Thought I'd Explain the Cute Picture Above

The Mom in this group is a widow. The daughter lost her Dad over six years ago when she was 19. He never got to walk her down the aisle but her cool bro did. Today is that daughter's birthday. Happy Birthday dear daughter. When tragedy struck our little family the mother's sister flew across the country to be by my side and help that daughter and nephew through the most horrible days of their lives. To say I am close to my sister is an understatement and probably aside from my daughter the only person I really put out for in a crafty way....so one day a year or so ago I made her a coiled rope bowl to corral her small quilting tools, a pincushion and a sewing  kit to hold a few needles, her special scissors a tape measure and her thimble. The coiled fabric covered rope is one of my specialties and  you can find the directions in many places...it's not hard to do and your first attempts will look it but they are the best ones!!! Then I fashioned a pincushion. Again nothing terribly special there you can get that tutorial anywhere on the net.  The fun part is making a sewing kit container from an old hard shell eyeglass case. I started saving them years ago thinking they must be good for something....well............all decorated and personalized, they can hold lots of things  so you can throw them in your handbag or knitting bag or quilting tote. This doesn't have to be a sewing kit...it can be a small travel jewelry case or a safe place to hold fragile things .....so here goes... grab an old hard shell eye glass case....you know... the one that snaps shut and if you're stupid enough to leave your finger in the way wow does THAT hurt!!!! If it has a "faux" leather covering or a fabric, carefully peel off that and try to preserve it one piece it makes a great pattern for the fabric you might use to re-cover the case. If there is not one you just need a scrap large enough to cover one side at a time. You can use lots little pieces and glue them on like a "collage". Whatever you have. BUT try to coordinate all the three projects  if you plan to give the set to someone. Now gather all your scraps and trims, needles,scissors, some white glue and some poly fill stuffing.  I have boxes of trims, buttons, old game pieces, ribbons, small artificial flowers, beads and old jewelry.  pull the inside linings out and again if you can preserve them for patterns that's always helpful.

Gather all your stuff (that's the fun part!!)

Remove the outer and inner covering and lining  and use as a pattern, glue the target fabric onto the top outside and the bottom outside

pretty

 I had some print felt and used a small piece to line the inside top half of the "sewing kit"

the felt is glued in the top half and

a contrast fabric is glued to the bottom ; make it really loose and before gluing the last side to the eye glass case stuff it tightly with poly fill to make a stationary pincushion or a place to store your hand sewing needles, straight pins and such. Glue the opening to the case.

decorate the outside

Here is the free standing pincushion with some cute
fabric leaves attached..

...and here is the coiled fabric covered rope bowl...notice the flower and the knotted handles.



The foloowing pictures show a few of the other bowls I have sewn. They are great seasonable gifts...Halloween, Christmas, summer......