I am once again honored to be a part of the ByAnnie SewPINK Initiative. The ByAnnie Cancer Awareness initiative has been ongoing since October of 2019. Their mission is to raise awareness for cancer throughout the year. With their efforts culminating in an annual blog hop during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Our goals are to promote self-care, awareness, early detection and support for those affected by breast cancer. Since my Uncle’s passing from colon cancer nearly 5 years ago now, I have become a huge proponent of early detection and scanning.
I have not joined the mammogram club yet, but I underwent my first colonoscopy last Fall. I was having symptoms that I had previously been ignoring, but due to family history I decided to have them evaluated. Thankfully I was given the all clear with instructions to follow-up if symptoms return.
Colonoscopies especially are demonized as being this terrible procedure thus people avoid them. However the rate of young people being diagnosed with colon cancer is on the rise. So if you’re noticing changes in your bowl movements, don’t ignore them. A day in the bathroom followed by a procedure where you’re completely asleep is far better than the alternative.
My SewPINK 2026 Project | Get Out of Town 2.1
In the previous two years of SewPINK I have made the Got Your Back 2.1 backpack and the Zip It Up 2.0 bag. In both 2024 and 2025 I used Disney fabrics from my stash. So this year it only felt appropriate to continue building my Me-Made Disney bag collection.
I have a soft spot for the Aliens from Toy Story, so I started by quilting this cute fabric on my longarm. I used the Blast Off pantograph from Urban Elements and Lemon Ice Glide thread. From there I got to work cutting the pieces for this project. All ByAnnie patterns include little piece labels. They are a game changer when making a project like this.
Putting together the Get Out of Town 2.1 duffle was not the easiest bag I ever made. However it wasn’t the hardest either. The benefit of having made several ByAnnie bags over the years, is that the skills you need are the same from bag to bag. My biggest tip is to take things slow, and use a hefty needle. I love a titanium or top stitch needle, or a jeans needle is also great!
The interior of the bag features a mesh pocket edged with fold over elastic, as well as a fabric slip pocket. There’s also a stabilizer sleeve for an acrylic base stabilizer. What I like most about the Get Out of Town Duffle is that it is the smallest of the ByAnnie duffle bag patterns.
Kitten for scale. 😊 It finishes at approximately 16″ x 10″ x 7″ which falls into the size range for a personal item when flying. It’s the perfect size for a quick weekend getaway or for a kiddo. This bag has already been claimed by my 10 year old. And his kitten Taco.
What’s Next?
I hope you enjoy my project for SewPINK 2026 and that you’re inspired to try a By Annie project for yourself.
Cancer has touched us all in some way. In fact, one in three people is diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Together we can fight back; together we can conquer this disease. Don’t skip your yearly screenings, the best cancer prevention is getting screened. ✨
To learn more about SewPINK visit: https://www.ByAnnie.com/SewPINK
To donate to my American Cancer Fundraiser visit: https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?fr_id=112763&pg=personal&px=57252697
Be sure to visit SewPINK page on the ByAnnie website for more information about cancer awareness, and to follow along with the other makers in the blog hop.
Use the chart below to reference which fabrics and By Annie notions pair best with other cancer awareness colors.
