A Splash of Colour

The very first sewing I did after 2 months of silence consisted of little things to lift the spirit.

My friend is currently on a medley of medication that leaves her unable to take Tylenol or Advil.

I know, right?
I just blinked at her for a moment.
Then I blurted "Well, you need some rice bags," and my friend said "What are rice bags?"

So I consider these not so much a teeny gift as an educational opportunity, with colour involved.

 

By the way, still using this awesome tutorial, thank you, Sew, Mama, Sew!

Then there were some business-related birthdays that needed addressing.
So. I addressed them.

I had this idea in my head that making zippy bags was tremendously time consuming, and that surely, surely, using velcro would be quicker. I constructed two sides of a bag by sewing 2 rectangles together - plus a layer of sew-in interfacing for a little firmness - and turned them right side out. I closed the "turning place" by hand, and machine sewed a length of velcro to each side. Then I top-stitched through everything, with neat little triangle pocket-top finishes, so the stitches wouldn't be ripped out every time the bag was opened, an advantage in a sewn object, I believe.

Was it quicker to make than a zippy bag? Ha ha. Not even a bit.
Maybe a bit easier. Less stressful. Fewer machine needles destroyed. (Remember this?)

Disclaimer: Makeup props totally not mine. Totally borrowed from kids.

The bags are prettily lined, a detail you can't see in these pictures, and are big enough for passports, makeup, some jewellery or an emergency chocolate stash.

I don't think that it's a coincidence that as I was recovering from my No-Sew Illness, the first things I made were little colourful gifts. I get the greatest joy sewing when I am making something in a hurry for someone else. Less time to surf the net in search of perfection in design and materials, more time to think about others, and just get the fabric moving.