SewPINK: Contain Yourself

Hi there, I'm Angela and I own Sewfinity. Welcome!

We love participating in SewPINK each year - this is our 6th year! What's SewPINK? It's an online event focused on breast cancer awareness hosted by the wonderful team at ByAnnie. Their goals are to raise awareness, promote screenings, foster community, and support breast cancer research.

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But what does any of that have to do with sewing? Well, sewing is a fantastic activity to help create awareness. Speaking of awareness, I became aware of something this year. DENSE BREAST TISSUE. 

I had no idea that was a thing until I received a letter from my doctor saying that I had it. So what does this mean?

There are 2 types of breast tissue: fatty and dense. Most people have fatty tissue, meaning that it shows up on a mammogram as dark gray or black, giving an obvious high-contrast background to anything white, which is how abnormalities display.

However, dense tissue shows up as a white background (instead of black) on a mammogram. So any abnormalities (cancer!) could be camouflaged and therefore undetected. NOT GOOD. So what do we do? Get more specialized screening, like an ultrasound or MRI. I personally had both and now know that I'm in the clear. 

So, if you receive a notice that you have dense tissue, talk to your doctor about getting additional screening. Do not ignore that letter, and do not postpone getting additional screening. Please.

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Alright, let's get back to sewing. Our project for this year's SewPINK is a trio of bins with ByAnnie's Contain Yourself Sewing Pattern. I've been wanting to make one since I saw someone post a patchwork version online - I knew I had to make one, too. It's such a simple pattern that turns out so dang cute.

Last year I curated a bundle (SewPINK 2024 Fat Quarter Bundle), and this year calls for another: SewPINK 2025 Fat Quarter Bundle. These fabrics are all Confetti Cotton Solids quilting cotton by Riley Blake Designs. I chose 12 colors that form a gradient of pinks and peachy-pinks, plus a couple of neutrals. I selected a variety of the colors to make 3 bins: 2 small and 1 medium.

I took a floral print from my stash and coordinated solid pinks with it. Adding solids to a stash print makes it come together so well, plus it's so rewarding to use what you have.

For the small solid version I chose my favorite color of the bundle: Grapefruit. Simple grid quilting is so therapeutic to do, and it gives a modern touch that makes a subtle combo with the soft floral. This small size is just adorable.

I opted to edgestitch the top faux binding (instead of in the ditch) since it's easier and I just like the look.

Next up is another small size, this time in patchwork. I just cut up random strips anywhere from 0.75 to 1.5" wide and stitch-and-flipped them onto the Soft and Stable stabilizer. Then random straight quilting lines. Improvisational piecing and quilting is such a pleasing palette cleanser: a nice break from more complicated sewing projects.

I saved the medium version for last, since I wanted to have the confidence from already having a couple under my belt. Another patchwork stripe - so fun! The lining is Le Creme, and I opted for simple cotton webbing for the handles. I switched the orientation so that the long side is the front, highlighting the patchwork.

And look at that nice and tidy lining! I opted to sew the bottom seams at 1/2" seam allowance (instead of 1/4") to have a crisp and fitted lining.

Here are the supplies I used to make the 3 bins:

• Contain Yourself Sewing Pattern
• SewPINK 2025 Fat Quarter Bundle
• Soft and Stable [Amazon]
• Signature Cotton 40wt thread - Parchment - for the entire project: quilting, construction, hand-sewing. This color is a creamy vanilla that blends nicely.
  
• Moda Fusible Woven Interfacing - for the lining. This is an equivalent to Pellon SF101 Shape-Flex.
• Cotton Webbing - 1 inch - Cream - for the handles. Such a simple option that looks great.
• Superior Sewing Machine Needles - Topstitch - 14/90 - for the entire project. Fantastic for guiding your thread through all the layers of material.
• Wonder Clips 
• Clover Water Erasable Marker - Blue - for the markings you'll make per the pattern instructions. When you're done sewing, just spritz with water and lightly rub out the ink to make it disappear. I've tested out a bunch of erasable markers, and this one is my favorite.
• Tulip Hand Sewing Needles - there's a small bit of optional hand-sewing to finish, and these needles are super sharp and just the right size. They're also my go-to for hand-sewing quilt binding.
  

The Amazon link is an affiliate link, which means that if you buy, we’ll earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Please know that we have experience with this product, and we recommend it because it is helpful, not because of the small commission we'd make if you decide to purchase. Thanks!

These bins are such a great project: no binding, no hardware, and simple to make. They could corral pretty much anything and they make fantastic gifts!

by Angela Bowman, Owner of Sewfinity

Want to see what I made in previous SewPINKs?

• 2024 - Drop Zone Zippered Trays
• 2022 - Glo and Go
• 2021 - Awareness Ribbon Zip It Up
• 2020 - Awareness Ribbon Pillow
• 2019 - Awareness Ribbon Clam Up Pouch

 

The #SewPink Initiative's mission is to raise awareness for cancer throughout the year. 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.