Looking back at August 2026: What did I Sew and or Create?

Hello sewing/creating friends!  Since I don't seem to be able to post weekly, like I planned, I'm going to try doing a monthly review each month of what I've made the month before.  

I didn't get as much sewing/creating done in August as I had hoped, but I did do the following ...

We had G (grandma) & G (grandpa) camp for 2 weeks in August with two of our grands.   Our granddaughter wanted to learn how to sew, so I taught her.  She made this pillowcase (She chose the fabric, cut it out and sewed it up ... under my tutelage, of course.) ...

She wanted to make something else when she had finished her pillowcase and asked about making a drawstring bag.  That was her next project!  Again, she chose the fabric, cut it out and stitched it up following my instructions.

 

After G & G camp was over, my sister wanted to learn how to make the drawstring bags, so we did a long-distance sewing class via technology.  

I made two bags, pictured here is the second one.  I simply reversed the fabric from the first one and on this one instead of making the drawstrings, I used some cording I had on hand.  I don't know which I like the best.

Now, comes a question ... I have used drawstring bags in the past for gift giving purposes filling them with items that relates to the recipient's likes.  What would you put in these drawstring bags for gift giving purposes?  The inside area is about 6 x 8 inches.

Not as colorful, but just as useful are these 'in the process' drawstring bags.  Neither bag is finished, the one on the right is very close.  I could easily finish both in about an hour, but finding a whole hour to sew right now is not on the schedule!!  The fabric for these bags are from recycled clothing.   The denim outside fabric came from a dress I no longer wore and the lining fabric came from a blouse I was given.  The blouse didn't have enough 'give' for my comfort, so I repurposed it.  (The dear friend who gave it to me had the same issue with the blouse, she gave it to me with the suggestion that if I couldn't wear it, to repurpose it into something else.  I love friends like that!) 

That's it for the month of August!  What did you stitch up or create in August?

Here's to September and all the sewing/creating possibilities!!

 Until the next time!

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

Making 2026: Week # 22

  Hello 'maker' friends!  Welcome to week #22!

I finished one of the two blouses I started last week!

This is truly one of the easiest blouses I have ever made and I can't wait to start wearing it.  I will only wear it at home as I have ugly arms and wouldn't want to expose others to the sight of them.  This blouse is going to be cool temperature wise, as it's flowing, sleeveless and comfy.  One blouse down and one to go and I'll have two tops that will be perfect for being outdoors at home!

I also continued working on my Christmas log cabin quilt top.  I sewed all but one of the rows of blocks together and it is pinned in place awaiting my next sewing machine sewing time.  Once that is done, I'll add a border and it will be ready to quilt.  I think I'm going to do a scrappy border, I think it will look good with the blocks.

I worked on the grandmother's fan baby quilt blocks as well, I have 2 completed and 3 more are almost completed.  I think I need a total of 8 'fans' in addition to the plain blocks in between (which are already cut out) ... remember, it's a baby quilt, so not many blocks are needed.

That's it for this week!  I'd love to hear what your working on and or 'making!'

 Until the next week!

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Making 2026: Week #21

 Hello 'maker' friends!  Welcome to week #21!

This week was my birthday week and one of the things I asked for was a day where I didn't have to go anywhere and didn't have to cook.  That meant I would have one whole day to do what I wanted, and I wanted to sew!!!

I got my wish and here's what I worked on ...

Summers in our area are very hot and very humid, so cool breathable clothing is a must if you're going to stand a chance at being somewhat comfortable when outside.  I wanted a couple of sleeveless, lose fitting blouses for working at home, inside and out.  I stitched up these two blouses and got them finished except for making the bias tape and attaching it to the necklines and armholes.  The white blouse was made out of a tablecloth I purchased on clearance at a national chain craft store last year.  This worked up really quick as I positioned the pattern when cutting it out to use the hem of the tablecloth as the hem of the blouse.

The pink one was made out of fabric I purchased at the Mennonite run fabric store I mentioned last week ... it was half price!  I did French seams on this blouse and put in a small half inch hem for the bottom.  It also worked up really quick.

Both blouses (Simplicity 9112) are made of breathable lightweight fabric and I look forward to getting them finished and ready to wear.

I also worked some more on a Christmas version of a log cabin quilt I've been working on, off and on, as time has permitted.  This has been a WIP for over a year and I'm anxious to get the top finished.

I started a grandmother's fan baby quilt for my gift trunk, did some mending, and finished up some key fobs for the gift trunk.

By the end of the day I was tired, but oh it was a satisfying, made me smile, contented kind of tired. It also awakened my sewing mojo and the very next day, I carved out about a half hour of time to work a little more on these projects!  With a little luck, I'll have both blouses finished next week and more progress to report on the two quilts I'm working on.

That's it for this week!  I'd love to hear what your working on and or 'making!'

 Until the next week!

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Making 2026: Week # 20

 Hello 'maker' friends!  Welcome to week #20!

(If  you're looking for weeks 11 -19, they don't exist!)

I am so far behind on journaling the things I create here, I'll try to get caught up over the next few posts.  To tell you the truth, life has been happening, plus traveling, plus trying to get the garden in, plus hubby getting himself an injury that has slowed things down considerably.  All is well though, hubby is making progress and while life continues to happen, I just have to confess that I'm getting really antsy for some sewing time!!!

While we were traveling, we visited a Mennonite community and was told about a sewing shop in the community that was owned and operated by a Menn0nite lady.  Of course, I couldn't wait to go and I wasn't disappointed once I got there.  The owner was exceptionally nice.  I like the style of apron that this particular community of Mennonite women were wearing and wanted to purchase a pattern so I could make a couple for myself.  Not having any for sale, she offered to draft one for me.  After completing the pattern, she fit it to me and gave me all sorts of sewing hints and helps for stitching one up.  Oh, how I want to get to that project!

That's it for this week! I really just wanted to get back to posting here and welcome our new subscribers.  To all of you, I'd love to hear what your working on and or 'making!'

If life holds together, I hope to have something to show and share in the next post!

 Until the next week!

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Making 2026: Week #10

 Hello 'maker' friends!  Welcome to week #10!

let's see what I got up to this week ...

 What I recycled and or repurposed:  

I started recycling another dress that doesn't fit into a skirt.  This is the last dress I have to repurpose from something I won't or can't wear into something I can and will wear!

Progress on a 'work in progress' or unfinished project:

Nothing this week ... I've not had much time to sew ... some weeks will be that way, but with every UFO completed, I'm getting closer to the end of the stack.  And yes, I'm trying not to add to it!

 Quilting project:  

I completed block #7 in the patriotic quilt I'm doing.

A sewing channel/video I watched this week:  

If I were going to tell someone how to sew to fit their body, the information this woman gives in her tutorial is what I would give, but she does such an excellent job that I'm just going to send you over to her channel.

That's it for this week!  I'd love to hear what your working on and or 'making!'

 Until the next week!

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Making 2026: Week #9

Hello 'maker' friends!  Welcome to week #9!

 What I recycled and or repurposed:  

I wore the skirt I repurposed from last week's post and it was too big around the waist so, this week I redid the waist by removing about 4 inches of the elastic and then I shortened the skirt a bit as well.  Sometimes it takes wearing a repurposed garment to get the fit right.

I have one more dress that I have been planning to turn into a summer skirt and I began that process this week as well.  I hope to have it completed to share next week.

Progress on a 'work in progress' or unfinished project:

Here's another one of my unfinished cross-stitch mini pillow projects.  This week I finished, stuffed and packed it away with my winter decor.

 Quilting project:  

I completed a 6th block in my patriot quilt ... bottom row, right hand side.  I have 10 more blocks to go!

I worked a small amount on my log cabin Christmas quilt as well.  When baby steps is all you can manage, that's what you do ... and that includes sewing!

A sewing channel/video I watched this week:  

I watched this quilting video.  I can't say I liked the pattern she used, I can't say that I dislike it either.  What I did like though and will incorporate into our lives is the concept of a 'car' quilt.  It's exactly what it sounds like, a quilt made for and kept exclusively in your vehicle.  I like that idea!  A future project for sure!

That's it for this week!  I'd love to hear what your working on and or 'making!'

 Until the next week!

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Making 2026: Week #8

Hello 'maker' Friends!

I've got a little bit of a new format I'm going to try this week that will hopefully help keep me focused on the things I want to get done ...

Let's give it a try ...

What I recycled and or repurposed:  This skirt was repurposed from a dress that had way too many ruffles in all the wrong places for my taste, so I turned it into a skirt.  I paired it with a black pullover sweater that I had and turned it into what I think is a really cute outfit.

Progress on a 'work in progress' or unfinished project.  (If I've laid a project aside for at least a month, it is being categorized as a work in progress or unfinished project.):  This project is way past the one month qualifier that makes it an unfinished project!!!  In fact this project is way past the one year mark and the only thing it needed to be finished was I need to stuff it ... that's all!  I did that today!

I love little mini cross-stitched pillows.  I have several I've done over the years and bring out according to the season.  This obviously is a Christmas one ... that is now finished!!  Hoot!  Hoot!  One down ... several more to go!

Quilting project:  I completed block #5 in my patriotic quilt!

A sewing channel/video I watched this week:  This week I watched this Youtube video by Dorothy's Daughter.  She and I think alike when it comes to our sewing stash!  Do you have a sewing channel you could recommend?

That's it for this week!  I'd love to hear what your working on and or 'making!'

 Until the next week!

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Making 2026: week # 7

Hello sewing friends!  This week I'm back in my sewing nook working on a couple of different projects ... both to be future quilts ... 

I shared this picture last week ... block cut out and ready to be marked and stitched ...

Ta-da ... all stitched up!  It's hard to imagine that those small squares and rectangles could be turned into the above, isn't it!

Here it is added to the other 3 I've completed thus far.

Reminder:  these blocks are part of a free sew-along with Jessica Dayon - Quilting and More.

Remember that stack of Christmas themed log cabin blocks I showed you last week that I had finished stitching up?  This week I trimmed them to the same size and decided on the pattern I wanted to use.  The log cabin blog is so versatile and can be laid out in many different ways creating many different looks.  Next week, I hope to be able to start sewing the blocks together, now that the planning and prep part is over.

That's it for this week!  I'd love to hear what your working on and or 'making!'

 Until the next week!

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Making 2026: Weeks 4, 5, & 6

 Hello, my sewing friends!  With the 12 inches of snow we got, prepping for that and life in general, I've not had time to sit down and bring everyone up to date on my many projects.  I plan to change that in today's post, let's get started ...

The doll blanket I was crocheting turned into a real life baby blanket!  I got carried away crocheting and to be honest, not paying attention to what I was doing.  Once I realized I had made it much bigger than I planned I had several rows done and decided not to undo it.   Not to worry, it will be used as a gift in early summer for a real live baby.  I have enough of this pink Bernat Baby Blanket yarn  left to do a baby doll blanket.  This time I will be more mindful of my crocheting!  

All 3 of these pieces of fabric are slated to become aprons ... two for me (I wear aprons quite a lot and as a result they wear out and or get so stained that I can't get them clean.  This is the time of year that I like to inventory my aprons and replace any that need replacing.)  The third piece of fabric (the puppy one) is for an apron for a grand.  Grandma is making aprons for all the grands this year for Christmas.  This puppy fabric is perfect for one of them!  This fabric has been washed and is waiting to be cut out ... then I'll batch sew them!

These are the pieces for the 4th block in my patriot quilt.  I got behind on this project, but as you can see 'getting behind' doesn't mean giving up!

And last, but certainly not least, I pulled out these log cabin blocks that are now over a year old and finished them up.  This is my current WIP project, one of my sewing goals this year is to work on my Work-In-Progress projects that are 6 months old or older.  Please tell me you have WIP's that are as old as mine!

One more thing, I haven't forgotten about the request to show how I made my sewing labels.  I hope to get that done this coming week!

That's it for this week!  I'd love to hear what your 'making!'

 Until the next week!

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Making 2026: Week #3

Hello sewing friends, are you ready for another week of my sewing and creating adventures!

Let's get started!

I totally went off my sewing plan for this past week and instead decided I would do a sew-along with Jessica Dayon - Quilting and More.

Like I had time to add anything else to my plate, but I did it anyway. Here are the first two blocks ... I am making this one scrappy blue and will add a backing that is predominately red. The idea is to make the quilt in honor of our country's 250th birthday this year using what I have on hand if at all possible. I think this sew-along is targeted to end somewhere around the end of March, so I'm telling myself, it's only for 3 months and that I can do that!

I made sewing labels for my handmade creations! I've wanted to do this for a long time, but lacked the confidence.

Fast forward to this week ... I can't believe how easy it was ... I don't know why I was so intimidated. Special thanks to Stephanie for her encouragement and help!

This is my version of block #1 in Erica Arndt's Sew With Me 2026 series I mentioned in last week's post.  Looking through my 'fabric pantry,' I decided that I wanted to do this one in earth tones and as you can see in the picture, that's what I've done.   To me, earth tones are soothing and calming.  There are some 'oops' in this block, but the final block size was right, so I trimmed it up and called it good!  I look at my 'oops' as me personalizing my quilts!!!  It's all good!

 This sew-along only has one block per month stretching it out over the entire year.  That's the only reason I decided to take it on ... that and the fact that the pattern is free for a specified length of time, I like Erica's patterns and I enjoy making quilts!

This drawstring bag has been in the works for a couple of weeks and this week, I finished it!

The outer fabric came from a shirt my hubby no longer wore and I cut it in such a way that I could include the pocket.  Can you spot one of my 'new' labels?  I thought it fitting that the first label I used went on a shirt that belonged to my hubby before it was repurposed!

This bag will be used in gifting to someone in our immediate family as the legacy that comes with it will mean something to the recipient.

That's it for this week, I hope you've had a productive week at your sewing machine!

 Until the next week!

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Making 2026: Weeks 1 & 2

 January 2026 is half way over ... can you believe it!  My gift trunk was pretty much emptied by the time the holidays were over so that means it's time to start refilling it!  

Let's see what we've done in the first 16 days of 2026 towards that goal as well as other 'making' projects ...

I started a baby doll blanket.  I gifted the ones I had in my gift trunk last year, so it's time to replenish my supply.  The yarn is Bernat Baby Blanket in the color of baby pink.

I turned this thrifted dress on the left into the skirt on the left.

I decided to do a free sew-along with Jessica Dayon - Quilting and More that started yesterday.   The above block is one of two that are assigned for week #1, I still have the other one to do before next Thursday.  

I used a thrifted 100% cotton sheet for the white parts and will continue to do so with all the other parts.  I'm making mine a scrappy blue, so will be using any and all blues from my stash.  The goal is not to have to buy anything to make this quilt top.  I may have to purchase the batting, but we'll cross that bridge when we get closer to needing it ... unless I find a good sale on batting between now and then!  

I think the schedule calls for the top to be completed towards the end of March.  That will be just before gardening season kicks in, in our area, so that will work out well.

Sometimes, I think I've lost my mind as I often take on way more than I can do, but hold on ... I'm going to do another free quilt-a-along!  This one is by Erica Arndt and is her 'Sew With Me' project for 2026.  She will release one new block per month for 12 months along with the pattern and instructions ... surely I can get one block per month done in 2026 says myself to myself!

A note about both of these sew-a-longs:  the patterns and instructions will only be free for a specified length of time, so if  you're interested you need to jump on over and at least get the patterns.  Erica has released the entire 12 month project packet for sale in her shop if you're an eager beaver and don't won't to wait for each month's release.  I am opting for the free version!

Much thanks to both these women for these opportunities!

That's it for the first 16 days of 2026.  I'd love to hear what your making or planning to make or even what you have in the works!

Until the next week!

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Looking Back at My 2025 Makes

It brings me great satisfaction to look back at my 'makes' and even with all the changes we had in 2025, I think I still had a good 'sewing' year!

 In January ...

 I turned a flannel nightshirt into a warm flannel skirt for winter ...

and notebook pen holders ...

In  February ...

I stitched up several 'Santa' sacks ...

In  March ...

I made these oversized zipper pouches ...

these two drawstring bags ...

and these drawstring bags for a church event ...

In  April ...

I did some more repurposing by turning a dress that didn't fit well into a skirt that did ...

In  May ...

I repurpose a dress I purchased at a thrift store into a skirt ...

In June ...

I added a crocheted ruffle onto this piece of flannel and turned it into a baby blanket ...

In July ...

I customized a new Bible teaching bag ...

and made two book sleeves ... HERE and HERE ...

Nothing in August, but in September I was back at it ...

hanging towels ...

a drawstring 'teddy bear' bag ...

and jar toppers ...

Nothing in October, but hello November ...

I created Thanksgiving treats for my grands ...

stitched up this 'chicken themed' drawstring bag ...

and refashioned a sweatshirt ...

In  December ...

I completed stitching these alphabet letters ...

and finished December off by completing 7 drawstring bags.

That's a wrap on my 2025 making, creating and sewing, I'm looking forward to 2026!

I hope you've enjoyed this little trip down memory lane!

Until the next time!

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine