Tutorial - Turn Any Small Toiletry Bag into a Hanging Bag!

I have been on the hunt for the perfect hanging toiletry bag for travel and have not found one. We just scheduled a (2 overnights) trip on the California Zephyr. It's our first rail trip and I've been doing my research. One of the things I've heard over and over again is that you want to hang your toiletries for two reasons. First, you do not want to set it down on the sink because it has been used by so many people before you. Second, there isn't much room anyway. So of course I continued with my search. Found nothing that I liked as much as the ones that I've been using for probably about ten years. I just really love these bags because when I made them, I really took my needs into consideration. Plus, anyone who know me, knows that I travel like a minimalist. I take the least amount possible and pack ultra light. If you'd like to hear more about this technique, drop me an email or comment right here. I have it down to a science now. Checking bags has gotten so expensive and it seems like halfway through boarding they always start gate checking carry-on bags anyway. But I think the thing I like most about packing everything in a personal size backpack is that my stuff will never get lost. It's also nice to have all your stuff with you and it's so much easier to throw it over your shoulder than lugging a suitcase around. I'm in my 60's and I still find it easier! 

I decided to keep my well loved bags and just make an attachment that can turn it into a nice hanging bag. If I'm going somewhere that I don't know how much counter area I'm boing to have, I throw a suction cup in my bag so I can hang it from the mirror if needed. But like I said, I take very little with me so if you have a whole lot of toiletries and your bag is heavy, this will not work for you. These seriously took me  minutes to make! If you prefer the PDF version of the pattern, you can click right HERE.

What you'll need to make the tab:

100% cotton fabric, scraps that will match or compliment your toiletry bag

Fusible fleece interfacing, scrap (you can also use a piece of felt or cotton batting in place of fleece)

Dimensions for the above supplies will depend on the size of your toiletry bag

Thread to match fabric

5/8” wide ribbon, 2 1/4 inches long

Long Prong KamSnaps were used for my project, but you can also use velcro or sew-in snaps

Large S-Hook or carabiner clip

General sewing supplies will also be needed such as pins, needles, cutting tools, ruler, marking pens, sewing machine, and iron.

NOTE & TIP: I strongly recommend using the long prong KanSnaps. I purchased mine at Etsy. I tried the regular ones for this project and they kept popping off. I switched to long prong and have no problems. Also, if you are going to make a hanger tab for one of those clear vinyl bags, regular KamSnaps will be fine. To add a little more strength to a vinyl bag, I would cut a narrow strip of medium to heavy weight interfacing or felt. Place this between the snap and the bag.

I feel that five snaps are best because it provides more strength.

Create your pattern piece (or use the one that is with the PDF instructions linked above and below).

If designing your own tab, remember that you will also be using a 1/4 inch seam allowance all the way around.

From your pattern piece, cut two from the cotton fabric, and one from the fusible fleece interfacing. Iron the fusible fleece interfacing to one of the backs of the fabric pieces. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the fusible product you are using. If you are using cotton batting or felt for this piece, just baste it along the edges to the back of one of the fabric pieces about 1/8 inch away from raw edge.

Fold the piece of ribbon in half with wrong sides together. Place it on the upper portion of one of the fabric pieces. The fold will be toward the bottom and the raw edges will be even with the raw edges of the fabric.

Place the remaining fabric piece on top of this. The right sides of the fabrics will be facing each other and the ribbon will be “sandwiched” between the two.

Beginning at the bottom edge, stitch around using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, leaving about 2 inches open in the bottom for turning.

Clip at corners and turn right side out. Gently push out corners and iron. Fold the edges to the inside where you left it open and press.

Stitch about 1/8 inch away from the edge all the way around the tab.

Find the center of the tab, closer to the bottom and use the pointed object that came with your snaps to make a hole. Place this on the toiletry bag and make a hole in that using this hole as a guide. Then make two more holes on each side of the center hole about one inch apart. Attach your snaps using the instructions for the snaps you are using. If you are using velcro (not my first choice) or large sew-in snaps instead, stitch them at those markings (do not make holes if using snaps or velcro).

Snap the tab to the bag and slip your hook or carabiner through the ribbon. You now have a hanging bag!

FOR THE FREE PDF PATTERN CLICK HERE

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Favorites - Sewing Machine Feet

Time for some more favorites! I probably have every sewing machine foot they make. I want to share with you my favorites and the ones I use regularly. I actually have more favorite feet to share later. Many years ago when I first started sewing (I was a teenager) it wasn't so easy to get the feet. You had to go to your dealer and order them from there. Then the wait for them to come in was forever! Now it's so easy. Who has the biggest selection? You guessed it, Amazon!

The walking foot: Great for using on your layered projects such as quilts and even mini quilts. It actually "walks" over the project so your layers don't shift. I like to do a lot of the strip quilting and quilt as you go projects and this is so helpful!

The narrow zipper foot: All zipper feet are not created equal! My last machine came with a zipper foot but it wasn't a narrow version. Of course I hopped on Amazon and ordered me the narrow zipper foot. The foot that came with my machine was a wider version. I remember trying one years ago and I could never get close to my zipper or piping while using it. If you're going to make a lot of zipper projects or use piping, you need to get the narrow version.

Open toe foot: This is my number one favorite sewing machine foot and I use it all the time. If you look at it, you'll see that there is a really wide cutout where the needle is. I do a lot of applique with my sewing machine and I can get a good look at the edge of my appliques during stitching so my stitching goes exactly where I want it.

So there you have it. My favorite and most used sewing machine feet.

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Gallery Glass - Great Idea for a Kid's Craft

 

I don't mean to brag but...I am the lucky Nana to a smart, beautiful, thoughtful, and talented girl. OK, maybe I bragged a wee bit! She likes to spend weekends with us, and it always must be two nights. Her rule, not mine. That leaves lots of time to work on craft projects and she loves to do craft projects. I've already introduced her to my sewing machines.

One of the projects we recently did was with Gallery Glass. I purchased the kit at Amazon, but I also found it at WalMart. What's great about this paint is that you use it right out of the bottle. There are no messy paint brushes or dirty paint water. It's great for kids because they use the bottle for the painting, which is much easier than using a paintbrush. I did some research to make sure it's kid friendly and it is. It's non-toxic and water based. Of course you'll want to supervise, especially with younger children.

Always make sure that you use a protective product over your work surface. You'll also want to use some alcohol to wipe down the glass so there will be no oil or dirt left behind. Also stress the importance of trying not to touch the glass (painting area) with your fingers. If using it on a glass, candle cup or other type of holder, it's easy to hold the item placing your hand or fingers inside while you are painting the outside. 

Once your area and glass are ready, you draw your picture or design with the black "leading" which is kind of like a 3-dimensional paint. You need to let that completely dry before continuing. Once it's completely dry, you fill in the areas with the colored paint.

I happened to have these glass bowls left from a couple of parties that we hosted. They were used for the centerpieces, and I hated the thought of getting rid of them and I'm glad I didn't. I also have a box of flameless votive candles which worked perfectly inside. My granddaughter can use it in her room and doesn't have to worry about forgetting to blow out a candle or catching the place on fire. I personally prefer those over real candles lately. They really look real too. I'll share the links to these things below. 

If you are looking for a great kid's project, this one is easy and inexpensive. These would also make great gifts for the elderly or hospital patient when given with a flameless candle.

Links:

Flameless candles

Gallery Glass

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Favorites - I Love These Machine Embroidery Supplies

Time for some more favorites! These are the four items that I use in my studio on a regular basis. 

Pre-wound bobbins are a massive time saver. I order a large box of white, and I also have them in several colors. The last thing I want to do when I need a bobbin is to stop and create some more. This way they are always on hand, and I don't have to stop what I'm doing.

Basting adhesive really makes stabilizing easy. I much prefer it over pins and tape. Sometimes, depending on what I'm stabilizing, I'll use it with pins. It makes such a difference when making things that require a layer of batting such as coasters, zipper bags, etc. I used to worry about it gumming up my needle, but after several years of use, it hasn't happened yet.

These snips make clipping threads neater. I don't use these for cutting away fabrics, but they are great when you need to clip that thread close to the stitching. They are so thin and lightweight. As for clipping away excess fabric for applique, I like to use my curved embroidery scissors.

Snag Nab-It Tool is probably the best thing ever invented for embroidery, sewing, and basic snag repair. It has a sharp point on one end, and a rough section on the other end. It's made to pull snags through to the back which turns a damaged sweater into like new. Have you ever finished a project, and everything looks beautiful except those one or two stiches in your silky satin stitches that the needle obviously missed? Of course you have! And it's not your fault. This tool is designed to make it look like it never happened. You just find the stitch that didn't stitch (or just sticking out in a weird way) and insert the pointed end right at that stitch on the top of the project. Then you gently push it completely through. The rough edges on the opposite end of the tool will catch that annoying thread and bring it right through to the backside. If you want you can put a tiny drop of Fray Check on the back where the stitch is but honestly, I've never worried about that. And you know these thread mishaps always happen at the end of your project after you've done all that work! TIP: Store it in the little plastic sleeve it came in and maybe put a dot of paint or nail polish on the plastic sleeve. This little thing is so easy to lose.

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Buc-ee's! Don't Miss this Little Gem While Traveling

Have you ever been on a road trip and passed a sign with the cute beaver that says Buc-ee's? Well, my advice is to stop in for a quick (or not so quick) visit. Buc-ee's is not just a fancy rest stop off the highway, it's an entire experience!

We travel a lot! Two of the places we regularly travel to are Texas and Florida, and there are a lot of Buc-ee's between here and there. My first time there, I was in constant aww! They have so many things that will make your road trip extra fun. They have a lot of choices for lunch, dinner, or a quick snack. Everything is super fresh and worth every penny. On our last visit we picked up some cobb salads for lunch and they were fresh as can be. We sat in the car and enjoyed them. No wilted lettuce in our salads!

They are really known for their smoked beef brisket. And the smell when you are in there is amazing! Not a fan of brisket or beef in general, don't worry, they have a lot more. Everything from sandwiches, salads, yogart parfaits, fruits, nuts of every kind, fudge, candies, cookies, chips, and so much more! My personal favorite is chocolate covered cashews. Yep, it's the only place I've seen them, and they are sooooooo good!

They also have some cute stuff too. They have holiday items, souvenirs, pets’ stuff, kitchenware, games, coolers, gifts, kids' stuff, and every kind of soft drink you could imagine. They are also known for their 100 plus gas pumps at each location. If your car is a little dirty, they have the longest car wash you've ever seen.

This may sound funny, but they are also known for their restrooms. Yep, I said it, "RESTROOMS." They are super clean and quite pretty. It seems like every time we travel, we see where another one has popped up. 

If you are on a road trip and see a Buc-ee's you should stop on by. I'm sharing the link to their website so you can take a sneak peek. Did I mention how much I love the place?

Oh, and my son would never forgive me if I didn't mention their beef jerky. They also have a little thing called "beaver nuggets." Yep, they have things you've never seen elsewhere. Be sure the check it out for yourself.

https://buc-ees.com/about/

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week. 

Free Pattern - Phone Sleeve or Eyeglasses Case

I recently designed these phone sleeves which also makes a great eyeglasses case. A seasoned seamstress can whip these up in no time. I've also added lots of tips and notes that will make the pattern beginner friendly. A regular sewing machine is required for this project.

You can grab your pattern right HERE.

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week. 

Some of My Favorite Sewing Supplies

This week I'm sharing some of my absolute favorite sewing supplies. I have been sewing for over 50 years. That's right, I started as a young child. When we were younger my sister and I made all our Barbie clothes and Barbie furniture. That was also the time when I made my first purse. I wish everyday photography were a thing then because I could share the pictures. I was quite proud of that one. I'm not sure which of my addictions began, the sewing or the purses. A girl cannot have too many purses! But that's a whole other blog post.

Let's get started on my favorite supplies. From left to right...

1. Anything from the Sewline brand. Their marking pencils are the best! I have the pencil with the three different colors (white, pink, dark gray). It's a mechanical type of pencil that works beautifully. You turn the bottom half of the pencil to the desired marking color. You can also adjust to let out more lead when you need it. I use it so much and I'm waiting on my refills to arrive any day now. I also love their eraser that is made to go with these pencils. Just like the marking pencil, you can extend it for more eraser. Since it's designed like a pencil, it's so easy to use. And there are also refills available for these too. Probably my favorite of all my tools.

2. Next is HeatnBond Lite. All the products with this name are the best in my opinion. The strong or ultra hold sticks very well and is easy to use. Most of the time I use the Lite. It's designed to hold things down so you can stitch on it. It never gums up your needle and holds very well. This is the only one I will use when making my fabric appliques for machine embroidery and hand embroidery.

3. Jean-a-ma-jig. There are other brands and styles of this that do the job, but this is the one that I have had for many, many years and it has served me well. Since I love to make tote bags, small wallets, and purses there are times when I'm trying to stitch over a bulky seam, and this is a huge help. It prevents my sewing machine foot from getting stuck at the beginning of that area, so the seam is nice and even. I just used it yesterday when making up a bunch of credit card wallets for a donation for the local women's shelter. I zipped right on through with ease!

4. These little fabric clips. I have the Clover brand. I got them when they first came out and I believe that Clover was the only brand at that time. Now you can easily find them, and you can find them at a better price. Sometimes I feel a pin is needed but for the most part, I use these.

So, there you have it. These are my top four sewing tools. I have many tools and I'll be sharing more of them with you at another time. All the tools listed above are very easy to find.

 

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week. 

Sewing for a Cause & Giving Back

 

Giving back and helping others is something that makes you feel good and knowing that you are making a difference is even better. My parents have always been those that helped others and since that's what I grew up with, that seems like the norm to me. Even if you don't have much to give, you can still make a difference in someone's life.

Several years back my sister made a delivery of supplies to a local battered women's shelter. Her boss has been donating items to them for years. One of her deliveries was during the fall. Since there were several children there she asked one of the ladies if there was something we could do for the kids especially with Christmas just a few months away. She was told that the kids don't miss out during the Christmas season but it's the women (moms) that get left behind. This got her thinking so she asked how mamy women they housed. At that time they only had room for six at a time. They have recently added more rooms and beds which is nice. But that go my sister thinking. How about doing something for the moms? Their basic needs are met from the government and other organizations. Why don't we do something special for them? Things that they don't get like personal items or pampering items. Many of these women were strong enough to leave a bad situation and most brought nothing more that the clothes on their backs. That's when our little group started to form. At that time we had no idea how it would grow.

That Christmas we did some shopping and made up six gift bags. We filled them with thermo water bottles, journals, pens, shower gel, razors, puzzle books, laundry bags and other fun things. And of course I made up a bunch of wallets and key fobs to add to them. They loved them! It started with just my sister, myself, and our girls. Before we knew it, our friends wanted to help, then my sister's church friends, then friends of their friends. We are now over fifty women strong! We were able to add another shelter to our list and between them I believe there are about 35 women at any given time. 

We did some more brainstorming and came up with the idea of welcome boxes for the new arrivals at the shelters. In these boxes we put all of the items listed above plus towels, hair ties, flameless candles, hair brushes, foldable tote bags, and more. As soon as they are down to their last couple of boxes, they call us and we send at least six more. My sister is great at keeping all the information up to date, inventory organized, as well as our Amazon gift list of needed items. And some of these women are extremely generous. We started a private facebook group where our group can see what's needed and when.

If you like to sew or embroider, I know you have a major stash of scrap fabric that could be put to good use. You can make simple little gifts that will brighten someone's day. To find places that you can donate to, contact your local shelters, nursing homes, hospitals, and churches to see where you can donate. You will see in the image above that there are two little monster pillows. I made them for a call out requesting the handmade items for children several years back. They provided the pattern and we (sewers from all over) bought the fabric and stitched them up.

Giving to those in need makes them happy and you happy. It's a win win! If you want to make little wallets, just put in a search at TikToc or Youtube and you'll see hundreds of them. Some of them are so quick and easy, you can whip them up in no time. I also included some links below of some of my tutorials that are quick and easy and would make great donations. And the supplies for these are items you might already have, or things you can get inexpensively.

Earbud case or coin purse

Travel tray that stores flat

Simple candle cups for Christmas (for donating I'd use flameless tealights)

Candles for anything

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week. 

Shelf Ice - The Beauty and the Dangers

 

Unless you live along one of the beautiful Great Lakes, you probably aren't familiar with shelf ice. It is absolutely beautiful. My granddaughter had never seen it before so we took her over the weekend to see it. She was amazed at the difference it made along the shore. In the image above you'll see our lighthouse in the summer. Next to it you'll see our lighthouse in the winter. Quite a difference! If you are ever traveling along one of the Great Lakes, I think it would be worth a trip to the beach to see its incredible beauty. But NEVER walk on it or climb it! It's extremely dangerous. 

The shelf ice is formed when the waves crash to the shore in the freezing temperatures. Several weeks of this can create some pretty high ice. The danger is when you are walking on it. It looks thick, and it is, but not everything is completely frozen. You can be walking on a section that might look solid but under that ice can be (and many times is) a hole. Once you fall into a hole, you will never be able to come back up. The water under the ice is still moving and will take you with it. Can you imagine how cold that water would be? Yet every single year we see people walking on it.

I added some links at the end of this post that explains the danger in detail. So, if you ever get a chance to see it, definitely do and take your camera. Enjoy the beauty from a distance.

https://www.wndu.com/2025/01/22/hidden-dangers-shelf-ice/

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=shelf+ice+lake+michigan

December - Mug Rug of the Month Tutorial

 

You can find December design right HERE

Be sure to download the pdf document to your computer for printing. It's been my experience that the internet pdf viewers are horrible for printing. They also tend to leave out images such as pattern pieces.

You can find all the monthly designs HERE.

Don't miss the next Mug Rug of the Month pattern! 

Sign up for Sher's Creative News

There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.