An End Date

 These two Tudors are complete.  I am going to hang onto the multi-colored one for a while.  The other is for my Quilty Melissa.  I love the size of these bags.  In both, in addition to simple inner pockets, there is a sleeve for a water bottle.  Melissa's bag has some faux textured leather on the bottom and lower sides.  It was easier to work with than I anticipated, and I still under Soft and Stable, a foam interfacing, under it.
 
 

And here's my new rule:  For every completed new project, I have to do a UFO.  Because - seriously - we all have an end/expiration date.  (Relax - everything is fine - just a reality check).  I found these blue blocks from the Janet Clare line Aubade. I made them at the winter retreat last January.  After putting them on the design wall, I was pretty uninspired.  So then I thought about the disappearing 9-patch.  I sewed 9 blocks together and then center cut them into four blocks.   When I put them together (sew below), meh...

   So then I began to think about separating the blocks, giving them some space to breathe, and putting them on point.  And look!  Now I have some space to do some hand-quilting in the big empty blocks.  I will tuck this away until next winter.  Now?  I can go back to another tote back or two.

 I have a new product that Holly and Sarah got for me at the last QuiltCon - it's a paper fabric for bags and totes.  It is sturdy, can be washed and distressed, and is pretty intriguing.  I can't decide whether to to use Soft and Stable with it as well.  I do know I'm doing another Tudor.  But I am not finished with the faux leather and might start another one - see below.  Or maybe I'll just work on both at once...  And then back to another UFO...you get the idea...and period purses...

Perfect Quilting Weather

I know what you're thinking:  "Hey, didn't she use that same title for a blog post in the deep midwinter?"  Why, yes.  Yes, I did.  What I love about quilting is that it is an all-weather sport.  Here's the body of niece Molly's quilt. 

It started out like this, and this arrangement was just so uninspiring and static.  These blocks needed, like so many other quilt blocks, some room to breathe and for the design to emerge.  The sashing give this design a 3-d effect, and offsetting the columns also helped.

This is the finished quilt top, ready for the long-arming.  It is 88" x 110"  Her parents are coming for a visit Labor Day, and I am hoping this quilt will make it back with them!

On to the next exciting projects.  On the design wall are ALL the parts for two Tudor bags .  I like this pattern a lot - it's the size of a shopping bag.  Exterior zippered pocket.  Pockets on the inside.  Water bottle holder.  Great straps.  All the hard prep work is  done.  Now,  I just need time to sew.  At least it's perfect sewing weather!

I Can't Word

A little drawstring bag for Henry and a doll quilt for Eloise, my sister's grandchildren

A Tudor Tote for my travel agent client from a t-shirt

The reverse of the above tote, plus a pillow for her granddaughter.

Another Benton Avenue grandchild is coming

My doctor (whom I love) is having her first baby this spring and likes green.

 

And of course a couple of zippered totes.  Just because...

On The Road and UFO's

We took a quick trip to Atlanta to visit John's daughter Julie.  It's a 750-mile drive, most of which I traveled  in my commute from Chicago to East Tennessee to go to Milligan College in the last 60's and early 70's.  We listened to Catch-22  (well, 15 out of the 17 disks ), a favorite of John.  I'd never read it.  I'm glad to say I finally know the book, but I wasn't crazy about it.  In Atlanta we visited the Jimmy Carter Center Presidential Museum.  What a fabulous man. 

Of course I made a MORS bag for Julie's new apartment.

But after a week away from home, I get itchy.  So many things in the studio I want to finish and new projects to begin.

Like these little RunArounds for Oralee's 4 granddaughters.

Like these Tudor bags...

Like these bits from Glampalot 2016. 

Taking shape  - stay posted...

 

Like getting back to these scrap blocks from last month...

Monday's Projects

Travel Agent's T-shirt Quilt in process -

Four Tudors almost completed + two finished ones, three of them sold, and one for Wayne's daughter!

Four RunArounds will come from these fabrics. 

One more SewPowerful Purse and a Tudor Tote

Here's one more purse for Sew Powerful in Zambia.  It will join the other five and be mailed for the fall deadline.  The next deadline is in early February - we'll see what life's rhythm allows for that deadline.    And I got this Tudor tote out of my system.    I love the size and security of this pattern - outer zippered pocket and a top zipper.  These fabrics are from QuiltCon 2016, I think.  There are four more in the works, but now?  I'm ready to go back to Natalie's quilt!

UFO, Inspiration, Design, and Retreats

 What a lovely spring it's been - perfect for walking and little road trips and a weekend getaway.   It's been a good time to finish a couple of small projects.  The red cork Hey Mercedes is something I started at the Fall Retreat in Racine.  I love this purse style, but it's not the best application of this terrific cork fabric.  Luckily, I lined it in a similar color to the cork.  I am working up my courage to do some top stitching.  And then this purse will be complete.

I quilted this cork fabric to the Soft and Stable interfacing. 

This gusset is such an important design element.  I am hoping with use that these pieces will fit together a bit better. Perhaps I could have done a better job of trimming and clipping.  Next time...

  This is another Sarah Lawson pattern, a Tudor bag. I've been wanting to make this bag for a while. The top picture shows the difference between the Sloan bag (my favorite for weekends) and the Tudor, which is perfect as a tote.  I took out some of the design elements because this fabric has such a great features.  There's an outer zip pocket, two inner pockets, and an inner sleeve to hold a water bottle.  There's a twin to this bag (it was my prototype) and now belongs my friend Jenny.  Same fabric, but different lining and handles.

My handymen were here, covering my design wall with gridded flannel fabric.  This fabric was something guildster Dani M was working with at the last retreat.  She graciously went shopping for me.  And it's only taken 6 months to get it on the wall.  I love it.  

At last Sunday's guild meeting one member showed these wonderful little boxes.  I was so taken by these that I totally forgot who brought them.  But I found the pattern and bought it - this will be on deck for the retreat.  I hope to make three and have zippers and infacing for Melissa and Eileen.

Here's a UFO that is so old..."How old is it?"  Well, it's so old that I was working on it at a retreat sitting across from Mary P, she who was our Chicago MQG president 2010-2011 and has been living in Texas for the past 4 years.   At last Sunday's meeting I was sitting with Melissa, and she had a couple of ideas for what to do with scraps, and one of them was for this pattern.  It uses cross-cut blocks.  And this made me go home and get out these blocks.  I have perhaps 60 of them and fabric for me.  When I was working on this, I had in mind Rossie H's Double Plus Good quilt.  But then I became disenchanted with what I was making.  Perhaps my crosses weren't wonky enough, and I think my insert strips were too wide. 

So I am trying to make the inserts narrower. This weekend might be the right time to redeem these blocks and make something functional.    The above tutorial from The Quilter's Table involves making blocks, sewing them together, and then cross-cutting them.  So, I'm thinking...

The other possibility for retreat sewing is taking a jelly roll of fabulous metallics  - Modern Backgrounds "Luster" by Zen Chic.  Two strips make 2 blocks.  With an outer border these blocks are 10" x 16".  Sometimes to make the best of sewing time at a retreat, a simple repetitive task is just the answer.  Also, to be absolutely honest, I just like touching these fabrics.  The picture below has the strips in pairs.  I just need to cut and pack them.

Going to the Siena Center in Racine is a privilege.  I'm taking with me a quilt to donate - Sister Claire will know what to do with it.