November 23 ~ Passion for Writing
| Today’s ideas might inspire you to keep a journal, or to get in touch with a loved one the old-fashioned way (real mail!). These are also perfect for the tricky people on your list who don’t seem to need anything; everyone could use a new notebook!
Related tutorials you might just love: Gifts: Write, Something Special Card + Envelope, Patchwork Notebook, Love Note Pillow, Sewing Cards & Envelopes |
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Make It
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Mini Memo Book Covers Larissa at mmmcrafts created this Mini Memo Book Covers tutorial for The Southern Institute. |
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Fabric Appliqué Greeting Cards Angela from The Artist’s House shows you how to make Fabric Appliqué Greeting Cards at The Crafting Chicks. |
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Journal Cover Use up all of those special, small scraps with this pretty Journal Cover from Ros at Bloom. |
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Moleskine Cover Corinne has a super-simple Moleskine Cover tutorial at So September. Corinne writes, “These would make cute gifts for teachers, fun stocking stuffers and a nice little project for yourself!” |
Bag a Day
There are so many beautiful bags to love out there… We’re sharing one bag tutorial every day this month for you to sew and give.
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The Awesome Bag Meg from Elsie Marley designed The Awesome Bag, and shares the tutorial at Versus. We love the buttons and the strap… We love the bag! |
Buy It
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Tandem Custom Personalized Stationery Silhouette Blue has lots of great designs for their custom, personalized stationary and invitations like this Tandem Bike Stationery. We also love their 2012 calendar! |
Here are just a few fabrics perfect for some of today’s projects. Click on the fabric images to visit the Sew,Mama,Sew! shop:
| Kristin’s choice | Gabrien’s choice | Beth’s choice | ||
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Mix It
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Cherry Chocolate Kisses These Cherry Chocolate Kisses from The Curvy Carrot are super-simple to make, not-too-sweet to eat… And gone in a flash! |
Print It
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Vintage-Style Alphabet This Vintage-Style Alphabet from The Handmade Home would be sweet as a gift for a child’s room or playroom. We also think it would be fun to print the first letter of someone’s name as an over-sized gift tag for presents, or to print off letters for a word (like JOY!) to decorate for the holidays. Ashley encourages you to spend a little time looking around The Handmade Home; they have lots of free printables for you to download and enjoy! |
Win It
Tweet #handmadeholidays or tag us on Facebook this week for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to Sew,Mama,Sew!
Comment on today’s post for a chance to win one of these books!
Pretty in Patchwork: Doll Quilts
Author: Cathy Gaubert
Publisher: Lark Crafts
Welcome to Pretty in Patchwork, a fresh new series that explores the sweet spot where sewing and quilting come together. Doll quilts are the perfect little package to start the fun: they’re pretty, miniature, and a wonderful canvas for experimentation and skill building. Twenty top online designers, led by Cathy Gaubert, contribute an adorable array of patterns that use applique, piecing, embroidery, and more. A brief basics section, photos of vintage doll quilts, and instructions for adorable extras (like matching doll’s clothes), round out this appealing volume.
Sew Up a Home Makeover: 50 Simple Sewing Projects to Transform Your Space
Author: Lexie Barnes
Publisher: Storey Books
Want to bring a new look to a tired room without spending a fortune? Designer Lexie Barnes shows you how to personalize your living space in just a few hours, with 50 fresh, fun, pattern-free sewing projects. Transform a living room with a custom-designed slipcover and coordinated pillows. Redecorate a bedroom in a weekend by sewing up a headboard cover, a lampshade, and matching window treatments. Learn how easy and inexpensive it can be to change the look of a child’s room as she grows from a baby to a kid to a teenager. With dramatic before-and-after examples, beautifully styled photography, and a fun “you-can-do-it” attitude, Sew Up a Home Makeover is a creative resource that you’ll return to every time you’re ready for a new look.
Simple Graces: Charming Quilts and Companion Projects
Author: Kim Diehl
Publisher: Martingale & Co.
Favorite author Kim Diehl is back with an all-new collection of distinctive pieced and appliquéd designs! These eight quilts are each accompanied by at least one additional companion project, such as a lampshade, tea towel, pincushion, or pillowcase, for a total of more than 20 projects.
* Discover endless creative possibilities; numerous tips and ideas for even more projects appear throughout the book.
* Enjoy Kim’s warm style and learn from her outstanding ability to mix prints and colors.
* Embellish with buttons and yo-yos; dabble in wool appliqué.
Today you can win a Quilting Arts Package, including: The Best of Quilting Arts, Quilting Arts 2012 Calendar and Quilting Arts Gifts 2011/2012, a special holiday issue magazine! For more details on each component of this prize package please see our Handmade Holidays Prizes ~ Week #4 post.
Don’t miss our Handmade Holidays photo pool, and check out our 2010 Handmade Holidays list for more fabulous ideas.
22 ~ Passion for Food
21 ~ Passion for Sleep
20 ~ Passion for Nature
19 ~ Passion for Technology
18 ~ Passion for Photography
17 ~ Passion for Color
16 ~ Passion for Reading
15 ~ Passion for Imagination
14 ~ Passion for Growing
13 ~ Passion for Decorating
12 ~ Passion for Jewelry
11 ~ Passion for Art
10 ~ Passion for Travel
9 ~ Passion for Cooking + Baking
8 ~ Passion for Exploration + Adventure
7 ~ Passion for Teaching + Learning
6 ~ Passion for Sewing
5 ~ Passion for Organization
4 ~ Passion for Relaxation
3 ~ Passion for Clothes
2 ~ Passion for Play
1 ~ Passion for Accessories
We respect the copyright of all crafters. All photos are used with permission from the artist.
327 Responses to “November 23 ~ Passion for Writing”
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love the greeting cards and the awesome bag!
Completely reversible? That bag IS awesome!
Loving the greeting cards!
Great ideas! Thanks!
gobble gobble!!! those greeting cards are definitely my next project!
The journal cover is so cute! It helps that the scraps are some of my favorite fabrics…
The cookies look amazing!
Would love to win of these books!
Love these ideas! Great ideas for gifts!
Amazing! Thanks for the chance.
love the awesome bag and the side buttons!
Trotting right over to look at the alphabet printables – I can think of so many uses for those!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!
Cute printable! And those cookies look good!
My writing friends would love those covered journals. And I really like the applique notecards.
Mmm I can’t wait to try today’s recipe
Love that printable vintage alphabet! I will return to that site many times I am sure! The awesome bag looks slouchy and wonderful! Plus, I love the use of scraps in the book covers and greeting cards!
Cute ideas
My house could use a bit of a makeover!
I really love the bag!
that stationary is so cute! thanks for the amazing giveaways!
Another great day of links!
I quite like the journal cover with the patched strip down the front. Simple but lovely.
Very nice ideas!
I really like the journal cover with the strip of patchwork. And thos ABC downloadables are great! I’ve already downloaded them for my daughter’s playroom.
Thanks for the vintage alphabet.
Another great set of tutorials. Now all we have to do is get busy! thanks
Love the crafty greeting cards!! Wonderful crafts today. Thanks!
I love to win the QUilting Arts package!
The journal cover is my favorite today. I have several composition books I’ve been meaning to cover!
I am so making those cookies! So glad you are doing a bag a day! I am such a sucker for bags. ;0)
Silhouette Blue definitely has cute designs!
I love those applique cards! And anything with a tandem is cool – we had a tandem as a motif for our wedding stationary too
Love the journal covers!
Let’s see…. a journal cover for my daughter or a friend and an awesome bag for me!
i bookmarked the bag tutorial!
Those cherry chocolate kiss cookies are so pretty.
Cute greeting cards. I have so many fabric scraps and this would be a great way to use them.
lots of great ideas!
I need to relearn how to quilt! I learned when I was younger now I wish I remembered
I really need to be better about journal writing. This just might get me motivated.
I love the vintage style alphabet letters. I am wondering if I can somehow adopt this into an embroidery pattern…
I think anything that combines sewing, writing, and paper is a winner in my book. Great tutorials!
love the applique cards!
This makes me want to combine my old hobby of book making with my new hobby of sewing.
Ohhh, a makeover book. Sounds very fun
Great ideas for day 23 thanks
diggin’ the tandem bike stationery! thanks!
What a great children’s alphabet!
This might be my favorite post of ideas yet; I’d love to make all of these for myself!
I love the alphabet printables!
The Quilting Arts magazines are the best! Lots of ideas and projects.
What a great idea! My daughter loves memo books and making our own is much more fun that spending money on not so cute ones!
fingers crossed!
Those are all so cute! I keep a sewing notebook around, just writing down notes about patterns, ideas, inspiration, shopping lists and tips. It would be awesome to make a cover for one!
The awesome bag indeed looks, well… awesome! And I love the moleskine covers.
I love the bag of the day today!
This vintage-style alphabet is great !
And I think I’m going to make those fabric appliqué greating cards for my friends.
Thanks for sharing all those ideas !!
The tandem bicycle stationary would be a great engagement or wedding gift!
that sew up a home makeover looks like a fun book!
Great projects. Thank you.
I’m definitly a book lover! Great ideas!!!
I love the journal cover – I can think of several people that it would make an excellent gift for. Thank you!
Cherry chocolate kisses. yummy!
cute printable!
I’ve been wanting the doll quilt book since I first saw it ~ I’d love to win!
More great stuff! Those cookies look yummy!
I loved that striped bag with the button strap – it looks so stylish yet functional.
The Awesome Bag is the perfect gift for an Awesome friend of mine. Thank you!
I love the tandem stationary and the vintage alphabet – adorable!
I love your ideas for the vintage alphabet… I’m going to have to try them!
Love the bag!!!
Great idea for the appliqué cards! Awesome! Love the bag too
Oh! I’m heading to the store right now for some notebooks!
Cherry chocolate kisses! I have “pined it” for vday
Those cookies look yummy.
Have made the hershey kiss cookies before but never with cherry, have to try it! Love the journal cover, been wanting to get back into journalling, that might just be the boost I would need.
I love the moleskin cover and the appliquéd greeting cards, but I especially love the journal cover. I see one of these in my future — my niece would love such a gift, and she’s planning on traveling to England next summer, so she’d definitely be able to fill up the pages!
Again great ideas! I really love those alphabet printables… and the ideas for them are super cute!
Love my moleskine…now to make a cover for it!
Love the journal cover!
Loving that awesome bag!
Oooh, the books look splendid and I really have to see about that bag!!
Esther.
Oh, the Simple Graces books looks fantastic!! Off to deposit in my Amazon *wishing cart*!!
Thanks for the chance to win!
The awesome bag is pretty awesome! Thanks for today’s tutorials.
I so want that doll quilt book…!
My Christmas list this year is already too ambitious, these posts full of great ideas aren’t helping!
Love the idea of the Fabric Appliqué Greeting Cards. Great way to use of scraps.
Love the moleskin covers.
Loving the Awesome Bag!
LOVE the moleskine cover idea for teachers!
Wonderful! I love the mini memo book covers, perfect!
I’ll definitely be making those cookies this Christmas. They look delicious!
Those mini memo book covers are adorable!
Oh, the last few days have hit up all my passions! Thank you Handmade Holidays!
Love the alphabet cards!
Oh, how clever. Thanks for the giveaway.
I’m going to try my hand at those applique cards- very cute.
I never even thought of sewing a moleskin notepad and I have been wanting one for a very long time! Thanks for the tutorial!
I love the appliquéd cards so cute. I will finitely be making some for Christmas thank you cards. Maybe with a simple dove or ornament on them.
I love the idea of appliquéd cards. What a great way to have cute custom thank-you cards!
Awesome “awesome bag”!
I am going to try making the journal cover because I like everything to look pretty! LOL! Thanks for sharing!
the applique cards are sweet! and i’ll give a try with the cherry chocolate kisses
I love the awesome bag and the vintage alphabet! So great!
Love the covers, especially the printable one. Now, to see if I can find that size notebook. Thanks for sharing such great ideas.
the moleskine cover is really nice ! Thanks !
The alphabet fabric is adorable!
Love the moleskin cover project!
The greeting cards are supercute and I love the bag of the day too!
Love the moleskin cover.
Great tutorials as usual! Thanks so much for all the great ideas.
Love the vintage alphabet! Thanks!
Love the journal cover !!
That vintage style alphabet is so sweet!
I love the vintage alphabet cards.
Loving the printables from Handmade Home. I love the scrappy journal cover – for me! I have baggies full of scraps, just waiting for me!
So many great ideas. I just might complete my Christmas list all on one site!
LOVE those tandem cards – so perfect for someone I know! Thanks for sharing!
Great tutorials! Thanks for posting.
I really like the journal cover.
The awesome bag is….awesome.
That is a cool printable!
Thanks!
The cards are cute!
great stuff! Love the free printables!
I just love the colors on the cover of Sew Up a Homemake over. I need to paint my bedroom from light brown to that pretty aqua!
I like them all today!
The journal cover is so cute!
The cherry chocolate kisses look delicious!
Love the colours in the journal cover
Wow, lots of fun ideas.
awesome bag!
Love the journal cover. I have sone scraps for the job?
Books & fabric, what a blissful combiation
What another great day! Love the greeting cards and the journal cover. Thank you!!!
The chocolate cherry cookies are a nice change!
Loving the tuts today
The Moleskin cover comes just in time for a friend’s birthday – she flies through them with vigour.
Marilize
{marilize.paulsen@gmail.com}
That journal cover is very pretty
Cherry chocolate cookies….to die for!
And that little doll quilt book looks so fun.
Those cookies look delish! And I have been loving that Elsie Marley bag for a long time. Maybe sewn in some Ruby Star?
I love the journal covers and those cookies look yummmmmy!
I agree: the bag, it is awesome! Thanks so much!
Doll quilts. Well, I guess I should start somewhere…
I love the greeting cards!
I can’t wait to try the elsie marley bag for my sister’s Christmas gift!
WOW !! Love all the great ideas. The Awesome bag is awesome. You’re right, everyone can use a notebook, these and the journal covers are great. Love the vintage style alphabet also. Am I repeating myself? hehe. Another great and amazing day ideas.
Thank you for some wonderful giveaways and a chance to win.
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
As a librarian, I love this one!
the alphabet is way too adorable!!!!
Love the bag, perfect gift.
My mom would love a covered journal!
I love the journal cover by Ros at Bloom. So simple yet elegant!
I love the buttons on that bag of the day too. Cute!
Love the journal cover.
The cookies are so cute
I love that journal cover! Tiny squares for the win!
Love, love, love the journal cover! And I’ve never seen Sew Up a Home Makeover – - – looks so interesting!
The journal cover and the mini memo book cover are definite winners!
that bicycle stationary is adorable!
The retro looking cookies would go great with tea served upon the crochet coasters!
so much awesomeness!
Choc Cherry kiss cookies? what could be better?
I love all the jounals and covers! lots of writers in my family! thanks!
I love everything today!
Love the Awesome bag!
Lovely book covers – gives me good inspiration.
Very cute greeting cards.
Love that journal cover!
love the fabric covered journal!!
What a great contest, so many awesome books!
I love those cards!
I love the journal cover!
I love the alphabet print! And the Awesome Bag is AWESOME! I want one!!
Genevieve
those memo book covers are brilliant!
I love the mini memo/composition book covers!
Love the fabric appliqué greeting cards!
I think I’m going to have to try the journal cover! So adorable.
The awesome bag is … awesome!
Love the journal cover!
That awesome bag is just…… awesome!
Sweet journal cover!
I want to make those balloon cards straight away!
I love today’s bag. The buttons on the side really make it!
Great Ideas!
Oh my word, that alphabet is the cutest thing ever.
Great ideas today!
Love it all!
The moleskine covers are a great idea!
Those cherry chocolate kisses look divine!!!
lots of lovely ideas…. notebooks just look so much nicer covered…
Hugz
I love the vintage alphabet! and all these prizes. I think its my turn to win!
Cherry Chocolate Kisses!! I’m in.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Beth’s choice of the 1934 typewriter fabric is awesome!! Love it!
The journal covers are great.
I just love that bag!
Love the journal cover!
I want to try those journal covers!
Thanks, as always, for the great ideas!
I really like the journal covers!
I like the journal covers–great use of scraps.
Love your countdown, it makes me want to make one thing for everyone- anyone!
Those cookies look yummy!
Love the journal cover and the bag!!! : )
Cherry Chocolate Kisses?! I am SO there.
Thank you for the giveaways. Great books!
Great ideas. I love using fabric on greeting cards.
Lots of gorgeousness but off to check out the awesome bag first…so cute!
Those cherry chocolate kisses look amazing!
Great ideas for journal & notebook covers. They are all very nicely done!
I’m loving the Awesome bag. What a great way to use fabric but to put some on cards. Thanks again for a great day of ideas and for the giveaway.
missmoozie(at)gmail(dot)com
What a great way to use fabric but to put some on cards. I’m loving the Awesome bag also. Thanks again for a great day of ideas and for the giveaway.
missmoozie(at)gmail(dot)com
Love the awesome bag, will definitely try that one.
Love the home makeover and doll quilts books! I am going to have to try the cute journal cover!
Love the cards and the reversible bag is awesome!
Cheers,
Robyn
I love making journal covers! And great prizes!
Love the vintage alphabet! And the fabric applique greeting cards too.
My favorite item today are the cherry chocolate kisses!!
Great book covers.
I have to make those cherry chocolate kisses!
Honestly, drooling the most over Kristin’s fabric choice. Purty!
I love the journal cover.
the journal and moleskin covers are great!
What wonderful ideas yet again! Thanks!
Love the journal cover!
More great gifts to make.
love it all.
The quilting magazine combination is so wonderful. Thanks for a great giveaway!
I love the embroidered moleskin cover! I may have to make something like it for myself!
Yay! I needed a tutorial on making fabric cards.
I’ve been making those applique cards for years as gifts and they are always well received. The designs are endless. I especially love using actual shapes and figures from fabric, like an animal or a flower. They always turn out so cute.
I like to make cards, so the hot air balloon card-making tutorial hit home for me. Thanks for the idea and “how to!”
I think I might make a journal cover for ME!
I will be making the journal cover for my “Control Journal” to organize my life!
The patchwork journal cover is beautiful…and thanks for the link to the wonderful printable alphabet!
Mmmmm… – those cherry chocolate kisses look delicious!
great ideas
I love that awesome bag!!!
Awesome stuff!
I’m off to find out how to make those greeting cards!
I love that printable alphabet
love the bag, love the alphabet cards!
More great ideas! Thanks!
What fun! I love the moleskine covers and simply must try them. What cleverness. I love your handmade holidays series. Thank you for hosting it! The doll quilts book looks so fabulous!
Love the thought process behind the moleskin covers, very adaptable!
I love the journal cover, just what my sister needs for christmas:)
Great stuff once again!
Those cookies! That bag! The journals! I love it all!!
great projects especially the bag. thanks.
Love the book covers – a good idea for male teachers!
ok, you’ve shared so many great bag tutorials i’m having a very difficult time deciding what to sew next!
arent those vintage alphabet cards cute? love them!
Those vintage alphabet cards are cute… love them!
Love the alphabet!
Fab ideas as always
Those alphabet cards are too cute!
Cute printables!
book cover is on my to do list!
Just looked at the printables- amazing. Thanks so much!
Those book covers are lovely.
I think my DIL would love a covered journal. Thanks for the idea
Love the journal cover!
I can never find a cool looking journal, now I’ll have to make my own.
Am I allowed to say awesome twice? The awesome bag is indeed awesome
I do have a passion for writing and I love all the tutorials.
Beijos de chocolate, que delícia!
I love the Awesome bag and the journal cover!
Anybody else love the feeling of missing a few days and then getting to see a few days worth of HH all at once?
Beautiful fabric journal cover!
Greeting cards look cute
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that awesome bag looks awesome
I’ve had that journal cover bookmarked for ages, I really need to get round to making it! And I love the first item, the mini notebooks.
I love these ideas!
Great tutorials. Like the journal cover.
cute idea today!
I love the journal cover.
Kind regards from Germany.
Claudia
I was without internet for two days! I missed this post yesterday
However, I like the ideas you present, especially the printable and the fabric applique cards.
cherry and chocolate: who can resist!?
Love the books! Oh! I need the home makeover one! Thanks for the chance to win. You guys are the best!
Thanks for everything! Cherry chocolate kisses sound yummy too!
That moleskin cover is great! There are a bunch of teachers who are going to be getting them this year. What a cute blog she has also. Thanks for the link.
I love the journal covers. Can’t wait to make them for friends! Thanks a bunch!!!
I love the journal covers. I will have to make some of these.
I’ve made myself a journal cover, great way to use up and enjoy some favourite scraps!
I might have to try the cookies. Maybe next week. I’m stuffed.
love that bag!
Need to make a notebook cover for a friend… on the list before Christmas!
Really like the cards and the cookies.
Just LOVE the journal cover. thanks again for all these great ideas
Fantastic ideas!
Perfect for a nice present! Thanks
such pretty greeting cards!
I love that bag, and oh my, those cookies look heavenly! Thanks for all of the ideas.
Love the bag!!!
I was just thinking of making applique greeting cards as gifts–I’m trying to think of lighter-weight gifts for mailing this year. Thanks for always showing me how to do the things I want to do but don’t quite know how to.
Love the name of the “awesome bag” hee hee — thanks for the giggle.
The Awesome bag is so cute–have to check this out!
Those moleskine covers are perfect for covering the less than pretty free calenders I tend to keep in my purse.
I really like the mini memo book covers
love the journal cover!
The recipe looks so yummy!
Love the printable and journal
Cherry Chocolate Kisses and an Awesome Bag. My idea of a great day. Thanks for the great giveaways also.
missmoozie(at)gmail(dot)com
Such great ideas! I love the cards & the journal covers.
Love the bag!
Cherry Chocolate Kisses, Yum!
Would love one of these books!
Such great ways to use up scraps!
The moleskines would be great stocking stuffers.
Omg i love the journal cover!
Lovely ideas!
The vintage alphabet card is so cute!
Wow — this is one of your best editions ever! I love all of these ideas. Gift quandaries solved! thank you.
i need to whip up a few journal covers for my daughter – she’d love them!
those alphabet cards are adorable- but not as much as the doll quilt book!
very well read and a nice topic.
I’m an old fashioned gal, so these book and journal cover patterns are perfect ideas! Thanks!
The chocolate kisses cookies are a nice update to a classic!
I am not a journaler, but that cover makes me want to start!
The Awesome bag is such a great idea!
Both of my sisters keep journals – those covers would be excellent gifts for them this year!
Love all this covers!!
I can hardly decide where to start! What great projects for Christmas gifts.
The journal covers are adorable and I love the home makeover book!
Oh I like that journal cover. Very cute!
The awesome bag is just that…awesome – stripes, buttons bags…pretty awesome!
You guys have one great idea after another. It is so impressive. I would love to be doing that full time too (:
Great projects!! Love how these journals look with these covers.
Thanks for the wonderful range of crafts, I feel invigorated to go do!
I will have to check out your other blog posts.