Mission Accomplished

      The last purses for this month are finished!  I bought this fabric for a tote that never got made, and it's perfect for these purses. Now? Time to clean the studio and work on some quilts.  But I will leave the design wall the way it is for a few more days.  It's just too thought-provoking to think about some young adolescent girl in Zambia receiving one of the Sew Powerful purses - stocked with panties, reusable pads and soap - and her being uplifted by it all, especially by the encouragement notes we write and put into each purse.  Notes are up next...

Lined up along the bottom of the design wall below are six purses that were packed to go to Austin with me for QuiltCon and the Sew Powerful booth.  But then...the February wrist thing...so these six will be a part of the delivery well ahead of Sew Powerful Unboxing Day.

 It's been a good and productive month.   But now onto the notes.  

Five Purple Sister/Purses

                                             Big graphic prints work well for the flaps of these cross-body bags.  And under each flap there's a surprise fabric,  And in each purse there's a surprise pocket.

The past of this process that slows me down are the notecards that go into each purse.  We purse makers hear that the girls treasure these cards as much as the purses and the contents.  That puts a special pressure on the notecards.

So I am working my way through, thanks to some fellow purse makers in the Sew Powerful Facebook page, creating some meaningful cards.  More on that later...

 

I included this last picture just to give an idea that these purses don't just spring up.  There are a lot of parts, most of which are interfaced.  These truly are a labor of love, and those who make them know their time is well-spent.

August 17 and right on my purse target!

 After months of limited sewing, it feels so good to be productive.  July for the past couple of years has been a purse a day.  But this year I needed to wait until August.  So far, so good.  The latest set of five features this whimsical yet motivational fabric “I can and I will.” 

                              And here's m progress so far.  I love my design wall as it fills up.  

                                                    Next up?  Purples and Rainbow colors.

Finding my Purse Mojo

 

                          Purse Mojo is back.  But Blogger is weird.  hmmmm

August: A Purse a Day

I've finally gotten started with purses for Sew Powerful again. It's been 6 months since I have made any, and it feels good to look outward and get back into the swing of charitable sewing. It's going well except for calling the lovely giraffes on three of these purses. Covid brain? Whatever...

As I sew I think of the young ladies who will choose one of these purses - educated women are the hope of Zambia and Africa.  I also think of those in my life who are facing severe medical hardships.  After six months of focusing on my issues, it's a welcome change to focus on others.

Lots of parts for each purse.  Setting them out help me with the process.

This lovely quit square was meant to be on the outside. 

Here are my elephants - I mean giraffes...

Changing Gears

 Rehabbing the broken humerus has allowed me to do some sewing and simple cutting.  This is my quarantine/rehab quilt.Lots of greys and low-volume prints from Cotton + Steel.  Each block has a 2.5” center, and each block is 6.5”.So this quilt will be 60” x72 - perfect size for hand quilting. Below is a quilt top from QuiltCon fabrics (Thanks Melissa, Holly, and Sarah.). It’s for grandson Brandon, and I think I will machine quilt this myself.

 My guild started a bee, and I’m having fun playing.  Each month one of us asks the others to make specific blocks.  To the left are blocks for Adamanadia.  ROYGBIV blocks with cool colors on one side and warm in the other.  below is one 12.5” 24.5 block for Debbie”s co,foul improve eith a slash.  For both of these projects I dipped into my beloved pile of shot cottons.  Both of thee were fun, and I’ll be interested in seeing how these blocks go into their quilt. Guildmate Bill is leading this charge - we even have a hashtag #ChiModBee.  My turn is t for a couple of months.  I’m thinking tuning forks.  

All quilts are lit away.  Shot cottons are back on the shelf. It’s time for purses!

Masks! More Masks!

One thing is clear to me. We are going to be wearing masks for a long time.  As my shattered humerus heals, I’ve discovered I can do minor cutting.  Like for masks.  And I can sew.  Only not in reverse - I don't have the strength yet to press the reverse lever down. I see my bone doctor tomorrow, the same woman who surgically repaired my wrist in February.  At a previous appointment, she was wearing a mask I gave her - nice.  I see her tomorrow morning for X-rays and evaluation, perhaps to start back with OT/PT.  Buddy Cecilia cut long strips so I can continue working on the quilt below.  Slowly, surely, I heal.  And I’m thankful.

Thinking my way through every stitch I sew...

Two weeks after my fall, and I am still so sore and bruised. I’m still taking opioids.  With them my pain is less and I can do the prescribed movements/motions.   But I still have to think my way through every move I make.  With the brokeN wrist, it was a matter of finger dexterity and strength. This time I have the finger and wrist dexterity, but I can’t lift my arm.  Yet.  So I struggle through the day, balancing the drugs with the time of therapy movements.  And to keep sane, I sew.  I must.  The next project up is Brandon’s quilt, made from the set of fat quarters Melissa, Holly, and Sarah bought for me at QuiltCon .  I’m using a shadow box effect on a background that is grey-green-griege.  Cecilia cut fabric for me - for a non quilter she is very good with the rotary cutter, and she seemed to like doing it.  I need 3.5” strips of this griege- lots of them.  I hope she’ll come back.

These leftover strips and bits of peppered shot cottons are going to be a 12.5” by 24.5” block for @artgal53, fellow Chicago Modern Quilt Guildster Debbie.  She and 8 others, including me and spearheaded by @kiltedquilter67, are part of a bee, the #ChiModBee.  Debbie is the first “Queen” of this bee.  Can’t wait to see what comes from my block and the others she’ll receive!  If you look at the hashtag, be gentle - we’re just getting started.

While I can’t cut any significant size of fabric. I can cut small bits.  I had a whole pile of 2.5” squares already cut.  Sticking with greys and lower volume fabrics, I’m making 6.5” blocks.  I can do one at a time and these are perfect just to keep me feeling like I‘m  productive.  Below is an off-set pattern.  Sewing does help to chase the blues away....

It’s Always Something....

My elastic came.  The elastic I was going to use to make a mask a day throughout July.  So now I have elastic but am back to being one-handed.

My sister sent flowers.  So nice.  I saw my wrist surgeon yesterday, and she was wearing a mask I made her.  I have some gentle therapy and exercises  to do while this humerus starts to heal.

I’m no longer in shock. And I just found out from a blog reader that quilter Pat Sloan broke both of her wrists!  The last picture?  Oddly enough it’s the only part of me that doesn’t hurt...

The Luckiest ot the Unlucky

Saturday June 20 was such a good day.  I was in the studio finishing this lovely 90 x 99 shot cotton quilt top.  I vacuumed, rejoicing in how easy this task is with 2 hands.  I even set out the fabrics for the next quilt I want to work on.  I want to finish this quilt top by July so that I can turn the entire month over to purses and masks.  One of each every day.  Piles of fabrics for both are set out.

But then I tripped on uneven sidewalk about a mile away from the house.  Nice ladies called 911.  ER took care of facial lacerations and made sure there were no brain bleeds.  I broke my proximal humerus and see my bone doc tomorrow.

Thankful I didn’t do more damage! But I’m incredibly sore - everything hurts.

I keep thinking of I Robert Burns and how the best-laid plans of mice and men “gang aft a-gley.”