Quilting In No Time

Right second time lucky with this post as I just tried to post via picasa and it all disappeared - pooff!!! Must try to remember what I had posted and drop the boring bits and add more interesting stuff...mmm we'll have to see!!!

Well ......
I can't resist crafting books, especially sewing ones and whilst at the library recently I found this "Quilting in no time" book by Emma Hardy. After spending several evenings on the sofa browsing through it conjuring up in my minds eye all the projects that I would make the book eventually made its way to my workshop where it stayed all over Christmas. Realising that I only had until New Years Eve to either make all of the projects in the books (highly improbable) or to just renew it on-line I took the easy option and renewed it.
As you probably saw from my last post I recently made a bag and some bunting using some patchwork cheater fabric and this inspired me to try a little quilting project!!! Unusual for me as I normally dive straight in at the deep end and decide to make the hardest and biggest item in the book. So last Sunday I managed to escape to my workshop for a few hours and found the book under a pile of fabric (like you do!!) and found the perfect project. This stripe patchwork bag.
I had also spied (and bought) the perfect fabric here at Octavi's Misi Shop.

I found cutting and sewing the strips rather therapeutic but sadly ran out of time to finish as I had a family to feed and a pile of ironing to do!! I finally finished the bag this week with several tweaks to the design along the way!! I used the quilting on both sides of the bag as I wanted my bag to look good from all angles!! Instead of the fabric handles I added some pretty pink acyrlic ones, I didn't add the piping as I hid the handles inbetween the fabrics for a neater finish and I'm still not sure if I should add the corsage yet.... Here are some photos they're not brilliant as it was getting dark outside but I will take some more tomorrow(weather permitting) and add them later.

I'm really pleased with the bag and now can't decide whether to keep it for myself or find someone who will love it as much as me!!!

I also thought I could offer a bespoke service for this type of bag and others, using either your own fabrics, maybe a dress, etc that you can no longer wear but can't bear to part with or maybe even baby clothes. Alternatively you can just chose a colour scheme and I can source the fabrics (a dirty job I know but someone has to hunt through all those fabrics out there!!!)
What do you think?

Lastly, I'm not the only one who likes the projects from this book, spookily Mary Poppins is wanting to make the washing machine curtain for her new kitchen and blogged about it earlier today, check it out as she is asking for a donation of a 30cm square fabric to make here curtain extra special.

Right hopefully you will be reading this edition of this post and it has not disappeared again!!!