Zippered Bag Project

Let me begin this post with a little history. In 2007 or 2008 I had a group at the library where I work that I put together to teach how to make a quilt that would be a visual history of our local area. The quilt took the shape of a bookshelf quilt with pictures of the area from long ago and items on the shelves that reminded us of the area. It took the group 18 months to complete the quilt which I finished and quilted.  I would love to post a photo of our quilt but I can't locate a photo at this time.

After we finished this quilt, the ladies wanted to continue to meet. Many of the ladies were not quilters but we all enjoyed a variety of crafts. So, we came up with a name "Crafters Anonymous" and met monthly for a couple of more years. Finally the economy tanked and libraries decided to cut back on adult programming. My group, not wanting to disband, moved next door to the Senior Resource Center where they still meet today without my guidance. I try to make a meeting here and there when they meet on a day I'm not working.

This month, Holly Fox, a local weaver and fellow crafter, is leading the group to make an adorable zippered bag for which she found a free pattern and tutorial online at  http://terryatkinson.typepad.com/atkinsondesigns/2009/06/sock-sack.html (Check out Terry's website to get the free pattern and see her tutorial. Thanks for the great bag, Terry!)

The size of the group this month is about 16 or 17 when normally about 8 come. Knowing that they might need a little extra help, I offered to sew the bag ahead of time myself so I could help if needed. Holly brought me the two samples below so I could see the finished bags.
 

 Aren't they the cutest? Above are the front views and below the backs.

 

Below is my sample. I decided to cut my own fabrics and do the whole thing from scratch so I'd be more familiar with all aspects of this pattern. The fabric I chose is the new Comma line by Zen Chic which I purchased from Pink Chalk Fabrics. http://www.pinkchalkfabrics.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=37_47_867

 And of course, here's the back of my bag.

Live long and prosper, my friends!

I have been really bad about posting, I know. So far I have few followers so I guess that's okay. I know I need to do more and I am trying. 

It's a  beautiful day in Virginia Beach. My husband and I began the afternoon with our first beach walk of the season with our pug at Dam Neck Beach. It's still a bit chilly with the wind so it wasn't a real long one. Then I slipped in to finish my 12 x 12. 

I also spent a couple of hours helping my hubby weed my blackberries that he has moved. They were under the shade of the neighbor's ever growing Bradford Pear tree which was totally inhibiting their production. Mind you, Rick doesn't even eat them, although he will allow me to put them in our nightly fruit smoothy now that we've gone Paleo. So this is a labor of love for him.  

Yesterday I worked on my Orange 12 X 12 for  a small local group of quilters affectionately know as the Quilt Sluts. I am only 6 12 x 12's behind the pack. In my defense, I do work full time and I have been doing a lot of challenges. I have vowed to back off a few of these but first I need to catch up. 

Here are some pictures first in progress...

The next one is the finished 12 x 12...well all but a label and a title. I have not named this one and I need to do that. If you have an idea, please let me know. 

 

And the last picture is of a close-up of the finished 12 x 12. I am happy with how it turned out. I sort of did this one backwards. I found an idea then painted my background and bird. Then I decided which color I was working on. Next I finished the quilting and backing.

Now I need to decide if I can handle washing my car or sew some more. Seems like a no brainer...poor car!

Things to tell- and a Giveaway from 44th Street Fabrics

I have pictures to add and lots to tell from my retreat last week but that will have to wait until tonight. Until then...


Here's a link to a great giveaway from 44th Street Fabrics...drop in and take a look.

http://44thstreetfabric.blogspot.com/2013/03/march-giveaway.html

  Our giveaway for March is for 1/2 yard of each of the small chevrons shown here:

and

for a TOTAL of 3 and 1/2 yards of fabric. And, if you want to make something, I'm throwing in a bag  pattern by Jennifer Jangles!
 

Sandbridge Day 6:

The weather hasn't been fabulous but we've had some sun. Here are pictures of the beach and one more quilt top I started yesterday and finished today.

This is the quilt top I started yesterday for baby Zachary.

Here's what the water has looked like the past couple of mornings.

Just before sunrise this morning. The lights are a barge ut in the water dredging the shipping lanes.

 

 

Retreat at Sandbridge Beach, VA or a Week in Heaven!

For the past week I have been living at the beach in a 9 bedroom house ...eating, drinking, sewing, creating and just spending some quality "girl" time with 13 fabulous ladies. What could be better, right? We've watched movies and eaten tons of food (although I have been very good because I am eating Paleo and have pretty much stuck to my hubby and my new way of eating...yes!).

So what have I accomplished you ask?

Here's a photo of the first one:

 

 

 

 

Here's me on hands and knees putting this quilt together row by row.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's another one of me working on this quilt. It's a present for my niece and her husband who have only been married about a year!

Here's the finished top hanging over the railing. It's for a queen sized bed but it seems really big!

 

 

Going Japanese Style...

I joined the coolest Modern Japanese BOM on Flickr...I'm spreading my kimono wings...Modern Japanese BOM. Here are the first two I made. More to follow soon. 

I'm using Joel Dewberry fabrics in yellows and grays. I love how they are turning out.

Madrona Road Challenge Quilt and a Long Week!

I have not gotten a good start to my blog. There are still so many things I do not yet know, but I'm learning. Soon I hope to understand how to link other people's blogs to mine and ad widgets and so on.

In the meantime,I spent the past week designing, piecing and quilting a challenge piece for the Modern Quilt Guild called the Madrona Road Challenge. I had to have my finished piece photographed and uploaded to the site before midnight last night. I got done in time in spite of a major migraine Wednesday afternoon that stayed with me well into the evening. The challenge was to use the set of Michael Miller fabrics from his Madrona Road Collection. We were not allowed to add anything except more of the fabric collection or solids. Our VBMQG didn't get our fabrics until quite late. We were given our 7 fat quarters on January 19. My friend, Mary, from the blog, Fairly Merry, decided to get hers done in time for the national challenge. I decided if she could do it, I probably could, too. My quilt ended up being 27" square, hers is much larger. She also got quite crazy with her piecing. The result was awesome but nuts, all the same. I was happy we were both able to get our challenges done in time.

Here are some pictures of the process and then my finished quilt.

I began my piece with the writing fabric on the black or charcoal background with the offset circle. Then I added a couple of blocks which began as blocks I found in the book Modern Blocks: 99 Quilt Blocks from Your Favorite Designers. But these blocks were made to be 12" finished blocks which I did not want. To say my math skills leave something to be desired is an understatement at best!

  
Also in my rush, I turned things here and there. You'll see in the finished piece I actually turned the top right hand block counterclockwise 90 %. I'd like to say I planned it that way, but not so much. I realize I turned it after I posted the finished top for the first time. I did decide I liked it as well the way I had it and left it.

The picture above is the finished front. I spent quite a lot of time quilting it pretty heavily. I love using a large variety of types of quilting. I get bored doing the same thing over the whole quilt. This type of a top lends itself well to a  variety of quilting.

This is a close-up of some of the quilting. As you can see I change what I'm doing often!

I love how the quilting on the circle turned out but I did not like the spiral I began quilting it (and the writing fabric) with in the beginning. Yes...I un-stitched that entire section and did it over. It was worth every grueling minute!

I did repeat the center block quilting on the other flower pieces along with the tiny pebbles. 

The little corner blocks inside this block ended up being 1/4"each piece. I did not piece it that small. It started with about 3/4" squares and I cut it down once pieced so it would more accurate.

I hope you enjoy my small quilt. I am now taking a small breather before getting on with my next project. It's time to quilt my Pile of Fabrics Skillbuilder BOM first two blocks! Coming soon...

Drop over to Mary's blog to catch a glimpse of her finished challenge quilt.  http://fairlymerry.blogspot.com/