Chrissy's Bag

Chris has been wanting a travel bag and many hours, 7 pockets, and two zippers later, this is hers...  I took a class with my friend last Saturday and got everything done except the top zipper and putting it together.  I finished it tonight.  It is definitely one of a kind! 

The Red, White and Blue Top is Done!

And needs to be quilted with the long arm.  I showed it at quilt guild this week and it received much applause.  These are not really not my colors, but a lot of folks really like them.  I still have several of the red, white and blue strips so I am going to put some on the back too.   

Egg Baskets and a New Project

I made the bigger egg basket over the last 12 months, meaning that I started in Dec 2010 and finished it in Jan 2012.  Most of that time, of course, it sat in the basket cupboard not being worked on...  the smaller one I finished in one afternoon last week.  The big one has a 18" oak rim and the smaller one has a 6" oak rim.  The big one has a braided god's eye that I took apart and put together at least 4 times before I got it right.  The smaller one has a traditional god's eye...  Both have twill handles and rims made of cane.  I have resolved to make at least 12 new baskets this year.  One a year just isn't enough to justify calling myself a basketweaver...     

This is a new project that I am starting soon.  I love the outline stitch, find it very relaxing to do and really just love these bird designs.  The problem...I hate to trace these detailed patterns on the background fabric.  I usually use a lead pencil, I trace lightly and my lines disappear, or I don't trace enough of the detail and my design doesn't look right.  I just purchased some Transfer Ease, a product that you run through your printer to copy the paper design on the water dissolvable interfacing material and then embroider over, followed by a cool water rinse to dissolve the interfacing.  I'm going to try it, since I hate tracing, but if you have a better way, I'd love to hear about it.  Thanks!      

World Wide Swap and Some Gifts

This is my contribution to the world wide swap.  I have belonged to the on-line yahoo goup Liberated Quilters for several years and since the folks at Liberated Quilters include Europeans, Australians, Canadians, and a couple women living in South American, we call this the World Wide Swap.  (Emily...One of the South Americans is a current Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia.)  I received several big pieces of fabric from Kasey (thanks Kasey) and am sending off this package to Pat in Saskatchewan.  It includes a couple old linen tablecloths, old buttons, several pieces of fabric, some hand-made paper, and a chocolate bar.  I hope she likes it.    

This is the start of the Valentine gifting.  I made these pillows for Chrissy.  She has ecletic taste in stuff and likes both elephants and seahorses, so this fabric line was perfect for her.  The back is a really cool stripe with all these colors in it...   She will see them now, but doesn't get them for a couple more weeks.  I'm also doing a few other little Valentines Day gifts, but since they are surprises, I'll show them later.