A finish for 2023!

This one was made using fabrics and scraps of what is in the stash. This year will be more to use what is on hand first. It feels good to use what I have and to use it in a creative way.

It can stand up to hold a pattern for stitching, if needed.

Two pockets , one a zipper to keep supplies and project neat when not working on it.

The other pocket is large enough for notes and a pattern.

It is finished with a magnetic snap and binding on the edge. A gift for a friend who loves to stitch!

Some more project bag making…

The year started with sewing up scraps of fabrics into project bags with zippers, a friend said I may be becoming a bag maker? The funny part is, that is how I got into quilting at the age of 19 years of age. I saw a plaid quilted bag, nothing girly and said I am going to make one. As a confirmed tomboy, the thought caused many giggles and outright laughter from many around me. They were not unkind, just honest. About sixteen bags later, I could make a bag, quilt the fabric by machine, sew in a zipper, add handles and make pockets. My saving grace was it was one item, each one I made pushed me to perfect it and find simple solutions to make it more streamlined. A fire dip into the deepend, swim I did. Now after all the years of quiltmaking I am making bags again...

The binding has not been turned over on this one yet, will be doing that today.

It will be closed using a magnetic snap, in the early days of bag making we did not have access to these snaps.

A variety of blue strips cut for one of my first RSC23 projects for January.

French General yellow fabrics, they come in blues and even soft sage greens. The dominant colours are reds, silver, cream and taupes. Each line can be used with all the previous or future fabrics lines, which is great for making scrappy looking quilts.

This and that, little projects.

The last week of December saw me sewing a few small projects. All with fabrics that have been sitting in a pile.

These non quilty fabrics was sewn into a pencil bag.

Polyester fabric was sewn into a larger zipper bag for non quilty projects.

The Hertfordshire Quilt.

For the whole of 2022 I was meaning to get back to this one, to sew on the nine patches which was removed when it did not fit.

The issue was with the black floral strips, they were too narrow. The solution was to add a skinny strip of fabric to it.

That was done and then this was just put back in the box, to be worked on at a later date?

On the last day of the year, it was pulled out and attatched. Try as I might, mine is still bigger than the pattern call for and I am okay with it. With the next round it will require an extra strip of diamonds on each side.

This is round ten out of the fifteen rounds, like a round robin. The opportunity to get it to the exact size will come after the diamonds where there are sashing strips sewn around the center, can then reduce the width and get closer to the correct size...Will work a little bit on this one through out the coming year and see how far it will grow.

A new year.

Overwhelming to see the lists of what people want to start this year! Me? Just taking it one day at a time, working on the projects which I really want to make. Some are kitted up, some have starts others are well on their way. One will be finished early in the new year, I think... What works best for some, is just not what works for others. So be kind to yourself and follow your heart. This year will be a year of the Tortoise and the hare with a healthy dose of common sense. Also we forgot to dance, laugh and be happy. Wishing everyone a relaxing and awesome 2023!

A little something for me.

We always make for everyone else, this year I planned to make a few small things for me it just got placed on the imaginary list and dropped to the bottom. How many times this happens and we do not even realize it has happened.

So yesterday two things got done, some more bits will happen once all the details are all ironed out, so to speak. A pouch for my Ipad, this was a test piece of embroidery which never made it into a quilt. Some leftover flannel is the lining. (My friend Kate had offered to make me one a while back which was very sweet of her, she is the Queen of bag making!)

A book cover was next, this also made with leftovers.

It is for my scribble books. The notes, future ideas and stitching patterns.

Peter Rabbit arrived under the Christmas tree in the form of a thimble. Last Christmas I found Peter Rabbit Christmas theme fabrics, will make something from them next year...

An art tablet bag.

Another request from hubby was a strong protective sturdy bag for his art tablet, it is a large one, over seventeen inches long. It is inspired by a favourite laptop bag. The pattern for this was created to resemble this favourite bag, with fabrics I had already. The one thing that I did not have, was Bosal foam, this was bought a week before Christmas.

The inside of the bag has this boxed section. It also needed a soft side for the screen of the tablet, to prevent scratches. A piece of tracksuit fleece (the wrong side) was sewn onto the inside of this box. All the seams are covered with bias binding, as all the seams are raw edges on the inside of the bag. A great way to use up leftover binding.

The box shown from the inside of the finished bag.

The T-shape with the foam makes the box and is sewn to the bottom and sides of one of main bag panels, that create the bag.

Looking into the bag from the top, this is what one would see.

An additional pockets for the stand and the pen was required. This was sewn with the same fleece, using the right side. It was attached to the opposite side of the bag, on the inside. Keeping everything neat and tidy.

Both sides of the outside of the bag has pockets, one side has one with a zipper and the other with velcro and a flap for a closer.

This is how I transfer pattern pieces onto black or very dark fabrics, someone asked. So for the pouches I made for the lenses. The quilt pounce is rubbed gently over the pattern piece on the wrong side and it is the way that works for me, hope this helps to explain how to do it. Today will be a day to make something for me and going down a rabbit hole of exploration...