Bags of Bags

With close family living overseas, Christmas sometimes stretches out for quite some time. Why post gifts when you can deliver them in person (even if it is a month after the event)? Happily most of our overseas family was able to get to NZ for our daughter's (fabulous) wedding.... now I can share the last of my Christmas sewing.
I made this knitting bag for my sister-in-law - a crazy crafter (I mean that in the best possible way).

Good old Kiwiana fabric :-)

I did enjoy making this bag and will definitely be making another one from this pattern - the see through front is such a good idea. Next time I'll make the odd alteration - I didn't like how the inside seams were finished with a zig zag so I'll organise myself better to bind those edges. Also both edges of the zip were sewn in differently, I'd like to try to nut out a way to alter that as well. (It was because of the see through insert so may not be easy to change).

It was nice to see it filled almost immediately with a knitting project.. I hope it continues to be of good service to her!

I mentioned a couple of times last year that Mum had visited and we were doing some secret sewing together.
I'm not the only crafter in the family to collect orphan and unfinished blocks ... Mum had a pile of embroidery blocks that didn't have a home; samples from classes she's taken or 'just because' projects.

She brought them up here and we sorted through them and did some thinking. Over several serious sewing sessions (try saying that at top speed!) we used them to create 8 very different bags for her grand-daughters.
We built each block up to a standard size patchwork style (sashings, filler blocks, etc).  All of the fabrics came from my stash (and some of the linings from Mum's) - it was amazing what we managed to find - gulp!!

Mum was a dab hand with the pins (and the iron) and I did all the sewing.

I took lots of photos after we'd finished the first half, but didn't take so many of the rest of them. You get the idea anyway!

Eight very different bags.
There was more fun deciding which bag was for who!

First batch modelled by Mum :-)

 And where would we be without our Mums? Full marks to mine for the stirling effort in the leadup to the wedding....a last minute wardrobe malfunction meant taking out the zip of a bridesmaid's dress and replacing it with lacing. No mean effort!

Mum planned and pinned. Every time I went back to the house, I had a seam to sew!
(Yes, had to take my machine out to the beach.. Wasn't planning on that!)
(She did the last of the hand sewing on the morning of the Big Day!)

I think that's about all for now :-) We have another fun weekend coming up so I'd best get packing for that! 

Thank you for visiting, and happy stitching ♥