the sale and want to make one of your own I cut my fabric 6.75" wide and 11.25" long. I used a upside-down dinner plate as a template for the top flap.

With Christmas now less than 4 weeks away, I will definitely make at least one more of these.

From K - Three bags makes progress

It's official, I'm absolutely certain now that it is physically impossible to make just one travel hoop bag and stop there. When I started working on my first bag two weeks ago while visiting Amanda, she told me they were addictive... and now I can only agree. To support my theory, this past weekend I may have broken down and whipped up two more.... maybe...

These bags make for a very quick and rewarding project, which for a quilter, can sometimes be a rare occurrence, am I right? And even better, the pattern is stash friendly, and you could even get scrappy with it. For my first bag, I added a third row of fabric and I like the effect. I pulled some fabric from my stash such a Mezzanine from Grand Hotel by Jenean Morrison (top), and The Banks from Across the Pond by Michelle Engel Bencsko (middle), along with Memoir from Alchemy by Amy Butler (bottom).

For the second bag, I used some fabric that I picked up while in Toronto. I think I'm definitely going to need to incorporate more Raven Lace from Night Shade by Tula Pink into my life, and Tangled Threads from Sew Mama Sew might just become a stash staple. For the inside of this bag, I decided to go with Tapestry Sheeting from The Ghastlies by Alexander Henry and I think it was a perfect fit.

It sure didn't take me long to find something to fill these bags with. Last week a couple new cross stitch Christmas stocking kits arrived and were itching for a storage solution. These bags were put to good use right away and will help me stay on track. Is it a problem that I already want to make more?

From A - Starting

It's been a long time since I've spent any quality time with my sewing machine. Every time I try, something more important seems to come up.

In an attempt to break the drought, I spent a bit of time cutting fabric for a baby quilt. Inspired by Kelsey's gorgeous plus quilt, I decided that with another 5 babies on the way in my immediate friend circle (that brings the count up to 14 in about 19 months) it was probably wise to invest in a few more baby gifts.

I'm using the left over squares from the layer cake I bought to make my Carnival quilt and some Kona Mushroom.

Can't wait to buy some matching thread later this week so I can finally dust off my old friend and get back to making quilts!