Pattern Testing

My blogger friend Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio asked me to test a new bag/purse pattern for her recently so that is what I have been working on. Did you guess right? The pattern for this Amelie bag was really easy to put together and has great pockets and space to carry all that stuff we all carry in our purses. She is selling the pattern on her website as an e-pattern so anyone around the world could get it right away. Just looked at the webpage and she has the pattern posted now and the samples are beautiful.

This bag went together rather quickly - the photo above and below is of the outside shell before the lining and handles are attached. I did use the fabric I quilted but Geta used a heavier weight fabric which would be great too but being over an hour away from the nearest fabric store that would sell that kind of fabric I used what I had on hand. I had purchased this fabric last year thinking it might make a nice purse but had not decided on a pattern for it. Luckily I had purchased more than enough for Geta's Amelie bag.

The front of the bag has two deep pockets and the back of the bag has a zippered pocket. Geta has such a simple way to put the zipper in so don't be afraid of it.

Ta-Daa! The finished bag/purse. I just love it and have transfered all my stuff to it and am now carrying it.

Front above - back below.

I tried to take photos of the inside pockets so hopefully you will be able to tell what they look like. One side has a single pocket. I did add a piece of Velcro that was not called for in the pattern as I wanted to carry my wallet in this pocket and to make it more secure I added the Velcro.

The other side of the lining has a long pocket that is divided into the sizes that worked for me. The nice thing about both the inside pockets are that they are deep so things don't fall out too easily.

Well, now....what do you think? Did you guess I made a new purse? It was a fun experience testing this pattern for Geta and I found very little to change or tweak on her pattern. A well written pattern. She has a tote bag similar to the purse pattern so would like to make that some time too.

A few years ago I would not have dreamed of having a friend so far from where I live. Someone I have never met but we share a love of quilting that brought us together. Blogging has been a great exprience and love reading lots of different blogs including Geta's Quilting Studio and getting to know my far away friends. (By the way check out her blog as she has many more photos of the bags there.)

No more surprises for a while... but it was fun though wasn't it?

Lynn

Step One of the Reveal

Here it is...what you all have been waiting for....sort of. Want to tease a little more so first I get to show you the fabrics I chose for my secret project. Aren't they wonderful!!!

I backed them with fusible fleece and quilted a light swirly design like Patsy Thompson's Vines and Leaves design on her free download. I could cover an area quickly with this design and it is so free flowing I didn't have to mark it either.

The front doesn't show the design very well so I took a photo of the back where you can see the design better.

OK - now can you figure out what I made with this georgeous fabric? Tomorrow I will show and tell you more.

Until later,
Lynn

Working On Guild Program

This afternoon I worked on the program I will be doing for my local quilt guild in a couple of weeks. My plan is to present information on using fusibles including tips and tricks for more success. I have purchased 9 different kinds of fusible and am now in the process of making my samples.

All the background fabric for these samples is going to be unbleached muslin and since I want to wash one sample of each and don't want to have a bunch of raveling I have serged all the edges. I have had this Bernette serger for many, many years - probably close to 30 or more years. I used to use it a lot before I got into quilting. I used to sew garments all the time plus made many rolled hemmed napkins for family and friends.

When I started quilting I did less and less garment sewing and now just don't even like sewing garments. I think the last garments I stitched were the bridesmaid dresses for both of our girls weddings 9 and 11 years ago. I would much rather be quilting so that is what I do.

Even though the serger is old it still works just fine and want to keep it around for those times when I do need to finish the edges of something or other.

Here is one set of samples that I still need to do the buttonhole stitching. I cut my applique pieces using two different color fabrics. All green fabric has the fusible under the entire applique and the pink has just a window of fusible - I cut it away on the inside leaving only 1/4" of fusible next to the edge. The inside was cut away before it was fused to the pink fabric.

I cut the appliques with rounded corners and square corners to also show how the fusible holds up in those situations. Each of the green and each of the pink appliques will be stitched half way around with a machine buttonhole stitch so we can compare stitched and unstitched areas.

I have used a permanent marker on the samples to mark the name of the fusible and mark which sample will be washed. Want to see how they each hold after laundering. Will the unstitched halves stay fused after washing, etc.?

Do any of you have a favorite fusible? If you would like to leave me a comment on which one and why you like it that would be great. Also if you have one you just hate let me know that too.

I plan to have a chart where I will take notes on each one as I am pressing, stitching, washing, etc. I will leave room for guild members to make notes too as I will be passing the samples I made with product samples around the room so they can feel and see.

I have already seen some differences that are good and some not so good. I will share what my observations are with you all too as I get them finished. I really do like giving programs and think it is fun to show or tell about something I have learned - any of you feel the same way?

Today was absolutely beautiful!!! We had temps into the mid-40s today so the snow is slowly shrinking - YAY! Of course with the melting snow is the mud that comes with it. I am so glad we live on a paved road and that the part of the yard that we drive through has quite a bit of rock so isn't too muddy. The migrating geese were flying over today day too - lots and lots of them so that has to be a sure sign of spring too, right? Had to be out and about doing a few errands this afternoon so enjoyed the wonderful temperatures.

Sure hope this post makes sense as I am typing it as I watch the University of Nebraska women basketball game against Kansas on TV. The Husker women are winning with only 4 minutes left with a 7 to 48 lead with only 2 minutes left. A great team this year with 28 wins in a row if you count this one. Go Huskers!

Until Later,
Lynn

Basting Finished

The basting is finished on the split 9 patch, finally! Below is a photo of the last section waiting to be basted. By this time my fingers were sore and I was counting the stitches left.

Trimmed the extra batting away leaving a couple of inches extra all around. I did leave the extra backing at the last end to be basted since it will not be in the way and will get trimmed after the quilting is finished anyway. The other three sides have about 3 inches extra batting and backing so if the quilt top shifts a little I am covered. There should be no movement though with all the basting I did on this one! When I basted the last quilt this way I had my lines of basting about 4" apart and longer stitches (3") and it did shift a little. Maybe shift is not quite the right word....it was more like too much fabric that wasn't basted, kind of like a bubble that I had to pin to keep it flat.

Of course I didn't have any quilting thread for this one on hand to start quilting so purchased some when I was in Grand Island yesterday. I am going to quilt with light thread in the light areas and dark thread in the dark areas. I do have an idea for the quilting design but have not drawn/sketched it out yet. Have a couple of other things I need to finish before I can start doing that though.

I have to finish the guild newsletter tomorrow, get it emailed and mailed to the members plus I am doing the program for our quilt guild in a couple of weeks so decided I had better get my thoughts organized and samples made for that too.

I volunteered last summer to do a program on fusible web used in applique and of course have not gotten it organized until now. I have been thinking and making decisions on how and what I want to do so that is a start - right? I purchased 9 different kinds/brands of fusible web and am making samples of each one. Think it will be interesting to have a hands on comparison.

I try to think of something I want to learn about and volunteer to do a program on it. It forces me to do the research to learn about the technique which I might not do otherwise.. I learn lots and hope everyone else does too. I like giving programs and doing the research and making samples but I know that is not everyone's cup of tea. Try it if you can as you will gain a lot and help the program chairman out too.

Lynn