FNSI Update

I was just about a zombie when I finished sewing last night so I didn't post these photos.  This is part of the pile of fabric for runners and coasters

And here are a mess of blocks for "Mazed"

As soon as I get myself totally awake and organized I will post pictures of a couple of table runners and get my blocks up on the design wall.

Later!

Friday Night Sew In

Just realized the Friday Night Sew In is tonight.  For the first time in ages, I don't have any other plans so I am going to grab a couple of movies on the way home, make up a big container of iced tea and head up to the studio.  I am definitely going to work on "Mazed" and a couple of table runners.  If I get really ambitious, I will start another set of coasters.

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Book love!

Have you seen or bought this book?

I love this book!  There are so many wonderful scrap quilts and the book is really well written.  The authors are Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cheryl Arkison.  I have been reading Amanda's (crazy mom quilts) blog for years and did a star sample quilt along with her several years ago.  I am not attempting to advertise for Amazon but they do have it for just $14.71 and if you combine it with something else that totals up to $25 the shipping is free.

That's my PSA for today!

QADD

As usual, I am in the throes of a bad case of quilter's attention deficit disorder.  I have my squares of Kona sitting next to the machine for Mazed.  I have strips ready and squares of cotton cut to make coasters.  I have two charm packs of pretty Christmas fabrics and white squares of Kona cotton cut to make table runners.  Last, but not least, I have fabrics pulled and zippers ready to make a couple of wristlets.  I have been working on all projects this weekend.  I am making progress on some more than others.

Looky! Two finished wristlets!!

And a 4 pack of coasters!

"Mazed"?  Not so much...

Mazed

I have been cutting and cutting and cutting

then I started piecing, piecing and piecing

12 blocks done - so many more to do!

Flashback to 1969...

Last post, I told you about my hippy, bohemian, "starshine" project.  I had recently seen a M'liss Rae Hawley bag pattern (Fat Quarter Gypsy Bag) that intrigued me.  I wanted something similar but also different.  The FQGB is a pretty simple bag - no lining, no pockets and the handles tie together which I think would be really uncomfortable - especially considering the size of her bag.  I decided to start digging around in my batik scraps and see what I could throw together.  This is the result

I made my bag much smaller than the Gypsy bag.  (I still think the bag is bigger than it needs to be!)  I also used some "ShapeFlex" in the bag so that it wouldn't be so floppy.  I made extra long handles so that it can be worn cross body.  My handles are stitched together and then the seams are pulled to the inside of the casing.  I also put a series of inside pockets front and back.  This bag is really very close in size to my Weekender bag and I know I could get darned close to everything I would need for a weekend in this one.  Someone asked what I would charge for a bag like this and I had to tell her that I honestly could not charge enough!  Cutting and piecing the outside of the bag took so much time.  I just knew I needed to see what it would look like and I am fairly happy with it.  If I were to make it again, I would skip the elastic on the sides, gather everything together and sew out a complete seam on either side.

Actually, the more I look at the photos, the more ideas I am getting.  Wonder how many more batik scraps I actually have...

"Normal"

My granddaughter left on Sunday morning.  Life is back to "normal" and I could not be more unhappy about it.  It is such a joy to come home from work to a sweet voice asking about my day and wanting to help with dinner.  Yes, I did much more laundry and tidied up more but every minute of having Emily with me was so worth the extra tasks.  I discovered that I am a much better teacher than I thought I was and even when I don't mean to do it, I hover just a bit when someone else is sewing!

So helping to chase away the blues I am back in the studio working on a new project.  I have a bee in my bonnet.

I am thinking "starshine", bohemian, hippy.  I am using all blue/green batik prints.  Wanna guess what I am making?