Minikins Galore

Since I was on a break from sewing quilt tops for much of the year but still had the itch to sew, I ended up making a lot of smaller projects from Sew Sweetness. I decided to use this opportunity to try out a variety of shapes, sizes, and techniques, and it is a great way to use up my yardage and loose fat quarters. All of these projects are from Sara's Minikins collections, and there's a video workshop for each of these projects, literally the only way I can make them.

I intended to sew just a few, but found myself addicted. I've previously had a difficult relationship with pouches and bags projects, loving the end result but wanting to cry at the process. However, aside from the cutting (which I still hate) I think I've finally learned to enjoy the whole process. Well, 90% of the process, at least. And after each project is finished, I kept wanting to make another one, which is how I ended up with 8.

Sidewider Pouch: a really cute pouch with a great useful shape. I was rather surprised by the drop-in lining, but overall this was not a difficult project.

Zeppelin Pouch: the shape makes it extremely useful for knitting projects, and I adore the name. I had a lot of trouble with this one, so this was definitely a skill builder.

Brumby Pouch: By far the easiest project in this set, I could not believe how easy it was to make this and it looks fantastic once pressed. However, the pattern shape is a bit odd and makes it difficult to cut fabrics and interfacing efficiently.

Grab 'n Go Sleeve: This is my 2nd Grab 'n Go Sleeve, and overall this is a great and pleasant sew, and I love that the size is totally customizable.

Moto Pouch: I made this to force myself to try drop-in lining one more time, and I found this project easier than the Sidewinder Pouch due to the shape, but it's constructed very similarly.

Trifle Tumbler: the round barrel shape is adorable, and I was able to try out the technique of binding to finish the raw edges.

Jetset Cinched Bag: this was another skillbuilder for me, as it's my first time using foldover elastic and my first time using a drawstring cord. It was a bit difficult however to cinch the drawstring in, and I'm not sure how much I will use this bag for that reason.

Morsel Lunch Bag: I used InsulBright for this bag to make the lining insulated, and I hope to test it out one day with a picnic lunch or something.

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Well, I had a really, really great time sewing all these! With each one I could tell my confidence level went higher, and I felt an immense sense of satisfaction when they were done. I finally understand why so many people are addicted to making these type of projects.