We're on a roll now!

That's right kids, it's not yet the end of January and I have finished not one, but two projects! That's half of what I completed in an entire YEAR last year. So what if neither of them are quilts and both items are for me? Don't rain on my parade.

Farmer's Market/Beach Bag
So very much love my new bag! It was reasonably easy to make, big enough to be useful, small enough to finish before I got bored or frustrated. I think I could actually fit a small child in it and, thanks to the nylon webbing sewn in to the handles, I think it may actually stand up to the weight. The only odd thing are the pockets inside. I was so intent on following the directions (sewing anything with three dimensional shape requires intense concentration on my part... the importance of spatial awareness rearing it's multidimensional head again) for the pockets that I failed to double check their usefulness. There are three pockets along one side, two at 5" wide on each end and one huge one in the middle at 12". Oh yeah, and they are 11" deep! Since it is supposed to be a Farmer's Market bag, the only (silly) thought that came to mind was a specialized cucumber pocket. Seriously, I don't know what else will fit in there. Asparagus? Carrots, but only a few? But I do really love the bag. Also happy to (smugly) report that I finished two random spools of thread on the piecing of this bag.

Front of Bag


Back


Inside (look close for the cucumber pocket!)


Dark and Stormy
Horrible thought the other day and I was purchasing batting for this project. Because I used batiks, I had to prewash all of my fabric. That means I also need to prewash (and therefore IRON) all of the backing fabric as well. PPPPPPPPPPBBBBBBBBBBTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHH.

Luc's Dinos
Luc has been watching me make quilts for other people for a while now. A few months ago, he asked me to make him a dinosaur quilt. Even though he has several beautiful and well loved quilts already, how could I say no? Keepsake Quilting had a darling set of precut dino shapes in a variety of fabrics. I ordered those and let Luc pick out some fun dino flannel for the backing. OCQ found some cute Michael Miller retro dino fabric for the front. I got the dinos and checked them out for applique ease only to discover, to my utmost horror, THEY HAVE NO STICKY STUFF ON THE BACK! Seriously? Who does that? Thank goodness Quilt Moxie and I went in on an entire bolt of fusible stuff a few years ago. (Yes QM, I STILL have my share of that) Once I get the dinos appliqued, it will go fast. I hope I finish it before dinos are out of fashion.