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I am SO excited.  Guess what arrived in the mail yesterday?  My Amy Butler Weekender Bag pattern!  

I know I’m kind of late to the party, but I look at it from this perspective: so many have gone before me so there are gazillions of tips/tricks and recommendations out there, which should make me less likely to 1) cuss like a sailor (hm, maybe not), 2) toss my machine across the room and out the window and 3) waste $$ and time then quit before it’s finished.  Wait, who am I kidding, I’m not a quitter!  1 & 2 for sure although I already curse like a sailor so I guess just 2.  Yes, “waiting” to attempt this pattern will surely save my machine.

I’ve got my pattern re-printed (so I don’t have to cut the original) and all of Amy’s corrections noted:

I’ve purchased the cording, scads of interfacing required and home dec fabric (though I’m still awaiting it’s delivery – c’MON Fed Ex!).  The last item that I need to acquire is the zipper.  I found one at Joann’s, but don’t want to buy it until my fabric arrives (so it can be matchy-matchy, yanno).  I’m physically & materially ready, but am I MENTALLY ready??  

I’ve decided to make the first bag using the peltex, even though most who have done it have complained bitterly about it.  I’m hoping the pattern mod which calls to cut it 1/2″ smaller than the rest of the pattern really will eliminate most of the bulk in the seams and make it easier to sew.  Then I think I will make a 2nd bag (bwahahaha) using the QAG method that Elizabeth of Oh Fransson documented.  I guess we’ll see how the first one goes, eh?

Here’s some eye candy of Those That Have Gone Before (in blog land).  These bags make me drool a little.
http://www.shecanquilt.blogspot.ca/2012/11/the-long-weekend-blog-hop-my-thoughts.html

http://ellisonlane.blogspot.com

http://miss-behave.de/category/bags/


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It’s true!  Especially after you’ve taken the Craftsy Diamond Quilt Designs class to learn all the practiced techniques.  These were easy peasy.  The most difficult part was deciding which fabric to use!  Ok, not really – I’m working on this for a friend, for her birthday, and I wanted a design that was traditional for her ethnic background.  Come to find out, that design was a star!  Shut the front door, I LOVE stars!  It was fun-tastic and convenient.  I probably shouldn’t post these pictures, it might ruin the surprise, but I can’t resist (resistance is futile…)  

I made this with a fat-eighth of Indian Summer fabric from Westwood Acres.  Check out their shop, they have an awesome selection and are super to work with.

See the triangle taped to my sewing machine?  Yep, tricksy insider idea from the Craftsy course.


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The other day I was at The Joann’s, helping a friend pick out some children’s knit fabric (for an awesome charity event) when these sale, Halloween prints jumped into my cart! Imagine my dismay when I arrived home a realized I needed a new project in order to use them. What to do, what to do … Triangles!! It just so happens I have a girlfriend whose birthday I may have missed who LOVES Halloween. I decided to make her a mug mug for her work desk. It turned out to be sort of ginormous HA! But I think she’ll like it.

And the back, with a quilted spiderweb:

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My ex husband’s niece is having a baby.  She isn’t sure what the gender of the baby is yet, but every time I think of her and the pregnancy I see a little girl. I started this quilt with that instinct in mind.  Inspired by this quilt by Malka Dubrawsky.  Looking back and comparing the two, it seems hers has more layers but I’m still enjoying my version.

I’m working on the quilting, with my Huskavarna Viking (Quilt Designer II), attempting the Roses pattern (some spirals, some olives and chained circles) from my LAQ lesson.  Let me tell you, FMQ-ing on my home machine is much more challenging than using a longarm.  It seems to require much more control over my fine motor skills.  Who knows?  After all this FMQ practice maybe my video gaming will improve.  Wouldn’t my boyfriend be pleased … 😉

So far tonight I’ve broken 6 new needles on the machine.  It’s been frustrating, but I think I’m working out the kinks.  HOWever, 5 replacement needles was all I had so the remainder of the quilting will have to be done after our holiday camping trip.  I was hoping to have it done and one side of the binding sewn on so I could hand stitch the rest while relaxing by the campfire but that was not to be.  See you next week Lil’ Red.  I know you’ll be waiting for me.

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…starring me?  Hi I’m Jaime and I’m a fabric addict.  I’m pretty sure I am.  I have stacks and stacks and stacks of the stuff at home and yet each time I see a new stack of that luscious medium, I can’t seem to resist.

Case in point, this new stack (hunk, mass?) of prettiness (which I ordered from the Westwood Acres Etsy shop):


I have no plans for any of these fabrics, with the exception of the Indian Summer fat eights I bought. I have a person in mind for those, if not an exact project.  I’m expecting this to come in the mail today.  Don’t disappoint me USPS, don’t disappoint me.