What else have I been up to?

Well, over the weekend I got the guinea pigs done (finally!) but I also got a good start on a few other projects.

One is for the Hopeful Threads first quarter challenge, to make bags and pouches for kids in foster care (and fill them with personal hygiene items).

I grabbed up my handful of zippers (assorted colors) and headed up to the craft room to find coordinating fabrics.

Here's what I decided on:

(oops, that's technically upside down!)

The pics are bad, but that first one is light blue fabrics.  The outside is cotton/linen blend fabric (kokka for the win!) with toothpaste tubes.  I bought it on a lark about a year ago and this project is PERFECT for it (I had 1/2 yard, so I still have a nice fat quarter plus scraps for whatever else might come along).  The lining fabric is light blue with tiny polka dots (I think they're brown).

Gray with assorted colored elephants (with babies) and purple polka dot lining (that has different stripes of color--really nice fabric).  I got both of those through swaps.

Aqua Hello Tokyo print (that I got as a gift) line with pink (from a swap).

Simpsons print with blue leafy design lining.  I have a yard of this fabric and only ever used one little swatch so I might just make a grocery style bad from the rest (and donate it too--or maybe keep it for myself, we'll see).  When I was cutting the fabric I got to thinking about how dang OLD I am.  Would little kids even know who the Simpsons are?  Maybe teens would.  Then I thought maybe I should get some Family Guy fabric, since that's more what kids would recognize!

Orange/blue/assorted colors with animals and polka dot for lining.  I have half yard of each of these, so now I still have a FQ of each (plus scraps).  This was some more fabric I bought on a whim (on sale) and am just now getting a chance to use it.

Purple Arabian Nights print (with sultans and genies and horses and this really cute monkey that makes me think of Aladdin and a funky little cat that I never noticed until I was cutting the fabric).  Liner fabric is from the same line and has appropriately themed buildings.  I had to fussy cut that FQ a tiny bit so I'd get buildings on each lining piece.  I've had these FQs for a while.  I got them in a mystery FQ pack I got a while ago and was hoping to find a project that would use both.  I almost gave them away a few times and I'm glad I didn't.  They work well with that purple zipper.

Lorax prints.  The brown tone will be the outside (it has the Lorax and some animals) and the green will be the lining.  I've had this fabric for few years.  I got it to make things for my sister (and did) but still have a lot left over (I think I bought a yard of the green and half yard of the other--this was when I thought I wanted to make my sister a quilt but I got freaked out so I only made her a zipper pouch using some coordinating panel fabric for the outer pieces and the green for lining).  I still have a lot of the green so I might make a grocery bag for myself (the Lorax is all about conservation, after all).

Girly print with polka dot lining.  I got that stylish/girly print in a swap.  I really like it but it's kind of a large print so I was wondering what I'd use it for (had a FQ of it).  I fussy cut it a bit so I'd have at least one full girl on each side (and not the same girl).  The zipper is bright yellow which matches well the yellows in the print.  The polka dots came from my FQ stash (I'm sure it was part of a mystery bundle I bought--I bought quite a few of those when I first started sewing).

I managed to get them all cut on Sunday (since the Super Bowl was so dang boring!).  I probably won't get back to them until this weekend.  I know they'll sew up fast once I get into the groove (using the zipper foot and all that).  I will have to trot out my black threaded bobbin for the one, so I'll probably do it first.

I scored a few great things to fill the bags, too.  I found some great socks on clearance at Target.  They're Prospirit low socks in really bright colors.  I got the last two packs on the clearance rack.  They were $3.25 each, so that came out to just over $1/pair of socks.  Excellent price for those socks (they're good quality, I wear them myself, only with a higher top).  I also got three packs of chapstick for $2 and change.  So less than $1 per chapstick.  So I have six pairs of socks and six chapsticks.  I couldn't remember if I was making six bags or eight (and there were only two packs of socks) so I just went with six.  Then I was looking in my medicine cabinet and I found an unopened package of hair ties.  My hair is way too short for them and they're brand new so into the donation pile they went (I'd totally use them if I had long hair, so they're definitely "good enough" for donating--I try not to donate things I wouldn't use myself or think are junky).

I'm aiming to fill them with things for teens (boy and girl).  I realized I know ZERO about babies and younger kids (what sizes and all that stuff) so teens it is.  I figure teens wear adult sized socks (and/or underwear if I happen to find a steal on them, I'd buy them) so that takes all the size issues out of the discussion.

I already have more than enough girly socks, so I'll get at least two pairs of "boy" socks and two more lip balms (maybe "girly" ones if I find Lipsmackers or something like that for a super good deal).  Then I was thinking a toothbrush and small toothpaste for each (including a cover for the toothbrush).  I was toying with deoderants, too, but they are kind of heavy so I might try and get lighter items just to keep my shipping down.  Unless I find them for a great price then I'd get them.

I'm planning to check out the dollar store near my house (for the toothbrushes and covers) and the Shop and Save, too.  You never know what random things you'll find at the grocery store.  This weekend I'm hoping to con my hubby into a trip to the craft store which will put me right next to a Five Below, so I can check them out for things, too (maybe something fun for each pack).

But first, I need to work on some stuff for swaps.

A doll and a unicorn (walk into a bar. . .wait, no, that didn't happen!).  The doll is coming along nicely.  We'll see if I'm still feeling the same way when I get to making the clothes (sewing tiny hems and attaching itty bitty snaps is always "fun").  I don't anticipate any drama with the unicorn, as long as I can remember how I made the horn.  I'm sure once I look at the toothpick and the ribbon again it will come back to me.  (I've made a unicorn from this zebra pattern before I as REALLY tempted to just give away that unicorn but it's farting a rainbow and I didn't want to remove the rainbow sewn to its butt so. . .time to make a new one).