Zippered Pouches

When visiting relatives, one must bring gifts. Usually my mom lugs over a suitcase full of vitamins and snacks to Taiwan, but since I was going solo, I wanted to bring something a little less predictable.

For the ladies, I made them zippered pouches. It ended up being a great idea because:

1. I got more practice sewing pouches and zippers
2. I used a lot of fabric scraps I've been saving.
3. Asian girls LOVE pouches
4. I would get a chance to share something I love doing with my family
5. Giving something handmade feels more personal

I decided not to make anything for the guys, so I bought them food. =)

Kindle Sleeve

Instead of bringing a few books along with me on my trip to Asia, I decided to borrow my mom's Kindle. She's been keeping it in a not-so-pretty makeup pouch that was included in some gift set, and there was no way I was going to bring that on the trip with me. Using leftover stabilizer and fabric from my sewing class projects, I put together simple sleeve that would keep the Kindle clean and scratch free.

Zippered Pencil Pouch

My first project on the new machine was a present for Kathy who is moving to New York for grad school. I thought I'd help her out with back-to-school shopping by gifting her a cute pencil case.

This case isn't too different from the other ones that I've made with exception to the zipper. This one has a zipper along the top instead of on the side. I also used the alphabet stitching feature in my new machine to sew "Kathy" and "Made By GC" on the inside lining.

What am I going to do without my music/design buddy?!?!? I'm going to miss her so much!! Unless I move to NY too..... ;)

New Sewing Machine

I am definitely still a beginner on the sewing machine. Even then, I have been wanting a new, nicer one for a while. I am able to do everything I want and need to do on my little Singer Prelude 8220, but there are a lot of "nice to haves" that I find myself daydreaming about. So, what sewing machine would be a good upgrade for me? I had absolutely no idea.

Well... Amazon helped me out by offering a Lightning Deal for the Singer Curvy 8770. I spent a good hour and a half researching this model, comparing it to other models/brands, and debating whether or not it was a good purchase. My mom helped me make my decision by telling me this would be her present to me for my birthday.

What's the verdict? I LOVE MY NEW MACHINE! I've had the chance to play around with a lot of the features. It is a lot easier to use compared to my old one - especially since a lot of things are electronic. The sewing experience is smoother and more efficient. Here is more information on this particular model.

Look at how big the new machine (17 pounds) is compared to my old machine (13.67 pounds)!

iPhone Pouch

I thought it was about time I replace my iPhone pouch - it was getting faded and gnarly. Instead of crocheting/knitting myself a new one, I thought I should put my sewing skills to practice.

I used black flower-patterned fabric on the outside, light purple fabric on the inside, fleece in between for some basic paddic, and purple square buttons. Since I'm still terrible at estimating measurements, the pouch came out a tad bit snug. It's fine though. I can still use it. =)