Happy New Year! It's time to officially wrap up my creative year for 2025. This is my 17th year writing these wrap up posts, see previous years here. (That seemed like way too high a number, so I went back and counted. Can confirm!)


Wow! 2025 was challenging. At the beginning of the year, Michael was interviewing for academic jobs, but we had no idea what to expect or where we might end up. Fast forward to the present and we are in our new home in State College, Pennsylvania and he started his new job this week! It was a year of change and a slow goodbye to our life in Connecticut. It was much harder to leave than I would have expected when we first moved there in 2017. We really put down roots and fell in love with our area, home and our neighbors. Hamden (New Haven) will always hold a special place in our hearts, that's for sure. Needless to say, the last six months especially have been tough. Trying to pack, show/sell our house, and move out of state (with a toddler and a kitty) was a lot!! I am glad to be on the other side of all that. We have been settling into our new home and exploring our new town.


Just like last year, I didn't think I made that many things this year, but looking back I made more than I thought. Our daughter dropped her only nap in March, so my crafting time decreased considerably. That combined with needing to pack/move meant I often didn't have enough energy left to sew. Somehow I managed to make some fun things, share some tutorials and host my annual Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along! Let's dive into some of my favorite projects from the year and then evaluate how I did on my 2025 crafty goals.

My favorite quilt finish: Vintage Sheet Schoolhouse Quilt


The most used quilt of 2025: Hello Kitty Patchwork Quilt


My favorite lined drawstring bag: Upcycled Tea Towel Drawstring Bag


My favorite bag project: Upcycled Towel Boxy Pouches


My favorite home decor project: Quilted Tea Towel Pillow Cover


This year I shared 9 free tutorials here on my blog and hosted a sew along:

Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along
DIY Seed Germination Book and My Seed Starting Setup
My Favorite DIY Stain Remover for Oil Stains
Jeni's Dahlia Growing Guide
HST Leftovers Free Baby Quilt Pattern
Upcycling Materials for Lined Drawstring Bags
Tree Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial
Scrappy Color Blocked Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial
Leftover Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial

I also released a new pattern this year:
Starflower Quilted Zipper Pouch Pattern

Let's check in with my 2025 Crafty Goals:
Use up more yardage than I bring in for both fabric and yarn.
I don't think I bought any "new" fabric or yarn this year. Anything I brought in was secondhand and even that was minimal. I got rid of a huge amount of fabric, especially ahead of our move.

Finish up 1 or 2 long-term projects in progress.
I feel very good about how I did with this goal! I put together two quilt tops out of two stacks of super old blocks and sent them out for quilting. I also finally put together my Night Sky quilt which has been in progress for many years. All of those quilts are quilted and one is bound!

Release 2 new patterns.
Made it halfway to this goal, I released one new pattern this year: Starflower Quilted Zipper Pouch Pattern

Destash fabric and yarn I don't think I'll use.
I destashed a lot of fabric, vintage sheets and yarn this year. Somehow I still have a huge stash, but I feel good about what I was able to part with.

Make a mini Making Backpack.
Bummed that I didn't get to this project in 2025. Top of my list in 2026!

Host another quilt along! Hopefully this Spring, keep your eye out.
Maybe this year? I think this was quite an ambitious goal considering how chaotic 2025 ended up being!

Work on a pair of colorwork mittens.
I started the Snowfling Mitts by Tanis Lavallee. I loved knitting her Sweet Nectar Mitts pattern a few years ago!

Try a new craft! I already have supplies to try out marbling, natural dyeing, weaving (with a simple flat loom), bleach dyeing, etc.
I did not try any new crafts this year! Hopefully in 2026.

Continue to experiment and make things with repurposed textiles.
This applies to most of the sewing I did in 2025! I made a bunch of pouches from towels, two vintage sheet quilts, some drawstring bags from napkins and a towel, plus some pillow covers too.

Finish a crochet project.
I don't think I finished any crochet projects this year. I did knit a hat!

I'll be back soon to share my 2025 garden wrap-up post and some 2026 crafty goals. I always look forward to writing the garden post, especially since it's the middle of winter! A great excuse to spend time pouring over gardening photos and dreaming about the next season.

Happy Sewing!

Leftover Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Welcome to the fourth and final week of the Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along!

I'll be updating the Sew Along Page each week with all the posts so that you can easily catch up or reference these posts after the sew along ends!

I hope you'll sew along with us! Sew from the tutorial or the patterns:
Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial
Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern
Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern


This week's task is finishing our bags! Tackle those drawstring casings, make fabric ties or prep twill/paracord ties. Pull ties through the bags and finish them off with a simple knot or some fun beads! A few posts you might find helpful this week:

- Marking the drawstring casings can be time consuming, especially if you're making a lot of bags. I have a video tutorial for an alternative marking technique that is my go-to method. Find it here: Alternative Method for Marking the Drawstring Casing

- If you're like me and you don't have a free-arm on your sewing machine, I have a video tutorial for how to sew the drawstring casings. Find it here: How to Sew a Drawstring Casing Without a Free-Arm Sewing Machine

- Using beads and want to take them to the next level? I have a tutorial all about how to customize unfinished wooden beads. Find it here: How to Customize Wooden Beads with Paint, Stain, and Dye

- You've made your bags and now you're ready to gift them, why not use some reusable gift tags too! I share five different ideas for tagging your bags in this post: Reusable Gift Tag Ideas for Drawstring Bags

- Working with Paracord can be intimidating if you've never used it before, I've got a post that breaks down the basics for you: Tips for Working with Paracord

- I also have a similar post for using cotton twill tape for ties: All About Cotton Twill Tape and How to Use it for Drawstring Bags

- Dress up plain cotton twill tape with some dye: Tie-Dye Twill Tape Tutorial


Today I have a new bag size to share with you, to finish off the sew along! This is a flat bag without any gussets, which means it comes together really fast. This bag uses up one (or two) leftover 12" quilt blocks. Most of us have a few kicking around our stash, so I thought it would be fun to make a bag that uses those up! Especially if you're making bags for wrapping gifts, it can be nice to have a few flat bags on hand.


Sewing Level: Beginner Friendly
Finished Size: Approx. 16.5" tall by 12" wide

Materials:
- 12.5"x12.5" unfinished quilt block
- 1 fat quarter for exterior main (or a second quilt block for the back!)
- 1/4 yard for accent (or fat quarter)
- 1/2 yard for interior
- 1/8 yard fabric or 2 yards of twill tape for ties
- Coordinating thread

Cutting:
From Exterior Main Fabric:
- Cut (1) 12.5"x12.5" piece

From Exterior Accent Fabric:
- Cut (2) 5"x12.5" pieces

From Interior Fabric:
- Cut (2) 17"x12.5"

If using fabric for ties:
- Cut (2) 36”x2” strips

If using twill for ties:
- Cut (2) 36" pieces


For bag construction, refer to the free tutorial or the lined drawstring bag pattern. You'll be using the quilt block as an Exterior Main piece.

The depth for these bags is 0, so you can skip steps 6-8 and proceed to step 9. If you need extra guidance on the construction, please refer to the video tutorial.



The other side of this bag is totally different! I combined this week's tutorial with the Scrappy Color Blocked Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial I shared last week. All the canvas I used for the back and the accents was from my scrap bin, yay!



Here is another block bag I made when I was testing this idea, this one is made with all fabrics from my Curiosities collection.

I hope you've enjoyed this post! I can't wait to see your bags! Please share them with me on instagram @jenib320 or via email (jenib320 @ gmail.com)!

Don't forget to pin this post to your Pinterest for future reference!


Happy Sewing!

Scrappy Color Blocked Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Welcome to the third week of the 2025 Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along!

I'll be updating the Sew Along Page each week with all the posts so that you can easily catch up or reference these posts after the sew along ends!

I hope you'll sew along with us! Sew from the tutorial or the patterns:
Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial
Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern
Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern


Before we dive into the post, let's talk about our to-do list for week 3 of the sew along!

This week's main task is sewing. Sew your bags through step 10. If you're making a lot of bags and you're short on time, I highly recommend making them assembly line style. A few posts from the archives you might find helpful this week:

- I recorded a video tutorial that covers making the bags from start to finish. It's a bit long, but it's meant to be comprehensive! It covers everything from cutting to finishing. Find it here: Lined Drawstring Bag Video Tutorial

- If you need a little extra guidance when it comes to the gussets, I have a video for that too! Find it here: How to Put a Gusset on a Bag Video Tutorial

- Want your bags to have extra structure? Check out this post: Tips for Sturdy Lined Drawstring Bags

- Add a special detail to your gussets with this tutorial for exposed gussets that I think is rather cute: Exposed Gusset Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial

- Check out this post that will help make your drawstring casing openings extra tidy: Tips for Tidy Drawstring Casing Openings


Today I want to share my scrappy color blocked bags with you! This idea has been kicking around my brain for a while, just waiting to be sewn up! I think there are a lot of directions you could take this, it's a great way to use up small pieces of stash or even scraps.

Make Your Own: The concept is pretty straightforward and will work with any of the sizes from the free tutorial or the lined drawstring bag pattern. Simply use a different color or fabric for each piece! My bag uses 6 fabrics, one for each accent piece, one for each exterior main piece, and one for each interior piece. You could even take it a step further and use two different colored ties!



For my first color blocked bag I decided to use all solids to really show off the idea in a high contrast way.



For my second color blocked bag I used prints. Instead of using all different colors for the two sides of the bag, I chose one color for the Exterior Main and one color for the Exterior Accent.


At first glance it looks pretty much like a typical lined drawstring bag.



I hope you've enjoyed this post! I can't wait to see your bags! Please share them with me on instagram @jenib320 or via email (jenib320 @ gmail.com)!

Don't forget to pin this post to your Pinterest for future reference!

Happy Sewing!

Tree Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Welcome to week two of the 2025 Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along!

I'll be updating the Sew Along Page each week with all the posts so that you can easily catch up or reference these posts after the sew along ends!

I hope you'll sew along with us! Sew from the tutorial or the patterns:
Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial
Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern
Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern


Here are a few to-do items for week two of the sew along!

The main task for this week is cutting! Finalize your fabric choices and cut out all the pieces for your bags. Here are a few posts from the archives that you might find helpful:

- If you're not comfortable using a rotary cutter, or just want to streamline your process, you won't want to miss my post on making templates for cutting out your bags. Find it here: Making Templates for the Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern

- Looking for ways to dress up your bag? Check out these tutorials: How to Use Trim or Ribbon to Embellish Your Drawstring Bags and Adding an Exterior Pocket.


I'm excited to share that shipping in my online shop has resumed! I have limited inventory of Cotton Twill Tape, Nylon Paracord, Round Wooden Beads, and Beehive Wooden Beads available.


Almost every year of the Sew Along I share a tutorial for a holiday themed quilt block to add to the front of a drawstring bag! This year I decided on a Tree Block! This is a simple paper pieced block.

Here are the corresponding tutorials:
- Present Quilt Block Drawstring Bag Free Tutorial
- Patchwork Star Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial
- Gingerbread House Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial
- Wreath Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Tree Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Sewing Level: Intermediate
Finished size: Approx. 10" tall, 7" wide, 3" deep

Tree Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Materials:
- 1 Fat quarter for Exterior Main*
- 1 Fat quarter for Exterior Accent
- 1 Fat quarter for Interior
- Scraps for paper pieced block
- Tree Paper Pieced Block Pattern
- 2 yards of 1/2" twill tape, nylon paracord or 1/8 yd fabric
- Coordinating thread
- Acrylic ruler
- Large safety pin
- Pencil

*I would recommend using a non-directional fabric for the exterior main, which also serves as the background in the gingerbread house block.

Looking for supplies? Check out my Pattern Supplies and Resources post.

Tree Quilt Block Cutting
Tree Trunk:
- Cut (1) 2.5"x2" piece for spot 1

Tree:
- Cut (1) 5"x6" piece for spot 4

Background (Exterior Main):
- Cut (2) 2.75"x2" pieces for spots 2 and 3
- Cut (2) 4"x8" pieces for spots 5 and 6

Tree Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Cutting
From Exterior Main Fabric:
- Cut (1) 9”x10.5” piece
- Cut (2) 6.5"x2.5" side pieces
- Cut (1) 1"x10.5" top piece
- Cut (1) 2.5"x10.5" bottom piece

From Exterior Accent Fabric:
- Cut (1) 4”x21” strip
- Subcut into (2) 4”x10.5” pieces

From Interior Fabric:
- Cut (1) 12.5”x21” strip
- Subcut into (2) 12.5”x10.5” pieces

If using fabric for ties:
- Cut (2) 32”x2” strips

If using twill for ties:
- Cut (2) 32" pieces

Tree Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Instructions:

*Use a 1/4” seam allowance unless otherwise noted*

1. Before constructing the bag, we first need to make the Tree Block. The block is paper pieced, you can download the free block pattern here: Tree Paper Pieced Block Pattern

If you're new to paper piecing, be sure to check out my paper piecing tutorial.

2. Remove papers from block and trim to 6.5" square. Press well.

Now it's time to add the borders to the Tree Quilt Block.

3. Sew the two 6.5"x2.5" side exterior main pieces to either side of the block. Press seams away from block.

4. Sew the 1"x10.5" top side exterior main piece to the top edge of the block. Press seams away from block. Sew the 2.5"x10.5" bottom side exterior main piece to the bottom edge of the block. Press seams away from block. Trim piece to 9"x10.5" if necessary. This is the Exterior Main piece for one side of the bag.

Optional: You may choose to add additional structure to your patchwork with a lightweight interfacing. I would recommend something like SF101 by Pellon, and interfacing both Exterior Main pieces.

For the bag construction, refer back to the free tutorial or the everything size in the lined drawstring bag pattern, start at step 1.


I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! I can't wait to see your bags! Please share them with me on instagram @jenib320 or via email (jenib320 @ gmail.com)!

Don't forget to pin this post to your Pinterest for future reference!

Happy Sewing!