~ My ladies' cloth pads sewing pattern & tutorial is one of the most popular things on my site. And here's a new version, using PUL fabrics!

~ Here's a tutorial for sewing a makeup brush roll-up case.

This is a cute handbag with matching checkbook cover and credit card case (which folds closed). The bag is light and easy to carry, and has a handy-dandy back pocket for grocery lists, etc. The trio is made in quality quilting cotton featuring several different batik prints. For the bag, I used the Lazy Girl Designs "Run Around Bag" pattern. It was super-easy, with all of the pieces rotary cut, and the zipper put in the Lazy Girl way. The checkbook cover and credit card case are from patterns I drafted myself.

This is a cute little shoulder bag, just right when you need to carry more than fits in a pocket but don't need or want a full-sized purse/handbag. It can be made with just two coordinating fat quarters and a 12" zipper. The instructions were extremely easy to follow. I am one of those sewers who usually makes something up in a completely different way than the pattern suggests. However, for this one, I followed the very easy, clear directions as written and the whole thing went very smoothly. The pattern called for batting in the back, but I didn't bother with it and the purse is quite nice without it. If you were using a flimsier fabric, you might need the batting. (But then, a flimsier fabric wouldn't be ideal for this bag anyway.) I wouldn't use a cheap cotton - I don't think it would be sturdy enough, even with the lining. It seemed a bit nuts at first to spend $8 on a pattern to make something this simple, but the instructions were so well-written and well-thought-out that it was well-worth the money. I was extremely pleased with my bag and use it every day. If you have a couple of fat quarters you love but don't know how to use, give this pattern a try! See my full pattern review here.

Using the same Lazy Girl Designs "Run Around Bag" pattern, I made this bag for one of my daughter's friends. It is made of two home dec fabric samples, and is not lined because of the thickness of the fabric. I love the way the color of the zipper becomes a design element. The prints are greener than they appear in this picture. The recipient was thrilled, especially when I pointed out that it had been custom designed for her, and no one else in the whole world had one.