The quiet before the storm?
I’m not quite sure what happened to the start of the year? 🤷♀️ There’s always a rush at the end of every year to get all the gifts made. So the start of a new year always brings a bit of calm. I usually spend this time to plan for the year ahead. But with a new baby (nephew) on the way the madness has started a bit early.
So the main projects I’ve been working on have been gifts. But unfortunately I can’t show you any photos yet. I still have to post them and I don’t want to ruin the surprise. And since these are the main projects I’ve been working on it’s probably going to be a shorter post then expected.
One project I did finish was this very cute zipper pouch! I didn’t actually follow any patterns to make this. The idea behind it was to use the scrap fabric left over from the Sunshine Crossbody Pouch. It creates distinctive scrap fabric pieces because of the shape of the front pocket.
The size of the pouch was determined by the size of the scrap fabric. I was trying my best not to use as much of the fabric as possible. So no off cuts. Luckily all together they created a decent size zipper pouch- able to carry all your daily needs.
And one of the things I enjoy most about this type of project? It’s experimenting with where to place the fabric pieces! I like to take my time and try different combinations. It always just feels right when you get them placed perfectly.
The slip pocket on the inside was a last minute decision. But very happy to use some of the smaller pieces of fabric. Plus I think it adds a lovely splash of colour to what is otherwise a neutral lining.
To me the “icing on the cake” has to be the addition of the flower zipper pull! Just works perfectly with the fabric.
Overall I’m just glad I was able to use up the remaining pieces of this gorgeous Jocelyn Proust fabric. It’s too beautiful to waste! Plus it makes a beautiful pouch. I’m really happy with how it turned out!
Another project I embarked upon was repurposing a broken fire pit into a herb garden. This solved two problems. First I wanted to create a herb garden in our backyard. Secondly we had this broken fire pit in our garden (nearly 10 years!) waiting to be fixed.
The decision to repurpose the fire pit into a herb garden couldn’t have gone any better! I’m so happy with how it turned out and the herbs have been loving it.
With winter approaching I’ve decided to freeze some herbs. That way I’ve got access to fresh herbs all year long. After a bit of research I decided to try this method.
First washing and drying the herbs, followed by roughly chopping them. Then I put the chopped herbs in a reusable ziplock bag with a drizzle of olive oil. Lastly I flattened the herbs out. (This will make it easier to cut pieces off when frozen.) Labeled and off to the freezer.
Finally, I’ve also been working on the next tutorial for my blog. A DIY Luggage Tag! I do love making these luggage tags. It’s a great scrap fabric busting project. And if you’re a bag maker you will probably have the required scrap interfacing to hand.
Hopefully the only thing you will have to purchase is some of the hardware. I actually already had these materials in my stash when I came up with the project so you never know? I’m also a big believer in replacing materials for things I already have if suitable.
The thing I love the most about these luggage tags? Is that they are just so useful! They make identifying your luggage at the airport extremely easy. You know that even if someone has an identical suitcase – there is no way they will have the same luggage tag!
Anyway I’m happy with the progress I’m making on this Luggage Tag tutorial. The plan is to get it completed before my mid year update. Fingers crossed 🤞
