Finally finished!

Mom, this post is one you are going to LOVE!

I started laying out this quilt in January...

...of 2015. It went through half a dozen or so layouts before I landed on one that stayed on the wall long enough for me to piece it. I began the free motion quilting on the cross and had to set it aside for bag making...

Two weeks ago, while waiting for my machine to come back, and after lots of hours of doodling in black and white, I took it in to the shop with me and started free motioning on the HQ Sweet 16. Then went back in another afternoon. Then it sat for a week almost begging to just be finished while all the back to school and Christian family day event. Tonight was the night to finish, after giving my kiddo her first driving lesson, and in between watching America medal in diving. 

A ton of free motion quilty texture. And hidden words of encouragement quilted in as well. Fun to look at from the front and back and only making its backing and hanging pieces. 

⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

What do you think?

New pattern: convertible straps diaper bag

...that would be a good anytime bag!  Especially for a trip to the zoo, or a weekend away, or a carry on bag, etc, etc, etc. 

I love this pattern!

What do you think?

(Simplicity pattern)

Large front kangaroo pocket 

Large back pocket, straps as a backpack 

Straps as a shoulder bag

Cross body backpack single strap 

Two large divided pockets inside. 

And just to show size...here is the deer bag with last week's Harriet handbag in front of it. 

Mama's going to love these!

Something ripped in my right knee last Thursday and after stressing it more last weekend with a craft show, I have been having to baby it this week, and keep it elevated as much as possible and in the knee brace. 

One of the windows that I worked on on Friday. 

Our craft show set up in Saturday. 

So I rearranged my week to be able to take it easy and have only allowed myself to sew for limited time periods. 

Monday I was able to finish piecing my Plaidish quilt top and am loving the way it turned out (I can't wait to get it back from my friend Kristi after she quilts it)!!!

I somehow ended up with an entire row more than I thought I would have, so it's a rectangle rather than a square...but that's ok with me. 

And then yesterday I was able to whip up a lining and straps for the triangle pieced faux vinyl tote bag and it turned out incredibly cute too!  ❤️❤️❤️

My kiddos didn't even get to see this one before I took it to the shop...where we now have a cute little display of five bags and a rack of keyfobs (that I completely forgot to take a picture of). 

Putting in some overtime

Long days this week trying to play catch up from all the appointments we had while the girls were off school for a long weekend. Lots getting done around here. 

Enjoy an overload of pics (these are pictures of some of the stuff that's been made since my last post)

Reversible purse "skirts" for a fun loving friend at church. 

A pair of cute fold over Sorreno bags. New pattern to me. 

Another new to me pattern: the Caravan Tote by Noodlehead Designs. 

Made ms banana a new stuffie...that's still waiting for eyes and a nose and has been living in the studio for two weeks. 

Another new pattern to me. The Pearl wallet by Swoon Sewing Patterns. Made two of them to match Vivian handbags made earlier this year for a customer. 

Double zip cellphone wallets for shows/etsy shop restock 

Just a little free motion quilting I did on the Sweet Sixteen my first day at the quilt shop (started working part time last week in addition to my full time bag making). 

Custom order finish for a repeat customer that always picks super fun fabrics for me to work with!

The Backgammon bag for Kristi...she had all the pieces cut out and prepped and I just sewed it up for her. 

My pieced quilt top on my design wall made it into the email blast that P&B Textiles just sent out. 

My first tester pattern, which is now sitting in the window full of goodies at Quilting Is My Therapy (shop in downtown Liberty).   Pattern by Sew Sweetness, coming in November. 

An idea I was playing around with to use my small vinyl scraps. Pieced vinyl for a tote. 

Heirloom quilt that I was asked to enlarge for a queen sized bed. Kristi helped me get it all quilted after I added the borders and sandwiched it. 

The new ironing board which allows me to iron entire bag pieces without having them hang over the sides. Love it!  And the new cubbie underneath that holds all my zippers. 

This was today's first finish. Another new pattern:the Harriet Expandable bag by Swoon Sewing Patterns. The fabric is Effervescence by Robert Kaufman. 

And last finish today...tester Stockholm bag for Pink Pony Design. Love this!

How's that for picture overload!

(My moms going to love this post!)

Yesterday's finish...fun colors!

I'm still fighting exhaustion and congestion, it's almost been a full week now of part time work due to not feeling the best, but I think maybe that made yesterday's finish even more fun/appreciated!

Super colorful Vivian Traveler (my tenth Vivian so far) in Dr Who prints. 

What do you think about this one?

                   

And inside the two zip pockets is yet another print, but I didn't get a pic of it. Or of ms Heather's face when she got it. She couldn't look away, she was so excited!  I think she plans on using it as her new school bag. And the quilting on this looks so cool!

Under the weather...

Ok, just as a side note...that is a really funny thing to say ("under the weather"). If I stop and think about it, I honestly don't get it. But, that's beside the point. 

Production has been low around here. Last week I had a sick kiddo, and then by Friday night I wasn't feeling good either. She's bounced back, and I'm still struggling.

I did manage to get a special Vivian traveler made on Thursday. That I absolutely love the way it turned out. This is my third one out of Angela Walters' Fragmental panels, one in each color way, and we surprised her business manager with it. ⬇️

I love the free motion flowers on it!  And Ruth was definitely surprised! 

I ended up working on Friday's bag organizers off and on all weekend before finishing them up yesterday. But it felt great to have them restocked and listed in the etsy shop again. 

Two larges and two mediums. 

I also snuck in a little time to work on this quilt top 👇

...and got all the outer borders on it. Now I just need to piece the back and have a blast free motion quilting it. That will be a fun couple of Sunday night's worth of sewing. :)

I only got one bag cut/prepped yesterday, and then instead of completing it today, I only had enough energy to quilt the pieces and make the vinyl piping... But it should be another fun Vivian traveler when it's done!

I went to the minute clinic tonight and was diagnosed with sinus congestion and told to watch out for signs of a sinus infection and pneumonia...and told to come back in 3-5 days if I don't see improvements. Afrin nasal spray and Mucinex are hopefully going to do what DayQuil/NyQuil weren't. Oh, and I'm not supposed to take DayQuil/NyQuil anymore because my blood pressure was high (something I don't normally have trouble with). 

I was really hoping to have time/energy this last weekend to work on a bag pattern idea that's rattling around in my head....one I'm hoping to maybe even teach a class on...but it didn't happen. Maybe someday soon!

For now, I need to cut myself some slack and just do what I can. 

And here are pics of the Soft Dreams quilt

In my last post, I shared that I was waiting for this lap quilt to get out of the dryer. Well, here she is...fabric is P@B Textiles' Soft Dreams fabric line. Pieced last year when I made the bag set for them.