"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer 29:11 (NIV)

Sunday, December 20, 2015

When to replace or retire?

I don't know about other quilters, but I know for me that the best complement that someone could give me is to use a quilt I've given them.   And use it enough to actually wear it out and need a new one.   Well, I've finally done that with what I believe was my first quilted project from way back when I was in High School.  

Way back in the "dark ages", I made a quilted cover for a pillow that my maternal Grandmother had made for me.   She had used scraps of the poly-double knits that she made her pants from for the pillow and stuffed it with shredded foam.   That stuff wears like iron to say the least.   The only problem is that it's all textured and isn't the most comfortable stuff to sleep on, and this pillow gets used nightly so that I can keep my head elevated.

When I made it all that was available was lighter weight poly-cotton prints.   So that is what I used, along with polyester batting.  

The cover lasted actually pretty
well up unto the last yr or so when it started falling apart.    Guess I can't complain too much since it is over 40 yrs old now.

Replacing this cover (and putting more foam into the pillow again!) is one of my projects for the first part of the coming year.  I haven't decided what pattern or colors to use for the cover.   And might go digging through my stash of unused blocks to see what is in there that might work for the cover.  Or who knows I might decide to go digging thru the stash to see what takes my fancy.  =)

At any rate, how far do you let your quilted projects go before deciding that they need to be repaired are gotten rid of?

Gratitudes:

1.  Cool temps (ok, cold) temps outside so I can cool down!

2. Christmas vacation!!!!!

Last of the gifts for this year.....and boxes of t-shirts

Love having time to actually sew and quilt with this job and feeling good enough to do so as well!   Both have been in short supply the last few years for me.

I finished off three more mug rugs / snack mats over the weekend to use as Christmas gifts.    All the gifts I needed to make.  Yeah - no last minute sewing for me this year.   Something that hasn't happened in several years.   Just a couple of gift cards to buy once I get to where they are sold this week and I'm done with with getting gifts together.   Woohoo......   Gotta love being prepared for a change.





Two of this set of mug rugs started with sections of pre-printed panels made by Block Party Studios that I've had for years.  Had the best of intentions to use them when I bought them, but just now finally getting around to actually doing something with at least part of them.  Both panels have a friendship theme and I know I'd thought about using them for postcards, but this works as well.      Still have lots of sections in them to use so may be making more in the future.

Scraps were used to set the panel in the green snack mat into the left side log cabin block.  Everything else in the mats were orphan blocks.    Nope, I'm not seeing much of a dent in my orphans yet.....lol.   But at least a few of them are being used up.















The one with the hearts was an orphan block that someone sent me.  I had to finish the stitching around two of the hearts.   Loved the colors and like how it turned out in this.  Backing and binding were from my scrap bins.





Boxes of t-shirts arrived this past week as well for the commissioned quilt that I have to get made the first of the year.  Twas fun carrying the biggest box of shirts over the icy parking lots and up the stairs into my apartment - NOT!  At least I'll have a box big enough to ship the quilt home in.  =)  This will be the first big project I start on when I get home from my Christmas travels.


Shirts are all for the Phily Flyers hockey team - I'm gonna be seeing bright orange and black in my sleep.....lol.   Also on the books to go with the quilt are a possible / probable 5-6 pillows out of the extra shirts that he sent with the 70 for the double-sided quilt.

Lots of fun coming up for me with this project.   Just thankful that I can work on the tables in my classroom at school since I don't have anywhere big enough to do the cutting, sewing, or quilting here at the apt.



Gratitudes:
1. A job that pays enough to allow me the time and health to sew and quilt.
2. Friends and family












Monday, December 14, 2015

UFO Blocks, Scraps and Christmas Gifts

What do UFO blocks, scraps and Christmas gifts have in common you ask - well my scraps and UFO blocks were a great place to start looking for starting points for some of the Christmas gifts that I needed to get made this weekend.

First up were two sweatshirts that needed to be embellished.  Found the fabrics for both in my scrap fabrics.  Gotta love being able to use up things like that.

Next up were three mug rugs / snack mats that I needed for gifts.  All three that were completed came from my UFO block tote.  The Butterfly block and the purple & light blue checkerboard ones were from UFO's that other people had given me at some point in the past.  The green one started with leftover triangles from a project that I had done at some point in the past.

I added the machine embroidered words to all of them.  Had to used sew-in interfacing for stabilizing because I couldn't find my stitch-n-tear.   Worked ok, just had to cut away the extra.  

Gratitudes:
1. The commissioned t-shirt quilt that is in the pipe for January.
2. My trip home for Christmas is fast approaching - woohoo.





Friday, December 4, 2015

Making Progress........

This week I managed to decide on the design for my block entry into the November block contest for Modern Quilts.    Finished off the test block today and know what changes I want to make for it.   So one more test block over the weekend and then I'll get the block for the contest made.









The Thanksgiving weekend was one where I made a bunch of progress - finished off several UFO's (well UFO blocks at any rate), got several Christmas gifts finished up.  All total I finished off 3 pairs of flannel pJ pants.







2 sets of matching pillowcases, 2 mug rugs and 2 snack mats.   The mug rugs and snack mats were made with UFO blocks.  Mug Rugs were both for swaps that I was in this month.

Gratitudes:
1.Good friends here at school to work with
2. The chance to go home at Christmas for a short visit.  





Thursday, November 19, 2015

Putzing around with UFO projects.......

It's been a couple of weeks at school with some very long 12-13 hr days so I haven't had a lot of thought power for involved projects.   Instead I've been working on some fairly brainless UFO projects.

The first one over the weekend was making more flag blocks using pp'd pattern sections that had been left from a long ago completed sampler quilt.  The pattern sections were supposed to have been a piano key border, but I never use patterns when making one of those.   However, the sections work great for making flag blocks although the stripe count is a off for reality but the thought is there.    The blue I used in the blocks has white stars all over it.   I have a few more to make in order to have the quilt finish at the correct size for American Heroes.   It will have 2" finished sashing and a 5" border around the outside.   Am thinking of using a tan for the outside.


The next UFO that I've been working on is to turn lots of cut off triangles (lots and lots of them!) into half square triangle blocks.   The triangles are left over from the wedding quilt that I made my nephew and his wife last year.

Yes, I know I could toss the the cut-offs, but once I get the HST's made there will be enough to make blocks for probably 2 quilts.   And I hate the thought of tossing that much fabric.     Hmmmm, maybe that's why I don't get anywhere in using my stash......lol.

In making these I'm trying out a method that I had seen on a blog a couple of yrs ago.   The blog author took scrap triangles and laid them on top of the alternate color fabric.   then just stitched them down.   Once that was done then she trimmed the blocks to the correct finished size that she wanted.   So with the leftover cream and tan tonal fabrics that I have I'm cutting strips and doing the same thing.  Once they are all sewn down (or at least a bunch of them!) I will start squaring them up to size and then press them open.

What I am finishing up with are  3.5 inch and 2.5 inch blocks ready to be used in block patterns.  

The only problem now is that I can't make up my mind to use a currently available pattern for the HST's or to design a new block for these so that I can submit it for publication.  Of course I already have one design created that I haven't made yet so that I can submit it....but that's beside the point.   Guess I'd better get busy and work on my projects in addition to the commissioned sewing that is due.


Saturday, November 14, 2015

Pattern questions

In part of the feedback from my post about my block entry for the block contest (which is losing at this point....sigh.....), I've had a couple of people ask me about the pattern for the block.   This is one that was my design and the initial blocks were done from hand-drawn pp'd patterns.

I'm working on the pattern now to get it into the computer so that it can be put into pattern format.

My questions though are -
1. If you were to want to make this pattern, would you be willing to buy it for a reasonable price (for example, $3.50 for the block pattern, or $6.50 if I put it into a quilt pattern - both in pdf format)?

2. If I were to put together a pattern based on all of the blocks that I've been making for this contest would you be interested?  (Price undecided at this point.)

thanks in advance for the feedback!


Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Contest Block Posted - Please vote for me =)

Finished up my block entry and got it entered into the contest with two hrs to spare last night.   Was the last person to get a block entered into this month's contest.

The monthly contests are decided by popular vote.   So I would love it if you would vote for my block.

To do so, you would need a facebook acct (and be logged into it) and then open up the Modern Quilt Block Challenge website page.  

Voting runs the 11th through the 14th of November.

Thanks in advance for anyone that votes for my block!   It truly is appreciated.



Sunday, November 8, 2015

Playing with color for submission block

I need to get the block for the contest made so I can submit it....and am having trouble deciding what colors I want to use.   living where I do I have to use what is in the stash ( a really good thing given how much I already have!).  





With this block I want 4 distinct colors in it - so here are the color choices that I am playing iwth at this point.   Which do you think works best?


Saturday, November 7, 2015

Back to designing and quilting......and how I design......

In once sense it is hard to believe that I've been out here in Wyoming for a month now and have already finished teaching 4 weeks in my new school out here.  On the other hand I can believe it because it has been almost 7 wks since I've been able to sew on anything here.   I'm thankful to have enough things unpacked and where they need to be here in the apt so that I can actually sew again.

To celebrate being able to sew again I thought I'd write a bit about my design process when working on a new project.    In this case it is the new block for the block design contest that I've been participating in the last 3 months.  

Modern Quilts announced that the traditional block for this month to be worked with was the Card Trick block.  I've worked with this block before, and knew that I wanted to have the basic shape from the traditional block but ramp up the woven effect of the block.    

However the first pass through with the block design just wasn't quite coming through with the look I wanted in order to honor the fact that there are normally 4 colors in the traditional block.








So to be better able to figure out the color issue, I then drew up the block on graph paper at full size.   I then played around with colors.   And then finally decided to use "Quilt Paper Dolls" so that I could see the colors in real life and full size in order to make  what I was seeing in my mind actually turn out in real life.   Can you tell that I'm definitely a visual learner?


Next step was to draw up the pp'd patterns for the block sections so that I could make a test block.   Final step was actually making the test block.   I used fabrics that I had left from another sample block used for a block I'd submitted to QuiltMaker Magazine.   I'm happy with the way that the block worked out.   Haven't a clue what I'll be using the blocks to make once I have enough blocks made out of them.   Will figure that out sometime in the future!


Monday, October 12, 2015

I'm back................

Haven't written in what seems like forever thanks to life getting very, very busy for me.   Back in early July I had applied for a new teaching position out in Wyoming.   Didn't hear anything from them until after school had started in Indiana and I had started teaching out there.   Did get a call though and decided it wouldn't hurt to go thru the process of interviewing.   As it happened I was offered the position as a Pre-Engineering teacher (same thing I've been doing) and did accept it.   Life got crazy with working a 30 day notice at the 3 different jobs that I've been working.

I'm looking forward to working here, not the least of which because the base salary for it is as much as I've been making teaching and working at Joann's.   Won't have driver's ed during the school year here, but the stipend that i'll make for the extra curricular activities that I will be coordinating will more than make up for that.  =)   I'm actually going to get to remember what it is like to have the weekends off again.

Started teaching on Monday and have a total of 26 students total and only 5 classes.  Biggest class is 9 students, smallest is 1.  That is compared to anywhere from 25-8 students in 6 different classes at the other school.  So nice to have small classes, and two prep periods to boot during the day.  The two prep periods is a good thing 'cause I have one class (two sections) that I wasn't expecting.   So will actually have to prep for that one...lol.  thankful though that I can pull info from other classes for it as needed and that the guy who was filling in for me left me some material for it.  =)

Moved out to Wyoming last week and arrived without any problems on the drive out here.  Am so thankful for that.  Have what seems like a mountain of totes and boxes to either shift around or empty yet  to go, but at least have made a wee dent in what needs to be done.

Now I just need to find things like the box with my jackets and coats, the rest of the kitchen utensils (so I can open canned food), my plates (thank goodness for paper plates!), the spare computer, and so on......lol.    Having said that though, I do have the barest of kitchen stuff so that is a good thing.

Need to find my fabrics for the block competition so that I can get ready for the next month's competition.  =)  (Did win in September - Wahooo.....!!!!) And find the commissioned sewing so I can get to work  on the garments as well.

I'm hoping to be able to get back into sewing something soon - I'm going thru withdrawals!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Back from missing in action............

This summer has been crazy busy for me as I worked 3 jobs while on summer vacation from school.   Was working on getting my licensing for driver's ed done and then starting to give DE lessons.   Worked half-time at the store, and worked like crazy on the commissioned sewing as well.   And add in there the fact that I was looking for a better job.

Thankfully I did manage to get a little bit of quilting time in there as well, part commissioned, and part for a contest submission.   The first quilty thing I managed to get completed were these two 14" quilted pillow covers.  They went to a friend down in Indy.


The second thing I managed to get done in my quilting and quilt designing was an entry into the Modern Quilts "Traditional blocks made modern" contest.  The Red, Blue and Cream block below is my first take on making my design.   For this contest you have to take the traditional block that they post, and make a new block for it in a modern design.   Traditional block this month was Flying Geese.  In addition you have to use only Michael Miller fabrics because they are one of the cosponsors of the contest.   Prizes are great in it and i'm hoping to win at least part of the time.  Winner will be chosen by the public votes and the other blocks can be seen by going to the Modern Quilts Challenge Website.  Voting will run from the 11th to 14th of August.  Will be posting a reminder on the 11th and hoping that my cyber friends can help me win by voting.  =)

96 pieces in this version of the pp'd block and inset seams to boot.    Block name is Flying in Circles.   I decided that I didn't like the center geese, so in the final version of the block that I submitted I omitted those and replaced it with background fabric.   Love, how the final block turned out.

It can be seen on the link for the Modern Quilts Website and scrolling to the second page (at least as of right now).   My block is cream and teals Fairy Frost fabrics.

Am now waiting for the next traditional block to be posted so i can start designing my next submission.   But first gotta think about what colors I want to use in the quilt.  =)

All of the work that I've been doing this summer hasn't been just to survive for a change, thankfully the school contract is paid yr round.   So all that I made this summer has gone into paying off bills and Lord willing I'll be able to continue making progress on the bills in the future.

One of the things that i've done to help me keep focused the goal of being debt free sometime in my lifetime, is to make an adult version of a "Paint-by-Number".  Each petal on my paint-by-number represents $50 of debt (and nope this isn't all there is), and each flower a debt.   Since the first of the summer I've been able to pay off 2 cards totally, and 20% of a third one.   That last one has been transferred to an interest free option that will save me over $1000 of interest over the next 18 months.   So thankful to be able to do that.   And by the end of this week when I get my second DE payment I'll be able to make a huge payment on one of the debts above.

Gratitudes -

1. the Skype interview for a better teaching position went well Thursday and they want me to fly up there to Rawlings WY to check out the area.

2. For endurance and strength to get through the long days of working 3 jobs now that school is back in session in order to continue to pay the bills off.



Monday, July 13, 2015

Finished Quilt Top and a Block Tutorial

The last quilt top I put together for Sunshine Quilts started with 4 blocks that a fellow member of the group had made from a FQ that I sent her.  Once the blocks were made, she then sent them to me to put into a quilt.   This is what I ended up making from the four blocks.

Normally I would have paper-pieced the alternating blocks, but didn't feel like doing the 32 blocks needed this way or wasting that much paper and ink.

The blocks that I used for the alternate blocks are composed of two different fabrics - the first being down the center of them on the diagonal, and the second on the corners of the block.

The first step to making this block is to figure out how long to cut the strip that goes down the middle of the block.   The easiest way to do this is to measure across the size of block you will need.   In my case I needed 6" finished blocks for my alternating blocks.   So I used a 6.5" square ruler and measured diagonally.   The length was approximately 10".   To make it easy, I cut strips that were 3 inches wide, and then sub cut each strip into 4 even pieces (approx. 10.5").  This technique can be used on any size block but remember to add about one inch to the measured length of the strip so that you have room to square them up without problems.

The second part of cutting the fabric for the block is to cut the corner triangles.  I cut 5.25" squares of the background fabric and then them in half diagonally one time.

The first step in assembling your block is to mark the center of the long side of the stip and the center of the long side of the triangle.  For my blocks, I just finger pressed the mid points and then matched them up.

Next sew the triangles onto each long side of the strip using a 1/4 inch seam.




Once the Triangles have been sewn on, then press the blocks flat.  I pressed the seams to the strip because that is the darker fabric in my blocks.   After pressing the block should look like the one shown at the right.  The center strip will stick out but that is ok.  

Note - when you measure top to bottom or side to side, the dimensions should be at least 1/2 inch bigger than the unfinished block size that you need in order to be able to square them up properly.





Once pressed, lay your square ruler on top of the block as shown to the right making sure to center the ruler on the block.

To make it easier to trim the 32 blocks that I needed for this quilt I used a couple of pieces of tiger tape to mark where the seams between the triangles and strips should line up on the ruler.  This allowed me to quickly line up the square ruler on each block in order to keep the corners centered down the middle of the center fabric. If you wish to do something similar, a narrow painter's masking tape would work well on your ruler.




Your finished block should come out looking like this.   Have fun playing with fabrics used and how you lay them out.

Gratitudes:

1. Driver's Ed (DE) license came through quickly and I'm now a DE instructor and have my first 3 students.

2. Visit to ENT last week had the news that there was no sign of an infection.   Hallelujah!   Just need to keep taking the allergy meds to keep things under control and I should be good.





Friday, July 10, 2015

Surfacing.......

It's hard to believe that summer vacation is almost over for me.    Life has been nuts this summer for me as I've been working the equivalent of about 3 jobs - the PT job at the store (double+ the normal hrs), the commissioned sewing, listing stuff for sale on ebay and looking for and applying for jobs.   All while trying to get the drivers ed stuff in line for certification so I can start doing that as well.   Did finally get my DE license and now have my first student lined up for driving lessons...a little scary to think I'll be doing this on my own now and not with someone else in the backseat making sure that I don't forget anything.  

As a result of everything going on this summer has been the commisisoned garment sewing.  Am now on the last two garments in the stack that had been cut out a year ago.   Once these are done I'll have finished 29 different garments.    Still have fabric for at least another 27 garments.   And I know there is more fabric than that, just need to cut the first round of scrubs so I know what is left in the way of the fabric she sent me in June.

Another thing that I've been doing is a wee bit of cleaning and then sorting through fabrics and other stuff to sort out and list more things.   Have made it thru half of my stash of FQ's and pulled out a bunch to list for sale.   Just need to get pictures of them and then list them for sale.

In my cleaning forays (called emptying bags....) I found a stack of 5" wide strips that I came home with after a customer abandoned them (what can I say, they were counted as remnants and cost very little).   12 different fabrics that I've had for several months.........they are now out of a bag, but I have no clue what I want to do with them.   Did see one possible quilt but am still thinking about possibilities.

Colors are peaches, turquoise, gray and white....the peach and gray not my normal colors to work with.     Any ideas for quick and easy baby/toddler quilts that I could do from 5" strips?

Gratitudes:

1. Sinuses all seem to be clear w/no signs of infection - the surgery worked!  So thankful for this.

2. Summer has been mild in terms of heat this year.....if more than a bit soggy because of all the rain.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Mystery Quilt - Final Corner and completion, and Link up for final quilts

With school finally out I've been able to finish up the mystery quilt and am finally getting brief directions written up for it.    The same patterns were used as in the third corner, the difference comes in your color placement for the flying geese.
The paper-pieced patterns can be found here flying geese strips - pattern.  And the pp'd pattern for the corner unit can be found here - corner unit.

For this corner, instead of the geese being one color and the corner triangles being the background fabric,  the fabrics are alternated to achieve the look of a chevron.    With the numbered example below, pieces 2, 3, and 4 would be done in the chevron fabric.   Pieces 1, 5, 6, and 7 would be from the background fabric.   Then repeat as needed to get the length border that you need for your quilt.

Once the corner has been pieced, then layout your corner sections and measure to figure out how big to cut the strips needed to fill in the sides of the border between the pieced sections.  2 strips that are 4.5" wide by width-of-fabric should be enough to finish the borders if the pieced sections are similar to mine.

I'd love to see your completed quilts or quilt tops, so please consider linking up here so others can see your beautiful work!



Sunday, June 7, 2015

School is finished and finally sewing again!

The school year finished up a week ago, time truly is flying these days.    The last weeks of school after returning from surgery were a zoo as I tried to get caught up and ahead.   Never did manage to get ahead of things but I did get everything caught up and finished for the year.

The top for the mystery quilt is finished and I'll be sharing that in a separate post.   Also finished off four quilt tops for Sunshine Quilts before school was out.  

The first two tops were made from some left over scraps that were in various pastels with white polka dots and pastel gingham prints.  I used a yellow and white chevron as a background fabric for both of these.     Not my usual choice of fabrics, but they were scraps leftover from a mystery quilt I had made several yrs ago and are now gone!.

The third top that I made was from a fabric remnant that I'd bought at Joann's.   The fabric is a novelty print and has lots of old-time superhero action words printed on it.   You know the type that the original Batman show would have when the action was happening like - Super, Zoom, Wow, Snap, and so on.   Bright colors in and one I think a little boy will like.   I used solid red and yellow to make the alternating blocks and the borders.  Quilt pattern was an adaptation of one that I saw either in an email or on the interet, but can't remember where at the moment.

The final quilt top for sunshine started with 5 blocks that I recieved back as a part of a challenge I gave to the Sunshine group I'm a part of.   Using a FQ that I supplied several people on the list made blocks and sent them back to me to put together into tops.  Gail H. was the quilter who made and sent me the lovely blocks in this quilt top.   I set the center block on a tilt to add interest to the quilt.   The chevron alternating blocks are half-square triangle blocks.   The fabric that shows like a gold in the pic is actually orange and yellow and a lot brighter than the pic shows.  The focus fabric has lime green dancing alligators on it.

The final thing that i've been working this past week is a stack of 16 commissioned scrub tops.   Have  now completed 8 of the 16 (4 fabrics out of 8 fabrics total, two tops from each).  Still to come are winter Snoopies, poinsettias, Christmas cows and leprechuans.   My aim is to get those done and into the mail this week so that I can move onto the remaining commissioned stuff that has been cut out for over a year now (as have the scrub tops) and to slip in some fun sewing as well.

Have also finished up the requirements for Drivers Ed Instructor training and am now pulling together the paperwork needed for the submission packet that goes to the state for certification.   Hoping to have certification back by the end of June so that I can start teaching and making some extra money to help pay the bills off.

Also yet to do this summer is to buckle down and look for a better paying job so that I don't have to work 3 jobs once school starts back up in order to pay the bills.

Gratitudes -
1.  It's summer vacation!   So I'm only working 2 jobs for the next 7 weeks till school starts back up (the store and the commissioned sewing).
2.  God's provisions for all that I need financially, health-wise, and job-wise
.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Mystery Quilt - Another Corner finally done

School has been crazy busy with it being the last few days before final exams and the end of the semester.  As a result I haven't gotten the final two corners made as fast as I had hoped.

The third corner was paper-pieced using a quick 2-inch by 4-inch flying geese pattern.   I used up almost all of the remaining dark green fabric that I had used in the quilt top.   And was really happy to get the directional print going in the same direction on both sides of the corner!

The pattern for the flying geese strips that I used can be found here - pattern.  And the pp'd pattern for the corner unit can be found here - corner unit.

Directions -

For each flying geese unit that you make with the pp'd pattern you will need a3" by 5" rectangle of the goose fabric, and 1 3" square cut in half diagonally one time.

To make the corner unit, cut a 5 inch square and then 2 3-incg squares of your background fabric, cut in half diagonally once.

Sew as many of each as you need, and trim to size.  Attach to quilt as desired.

Have fun!

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

New tops as Medical Leave Ends

Managed to get two quilt tops finished up for Sunshine Quilts as my medical leave was finishing up.

The first one started with a remnant of a school print fabric.   Made it into 4 patches.  4 patches then were set with alternating squares of tone-on-tone fabrics.  The blues are closer in shade than the pictures.

The second quilt started with 5 blocks that Beth H. made for me from a FQ challenge I had made on Sunshine.   The setting was one I had seen used somewhere but for the life of me can't remember where.

In the original quilt the "background stripes" were equally sized, but I didn't have enough of the purple fabric,  So I divided what I had in half and put it all together.   I like how it turned out and will use the setting again.   Might even try it with more than two colors to see how that turns out.

Have a new top for Sunshine in process, but it will take several days to complete because I have so much to get done for school and not enough time in the day to get it all done.  =P

Gratitudes:
1.  Three weeks of classes left before final exams.......Summer vacation is coming!

2.  No matter what kind of a zoo school is like, I will retain my sanity......

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Finishes and New projects ready to start

Made a couple of little pouches this weekend from a home dec fabric sample I'd picked up on clearance at Joann's several yrs ago now.  

The first little tote is a boxy one that would be used to hold little stuff when traveling.   It finished out at 6'5" long by 4" wide by 3.5" tall.  I used the boxy tote tutorial found on the Three Bears blog.   Instructions were great and I winged the sizes to fit the sample fabric size that I was working with.

After finishing the first one, I then used the remaining pieces of the sample to make the triangular pouch.  Just three seams once the zipper is put in and oh so easy to make.

Any interest in me writing up a tutorial for it?














In doing some sorting through things that have been boxed up (in boxes or totes) for way too long,   One of the things that I've found again is this vest that I can no longer wear.   I hate to get rid of it because I love the tapestry fabric that I used to make the front out of.   I'm debating on what to do with it.....do I keep it as is and just try to sell the vest and make some money on it.   Or repurpose the tapestry fabric into something else for me.   I'm leaning towards the latter choice.   I still have never made myself a nice cover for my kindle file and am thinking that this might make a nice cover.  However, until I decide it'll go back into one of my totes so that it stays out of the light and dust.


The final project that I've pulled out to work on as I have time is a couple of kits for some Christmas homes that combine cross-stitch and sewing.   they were from one of my British Cross-stitch mags that I love, but of course I can't remember which one.   The pic on the cover tho is clear enoough that I can do the counting of the simple cross-stitch from the pic.   These will eventually end up as gifts since I don't have a tree to decorate anymore.


 Gratitudes:
1.  Sinuses continue to improve three days after surgery.....I might once again be able to breathe  easily before long....
2.  Good friends who are there in all things....