Thursday, December 29, 2011

I knew it had been a while since my last post, but 17 days!?!  Wow!  I feel like I should have a lot to show for 17 days absence.  The pressure is on!

I made 3 shopping bags from pillowcases that I got from Goodwill.  I am anti-plastic bags, and avoid them as much as possible.  However, my stash of "green" shopping bags has been dwindling due to unforeseen calamities (the exploding groceries left in the car for 4 days, a carsick dog, etc.).  It was either buy some more shopping bags or make some.  What is the point of knowing how to sew if you can't make your own stuff?  I used the tutorial found here - very easy, quick, and I love that now all my shopping bags are unique!  Some great features of this pattern are that the bags are fully lined, machine washable, with boxed corners and a reinforced bottom.




I finished the Christmas quilt top.  I think the pattern is called Flurry, but the quilt in the pattern is so much prettier than this one, I don't think I can call it that.  Gonna need a new name.  Honestly, I think my version is hideous, but it used up some of my Christmas fabrics, and that makes me happy.  Sometimes quilts start to grow on me after I begin quilting them.  I am hoping this is the case for this one. 



I finished my Birdie Stitches BOM flimsy.  Well, kinda.  I finished the blocks and the alternate blocks and I sewed them all together.  However, I want it to be bigger, so I'll be making some borders, at least for the top and bottom.  I love all the color!

And on a whim, I also made a circle zippered earbud pouch. It was my first zipper, and was super easy. What is all the zipper phobia about?

I have 4 more days of freedom before it is back to work and karate and basketball and cub scouts and exhaustion. I'm sleeping in, eating lots, exercising, playing with the kids, reading, watching McLeod's Daughters, and getting quite a bit of hand quilting done. I don't want this vacation to end!

5 comments:

Julie Fukuda said...

Well, you have a lot to show for that time while you weren't posting. The shopping bags are great. I have some that fold up into a pocket so they can be easily carried along. The Christmas quilt is very nice. I can't find any negative aspect at all. As for the BOM, a border or two to make it bigger is a great idea and it will tie all those random blocks together. Enjoy what's left of that holiday!

krisgray said...

Pretty show n tells! I love green shopping bags, too, and try to keep some in each car. Really like your quilts.

hapsew said...

I always enjoy reading your posts and seeing your projects. I love your Christmas gift quilt. When I was scrolling down and saw it I thought Wow! I love it!
Thanks for sharing!

Barb H said...

What a great idea to use pillow cases for shopping bags! I have dozens of cases which have lost their sheets (and don't know where to find them). I'll recycle them into bags. Thanks for the tip.

joe tulips said...

i started to comment yesterday...then I heard the timer go off for the oven and had to run. Then I never got back here! That jolly roger is way better to work on than any border! I love it!
that hideous Christmas quilt is adorable.
I like my plastic bags from my local store...the are just the right size for my garbage bucket under the sink. We do have several reusable bags here. Some are used as suitcases. (they have zippers) One is the dogs over night bag, always ready to grab with his stuff. A couple hang on the door, but are always forgotten when I dash out for shopping.
The birdie is so cute, and so it the pouch!