More purses

In answer to an unexpected large number of requests from my ardent followers, here are the other clutch purses I have made!

Only two are here, because I haven't taken a picture of the third!

They are really so simple to do that they actually become addictive! all there is to them is to take squares, sew them together in a block of 12, fold in half, put a zipper in and make a lining to match and you are done. If you want it even simpler, use a snap closing, or a button over tab! Make one to match each outfit and you will feel like a very rich lady!

The FROG project is complete!

Finally I have finished my last project! To begin, this project was a challenge issued by our local quilt guild...Berea Mill Stream Quilt Guild, in Berea, Ohio.

It started out with a piece probably a bit bigger than a fat quarter of fabric which looked like this:


And from that we are asked to create anything we wish as long as we use 2 neon bright colors along with that fabric. Since black and white lead to all colors, it was fairly easy for me to find colors to go with this piece.

So since I saw no need for any quilted project, had just finished a quilt top with black and white fabrics, and there were pieces left over, I decided to go another route.
I made a purse! from a pattern I had downloaded free from the internet, have no idea where, but am willing to share the pattern if you like it, and forged ahead.

Unfortunately the pattern is not very explicit. Although I have been sewing for over 60 years, yes you read that right, 60 years, I was dumbfounded by the pattern. Oh, I got the basics down OK, the front, the sides, the lining features, but as far as putting this little darling together, I was completely lost! Perhaps the sewing part of my brain has gone away to be replaced by the quilting side.

At any rate, I sewed, I ripped, I sewed again, and ripped again...thus the name FROG project! Sometimes I thought I was doing more ripping than sewing!

I think it turned out fine. I was not making a museum quality object, just something for me to use. And it is just that, attractive, and I am told right in style for today!

Judge for yourself and let me know what you think!





Since it was all black and white on the outside, I decided to make the lining very bright. I think it looks like the mouth of a rather angry whale, but it is pretty! There are pockets on each side of the bag, and several on the inside. I should be able to hold all I need for the day in there.

So once I was on a roll, I then made several small clutch purses. I am determined to figure out how those darn zippers go, but for now I think I am back to quilting! At least until I finish all my current projects, which at last count was about 10! I think the handbag world is safe for now!

Time to update the blog!

Sorry I havent been around much to blog! Sometimes even Grammys get overwhelmed with work, caring for big people in the hospital, and helping with their grandkids. And sometimes just plain tired! I didnt know the "blog police" would be checking up on me!

I will have another article soon! You will just have to wait until everyone is better, my quilt guild newsletter is done and published, and I have time for the blog! Sorry! but family comes first!

Great uses for ordinary things!

It is amazing how quilters have turned ordinary everyday items into great quilting and sewing aids. Here is one of my favorites which until today I have never shared with anyone.

Thanks to Ami Simms at Through the Eyes of a Quilter for reminding me of this:

Get some small magnets and put one in your pin box. I found mine when we threw out our old refrigerator. Behind the door gasket is a long magnetic strip (which closes the door for us!) . It can be cut in sections and used wherever you keep pins. They are very strong magnets and since you cut them up in little pieces you can use them in many places.

Her blog can be found at Http://amisimms.wordpress.com. The product she refers to in her most recent blog is called Needle Nanny and is available at http://www.checkerdist.com

Another item I love is my magnetic bowl and long extension magnet pickup device. Both of which I found at the auto parts store! Although the magnet pickup "pen" which is looks like! has a warning about "using it without protective eyewear" I have found it quite useful! It means I don't have to crawl around under my machine to pick up pins anymore.

Crazy for Fabric, or just plain crazy!

I started this blog a couple months ago after joining Stashbusters. And while I really like the idea of cutting of scraps it can work against you sometimes.
For some time now all this fabric has been driving me crazy! I started out in January with an LLBean BIG bag of scraps, and cut and cut and cut some more and finally ended up with a huge pile of squares in every size from 2 - 5" and was so proud of myself because I threw out only a small bag of scrap pieces. The advantage of that is I can cut while doing other things, like watching TV!
Then today I started in on my drawers in my work room...you know those Sterilite plastic stacking drawers....I have two that are 3 deep 24" across and 3 that are 3 deep about 14" wide and 3 self covered bins about the same size. I haven't even touched anything except the LLBean bag and the top drawer and I am drowning in fabric!

One of the 3 deep 24" drawer units is sitting under a card table where I am stacking my pieces by color. I haven't even reached the corner where I have had a string quilt on a John Flynn frame for about 4 months! I don't just have UFO's I have" Never even starteds!" lots of good ideas but no time or energy to do everything! I think it is time to go for a walk!
Later that day...

Well I have reached the corner, cleaned it all out, didn't touch the shelves in the closet yet but they have nothing to do with fabric or quilting...although I did find a large box of old pictures I had forgotten about. And a large pile of Christmas cards, brand new...maybe I should address them now, do for the next 2 years and I won't have to worry about them.

Decided I should do the top shelves of the closet and found still more pictures and another box of fabric pieces! I must have been mad keeping all this stuff! Threw most of it out including a Mickey Mouse Doll I had started for my youngest daughter about 30 years ago with the polyester fabric for a polka dot shirt still pinned to the pattern. Saved the pattern pieces as it was an original Disney pattern..who knows maybe someday it might be worth something, but I doubt it!

Now I can move on to the 5 drawers in this old dresser here and one more plastic bin under the desk. soon!

Now the final question is: am I going to live until 125 which is what I figure it will take to finish all this! And in the meantime, I know and you know, those scraps are worse than rabbits! They have the nerve to multiply while we are in the same room!