Christmas Gift From My Sister

Look at the wonderful purse my sister Robin made for me.

Here is a close-up of the pocket.  Look at the wonderful yo-yo flowers and wool leaves.  I love it.  The inside of the purse is more polka dots!  What a perfect gift.

Melinda

Easy Peasy Grommet Bag

Purse class was last night and I actually had some time to sew.  My sister is creating a new pattern based on a purse she took to market and got lots of comments on – especially from me.  She is working on a pattern but gave me the Cliff Notes version in an email.  I showed the fabric a couple of weeks ago.

I decided to try the iron-on vinyl by ThermoWeb.  It ironed on easy but I am not sure I really love how it turned out.  Here it is.

It might be slightly different from the pattern when it comes out because I made it from memory (and one emergency phone call to Robin) but it is basically the pattern.  I added two pockets to the inside for my phone and camera.  I love it.

Melinda

Purse Class Tonight

I have been getting customer quilts ready for binding today but have to stop to get ready to teach purse class tonight.  I think it is going to be a small class so I might take something of mine to sew on.  I looked to see if I had any good photos of purses to show, but not so much.  Here is a red and white quilt I made a few Christmas’ ago.  I hate to post without a photo and I would like to get photos of some of my older quilts on the blog anyway.

I usually use this one on my dining room table around Christmas.  I do like it a lot!

Melinda

New Bag in Progress

I want to make a new bag and have fallen in love with this fabric.

Actually I love the whole line but am trying to convince myself that if I make a bag/purse out of it, I will be satisfied. Sounds like a plan.  I also want to try the iron-on vinyl so that is part of the plan also.

Melinda

More Saturday Sampler Progress

I am not sure how/why I got so far behind on my blocks but I am determined to get caught up – at least with this years blocks.

Here is what I finished yesterday. First are two extra blocks for the Batik houses.  Of course a neighborhood needs trees.

Next is another Floral Fantasy block.

Now that the batik houses are all caught up, I am moving on to the bright house blocks.  Here is the February block.

Yesterday was the monthly Piecemakers bee.  Here are a couple of projects that Susan brought to show.  The pineapple quilt is made from all Asian fabrics and is beautiful.

She also made this selvage tote bag in a class.  I love it.

After Piecemakers, lunch and some sewing, I worked on customer quilts – finished one and started another.  I plan to concentrate on this tomorrow.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–April 11, 2011

Happy Birthday Robin!  It is my sister’s birthday today.  Stop by her blog and wish her a happy birthday.

I moved my curvy quilt from the design wall to the design bed.  I finished putting the center of the top together and it is ready for borders.  I am having a tough time trying to decide on an inner border.  The curves go out into the border so I have to do add the inner border to the outer one before I can do anything else.

My outer border is a light print and I am trying to decide between a touch of color and plain black.

I also thought I would show a Letty’s bag that showed up in the shop yesterday.  I asked her where she got the pattern and she said she lived in California and bought it in Hemet.

Small world, isn’t it.  For those who do not know, the Letty’s bag pattern was designed by the birthday girl, my sister Robin.

For more design walls, check out Judy L’s blog here.

Melinda

SSCS and Tote Bag Packages Arrived

I received my SSCS swap package earlier this week.  I don’t know yet who sent it but the package is safely under the Christmas tree waiting for Christmas to arrive.  I did open the ornament and it is on the tree.

Isn’t it cute!

I also opened up my Tote Bag exchange package.  Here it is before opening all the wonderful packages.

Here is all the amazing things in the package.

Look at the wonderful lime green trees on the tote bag.  The package was from Toni at Red Book Quilt Company.

The little angel ornament is hanging on the tree, I am sampling the candy and drooling over the fabric and floss.  The package of buttons and embellishments is wonderful.  I am packing up the tote bag with the things I need for working this weekend.

I love everything she sent! 

Melinda

Christmas/Winter Tote Swap

I received a message yesterday that my tote swap package was finally received in Brazil.  It took a long time to get there but thankfully made it before Christmas. I love this line of fabric and it was perfect for the bag.  I apparently didn’t get a photo after I sewed the button on – it is a giant red button and looks great on it.  I made a small click-it bag to match.

The inside has even more fabrics and lots of pockets.  Check out the red cell phone pocket!

I need to make myself a Christmas bag – maybe next year!

Melinda

Tiny Stitches Christmas Party

We had a wonderful dinner and party last night at a local restaurant.  The meal was great but the company was even better.  About two months ago we drew names for a gift exchange and the only rule is that we had to make the gift.  I drew Michele’s name and made a Letty’s bag for her out of my stash of oilcloth.

Here is the inside of the bag – lots of pockets.  The lining is regular quilting cotton while the outside is oilcloth.

Then I used some leftover lining fabric to make a click it bag (using part of a metal tape measure as the closure).

Michele seemed to like it a lot – I love it.  Once I get a little free time, I want to make myself one.

Melinda

Purse Class

Last night was purse class.  We are having a customer holiday party next Thursday so we moved the purse class up a week this month.

There were six purse makers at class last night, working on a variety of projects.  Most were just starting so I only have one finished project to show. Helen made this cute purse from Pure.

Here are some of the other projects being worked on.

Next month we should see projects that are either completed or close.

Melinda

Tote Bag Preview

I participated in a winter/Christmas tote bag swap.  My partner lives in Brazil and won’t received her package for a few more days.  I don’t want to spoil the surprise so here is a little preview.

I had fun making the tote as well as a couple of accessories to go with it.  I hope she likes it.

Melinda

Purse Class

The monthly purse class was Thursday night.  We had seven people working on various purses and two Letty Bags were finished.

First is Carolyn’s bag.

This one belongs to Mary.

As long as I am show Letty’s bags, here is a couple of ones that customers have brought to the shop to show us.

I need go make a couple of them soon.  I want to use some of my oil cloth for one of them.

Love this purse and pattern.

Melinda

Purse Class Project

Not much to post today so thought I would share a project that a student brought in.  She was in the last purse class and completed the tote bag for her daughter-in-law.  Turned out nice.

Halloween Tote Swap

Here is the wonderful package I received in the mail from Shannon for the Halloween Tote Swap.  She sent a very cute bag, plus lots of other cool items.  I especially like the little ghost ornament.

I forgot to take photos of everything I sent to her but here is the bag I made.  I used the last piece of orange screen I had.

I hope she likes what I sent.  I had fun putting it all together.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Quilting

Last night was the final class of the Beginning Machine Piecing class.  I will post some photos later but need to rush off to the quilt shop this morning.  Here is a photo of Marcia with her completed quilt from a couple of sessions ago.  The second photo is also of Marcia with her purse that she made in purse class.

The purse pattern is called the Two Hour Purse – not a name that is well chosen for the time it actually takes to make the purse.

More later…

Melinda

Purse Class – Oh My!

Well, purse class was last night and there were 12 people who showed up – 12 people!  Take a look.

Most of them were working on Letty’s Bags but there were several other bags being worked on.  It was such a busy night!  Fun, but busy.

Melinda

Letty’s Bag

I forgot that I took photos of several Letty’s bags yesterday.  Four of us met for bagels in the morning and there were several Letty’s bags ready for a photo op.  This is before my new camera but the IPhone takes pretty good pictures.

The last one was made smaller.  Here it is with it’s big sister to show the difference in size.

Melinda