on the go bag: handmade beginnings

I recently learned something about making bags.  First, they can be a lot of fun, and very satisfying.  Two, they are exceptionally hard to photograph.

Way back, I used to be a Brownie, and it's there that I met Robyn. Since we went to different schools, we drifted apart as kids.  It was nice, then, when we reconnected in the most surprising of ways: she's married to my brother-in-law's best friend.  I love when that happens.

She's expecting her second child soon; tired of looking for a diaper bag and knowing that I made one for my brother-in-law, she asked if I would be interested in making something for her.  Even more fun--but infinitely more stressful--was the news that I would have complete creative freedom to do what I wanted. Her only hint? Her favourite colours are purple and green.

I decided on the On the Go Bag from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings pretty quickly.   One thing that I hear from all of my mom friends is that they wish they had a bag that would graduate to toddlerhood with their child, and that it would be great if they could continue to use it for themselves after that even.

It was the fabric choice I was more worried about.  Fabric and pattern can be a personal thing, so what if I chose wrong? But when I found a Momo print in red, purple and green, I knew it would be perfect.

I made the bag almost exactly as it is in the book, except for a few interior pockets, and a detachable, adjustable strap.  The adjustable strap will allow Robyn to wear the bag across her body when trying to juggle a newborn and a toddler, and it was an easy addition to the bag. For the interfacing, I used canvas instead of fusible fleece. The matching changing pad was made of the same purple fabric used for the accents and the lining on one side, and the other bits of Hope Valley and Far Far Away 2.

As with all of Anna Maria's patterns, this one was easy to follow, and the final bag was so cute (and big!) I'm thinking of making one for myself to tote around sewing projects.

shameless promotion

Time for a little music break, brought to you by my amazing brother.

Patrick is infinitely cooler than I am.  He raps.  He teaches kids.  He draws comic books and other incredible  things. He knows how to cook delicious food without using a recipe.  He has a Twitter account.

But I'm okay with it.  I'm lucky enough to say he's my brother, and that's enough for me any day.

quilt sampler 2

Just after the holidays, I started the Quilt Sampler 2 class at the workroom.  Let me tell you: this one is so. much. harder. than I thought it would be.  But it's also so much fun, and I'm learning a lot.

This quilt sampler has a bit of everything.  Stars! Flowers! Applique! Y-seam! Fussy cutting! Flying geese! We're 6 weeks in, and I don't want the class to end.  Johanna is a great teacher, and I'd be happy to be able to absorb just a fraction of her quilting knowledge.

In quilt sampler 2, we're learning new techniques through the making of traditional blocks like baskets, maple stars, and the Carolina lily.  I'm really loving how everyone's blocks are turning out: it's incredible to see the way fabric choices can make a block modern, retro, whimsical, or quirky.  It's true that quilting is really a form of self expression, and I can see everyone's personality coming through in their creations.

I found it tough to choose a colour palette for this quilt, and some time after my sawtooth star blocks, I nearly started over.  Only my hectic work schedule and the thought of falling too far behind in  my class kept me from changing direction mid-quilt, and now I'm so glad I stuck with it.

Right now, I'm working on my railroad crossing block.  It's not quite as difficult as the Carolina lily, but it's not been without it's challenges.  But, the main pieces are together, and I'm just trying to decide on the last couple of fabrics for the final block.

 

 

finally finished!

My HST quilt is finished, and, in a first for me, it's done on time.  Baby M. will be here any time now, which means I can officially say that the quilt was done before she arrived. 

Both for time's sake and because I like soft, snuggly quilts, I kept the quilting simple for this, stitching a quarter inch outside of the seams through the white triangles, highlighting the coloured blocks.

I bound the quilt in a deep pink, tiny floral print.  It's just so pretty, and it complements the colours of the quilt perfectly. (Note to self: get more of that pink floral fabric!)

All that's needed is a sweet little label, and I'll add that after she's born so I can include her name. I can't wait to give the quilt to my friends, too, as they've waited so patiently as I finished the quilt.

hoop travel bag

Have you heard of The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery?  They're a still-new company making the most adorable cross stitch and sewing patterns.  In December, they got me hooked on mug rugs.  Amanda of Ms McPorkchop Quilts is one-half of the duo responsible for The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery, and her work is nothing short of inspiring.  When I saw that they had posted a pattern for a hoop travel bag, I knew that I'd be making a million of these.

I was right.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about patterns from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery is how clear they are.  This pattern, written by Amanda, is easy to follow with lots of pictures and step-by-step instructions.  But, as great as the instructions are, my favourite part of this pattern is how encouraging Amanda is all the way through.  I've never met her, but I'd be willing to bet that if she wasn't doing amazing crafty things she'd make a great teacher.

I quickly whipped up a hoop travel bag of my own.  Feeling inspired to try something new, I gave free-motion quilting a try. I've never done any free-motion quilting before this, and there are parts of my quilting where that certainly shows.  As I sat in my sewing room moaning about how hard it was and how terrible my quilting looked--the curves are sometimes pointy; the loops are sometimes bumpy--Peter gently reminded me that everyone starts somewhere.  He's right, of course, and when I remember that I'm not so disappointed with my stitches.

How much do I love this pattern?  So much that right after I finished my first one, I made a second for my sister.  I know that I'll make more, too, for my English paper piecing, and multiple embroidery projects.  You could use this bag for just about anything, I think: knitting projects, or just to have something pretty to carry whatever you wanted.

hand quilted pillow: done!

Hand quilting is awesome.  It really is.  I can say that I'm officially hooked; I might even be working on a quilter's callous.

In November, I took the Whole Cloth Quilt class with Carolanne at the workroom.  It was an amazing experience.  Carolanne was a patient and encouraging teacher, and the afternoons were filled with fun conversation.

With the help of Carolanne, I decided to make a pillow for my whole cloth quilt, using a round stencil with oak leaves and acorns. Something that inspired by Fall seemed to go perfectly with the roses from Heather Ross' Far Far Away 2.  The hand quilting was done in a variegated embroidery thread from Valdani.  For the back of of the quilt, I used two Rapunzel prints from the same collection and covered buttons made with various scraps.

 

With the exception of my Avalon quilt, I had no previous experience with hand quilting, so I decided to keep my project small, and I'm so glad that I did.  I've only just finished it, but I can proudly say that my first hand quilting project is done.

Perhaps it's the cold weather, but I can't wait to do more.  In fact, I've been making some good progress on my Avalon, and I'm already planning on more hand quilting projects.