TA DAA! It's done!

The "Long Weekend Bag" is done. It wasn't nearly as difficult as some I have done. It turned out really nice. The outside front of the bag has two large pockets, the back another pocket and there are pockets on each end. The inside has a large open pocket and a zippered pocket. The bag has both corded (padded) short handles and a longer, detachable shoulder strap. Now that the prototype is done, I can move on to some smaller "Sleep-Over" bags for the grands.

The Long Weekend Bag

The Long Weekend Bag project continues. Day 1 was spent cutting out all of the pieces - 52 or 54 of them. Day 2 was spent fusing the appropriate stabilizer to each piece and making sure that each piece was labeled. Day 3 was the first day that any actual sewing was done. Pockets, zippers and handles! I also needed to insert the cording into the handles and was absolutely POSITIVE that the pattern just had to be wrong! After making sure that I had enough fabric left in case I needed to recut the bag handles, I decided to try it the way the pattern directed. It worked - perfectly! My arrogance almost got me into trouble!

Well, I'm on page 18 of the pattern booklet and today, I needed to add the side panels to both the bag lining and the outside of the bag. The pattern instructions said that you would need LOTS of pins for this step. This really means that you are going to have LOTS of opportunities to stab yourself and should try to keep the blood off the bag. :-)

That is enough for today! I don't think my shoulders will take any more until tomorrow. I do have Band Ais on 4 fingers, but I did NOT get any blood on the bag! Tomorrow I will move on to putting the bottoms in both the lining and the outside of the bag.

My Newest Bag Project

I have a stack of quilt tops that are begging to be quilted, but I am starting off on a new bag project. "The Long Weekend Bag Pattern by Touch My Heart Designs" has been calling my name for quite some time now. The pattern designer gives classes on making the bag at Lakeshore Sewing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. So, the patterns are usually sold out.

When picking up my machine from it's yearly maintenance visit, there were a couple of these patterns hanging on the rack. Do I need to take the class? Have I made enough of these 55 pieces, 25 pattern steps, pull-your-hair-out bags to do this without a class?

I'm going to give it my best shot! :-)

Simplicity Bias Tape Maker Machine

Did you get this neat new gadget for Christmas? It makes perfect bias tape without burning your fingers! :-) A 1" finished tip comes with the machine. The machine folds and presses fabric strips into single fold bias tape. The machine also comes with a winding spindle to hold fabric, and a guide bar to guide fabric into the tip. It works really great on cotton fabric. I have not yet tested it on other types of fabric.

Simplicity promised more tip sizes to follow soon and they are finally here! I have available the tips for 2 1/2" cut strips, 2 1/4" cut strips and 1/2" single fold bias tape.

Let me know if you are iterested in the newer tips for your machine!

Tumbler Blocks quilt top finished

Another quilt top finished! In all honesty, I had all of the top finished except for the piano key border when I got side-tracked with the Shakespeare quilt. :-) So, today I added the final border and this top is ready to be quilted! Rosie - gives the top a "thumbs up"

Shakespeare in the Park - Queen Size Quilt Top finished!

I have been working on this queen size quilt top since September! The top is finished and I can put it on the frame to quilt it. Problem is, I have no idea how I want to quilt. It hasn't "spoken" to me to let me know how it needs to be quilted. If you have any ideas - please let me know!

Shakespeare In The Park = progress report

Still working on my Shakespeare In The Park quilt top. I wanted to have the entire top finished before I had my knee surgery done. It's a little hard for me to get the my downstairs sewing area for a bit after surgery. But, I didn't get it done. So it will have to wait for me to get back at it.

While I'm spending time in me recliner chair, I have lots of projects to work on. My sewing basket is full of scraps for my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. This hand piecing project will mostly be a "years long" project!

I also have a basket full of yarn for knitting mittens. I have no idea why I feel the need to knit mittens for my grandchildren. Mittens are not cost prohibitive for most and are readily available. Perhaps it is because my Grandma knit mittens for me?