Zakka Style Sewing Kit

I recently participated in the Covert Robin Swap, and after sewing for lots of swaps earlier this year, I was keen to choose a couple of projects that were new to me, and also practical for my partner Dee, who documents all her sewing and DIY projects at her blog Dee-Tales.

I bought the book Zakka Style ages ago, and have been keen to make something from it but other projects always got in the way. Dee has been recently become a Nanna, so I thought the travel sewing kit might be a good choice. She always has a project on the go but I assumed she would be spending more time with her grandson but might like to have some sewing goodies with her when she is out and about.

I used some linen I had in my stash, and some orange daisy and kite ties in deep blue from the Lucy's Crab Shack fabric range - left over from the quilt I made Lucy.

I popped into my local craft store and bought some goodies to fill the sewing kit - a measuring tape, some little scissors and pretty embroidery floss, which I chose to colour coordinate with the fabrics I've used. I love being matchy-matchy - it's like a sickness. I even picked out orange headed pins so they would coordinate too! I am a dork.

For a long time I've avoided stuffed projects, but knowing that I wanted to make this kit which includes a pin cushion, and also knowing that I had to make a pin cushion for another swap, I forced myself to sit down and learn how to properly hand stitch a seam closed. My previous attempts at hand stitching open seams have been an absolute embarrassment. You Tube to the rescue - I found this excellent video demonstrating ladder stitch with no knotted threads, and now my stuffed projects are all pretty! Ladder stitch is probably old news to you but for me it's been a revelation! I might have a bit of a crush on it.

The second part of the gift I made was a super simple but very practical little project - some hot and cold packs.

These are made using 5" squares - perfect if you have some charm squares left over - and some flannel, and filled with rice. I used this tutorial, which I found on Pinterest. I've been using Pinterest a lot lately, I'm enjoying the inspiration and also looking for THAT perfect quilt pattern for the Tsuru fat quarter bundle I ordered yesterday. So excited that I will finally be making a quilt for me!

I had some Joel Dewberry Aviary 2 and Modern Meadow scraps, which I cut into squares and used - it is so satisfying using up scraps of fabrics that you love, and really making the most of them.

So that is the last of the swap gifts for a while but soon I look forward to sharing the beautiful items that my lovely partners have made for me! I have been very lucky! Dee received this gift a couple of weeks ago and you can read her lovely post about it here.