Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Cheery Burlap Pouches


I've already told you about the appliqued towels I made for gifts while I watched old black and white movies leading up to Christmas. (You can see those HERE.) What I didn't show you was these little burlap pouches I was embellishing with the same applique.


Here you can see Bob the Tomato (from Veggie Tales) keeping watch over my work. He tries his best to keep me off pins and needles by holding them for me. Even so, I do dumb things with my needle and mindlessly lay it down and forget what I did with it. He tries to maintain a steady positive grin, but as you can see, I have a bit of a problem with keeping the embroidery thread in line. I think he was grimacing here. It wasn't entirely out of control in this picture, but these things have a way of devolving fast. He was probably trying to warn me what was coming. He's seen this sort of thing before. He is a common sense tomato after all, and avoids such foolishness.



I rescued Bob the Tomato from the Random Toy H-E-Double-Toothpicks to which he would most certainly have been destined had I not intervened and given him a new life as my stitching accompanist. After my daughter ate the candy out of him one Easter (he is zippered in back and had a bag of candy inside), he would likely have gone to the dark place (a cabinet in her room that holds unknown junk and stuff from two decades.) Yep, I saved him from that evil... if being conscripted into service as a pin cushion can be considered any sort of salvation.

Oh, no! I just went and checked on him. Here's the state I found him in. He looks petrified over his fate.


Poor thing. This is his life as my assistant. If he had feet, I have a feeling he'd be outta here.

Well back to the pouches. I bought them for $1 each at Target's dollar section a few months back and attached the flowers and leaves (in much the same way as I did with the towels) using a chain stitch and tacking the edges down to prevent some of the fraying that will eventually give them a sweet shabby feel. I gave these to my girls in their Christmas stockings. They're good for so many things: make up, make up brushes, sunglasses, change/money, coupons, pencils and pens, etc.

My purse could use a bunch of these to hold all the stuff floating around in there.



I have made another three, and I think I have enough flower parts left to make one more. Then it will be time to try out some other ideas. I have 12 or so more of the pouches left, and some have black zippers, so I want to come up with some ideas to accommodate that. Time to get creative!


Well, you Gotta love Bob. He's found his way out of the snarl of embroidery thread, and from a distance that look on his face could once again be mistaken for a grin. That gives me the feeling he approves of my efforts (like a motivating thumbs up without thumbs). He's a keeper.

Apparently I'll take any encouragement I can get, even if it comes by way of a stuffed tomato. Heaven help me.


I'll be sharing this at:







Mop it Up Monday @ I Should Be Mopping The Floor

Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special


One Creative Weekend @ One Creative Mommy

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Be Inspired @ Common Ground

Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage

Primp Your Stuff @ PRIMP

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style 


15 comments:

  1. These are great, and I can still see them enlarged to say, shower curtain size, don't you think? :) Hey - love the Bob pincushion. Wait 'till I tell my coworkers in Children's Ministry how you've turned poor Bob into a virtual voodoo doll! Just kidding. Bob is just glad to be useful, as we all are.
    -Revi

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  2. OLA LIZ,MEU OLHO PARAR NO IMAGEREMIX AGORA,ESTAR VENDO LINDA IMAGEM,GOSTAR DE APLIQUES E GOSTAR DO BOB TAMBÉM.BOA QUARTA.BEIJO.VALÉRIA.

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  3. We don't have a Target here, just a Kmart. I like the dollar section at Target. The pouches are really desirable in burlap and especially after the appliques.

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  4. These are so cute! I love the way they turned out! Great gifts!

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  5. Hi, Liz

    LOL, poor Bob. I love how your turned these pouches into wow. They are lovely. Have a great week.

    Hugs,

    Vanessa

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  6. Happy Birthday Girl!!! Have a wonderful day!

    So cute! My pincushion can relate to Bob. She feels like an old english sheepdog with all the floss in her eyes. I think they could start a pin cushion support group. xo

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  7. Those pouches are adorable. What a cute idea to buy and embellish them! You have some mad skillz in the embroidery dept,girl!

    As to Bob...I've seen his movies...and I think, he gets in worst predicaments than this, with that Silly Pickle!

    As always, it's fun chatting with you. ~cheers, have a great day. Pat

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  8. Happy Birthday and enjoy the day. Adorable pouches!!

    Cynthia

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  9. Hi Liz,
    Happy Birthday to you. Have a special day today. Love the pouches.
    Enjoy your special day.
    Kris
    ps. I am a new follower well officially. I have been following for awhile but now it is official!!!!!!

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  10. Very very cute! Great way to take a $1 pouch and make it look like it came from anthropologie! I was expecting to see you show us how to make the pouch too!!!

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  11. These are so cute...what nice stitching and applique. And too funny about the tomatoe, ha ha ! : 0

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  12. Bob called - he wants his life back! I am still loving those flower appliques. I wish I was patient enough to sit and embroider. Great pouches.

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  13. I use a different system in our house. Whoever steps on the pins or needles should put them back where they belong. Hehe. Love the tomato. He's got a great attitude.

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  14. These are adorable! The bags are almost as cute as the tomato!

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