Checking this UFO off the list!
One of my Make Nine 2020 goals was to complete a UFO [unfinished object]... I had many to choose from, to be sure. Since the soothing, repetitive nature of hand stitching has become a mental salvation from the news grind about Covid-19, this kantha stitching project was easily revived from the UFO pile.
So this is my seventh Make Nine 2020 UFO finish—a kantha and decorative stitched zipper bag.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-DgocTqGi69qHHl3cPJsnynIsUvPS736XuAgEJ5oWg1Rt1cwws9gJTUHtTtOxPSaquyeWSXp0tXvuGd144HOP9wKmRE9a5fVZGmwGzxLc8ZGsY4tcEV2UTB5u8LkimaivSG3zA6i_Nk/w512-h384/Kantha_det1.jpg) |
Kantha and hand stitching zipper bag.
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Kantha stitching and hand embroidery
This piece was started sometime in 2018 with the hand embroidered Sunshine Girl. My fabric of choice for hand stitching is a
yarn-dyed woven from
Diamond Textiles. Over the span of 2+ years, the kantha stitching slowly filled the background areas, using up random, single strands of colored embroidery floss. The needle effortlessly glided through this yarn-dyed fabric to create lines of multi-colored dashes and texture.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseijqUtVhPOk7f49cpJ2-DAKvj2Zh53aRVYG5mbEplvsQD-bWyvC3B1-luDquTjxacQ1vUQVOjvI6oCUG95ZSKxRtkQxjXRAvEtG6zekcFOiZJOqfXtmQNapRY0U2gNM1oVVV38qVMz8/w512-h384/Sunshine_inProgress.jpg) |
Filling the background with kantha hand stitching.
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When Little Miss Sunshine was finally completed, I wasn't sure what to do with her... a pillow? a small table topper? a wall hanging?
Better yet, something more functional... for every day use: a zippered project bag.
Complementing hand stitching with decorative machine stitching
Now, the Little Miss Sunshine bag needed a second side. For this, I took quilt blocks from
last year's 100 Days 100 Blocks project and patchwork bits made with
Diamond Textile's yarn-dyes and pieced them together. This patchwork was thread embellished by machine with
12 wt Spagetti thread from
WonderFil Threads and the built-in decorative stitches on my sewing machine.
It was fun to experiment with the decorative stitch patterns!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KaAnV4jqLcQXE2HpXoxupMoXprMjOalf6fgnW5nNTlU271FnDqsi07fMNoMwmwYoO5eBwR5HLiukAL_jxCi33biKE8MzwynNlnhvAWO1q4B-gO8hEpjkR2KCdtNxpbBMifjgKjfZAuU/w512-h512/patchwork_thread.jpg) |
Auditioning decorative stitches and thread colors.
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The pieces were then ready for bag assembly...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWPlVqIl4rfiJVBy-FiOanHz8vrmwPA1kbGOIe8DDxa3XGVulVnv6qIxgXTDB2tdvz45Ivg2aRu7Vy2MArGi4Gr-aPT5j3P1dXDUxwwRoY-ZUaMJV8V3ZXGRLuKnM0syEXGA42ZoaMXU/w512-h372/SunshinePouch_pieces.jpg) |
Pieces ready for bag assembly.
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Inside lining with pockets
Pockets were included in the lining (a floral print from the
Charleston collection from
Art Gallery Fabrics)—with a 3-step zigzag stitch to coincide with the outside.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFn-onREmk4NCBmr_kZwHyF5hMIHITzAzS_JSqJ2yG7qJYrwjz4RgTa3o37J8Ec88Trbchd-E8Gl84G-06DZkzKNZ1gmIPynzfbxrCxPlvWPyvHdETkX2bRRnPgcvKJ6GNvPng1hV5CeI/w512-h384/pockets_lining.jpg) |
Pockets with decorative stitching in the bag's lining.
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Zipper installation
The finished bag is approximately 12.5" x 13" and has a boxed bottom.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhkxqJxhhBNrYwDgRIFRvD1alJbt7POQ2wyzqpFojVtL3zg2OSIW5LQWb3hvT7BWah0xpBCqfqv8xr24eupjn10I7kSGnXGucI86ZBdyNkZaYNoIFnvNGQyQ46WtxQ96QePM5OwOKiJs/w512-h413/zipperBag_boxedbottom.jpg) |
Zipper bag: Kantha hand stitched side.
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It's currently holding my English paper piecing hexagon project.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4TyOvqNPNaBUf_D9rcK0osjyXk3TQL9dXOgKALCeIQmo_Bt6ZLmCAyj2oP0d-Acni1dv0tgbx79DKsxNuaSbxx0PCrGaVl6iFDi0VCoe5O8_PnNxzgIiwfBbQAk3UoQwtnZi5BG5yn8/w512-h407/zipperBag_patchwork.jpg) |
Zipper bag: Machine pieced side with decorative machine stitching. |
A completed UFO for a WIP [work in progress].
Check one more item off the (loooong) UFO list.