I’ve been makng more cosmetic bags.

Why?

Well, because at some point we are going to go back to the states for a furlough. That means we will visit our supporting churches and report back on things in Poland and beyond.

I always look for things with Polish folk to buy to give away as hostess gifts or as special gifts for people who do things for us as we travel. Often it is paper napkins which we can give away at every place we go.

I had the desire this time to make some cosmetic bags we could give away as I had opportunity.

So I just decided to get on with it and get going and make them. That way whenever we decide to go back to the states, I will have them made already.

So here they are. I will probably stop here as I want to get to quilting now. I have a lot of tops that need quilting and I’m feeling the internal pressure to get some finished up.

I used my more expensive Polish folk fabrics in black, purple, green, white and striped.

This is super nice fabric. Rachael wants me to work on getting some for the shop - by the bolt. The manufacturer isn’t too far from us - but I haven’t been there yet to talk with them about it. Shipping is always the difficult matter to try to figure out!

Last year my husband made me some acrylic or plexiglass templates. They are here. He also added one in between the biggest one and the third one down.

The original paper ones were from Riley Blake, but there was such a large difference between the largest one and the one I think of as medium (which was called large), I asked him to make me a middle one, so he did.

So I have the 5 sides. The difference between the two smallest ones is minimal but there is a difference. They are just so cute!

I did find the two blue/yellow cosmetic bags already cut out and in my sewing room, so I went ahead and finished them. I will be giving them to a Ukrainian young lady on Saturday.

The next kind of cosmetic bag I want to learn to make is a boxed rectangle. I have one cut out and want to follow Melanie Ham’s tutorial - shown below on the left. Maybe I can do a cross between that one and something else I found on You Tube by someone who doesn’t speak English.

The one on the left - Melanie - is helpful to watch first since she’s actually talking in it - if you aren’t sure what’s happening. The one on the right just has pictures and diagrams. They use different places to leave the opening and I actually like the one on the right better as to that.

However, I want to learn to make these next. I pretty much know how to do the taco style or curved ones since I’ve made close to 100 of them - when considering last Christmas and this bunch.

These are a wonderful quick project for when you need a nice present. Of course you can personalize them.

I even tried one out of tan/brown strips. Let me share that one with you. I figured it could be a nice way to use some of my 2.5” strips. I may go ahead and make up 10 or so of these, but I first have to cut my strips.

It does take me 10 strips cut at 16” - so that might help use up some of my strips and give me some more gifts. So I’m thinking pink and purple for some girls…could be fun.

On this last group of cosmetic bags, I also added little tabs for holding when you open the zipper. As shown:

Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store here!

Feel free to browse the site.