Welcome to Anne's sewing blog!

I started this blog in 2012 in an attempt to keep better track of all the little things I make. I have found it fun to 'catalog' what I make so I'll continue to post my finished projects as they appear.

Its mostly for my personal use, but also gives me a way to share cute stuff with my craft-oriented friends and family. Enjoy!

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Minimalist Wallet from Noodlehead/Anna Graham... with matching bag and key fob

Hello again!

I've had (a smidgen) more time to sew lately so I have a few completed projects to share. 




My current wallet is many years old and on its last legs.  I received Anna Graham's Everyday Essentials booklet for my birthday so I tried out the Minimalist Wallet pattern.  I am definitely a minimalist when it comes to things I carry with me so I thought I'd give this tiny wallet a whirl. 





So fast, so easy, such a well done little pattern!  
Seriously, it took me probably twenty minutes one evening to cut out all the pieces and then I thought I'd sew it in little bits of time over the course of a weekend.  (All my sewing happens in little bits these days.)  Well, in the end it might have taken me a total of one hour to sew.  Probably less, I wasn't really watching the clock, but before I knew it my wallet was complete!  I'll have to keep this pattern in mind for quickie gifts.

Then I thought I'd whip up a key fob to go with it.  My current wallet and current key fob happen to match (though I got them years apart and it was a total accident) so I thought it'd be fun to continue to match.  I had the fob hardware on hand and the scraps from the wallet still on my sewing table so that was a ...  hmmm ... maybe seven minute project.  :) 




And since that all went so quickly and I still had some fabric left I whipped up a little minimalist bag to go with it.  Now that my baby is almost a toddler and doesn't ride in an infant car seat anymore I find myself occasionally popping into stores for 'just a thing or two' and leaving the heavy diaper bag in the car.  Great in theory, but then I have a baby in one hand and have to carry my wallet and keys in the other hand.  Which leaves zero hands for shopping AND often the baby in hand #1 is grabbing at the wallet and keys in hand #2.  Very squirmy.  So now I've got a small crossbody bag (out of her reach!)  to carry my wallet and keys and sunglasses while we pop into the store.  At least I'll have one hand free, right? 


This bag is about as simple as it gets - an 8'' by 8'' square with small boxed corners and a slip pocket on the front (mostly so I could add that edging of accent fabric to match the other projects).  I had drafted a fun-looking asymmetrical integrated strap, but then didn't like how it was turning out so I hacked off the strap and added eyelets on the sides instead.  Much better, despite the pain of hitting my thumb with the hammer like a dumb blonde.  Its small and light and easy to toss in my gigantic diaper bag and will fill a specific need.



  The fabric for all these projects was already in my stash - some quilting cottons for the wallet and key fob, and a funky stiff micro-stripe denim type fabric for the bag.  

Useful things are my favorite kind of projects to sew, whether they're for me or for gift giving and I'll be able to enjoy this new wallet and purse just about every day! 

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