Starfish Clutch Bag

When planning a costume or outfit one should be aware of the the details and the needs they may have while wearing the outfit or costume. This, of course, means that you need to take into account more than just hair things and gloves - this means a handbag or purse. This also, of course, means I came up with something fun from scraps of my costume that would match perfectly. (Happy Halloween! And enjoy!)

I decided I needed a starfish hand bag with a wrist strap that would be big enough to hold my cell phone, ID, and a little cash. (Plus, it needed to be fun.)


It's a lined, quilted little starfish clutch made from green fabric, black lace, with an elastic wrist strap, and a button/elastic closure. To make it pliable, yet keep it's shape I using felt in between the exterior and lining. (Yes, I needed another handbag. Don't judge me.)

Using a paper starfish template, I cut all my fabric (all eight layers), paying attention to the direction they would be in the end result.

I made a couple stitches on the corners to keep things in place before securing with a few stitched lined on the one side to "quilt" the pieces together securely.

On the other side I cut a slit through all four layers as an opening that would be big enough for my hand and my cell phone. I used a simple blanket stitch to finish the edge of the opening and to secure the four layers together. I added a short piece of elastic and a silver button as a closure. Then I added a few "quilted" lines to that side as well.

Using my wrist as a guide I secured the elastic strap to the top inside of one of the starfish with a needle and thread. I pinned the two side together, with the outside facing out, pinning the tassels as I went to be caught in the machine when I sewed it shut. I then sewed the outside edges of the entire starfish with a zigzag stitch to secure the entire thing as a finishing stitch.

It really didn;t take that long to make and it is just the right size to hang off my wrist.

Part 2: A Baby Blessing Quilt (second piece)

Here is the second piece of the Blessing Quilt I've been working on. On this one I embroidered the baby girl's full name and birthday on a shimmering pink fabric with silver stars with white embroidery floss. I even accented a few of the stars, adding to the texture of the finished piece.

2nd piece (again not square).

Embroidered Poetry Book

 As a part of April's National Poetry Month, April 14 (2011) is Poem in Your Pocket Day and, of course, I needed something to help celebrate and embrace this idea. (Poetry is important to the human soul.) Generation T had a great idea to make a Poetic Pocket Square, but I wanted something a little different, a little more me. (And something that would hold more than just one poem. I couldn't choose just one.) I needed space for more than just one poem and so came about this Embroidered Poetry Book, sewn together with a little heart and a little imagination. (The best combination for any project.) Oh, and some fabric and embroidery floss, too. (Everything was stuff I already had on hand.)

I embroidered the front outside and inside of the cover with colorful thread colors on green fabric. (I chose to make the 'cover' green and the 'pages' white, but there is no hard fast rule top any fabric or color choices.) For the inside pages of my fabric book, I chose three poems to embroider; including  Emily Dickinson's "If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking," Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," and Maya Angelou's "The Traveler." I sketched all the fabric with a pencil before sewing the words and details before sewing.

My mind is now full of ideas for another fabric book or two in other themes or purposes. One could make a great, personal, gift for the right person and occasion.

Watch out world - I have poems in my pocket and a trip through the washer won't blur the words.