Selvage Tote & Another Bella Pouch

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So I attacked my selvage (selvedge?) stack last week and whipped up this adorable tote. I've seen it spelled both ways so I don't know which way is correct.


I have expressed before that I've been wanting to try sewing with selvages but have been a little intimidated. It actually wasn't too bad. The hardest part was trying to keep them straight. But after awhile, I got the hang of it. I was going to make the entire tote out of selvages but decided to add a linen trim at the bottom.


I felt like this bag was worthy of my hoarded Echino trim. I am in love with the vibrant colors and contrasting stitches. I used the turquoise webbing for this bag. And I lined it with a Joel Dewberry print.




I also got a chance to make another Bella Pouch with this gorgeous viewfinder print by Melody Miller. It matched up perfectly with the pink seeds by Denyse Schmidt. Isn't it adorable?




These two bags are now in the shop, along with the typewriter tote I sewed up awhile back. I wanted to keep it but, in all honesty, I have so many bags, I'd never use it. So why not send it off to somebody who will use it and love it?


Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the Tote & Book Swap. I'll be assigning partners on Sunday. Also, if you've signed up already and have not given me your Flickr username, I need those too so I can invite you to the Flickr group! Thanks!

The Perfect Project Pouch

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I couldn't resist trying the new add on to Jeni's drawstring bag pattern when I saw it on Purse Palooza. It makes for the perfect project pouch! The little outer pockets are so practical and they add a unique twist to the already adorable bag.




I used fabrics from the Dena's new line for Free Spirit, Pretty Little Things. I love the cute trees!





And here are my new iPhone cases from Society 6 (birthday swag). Love!


The one with the books is called Literary Gems II and the other is called Your Love Is Electrifying. There are so many pretty ones, it was hard to narrow it down! I'll definitely be back for more. Have a great week!

Tote & Book Swap Sign Up

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**Sign up is now closed**
It's time for another swap!! This swap idea was given to me by Meig during my birthday giveaway. I asked that you tell me your favorite book or suggest a good read. I'm amazed at how many of you love to read as much as I do. So here it is, the Tote & Book Swap.


For this swap, you will be responsible for sending a handmade tote and a book to your swap partner (extra goodies are always welcome!!). Doesn't matter how big the tote is or what method you use to make it, as long as it can hold some books. I recommend you start up a Pinterest board to share your likes with your partner.

If you're interested in signing up, email me at greenletterday (at) yahoo (dot) com with the subject: Tote & Book Swap. Include your name, address, email address and blog link, if applicable. Keep in mind that the package you send out might be a little heavy depending on what book you send out so please let me know if you're open to ship internationally. I'll leave the sign up open until next Saturday (June 30th) and then assign partners the following day. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Giveaway Winner

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It's my biiirthdaaaaay! Woohoo!! Thank you all for the lovely birthday wishes and the great book recommendations! I have a lot to consider. I've read some of the suggestions: The Hunger Games, A Discovery of Witches, Pride and Prejudice, Gone With the Wind (my all time fave!!), all great reads!

So you're probably wondering who won the Bella Pouch full of goodies in my Birthday Giveaway!


Random.org chose lucky #83 who happens to be angiew! Congratulations! I'll contact you soon for your snail mail deets or you can email me. Her book recommendation was The Awakening by Kate Chopin. I'll have to look into it! I had another reader suggest we do a Tote and Book swap. I LOVE that idea! I'll be putting up the sign up post real soon. Thanks for the idea, Meig!

I also wanted to share that I'm a finalist in the Summer Sewing Contest at Ellison Lane Quilts! If you get a chance, please stop by and vote for my Bella Pouch in the Bags & Accessories category!

Birthday Giveaway

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I'm turning the big 2-8 this Friday and I thought I'd celebrate with a little giveaway! I put together a little array of goodies for one lucky reader!


Here is what you'll get if you win:

- A grey linen Bella Pouch made by me
- A matching wallet made by me
- A $10 Starbucks gift card
- A pack of Starbucks spearmint gum
- A bottle of Bath & Body Works HandiBac Lotion in Fresh Market Apple
- An Essie Nail Polish in Bikini So Teeny
- A mini notebook that I decorated with Washi Tape
- Two handmade hair bows made by me
















To enter, just leave me a comment telling me what your favorite book is or a book you'd like to recommend to me. I just finished a great series called Infernal Devices and I'm in the market for a new book!

As usual, my followers get an extra entry. And you get a third entry if you like Pink Stitches on Facebook!

Please leave a comment for each entry and don't forget to include your email address if it's not available on your profile. I'll choose a winner on my birthday, June 22nd! Good luck!!

Pattern Review & A Giveaway!

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Happy Friday! I'm giving away a Bella Pouch PDF Pattern over at Amy's blog, Lots of Pink Here! She also has a really thorough review of the pouch for you guys. Check out the adorable Bella Pouch she made using Bonnie & Camille fabric (how fitting!).


You have until next Friday to enter! And don't forget, I'm offering a 15% discount for everything in my shop to all of my readers. Use the code PINKSTITCHES15 at checkout. Offer is good until Sunday!

Kaleidoscope Pillow

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I'm so glad I was able to cross this project off my to-do list this week. If you follow me on Facebook, you've already gotten a little sneak peek. I had been wanting to make a Kaleidoscope pillow ever since I saw Angela's last year. Then I saw Jeni's and she included the link on where to buy the special ruler needed to make the blocks. I was thrilled! The ruler comes with instructions on how to make the blocks.








I used 6" blocks to make an 18" pillow and I decided it was time to use my entire Flea Market Fancy collection. I am in love with the combination of my favorite fabric line and my new favorite pattern. I plan to make one more pillow using my FMF to complete my spring set of three!

In other news, I've been teaching myself how to knit. I have a bucket list of things I want to achieve before I turn 30 (and I'm turning 28 in a couple of weeks so I need to get crackin!). I've crossed crochet and sewing off my list and the things that remain are knitting, learning French, and learning to play the piano. I am one step closer to crossing another thing off the list! Wish me luck!!

Bella Pouches In The Shop

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I've completed some more Bella Pouches and listed them in my Etsy shop. It was a lot of fun picking out fabrics for my new pattern to mix and match. I really like the look of a different fabric for the flap.




I think the black one with scissors is my personal favorite. Wouldn't it be adorable to use as a sewing kit? I would love to fill it with pretty spools of thread and tiny embroidery scissors. You can view more pictures of the other pouches in the shop.

I also have the Bella Pouch PDF Pattern available for those of you who are interested in making your own pouches! I've been asked if Kindles would fit in these bags. I don't have a Kindle or Nook on hand to see but the finished dimensions of the bags are 7"H x 8"W so it might just be able to.


Right now, I'm offering all my faithful readers 15% off on all purchases til the end of the week! Just enter PINKSTITCHES15 at checkout. Have a lovely day!

Bella Pouch Pattern Now Available!

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Hi friends! Thank you for all the positive feedback on my Bella Pouch post! I have completed the pattern and it is now up for sale in my Etsy shop. It is available in a PDF format and I'll be emailing out copies within 24 hours of purchase. Again, thank you for all your kind words and amazing support. Hopefully, this will be the first of many patterns to come!

And if you don't feel like making your own Bella Pouch, I'm working on finishing up some pouches to put in the shop sometime next week. Have a great weekend!

ETA: By the way, I have started a Pink Stitches Flickr group. If you have used any of my tutorials or patterns, feel free to upload your photos onto the group pool. I'd love to see different variations of my projects and feature some of my favorites on the blog!

QAYG Library Tote

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I recently heard of a quilting method called "Quilt As You Go". I had never heard of it before and all of a sudden, I was seeing it everywhere. I thought it would be a cool way to try and make a tote bag.






I think you know me enough by now to know that I LOVE BOOKS! I wanted a cute book bag to take to the library or bookstore with me- with enough room to fit a ton of books. I think this bag is perfect for that. I used the same dimensions as my square patchwork tote (15" by 15") but instead of a 3" gusset, I used 3.5" on this one. I love that the QAYG technique allowed me to quilt in different directions. It was a fun way to quilt the log cabin on the front.

My sister also asked me to make her a lunch sack for school this week. She liked the drawstring bag I made using Jeni's pattern (project size) so I made her this one using some of my favorite fabrics- Flea Market Fancy, A Walk In the Woods and Scratchy Scribble.


Before I sign off, would anybody be interested in making me a new header for my blog? And maybe some buttons?? I'm kinda bored with mine and I think the blog needs a new look. I don't have a big budget for design work right now but I'd love to pay you in goodies! Email me if you're up for the job: greenletterday at yahoo dot com. Have a great week!

Domestic Bliss Bowtie Quilt

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My Domestic Bliss quilt is finally finished! It would have been done a long time ago were it not for the fact that I put off the basting part as long as possible. It's the part I dread the most. Once I got around to it though, it actually wasn't that bad. I love this pretty quilt! It just screams summer picnics, don't you think? This marks my second completed quilt, I'm so proud of myself. Brace yourself for many, many photos!






This quilt was inspired by Angela's Habitat quilt. I made this one a lap sized quilt using 6" blocks. I wanted minimal quilting for a soft finish so I simply echo quilted around the octagons.








(Modeled by my little niece)

Quilt Stats:
fabric - Domestic Bliss by Liz Scott and Kona Bone
backing - Domestic Bliss by Liz Scott
binding - Ta Dots by Michael Miller
pattern - traditional bow tie blocks
pieced and quilted by me