Eight Bags

 

At a local quilt shop I found a wonderful Lori Holt panel for making zippered bags.  Pretty Lori Holt matching zippers sold separately.  Add your own lining fabric and batting.

I watched Lori's excellent tutorial and set about making bags.  They are as pretty as I hoped.  Eight bags later, I can make them fairly  quickly.

It's a good thing I'm getting good at them because I ordered another panel and more zippers.  My quilt shop had sold out of them, the clerk said that things like this sell out quickly.  I found more on etsy. 

I have hopes of making this other set, then moving on to sewing a few more with my own fabric.  The goose is beginning to fatten up, you all.  One of my goals for this year was to have hand made things ready for Christmas giving. 

Thread Change

 

It comes as a surprises to no one that I use a lot of thread.  For years I've been primarily using a quality thread and been very happy.

Recently I decided to switch to Aurifil thread in my primary machine.  Who knows why, maybe because I use it for quilting and often use it in my smaller machines.  And my machine is in love.  The sound it makes is totally different, so smooth.

This is a good thing, because the cone I bought has 6452 yards.  I'm projecting that I'll use it up by March.  Approximately $38 worth of thread.

For today I'm mindless sewing strips together for my next comforter.  Enjoying the sound of the machine.

Here's my public service announcement:  if you have old threads from your grandmother or threads on wooden spools or polyester threads on styrofoam spools, enjoy looking at them and thinking about old times but don't use them in your sewing machine.  Thread ages, just like us.  Your machine will thank you for keeping those old threads away from it.

Comforter Top

 

The comforter I just finished piecing.  To be knotted with crochet thread for Mennonite Central Committee.  It's pretty improvisational, but there are a few unifying things.  There are alternating solid and print blocks, each row has three white blocks, and most rows have a pieced block.

I have all my strips pieced together for the next one, which may work out well or may not.  We'll see.

Here's the kind of thing I like to puzzle over.  I needed a bottle of vitamin D supplements.  They were $9.99 for 100 or $12.99 for 400, so of course I got 400.  (I realize it is privilege to be able to do that.)  And then they were buy one, get one, so now I have 800.

Now for the real puzzling:  What will my life look like by the time I need to order more?  What will I look like?

More Blocks

 

The past four Moda Blockheads 4 blocks.  If you can't imagine how all these blocks can possibly all work out together, I'm with you.  I feel like I'm traveling on faith.

But now I just took a picture of my design wall, with the blocks in no particular order.  And I can see the possibility.

And so, we'll see.  Really, though, it doesn't matter, the point for me was trying different techniques and learning to be more precise in my piecing.  I'm using fabrics that have been laying around, except for the white, so it's not like I'm using precious fabrics.  I've learned about different designers and their thinking processes. 

So, my project has already done what it was supposed to do.  There is about a month to go.

Bitty Box

 

Bitty Box pattern by Bodobo Bags.  I thought it might be hard because it's so small, but it was really very easy.  Try it out, it may just be addictive.  I'll be going to Joann after church for more Soft and Stable.

Babies

 

I didn't actually make this whole bag - my friend started it and needed help putting in the zipper and finishing the bag.  She did the tedious piecing of all those little rectangles.

We had the most glorious rain this morning, not too heavy for the most part, just a nice long rain.

Sad update on the three baby possums - none of them made it.  They were just too little.  The rehabber has two more little possums now.  Their eyes are open so they are a little older.

And everyone here is celebrating the zoo's new baby hippo.  Mom's first baby, Fiona, was premature and needed a lot of extra help to survive, including help from nurses from Cincinnati Children's Hospital.  Everyone loves Fiona and is happy for this new full term baby.

You can read about the baby hippo here. 

  

Baby Quilt - Little Ducklings

Baby quilt for the new baby down the street.  Pattern is Corner Play.  Actual fabric color is deep yellow, not beige.40" x 40".

Sarah was here this weekend and spotted a dead possum baby on the street beside its dead mom.  She discovered three live babies still attached to mom and took them to a rehabber.  So far, the three are doing ok, taking possum formula.  Each little possum (they are called joeys) weighs just under one ounce.  The little ones are in an incubator.

It took awhile to find someone to take them.  The recommended person lives outside of Knoxville, on Sarah's way home.

It's good to remember that there are kind people in this world.  I hope the little ones make it.