Something

While the title "Something" isn't terribly exciting or descriptive, it is less monotonous than another post entitled "Puttering"!  While the lack of schedule in the summer has some benefits, I don't find it conducive to my need and desire to produce, and to create.  Never the less, in the last 3 weeks I have done 5 edge to edge quilts.  Yup, that is all.  Two are lap sized also!  Here are three that are heading home to Erin in IA today...

 This is the Henny Penny pattern.  The fabrics in the piecing are very busy, and many designs would be completely lost.  This floral design at least shows on the back side.

This is a cool modern quilt.  I love the Laura Gunn fabrics, but didn't want to compete with them with anything remotely floral.  I pulled this pattern called Twilight just to give a fun background texture.

 ...another look.  It is stitched with a gold YLI thread.

 This last one is lively.  I am so stuck in the hexagon phase, that I love all variations of the hexies.  Fabrics are bold and happy, modern and bright.  I quilted with a white thread.

 The pantograph is called Flying Paisley.

 and a better look at the pattern from the back.

 I still have a stack of at least 3 of Erin's quilts that she wants to be custom quilted, but those are waiting for calmer days (aka September).

While I was at VQF a couple weeks ago, I picked up some inexpensive zippers, and other assorted purse hardware.  I had this canvas mistakenly purchased last fall, and decided that I would make myself a functional carry-all to take to Europe.  I have made some very lovely vintage-styled clothes, but I assure you, I am not a purse maker.  I did not have, nor did I want to purchase a pattern which was exactly the purse I wanted to make.  I kind of went at this with a wing and a prayer.  It will no way EVER earn any Master Purse-Maker awards.  That doesn't worry me in the least ;-)

 

 The goals were simple...small, lots of secure zippered pockets and a cross-chest style of strap.  I also wanted to show off the cute fabric somehow -- like not have 1/2 of the Eiffel tower on one side or the backside of the bag with the print upside-down.

The entire process left me frustrated.  This is partly because I never had more than 20 minutes at a time to think about it (aka "pick out my blasted mistakes"!).  Zippers are not challenging for me, as they are for some people.  I wasn't daunted by putting in 4 of them in...on not until the last one which was intended for the bag's zipper just WOULD NOT FIT PROPERLY!  GRrrr....  I eventually ripped it out and put a conventional binding up there.

In hindsight, I know that that zipper HAD to be put in first, but sheesh, it was just too late.

There is a hidden zipper, with admittedly kind of sloppy stitching, under the flap.  BTW, the flap was a total after thought when I couldn't get the zipper in.  Fortunately, it mostly looks like it belongs (if you disregard the fact that I had to bind it in a different pale pink fabric on account of running out of the other one.  I bought a magnet clasp, but am starting to get cold feet about installing it, as it requires putting a hole in the bag and flap.  I am rethinking other possible ways of mounting the clasp to another piece of fabric, and attaching that to the bag.  Permanent holes are just not my thing.

The inside has two side pockets with zippers and open pockets for things like pencils and phones.  

I turns out that the bag took very little fabric, so I used some of the extra to make my daughter a much simpler version.  Her's went together with very few issues, as projects should go.  There is a zippy-pocket in the inside too, and the large pocket on the front so she could get an Eiffel tower scene too.  She's all about that Eiffel tower.

Here's the back... These handles are just commercial mesh strapping - a much easier alternative to the half-baked strap I made from the canvas for my bag, which needed double interfacing to have decent body.

BTW, here is a website I found that has some great purse hardware and patterns.  I might just endeavor to make something else, if I had better instructions (wink, wink!)