When my sister was visiting just before Thanksgiving this past November I asked her if there was something I could make for her for Christmas. Since I am currently unemployed I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on gifts and she came back with a swift answer, “How about some more knitting project bags, but this time make them bigger!” Back in February of 2010 I made a knitting tote bag with accessories for her birthday. She never leaves home without her knitting projects and loves the project bags most.
Like any good crafter my sister is never working on just one project and wanted more bags to store them in so I obliged her. Of course I couldn’t just make some plain old bags so I found some machine embroidery to add to them. She was quite happy with them and when she visited her local yarn shop with one, the owner of the shop thought the bag was awesome and asked if she could contact me to see about selling them at her shop (in Grosse Pointe, MI).
Knitters Project Bags
I stuffed them full of batting to photograph them so you could see the shape. They have a circular bottom and a drawstring at the top. I lined them with complementary light-colored fabric. I chose fabric that was used in the previous tote bag or that matched some of the fabrics in it.
In addition to the project bags I also embroidered a t-shirt with a cute knitting motif on it.
Knitting Polar Bear T-shirt
The three embroideries I did on the project bags came from Urban Threads and the knitting polar bear if from Embroidery Library (my go to sites for embroidery files). Here is a close up view of the embroideries.
Knitters Embroideries
I love the one with the sheep knitting herself a sweater after being sheered. I think the detail of the band-aid is funny.
The other gifts I made were zippered clutch bags and key fobs/wristlets. I made a couple out of cotton that I did a simple quilting motif on for each of my sisters daughters and the report is that they love them. I am always nervous making things for the youngsters since I am not one myself any more. I worry that the fabric I choose won’t be something they will like, but these two were big hits!
Clutches for my Nieces
I also made a couple of these bags out of faux suede with embroideries on each side. I made one in black for my hair dresser and the blue one with the wristlet was for my mother. Both of the embroideries were also from Urban Threads and are snowflake designs. The black one for my hairdresser uses scissors for the snowflake design and the blue one has a button, thread spool and needle with thread for the snowflake. It took a while for the hair dresser and some of her colleagues to make out the scissors.
Faux Suede Clutches
I love using the faux suede for bags. It is more durable than cottons so the corners don’t wear out. In February I will be giving a short seminar on how to make the clutch bags at the Genesee Valley Quilt Club, one of the quilt clubs I belong to. Apparently many quilters are intimidated with putting zippers in bags and requested a seminar on this subject. Being a sewer all my life and having made plenty of clothes with zippers I am very comfortable adding them to projects and love to show others how simple it is.
Well, those are my most recent projects. I had fun working on them and will let you know what is next in line.
Bird Brains & Dog Tales 
just dropped by to tell you how wonderful we think you are for all the work you are doing on the pittie quilt. We like your work that you have pictured on your blog and hope you don’t mind if we start following you.
again, thank you, you are an angel from heaven.
I would love for you to follow me. As you can see from my sidebar I already follow you and many others. As for being from heaven…I’m not so sure about that, but thanks for the compliment! We quilters have a passion for using our skills to help others so I am glad that Agnes is allowing me to help her with this project. I think you and your Vickie are heaven sent for all the work you do/have done with your pet therapy visits and finding lost people. That is amazing work!
What embroidery machine do you use? I have a Janome 3160 QDC, new for Christmas from Geoff, and am thinking of investing in an embroidery machine also- Looking at the Baby Lock Ellure Plus (The Ellisimo and the Janmoe Horizon 12000 are a bit out of my range right now- Geoff has been out of work for six months himself) LOVE your bags, BTW. (And I am one of those quilters afraid of zippers!)
THANK YOU for your help with the quilt!
Thank you for stopping by our blog. The cupola will be raised by a crane sometime in the spring. We’ll be blogging about it for sure.
Love ya lots,
Maggie and MItch
Hi Miss Cindy and Nina!!
Mom and I thank you for dropping by to say Hi! We love meeting new furiends.
Mom said to tell you all of your crafts a super pretty. She crochets and sews.
Hugs Madi
Hi Miss Cindy
It is I, Madi, again!! We just came from Ms. Agnes’ blog to say welcome and a great big thank you for your wonderful donation of time working on the Pittie Pack Quilt…what a loving place Blogville is!!
Madi
Hellos, it’s me Puddles! I was comin’ by to say THANK YOU furs helping WHN withs da Pittie Pack quilt…but you came tomy blog befores I had a chance…hehehe! Anyways, I wants to thank you furs helping. Dis has been such an awesome idea and it still brings tears to our eyeballs. I knows it is time consuming but their is so much love in da quilt. THANK YOU! And thank you furs coming to visit me too.
Madi’s mom crochets too. My mum can’t do a darn thing…sigh.
Puddles
Your projects are lovely! Have you thought of selling them on Etsy???
Your dog is a beauty!!
Hi Holly,
Thanks for the compliment. I have been pondering selling on Etsy, but I feel intimidated by the whole process. I have to make a few samples of my clutch for a seminar I am going to teach and I was thinking of putting them up for sale on Etsy after the class.
Nina is a real sweetie and is one of the softest dogs in the world.
Thanks for stopping by.
Cindy
Oooo so cute! Love the knit or die logo, that would make a cute tattoo..haha!
Wyatt’s mom
Actually that set of logos were inspired by tattoos.
Oh, to be so creative and talented – all your work is just beautiful.
Thanks from us too for stopping by to visit us.
Woos – Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning
Of course they loved your presents!
All of them are pawesome!
Happy weekend!
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza