Striped Pouches for South Africa and Giveaway!

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Thank you to of Carla of Createinthesticks.com for another fun blog hop!! When I learned about this stripe challenge, I immediately thought of Maria Shell and her amazing quilt style. Of course, I had no Maria Shell training or tutorial to work from, but I figured how hard can it be?? Well, it’s very hard!!! She makes gorgeous quilts that I’ve long admired, but they’re not easily translated when I fiddle with fabric. What I learned is that she has a knack for design but I need to see it in action. So I’ve added taking one of her classes to my bucket list!! What does this all have to do with South Africa? Well I’ll tell you.

Here’s a photo of the school in Bulawayo, South Africa that will receive Maggie’s 190 zippered pouches filled with school supplies.

Many years ago I began a Sunday sewing club in my neighborhood in New Jersey. There were about 6 kids and we had a blast. We made some items to keep and a few to give away to charities. My youngest student was 6-year-old Maggie, who really took to sewing and continued to make things over the years. I thought I had written about her before, but turns out I can’t find the link. Fast forward 6 years and she’s now 12 years old. For the past year or so, she has been busy sewing zippered pencil cases to fill with school supplies for donation to a school in Bulawayo, South Africa. Although Maggie was born in the U.S., her parents and grandparents are all South African! When Maggie’s Mom, Ilana, still lived in Johannesburg, South Africa, she hired a lovely lady, Musa, to help her around the house. This is where Maggie began a project to help all the students at the same school that Musa’s daughter attends.

There are 190 kids at the school and Maggie plans to provide each student with a pencil case filled with supplies. They’ve started a GoFundMe to help with the tremendous cost of buying and mailing supplies such a distance. You can learn more about this story here. While Maggie is very busy making pencil cases, she’s still attending school and dealing with the stress that all the rest of us are having with the pandemic. She misses seeing friends and family, but giving back is her passion. She’s one of my young friends whom I miss so much in this pandemic. Therefore, I thought I would turn my striped projects into pouches for Maggie’s cause. If anyone else would like to make a zippered pouch or two, and mail it to me in the U.S., I’ll gladly get it to Maggie for the S. A. school. More details are below just before I talk about the giveaway!

This is Maggie with some of the many zippered pouches she has been making.

Back to me trying Maria Shell’s designs: I ended up with some I loved and others not so much. They will all be shipped off to South Africa, and in the meantime, I’ve learned a lot. This was my process as I sewed, trimmed and worked my way through to a striped design that wasn’t too bad.

This is the back of the pouch, and it’s not too bad in my opinion.
The above photo is the front of the pouch and I’m fairly happy with how it came out. I must note that using a light iron-on interfacing on the outside pieces really helps to lay down and reinforce the many seams. I find the bag also has more heft that way.

This polka dot and striped pouch above was not my favorite, but it didn’t keep me from continuing to experiment. I do like the striped lining though!

This next pouch below was my attempt at Shell’s “Wormhole” quilt design. Needless to say, it didn’t even come close. It’s a little busier-looking than I wanted, but it still worked out.

This pouch above started as a bundle of stripes. I show you the back of the stitching to demonstrate all the threads and pressing that one has to do. (I took shortcuts cause I don’t like having to get up and press all the time.) I used a nice bold text print on the lining. The back of the pouch is a simple black and white stripe design with a center column of color.

Look at the first photo for this next pouch below and you’ll see how much I was struggling with symmetry. Darn, I really messed that up and was frustrated. Good old seam ripper and I got back on track. The final design was cut in half on the diagonal. I lined it with a wordplay yellow text fabric that I think it’s just perfect!! The front and back of this pouch are the same and frankly, it might be my favorite of the bunch!

This pouch is the same front and back. I really love how this one came out!!

I discovered some solid jelly roll fabrics that caught my eye. I’m loving this color scheme. Check out these next three pouches in purples, sea foam greens, magentas and ocean blues. These are also some of my favorites from this batch of seven zippered pouches.

These little lambs make me smile and I will certainly be using them again. I can’t resist a polka dot lining, but striping would have been better for the theme.
Here I go again with a polka dot lining. I love this blue backing fabric so much. Wish I had bought more of it.
I love the pink and lime green stripe in the last two pouches. I think it makes the whole things pop. Here, I went with an old Amy Butler fabric for the lining on this pouch. It’s a fabric I keep going back for but rarely find it useful. I really like it here.

That’s it for my seven pouches for South Africa. Some of these are real winners. They make me smile, and that’s all I need in a project. They measure about 5.5″ x 11″, in case you’re wondering. I varied the zipper and ribbon pulls for some fun color combining. All in all, this was a very fun project. I would still love to keep going, but other projects call me. 

Feel like sewing a pouch for South Africa? If anyone feels like making a zippered pouch or two, they can be anything, stripes or not- plain or busy. They ought to be lined and with a zipper, but that's the only requirement. It can be any size but usually they are approx 5" x 10" or so. Think about a pencil and that's the minimum length it needs to be. I make mine a little roomier, but that's not necessary. Let me know in the comments and I'll tell you where in the U.S. you can send them sometime before April 1st, 2021.  No pressure, but they would be gratefully accepted.  Thanks.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!! I do love a giveaway so here we go. Please leave a comment about how often you take apart and clean out your bobbin and I’ll give one lucky random winner the items photographed below: Two mini screwdriver tools for your machine plus 2 charm packs. Sorry, but U.S. addresses only. If you are mailing a zippered pouch, just let me know and I’ll give you an extra entry. Hope this is clear. I find these tools helpful and am certain you might as well. One final detail: the deadline to enter the Giveaway is Wednesday, March 3, 2021.

UPDATE 3/9/21: Lucky Debby has won the giveaway. Thank you all for participating. Until next time….

These two tiny screw drivers and 2 charm packs will be the giveaway that one reader will win. See details aboe.

Meanwhile, check out the rest of the projects in this blog hop. Leave messages on any blog below. You know we love to get your comments. I can’t wait to see all the striped goodness!! Follow the Pinterest Board for all the links as well.


Monday, February 22nd

Just Let Me Quilt

DayBrook Designs  

VroomansQuilts

Ms P Designs

USAStoried Quilts

Den syende himmel

thatfabricfeeling YOU ARE HERE!!

Sew Many Yarns

Tuesday, February 23rd

Life in the Scrapatch

Stitchin At Home
WebsterquiltHomespun

Hannah’s Blog

Karrin’s Crazy World

Quilt Schmilt

That’s Sew Kerry

SameliasMum

Annie’s musings

Wednesday, February 24th

MooseStashQuilting

selina quilts

Quilting Gail
Karen’s Korner

Kathleen McMusing

Food For Thought

The Joyful Quilter

Beaquilter

Thursday, February 25th

Becky’s adventures in quilting and travel 

Patchwork Breeze

Kathy Kwilts and More

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Cynthia’s Creating Ark

Inflorescence: Starting to Bloom by Choosing Joy

QuiltFabricationStitch

QuiltCreatin’ in the Sticks

linking up to: Linking to: Oh Scrap, Midweek Makers, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Peacock Party, Finished or not Friday, Brag About Your Goodies, Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday,

92 responses to “Striped Pouches for South Africa and Giveaway!”

  1. Pingback: Zippered Generosity | That Fabric Feeling·

  2. Pingback: Kookaburra on the Beach | That Fabric Feeling·

  3. Wonderful cause and cute pencil pouches. I probably don’t clean my bobbin area enough–only when I sense a problem.
    slrdowney at hotmail dot com

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    • Well you’ve joined the denial dust bunny club like so many of us!!! Thanks so much for stopping by.

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  4. Your zippered pouches turned out really cool – they have a geometric feel about that – and of course… kids learn geometry – so there you go, they are educational too!! Great job!

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    • Alycia, I could have used geometry being explained through art. It was one of the most traumatic classes in my education as a child. My teacher was not an English speaker and I suffered so much from not understanding the concepts at all.

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    • I’m so glad you’re doing TGIFF. Now, if I could just remember to actually post on the link up. Thanks so much for the support.

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  6. I try to remember to brush out the bobbin area of my machine every time I change the bobbin. I usually do a thorough cleaning after every two bobbin changes. If I didn’t have a regular routine, I would probably forget to do it until the machine stopped stitching.
    I am not an adventurous quilter so I usually shy away from stripes. Your projects make stripes look like fun. Do you have a tutorial you can suggest for the pencil pouches?

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    • Katie, Having a regular routine is a good idea. I think many of us clean the bobbin area only when we start to feel some change in the stitching. As for a lined zippered pouch tutorial, there are so many of them to choose from. The design of the bag can be anything from patchwork to scrappy or simply one straight fabric piece. It’s your chance to step out and try a different design. I like to use fusible interfacing on the outside pieces of my bag. I would try this tutorial that has tabs on the zippered ends and no-show raw edges inside the bag lining. http://www.jedicraftgirl.com/2016/09/my-favorite-zipper-pouch.html If that one doesn’t work for you, Jenny from Missouri Star Quilt company has one as well. Trust me that you get better with each one that you make. I used to shy away from zippers and now, they’re one of my favorite things to do. Keep me posted and I’m happy to help you with any issues that arise during your project. I’ve made enough mistakes through trial and error, that I have learned a thing or two. Thanks so much for stopping by and good luck.

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  7. I love your striped pouches, and what a great place to send them! It looks like you did lots of fun experimenting with your stripes!

    I clean underneath my bobbin basket fairly frequently–my 7 year old loves to clean my machine! He likes seeing the insides of the machine and using the brush to clean out the dust. He will come in when I’m sewing and ask if he can clean the machine 🙂

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    • That is so incredibly adorable. OMG you have a built in repair helper!! I just love that and that he’s learning about machines and how they work. A little engineer in the making, no doubt!! Thank you so much for a lovely visit dropping by. You made my day!!

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  10. Love all the pouches. Zip bags are so addictive to me. The Maria Shell improv with solids and stripes looks fun. I would like to make some pencil cases. Awseome young lady to take on the project. I clean my bobbin area 2-3 times a week, more if using flannel or fleece.

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    • I am addictive to zipper bags too. It’s a wonderful problem to have if you keep zippers on hand. Thank goodness for Etsy. Thank you so much for stopping by. I’ld love to see any bags you create. I’m sure you will rock them!!

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    • Maria Shell is so talented!@ Thank you so much for trying to make some pencil cases. I am thrilled to have you join the bag addiction club!!

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  11. You’ve made such sweet pouches to give to others in need. I love seeing your process of what works for you and what doesn’t. The striped fabric in each really stands out and makes each one so unique! Love all the fabric combinations!
    duchick at gmail dot com

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    • I did the same thing yesterday, went to change a bobbin and noticed lint. It bugs me when I can’t get to all the nooks and cranny’s though. I did a great job cleaning out the lint, but I just know there’s more!

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    • It really is a no brainer to make zippered pouches. Having them filled with supplies and shipped to S.A., well that’s a bold undertaking. I”m so proud of her!!

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  16. I usually clean my bobbin when I can tell that there is way too much lint building up. For example, my machine will say “your bobbin is almost out of thread”. Well, when it stops saying that, then I know it is time to clean the entire area out. Thank you!

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    • Danette, I thought of you just now when I went to change my bobbin. I actually yelled at my machine cause it didn’t tell me in advance that my bobbin was low. (Or maybe it told me and I wasn’t paying attention.) Either way, when I went to change the bobbin, I clearly heard the dust calling me. LOL Thank you so much for stopping by and making me smile.

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    • Thank you so much. I think I’ll need to make a few more for her. I’ve kind of caught the stripe bug right now!!

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  18. I think every pouch you made is lovely and perfect for some fortunate person! I clean out my bobbin area every week or so in my domestic machine and every 2 bobbins in my sit-down long arm. It’s amazing how much lint it accumulates, even with good thread. Thanks for sharing!

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    • Carol, you’re so right that it’s amazing! I wonder how it all gets into the machine when I have so many threads on me…how do those strings decide which way to go!??

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  19. Such a great story and your post is so fun to read. Love that your friend is working so hard to give gifts to so many. Your pencil bags are so colorful and fun. Everyone is special and is sure to be loved. Your stripes are perfect for sure. I will keep this project in mind and will contact you if I can find some “extra” time to make some bags. As for my bobbin case – it talks to me occasionally (haha) but for the most part, I clean it after every project for sure.

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    • Carla, Your comment makes me so happy that it was fun to read. You never know how blogs appear to others. If you find time, that would be great. Just shoot me a note if you want my address in the meantime. I’ld gladly pass on pouches you make to Maggie. No pressure of course. Thank you so much for stopping by.

      Liked by 1 person

  20. what a wonderful idea for these pouches. i love your pouches. so bright and happy. I clean my bobbin area after each project.
    quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  21. Fabulous pouches – love all the colors and free form design. I clean my machine (and bobbin area) every so many hrs of stitching and after each quilting session.

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    • Sharon, thank you so much. I don’t really clean my machine…just the bobbin area. I don’t even add oil, though I ought to do that every now and then. My repair shop closed during covid so I think I”m on my own for awhile.

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  22. These striped pouches are wonderful! I love your use of fabric and color. I am sure these pouches will be loved and appreciated. I clean my bobbin before I begin a new project and/or at least once a week or if I have sewn something that seemed extra linty. Thank you for sharing in the hop … 🙂 Pat

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    • Thank you so much. Once a week is more than I probably do it, but then it depends upon how much you’re sewing. The truth is, anytime we can find lint, we ought to probably try and remove it, right!?

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  23. Guess I should go check my machine. I can’t remember the last time I cleaned out the bobbin area. I do use Aurifil thread, and that keeps the lint down.

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    • Your comment made me smile!! You may find a nice surprise in that bobbin area!! I also use Auriful so I can’t imagine what other threads would do to my baby (Babylock Crescendo!) !??

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  24. I loved the zippered bags being used for the school. What a wonderful idea that will be used and cherished for a long time. I do try to clean my bobbin case about every other quilt project. I had made 2 red and white quilts for a friend for Christmas(twin and Queen) and because of the fabric (Moda Bella), I had to clean the bobbin area about 3 times per quilt. Those mini q-tips for sewing machine cleaning are fabulous! Thank you!

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    • Robin, those quilts sound like a lot of work but I”m sure they came out beautifully. I don’t have those mini qtips but i just bought a dollar store fluffy brush to try it out. Thanks so much for stopping by.

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  25. I love these pouches. I will keep them in mind and see if I can get a few done for your charity. Noodlehead has a free one that is great for pencils, if you want some better size ideas. I clean out my bobbins regularly; on my longarm every other bobbin and my newest Bernina, every bobbin.

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    • Kathleen, thanks for trying to help. It sounds like you’re very diligent with your cleaning of the bobbin areas. I know the machines love when we do it more frequently, but if only I could remember!

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    • Jann, Thanks so much. I also believe they will all be loved. People with very little possessions tend to appreciate things all the more!

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  28. I love your pouches! So bright and colorful. I don’t clean out my bobbin case as much as I should. I’d like to say every time I change my needle, but I’m always in too much of a hurry to just get to my sewing. Maybe every third needle change or so.

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    • I hear you. I don’t clean my bobbin area as often as I should. Honestly though, the tiny screw driver has helped me clean more!

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  30. Your entire post is such an inspiration. Your Sunday afternoon project reminds me of the Peace by Piece project (subject of The All-Together Quilt by Lizzy Rockwell). The pencil pouches are wonderful: colorful and practical. As for the bobbin case — I remove the assembly after every other empty bobbin and pull out the lint. I use a paintbrush, a pair of tweezers, and a metal stiletto tool. (Thanks for the giveaway.)

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    • Thank you so much for stopping by. I will have to look at that reference you mentioned of Peace by Piece. I’m not currently familiar with it. Good idea on the tweezers, I should really keep one near my machine too.

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  31. What a terrific project and wonderful young woman you introduced. Each of your pouches is so unique and colorful, I can’t think any child wouldn’t love to have one of them. Cleaning out the bobbin race – every 5 bobbins or the first of every month, whichever comes first. I find it keeps my machine humming! On the first, I also change needles and rotary blades. Thanks for the chance to win the fabric and cute little helpful screw drivers.

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    • PS, I find Aurifil leaves LESS lint! It’s a longer staple. Superior is another good one, and Mettler is okay, but a little lintier. I’ve been doing the every 5 bobbins thing for years. =) I only wind 5 at a time, so I have to stop and clean and can’t say, “Oh, I’ll finish this and then clean.” LOL

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      • Susan, I have a weird problem with aurifil in that my thread keeps cutting too short with the automatic feature on my Babylock. It’s strange because other threads don’t create that problem. Hummm, I like Superior thread so maybe I’ll try a cone of that instead.

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  32. So many beautiful pouch treasures…I love them all! What a great way to help others by filling them with much needed products. Thanks for sharing your stripes!

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  33. Those pouches are just beautiful. So bright and cheery. They will bring so much joy to so many faces. Nothing warms my heart more than seeing the next generation of sewers/quilters coming up. Way to go Maggie!

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  35. Love your improv piecing and the outcome. The zip pouches are great, each and every one of them. Since I have retired I found that I love to be able to make small items like your zip pouches for different organizations. Count me in.

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    • Ooh, Selina, thank you so much. Just let me know when you want an address to send any you make. I’m happy for any help.

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  36. I clean out my bobbin area every few weeks or if I notice it’s getting linty. I plan to go through my pouch inventory and will get with you to send some this week! Or maybe use some scraps to make more. LOL

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    • Thank you so much for the pouch offer. Please let me know when I can send you an address. Maggie will be thrilled!

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  37. To be honest, I don’t clean my bobbin area nearly often enough 🥴 I’m guessing every 2-3 months. Your little pouches are so sweet…Thank you for the giveaway!

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    • Tamma, thank you. I probably should also do a more regular cleaning. Lately, I’ve been doing a better job. I think these tiny screw drivers have helped me dig in. I never liked that flat screw thingy. Well, good luck on the giveaway. I couldn’t pass up a chance to share them with someone else!

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  38. Love the pouches and what a great cause!
    I was one who never thought to clean the lint out from under my presser foot plate… until…. yep, skipped stitches galore. I had a friend ask me if I had cleaned down there and I had to say no.. I could not believe what was lurking beneath!! Once it was cleaned out, the machine purred like a kitten as usual. 🙂

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    • Thearica, most of us have been there as well! I get caught up in the creative process and sometimes skip cleaning it out. Boy oh boy do I laugh when I see the mess i’ve missed!! And you’re right, the machine does love a clean out!!

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  39. I clean out my bobbin case every couple of projects. Usually when I am changing the bobbin and notice lint. Eek! Once when I made a flannel quilt I had to clean it a couple of times. I notice some threads are “linty-er” than others, too. Thanks for the chance to win!

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    • Debby, I can imagine that flannel would leave an intense amount of lint. I have been doing lots of improv lately and my lint situation seems out of control. I’ve also wondered if Auriful is leaving more lint? Hmmm thanks so much for stopping by.

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    • Elizabeth, Thank you. They were so much fun to make. I honestly didn’t expect the process to be so enjoyable. Though the outcomes weren’t all 5 stars, they taught me so much.

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    • You sound so disciplined. I don’t clean regularly, but that is such a good idea. I pretty much clean when I change the bobbin and see lint starting to build up. Honestly, if I’m in a creative zone, sometimes the lint gets away from me too much!

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  44. I do like your pretty pouches. What a great cause. As for taking apart my bobbin case I do take my machine apart to really clean it every 4th bobbin I use. In between I give it a clean just where the bobbin sits each time with a makeup brush each time I change the bobbin. I think it keeps everything running smoother in between my services if I do this. 😉

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  45. Like improve piecing. The stripes really play well with this technique and make into fantastic little pouches. Your favorite is also my favorite. Your linings are just as fun as the outsides. Fun colored zippers top off the cute pouches. Well done and kudos for your generosity to give them to the students. They will make learning all the more fun.

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    • Annie, thank you so much. I also have really enjoyed improv piecing lately. I’m not good at it, but the challenge keeps things interesting.

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