Mariner's Compass - a work in process

Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the beauty of a project I'm working on. And this paper-pieced Mariner's Compass is one such project. I'd love to take credit for the fabric combination, but the credit goes to Jinny Beyer and her terrific color sense. I'm still making some decisions about border fabrics and proportions. But the hard work is done. Click on the picture to see the beautiful details. 24" x 24"

Variations on a Theme

Sewn bags are hot. There are tons of patterns. Buddy Marjorie Hughes gave me this pattern for quilted bags using fat quarters. I'm not sure where this set of fabrics came from. I know they are a bit Christmassy and wintery. But it is still January, right? The red pockets, red handles, and stitching in red thread are good complements to these fabrics.

But remember that my fascination for bags began with Wayne's gift to me of a Mors bag as well as an introduction to the Mors Bags website. There is a free pattern there as well as tracking of people who have established "pods" at morsbags.com. Wayne is now over 100 bags, and I am catching up with him.

We just discovered our bed sheet has worn away in one area. After it's washed, I think I'll cut the remaining good parts into linings for Mors bags. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

Turning Corners - and 8 more bags

I've turned so many corners with my knee rehab. Yesterday I forgot - FORGOT! I tell you - to take a pain medication. And last week I actually spent 3 straight hours in the studio instead of a little 45-minute stint. After my physical therapy session today, I spoke with the director of nursing at the hospital and gave her 9 bags to distribute to my nurses and PCT's. And of course I had to give the nursing director a bag for her efforts. So now that this task has been completed, I'm feeling like I'm ready to
resume work on some projects, like Kim and Tim's Tumbling Blocks Wedding Quilt and the Mariner's Compass in blues, purples, and teals for Janet Sylkatis's 60th birthday.

These bags all have boxed bottoms and a pocket on one side. Just Mors Bags - kicked up a notch.

Four down - lots more to go!

 While I'm not quite ready to sing "Back in the Saddle Again," I am inching towards it. These 4 - some boxed, some flat - are complete. There was a time when I was cranking out 6 bags a day. And perhaps I'll get back to that point. Meanwhile, I'm happy to be getting upstairs a couple of times a day, even if I don't stay very long. Sewing with my right foot is feeling less and less awkward, and I can feel my stamina increasing. Nice. Very nice!

Baby Steps

 This may not look like much, but this picture is actually quite significant. Today I began work again in the Studio. I'm making simple Mors bags for the nursing staff I came in contact with at LaGrange. So there is fabric selection, ironing, measuring/cutting, and making the handles before the bags can be assembled. And that is what I did today, including sewing the handles. None of this was pain-free and took 3 sessions to the studio to accomplish. But that's okay - it's a start. Tomorrow I can put these two together and think about the next pair I want to make. I'm thrilled to see the return to a normal schedule. In some ways the break from sewing/quilting has been nice, but now I'm ready to get back to work!