Sew Stylish: Wearable Projects with the new Honey Locust Collection! -

Hi all! Mary Burroughs-Mayer from Ember Craft Company here, checking in with my latest projects using this charming new collection for Riley Blake Designs!

Pretty with a Purpose

There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of stitching up something both beautiful AND functional, and the new Honey Locust fabric collection by Amber Johnson of Gigi’s Thimble makes it even sweeter. Click HERE for a link to the fabrics! Featuring charming florals, warm pinks, blues, and golds, this collection is perfect for both garments AND amazing bags.

In today’s post, I’m sharing two projects that showcase a few of my favorite prints from the Honey Locust Collection: a quilted vest that’s as cute as it is cozy, and a set of quilted bags that are perfect for everything from everyday errands to weekend sewing retreats. Whether you are looking to make a quilt, something wearable, or a cute take-along bag, this collection has something for everyone.

Wilderness Vest

First off, this hooded vest might just be my new favorite quilty garment. This is the Wilderness Vest pattern by Peekaboo Pattern shop (find it HERE) and I am so excited to use the Echelons cheater print from the collection for this make. As you may have seen from my previous Americana Pixie Peacoat project, cheater prints are excellent choices to add a quilty touch to a project without the quilty effort. Check out my article about that coat HERE.

I added the Alyssium in Berry print for the pocket accents and Stitcher’s Flannel in Dots Cream for the lining (find the link to the flannel HERE) and this vest is extremely cozy. My measurements called for a size large, but I wish I had sized up a bit for additional layers in the winter.

Now, this pattern actually includes instructions on how to make it with quilted material which is so helpful. I highly recommend cutting out your pattern pieces AFTER the material is quilted to prevent shrinkage. The more densely it’s quilted, the more it may shrink and the more trouble you may have fitting the pattern pieces together and getting the size right. I am using 28 wt. Aurifil Thread in shade 2000 to stitch in the “ditch” around the larger triangle sections. I love how this simple touch adds a more pieced look to the print.

I adore how this turned out and can’t wait to wear it when it cools down this fall!

Sunshine Sisters Handbags

This adorable bag pattern is by Knot and Thread (you can find it HERE). It includes three sizes – you’ll see the large AND the small in this article – but I definitely have a third handbag in medium in the works.

The great thing about buying a pattern from Kaitlyn’s shop is that she also carries all the notions she recommends. The zippers, interior net fabric, and foldover elastic for this pattern was purchased there as well – a true one-stop shop.

This pattern uses quilted for the construction. I continued with the 28 wt. Aurifil thread here as well, switching over to light pink shade 2410 that pulls out the tiny pink dots in the Alyssium Lead print. A simple grid following the design on the fabric is easy and fast.

Now, the small size Sunshine Sisters Handbag fits an Oliso mini iron PERFECTLY, with some room for additional tools and notions. This would be a great bag to take to a sew day, class, or mini retreat. The net pockets on the inside are perfect for holding spools of thread, tools, keys, you name it. When I first planned this project, the idea was to have matching handbags with my daughter. But once I saw how perfectly the iron fit, I decided to keep them both. (Please don’t worry, my daughter has more quilted bags than she knows what to do with already!).

The large size handbag is quite a bit bigger and would hold a lot more stuff. I’ve found it to be a great park purse that will hold my wallet and keys, snacks, small toys, a water bottle, books, you name it.

Strawberry Coin Purse

You may have noticed the darling little coin purse attached to the larger bag. This is the Strawberry Coin Purse pattern I wrote recently for The Cutting Table online magazine by Suzy Quilts. This is available to subscribers only, but you can use the code: Try4Free for a free trial. Find the link to sign up HERE. This is the cutest little accent for any bag and can hold more than you’d think! I’ve been using them for chargers, headphones, a mini first aid kit, even a sewing kit!

To find these darling fabrics near you, check out the Riley Blake Store Locator HERE, or reach out to your local quilt shop and ask them to order! I just had the best time creating with the Honey Locust fabrics and I can’t wait to see more projects pop up!

Make sure to give me a follow on all the socials and see what I’m up to next!

Happy Sewing!

Mary Burroughs-Mayer – Ember Craft Co