It’s October again and I’m so pleased to be a part of By Annie’s Annual #SewPink Initiative for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is my second year in a row participating in the blog hop to help bring attention to this initiative within the sewing community. If you want to check out what I made last year, you can find my 2020 post here.
With this past year, I feel that the effects of Breast Cancer are hitting even closer to home ever than before. I made the milestone birthday of 40 years and made sure to get an appointment for a screening. But the harsh reality of getting older is also seeing more friends diagnosed with breast cancer and then seeing them go through treatment. The story that hit closest to me this year was hearing about my “big sister” from my college sorority start her fight to battle breast cancer. We are the same age and she has four young children to care for. She is such a strong and beautiful person inside and out who is staying so positive through her care. It’s truly amazing to see what she is overcoming.
For the #SewPINK blog hop, I wanted to make my latest pattern, the Christine Sling (which was released just less than a month ago!) You can read up all about her features here. And of course, I couldn’t help but pick out some fun PINK fabric for the project! I found this gorgeous Crane fabric by Teresa Chan and it’s symbolism really spoke to me. In Chinese culture, the crane is the prince of all feathered birds only second to the Pheonix. It symbolizes longevity and peace – which is what everyone is searching for when struggling through cancer. They want a long peaceful life and these cranes will hopefully bring that to my “big sister.”
Since I’m using quilt cotton (and NOT following my very own fabric recommendations) for the bag, I had to make some construction adjustments. Luckily, I knew I could use some Soft & Stable foam to help build in some pliable structure to the Christine Sling. I fused woven interfacing on all the quilt cotton before basting it onto Soft & Stable, and then cut out my pattern pieces. In addition to Soft & Stable, I used the following By Annie products in my bag:
- 1/2″ Swivel Clasps
- 1 1/2″ Rectangle Ring
- 1 1/2″ Slider
- 1 1/2″ Black Nylon Strapping
- #4.5 Black Nylon Zipper + extra pulls
I love all of the black accents to contrast with this soft pink fabric. The strapping is wonderful to speed up the making process and is durable for everyday wear. Who doesn’t love how easy nylon is to keep clean as well?! The antique hardware helps to bring out that ochre outline of the cranes and brings depth to the bag. I think these elements all help to keep the Christine Sling fresh and modern. What do you think?
The Christine can be worn over-the-shoulder and across the body. But for those whose chests maybe tender post surgery, it can also be worn as a fanny pack! The strap just needs to be adjusted to reflect your waist size when you make it. I love wearing the Christine this way and the wide strap makes it so comfortable!
The Christine Sling is a great compact bag to carry all of the essentials — especially for doctor appointments and running errands. In addition to the use of Soft & Stable foam and using the nylon webbing for the strap, I also omitted the back zipper pocket since I knew this bag would be worn more around the waist. But to add visual interest, I added a 3/4″ accent stripe with faux leather on the front and the back of the Christine. I also used the same faux leather to bind the front slip pocket. With the use of quilt cotton, these little additions help to keep the bag elevated. What’s your favorite detail from this bag?
Don’t forget to check out all of the other #SewPINK Blog Post participants listed below:
✂ Oct. 1 (Fri):Fat Quarter Shop – The Jolly Jabber
✂ Oct. 2 (Sat):Sallie Tomato
✂ Oct. 4 (Mon): Hugs ‘N Kisses
✂ Oct. 6 (Wed): Sewfinity
✂ Oct. 11 (Mon):Beyond the Reef
✂ Oct. 13 (Wed): Great Heron Thread Co.
✂ Oct. 15 (Fri): Love You Sew [You are here!]
✂ Oct. 15 (Fri): Emmaline Bags
✂ Oct. 16 (Sat): Meadow Mist Designs
✂ Oct. 18 (Mon): OklaRoots
✂ Oct. 20 (Wed): Suzn Quilts
✂ Oct. 20 (Wed): Teresa Coates
✂ Oct. 22 (Fri): Knot and Thread Design
✂ Oct. 23 (Sat): Shannon’s Studio
✂ Oct. 25 (Mon): The Littlest Thistle
✂ Oct. 27 (Thur): Mister Domestic
✂ Oct. 27 (Wed): Sookie Sews
The #SewPink Initiative was created by ByAnnie.com LLC to raise awareness for breast cancer throughout the year. Our efforts culminate in an annual blog hop during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month to promote self-care, awareness, early detection, and support for those affected by breast cancer.
To learn more and see the calendar of events visit: https://www.ByAnnie.com/SewPINK
To find screenings available near you:
In addition to participating in the #SewPINK Initiative, Fat Quarter Shop invites you to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation with the goal of raising $10,000.
To find the Fat Quarter Shop fundraiser visit: https://fundraise.nbcf.org/FatQuarterShop
To learn more about the Breast Cancer Research Foundation visit: https://www.bcrf.org/
I hope you all take the time to check out these links and check into your own health.
Happy Sewing,
Cristy
All By Annie’s products used were gifted as part of participation in this blog hop.