Busy, busy, busy....Need I say more?....Busy!

For whatever reason, being retired seems to take up all my time! It's just work, work, work at something all the time. Unfortunately, it never seems to be sewing, sewing, sewing  (playing, playing, playing) all the time anymore!

With such warm weather this March, we got an early start on preparing the garden for spring planting (work OUTDOORS). And of course got the early plants in. That just includes the onion sets, carrots, beets, sugar snap peas, spinach, lettuce and radishes. The strawberries are already in full bloom and setting berries. Really hope we don't have a late freeze! The asparagus is already popping up. The weeds in the flower beds are prolific! I spent an hour and a half weeding one section this morning.
After all the rain we had last week, (about 3" all totaled), I really thought the little weeds would just

The dark line meandering down the lake is DEBRIS flowing .

 pop out of the ground. Right. Well, that's what I thought anyway. Seems they just put all that water into new root growth and anchored themselves deep into the earth!

The photo at right was taken on March 21 and shows the debris floating down the lake. It was so grey and cloudy that day, the picture looks like it's in black and white except for the little bit of green showing in the tree tops. The water looks so greyish-white it appears frozen in the photo, but definitely not. We don't get cold enough here for the lake to freeze.

(Maybe next month I'll post a garden photo.)




However, as much as I complain about doing other 'stuff' besides sewing (playing), I did manage to finish another of the floor pillows for one of my little granddaughters. And made another of the "Professional Tote Bags" for her mother. :-) (big happy face there)

I think the little floor pillow...ok, so it's not so little at 24" X 24"....came out really cute.

It has been a very long time since I worked with ruffles. That ruffle strip is 5 yards plus long. It took me more time to position and gather up the ruffles than it did to make the other parts of the pillow sham. There is a zipper with a cover placket on the back of the pillow to make it easy to remove and wash.

I have 4 other young grandchildren that will be getting pillow cases with their names embroidered on them.
Another project for the 'to do' list!
Just need to jump right in there and DO IT!

The two oldest are just going to have to put in a request if they want one!

AND last but definitely not least, the fabulous "Professional Tote". I love this bag. I have one I use when I travel. The pattern is from The Creative Thimble and I purchased it at my local LQS a couple of years ago. I originally made one for myself and one for two of my daughters. One of my daughters requested another one because she uses hers all the time. And you know we moms just can't say no when our children ask for something and tell us what a good job we do, and that they could never make it look as good and on and on....Yeah, it's a bunch of "bologna sauce"  but it works every time. Ok, ok,...shame on me....I really don't mind doing it! Actually, I love making this bag. It's a lot of fun. Even with its 30 something + pieces...actual count depends on if the optional pieces are added.

Professional Tote pieces all cut and tagged  & ready to sew.

I did not get shot of the finished inside of the bag, but here are the pieces constructed and ready.  It has a big center zipper pocket (upper left in photo) with an optional pocket on one side and a vinyl business card pocket on the other side (vinyl pocket not showing in photo), a sectional pocket with flap covering center section(bottom left in photo), another sectional pocket (upper right in photo) and a small pocket with a key fob (bottom right in photo).

                          


 I did make a change to the original pattern and used elastic on the outside side pockets instead of the draw strings per my daughters request. Here are the pictures of the front and back of the bag.

So, that's what I've been up to for the last couple of weeks. 

Right now there is fabric waiting on the ironing board for two more bags for myself and another daughter. Different pattern though.

I also am supposed to be working on a quilt-along, but am waiting on some fabric ordered for it. And I finally ordered the backing for my King quilt. As soon as it arrives, that will take priority. 

Hey, looks like I am finally getting to sew some more!

Whoopee! Off to the ironing board!

'Bout Time....

Salt River Canyon - Arizona

 It is definitely about time I posted again....We had a wonderful visit with our daughter and grand kids on our little 'spur-of-the-moment-getaway' to Arizona in February; but we both came home with some nasty 'crud' and still aren't back to 100 percent.
Wondering if people our age can ever get back to 100 percent???? LOL 

Besides all of the personal family photos we took, there are several beautiful shots taken at the Botanical Gardens that I wanted to share with you. Not just because they are pretty, but because they show colors in nature that can be reflected in our quilts and crafts. Keep in mind that the plants photographed were in a semi-natural setting in the garden. There is no retouching to the photo colors; they are as mother nature painted them.

While going through the photos, it became obvious that it wouldn't be possible to post them all. So here are a few selections chosen for there natural beauty.

I LOVE purples and lavenders.

Although this is beautiful as is in a garden setting, if we used this in a quilt it would definitely need other colors to make it stand out. Otherwise it would just appear a wash of grey.

Here is something to consider. As much as I love this color, would it be better used as the main focal color or as an accent to something else.
It goes in the photo/color file as 'food for thought'.

How about something a little more contrast? I really like this...well, I like them all, or I wouldn't have taken the photos, but that's neither here nor there.

It's purple/violet against grey again....as nature created and I love it.  But there is a lot more contrast in this photo than the last one. Beautiful flowers. This color combinition could work in a two color quilt if you used the very darkest violet and the lightest grey as in the very center of the photo. But if you were doing anything more than two colors, would you want this as your focal color or a contrast color. Border? Block sashing colors? Just splashed in here and there for dramatic effect? There is a lot to think about when picking color isn't there?

What colors would you want to add to this to really make it pop?

How about a little bright orange?                 
Now that's VIVID!
Do you like it?

Maybe if orange isn't your color how about a little bit of  bright yellow?











Yes the little bee is cute! And, no I did not get stung taking the photo. He was much more interested in the flower than the camera.
   

How about this yellow already mixed with the orange and grey?  Yes, I agree, it's really cool in nature but boring in a quilt by itself.  And YES those things are really sharp!     

 Did someone say...'what about some Green?'

How about Pink?                                  Or more Yellow?                                            Blue?

                                                                                               

And, yes, that really is a bird's nesting hole in the cactus. Cool, huh?

I could go on and on, but don't want you to get too bored here.  These are colors found in a desert setting in February. It's a limited color pallet, but beautiful all the same.

All I wanted to do today was share some fun pictures with you, and get you thinking about the colors you see in nature around you everyday. Appreciate the beauty of nature, and file those images away in the back recesses of your mind for future use in one of your quilt or craft projects.                                

 Now, I'm off to work on a couple of other projects that I will blog about in the next few days. Working on another of the "Professional Tote Bags" for DD#1 and practicing my free motion quilting. Lots to talk about on those two subjects.

Until next time, have a great time sewing and watching for ideas in the nature around you.
Kathy






                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

       

                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      







































                  
                                                                                                

                                                                        

     

Just a little progress this week....

Time is flying by and I'm not getting much accomplished. Does anyone else seem to have that problem lately?
This morning after leisurely having my coffee and breakfast, I ambled over to the window and stood watching the finches on the feeder and the blue birds checking out the bird house. They were probably just snatching up bugs, because it's way too early for them to be thinking about a nest. As I was standing there, a Pileated Woodpecker flew in and landed on the fence. I hustled off to find the camera, all the time thinking he would most likely be gone by the time I got back to the window. But he was very cooperative. It was such a cloudy morning, it is amazing that the pictures came out at all.  He stayed on the fence for several minutes then flew up to a tree. I managed to get another good picture before he worked his way around to the back side of the tree and then flew off.

We have a lot of these woodpeckers around. It isn't all that uncommon to see one. But it is still a thrill.  So, yes, I spent my morning taking bird pictures and not sewing.

Earlier this week, I did manage to get a couple of little things made for my quilt guild. We were supposed to make items with hearts for this months meeting to be sold at the boutique when  we have the next quilt show. I did a set of rug mugs with out of heart print fabric with appliqued hearts and a pincushion from the same heart fabric. They came out kind of cute. I also did two 12" blocks for our children's quilts project, but didn't get a photo of those.

The yellow is a little bright in this photo, but other than that, the color isn't too far off.

I am also working on a new craft for me....WEAVING. I took a class with a friend  last week and we are working on a jacket/sweater. It is made with 9 triangles and 9 squares that get stitched together to make a shrug type jacket. It should be really cute it if comes out anything like it's supposed to.

The yarn is variegated and creates a plaid pattern as it is woven. The photo shows one of the squares completed and a triangle in the loom. I have all the triangles completed, and only 4 more squares to go. Then assembly begins.  Wish me luck!


The husband and I are talking about taking a little get-away to escape the incoming cold front. So it may be a week or so before I can post again. But I will be thinking about all of you!  I can work on the weaving or my crocheting while we drive, but won't be getting any sewing done. Those quilts are just going to have to wait until we get back.

Orca Bay Mystery Revealed

A lot of projects come my way.  Some I choose to do, some I don't; all with varying degrees of like or dislike.  Occasionally, an opportunity comes along that I truly love and am thrilled that I chose to participate.  The Orca Bay Mystery Quilt was one of these projects.  Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville's  Quips & Snips created a fantastic mystery quilt pattern full of interesting, fun blocks.  And let me tell you there were a lot of them!

I was able to follow along and complete each step as it was presented weekly. Although, it was at times a challenge to get it all worked up in a week. Especially since it was the holiday season. But I persevered! If you have followed along on this blog, you got to see the steps as presented as they came together.  Although, the top is not yet quilted, here it is....drum roll please......!!!!!!.....
Presenting my version of  Orca Bay.....!

 Last week, I found and purchased fabric for the backing.   It may not look it in this picture, but the colors are a perfect blend/match for the pinks and purples in the quilt.

As soon as I get it quilted, I will post another photo on this blog. I do my own quilting on a standard home machine, so it takes a little time. And, there is another quilt  in the works ahead of the Orca Bay.

Bonnie.... Thank you for so much fun!!!
You have made me a believer in  scrappy and I love String Blocks. :-)
I can't wait for another mystery quilt!

One more box

I just love the fabric boxes! They are easy and a lot of fun to make; as well as being a good way to use up some fabric buried deep in the stash that might otherwise never see the light of day.
Here is my latest box creation in shades of lavender and polka dots.

This is the Medium Fabric Box from the Fast & Furious Family  quilting as you go book by Gudrun Erla. Calling this "medium" in size is questionable since it measures 8"x15"X10". That doesn't sound very big, but  it is definitely a good size box.

I made this box and the Large Box (see previous post) for use in my sewing room to house my QWIP's (quilt works in progress). With handles on either side, they are easy enough to move around from place to place.

These are excellent storage boxes for kids rooms for toys, or for closet shelves. (I can just envision one of these boxes in the closet filled with socks, or sweaters, etc.) Color coordinate them to match a rooms decor for a functional accent piece. Place one in the trunk of your car to hold small items when shopping. The uses are only as limited as your imagination.

I have fabric picked out now to make the smaller one which can hold sewing notions, thread, etc. :-)
Keep watching....it will show up on a post here eventually....LOL :-)

Have a great weekend, and hopefully that will include some sewing!
Kathy

One project completed...a Zillion to go.....

These two little floor pillows have taken way too long to get completed....after all they were supposed to be a fairly simple project. And there is still one to go!
The first challenge was finding pillow forms the right size.
Then it was waiting for them to go on sale! Those things are not cheap!
Once the forms were obtained....thanks to my friend Michelle, who caught the sale and picked them up for me.....it should have been a simple next step.
Humph!
Changed my mind as to design and construction.
Then changed it again and decided to ADD the red strips ....FORGOT to deduct this extra 2 inches the red strips added from the total length!
DUH!
 Didn't realize that until I started to put the backs on....AFTER already attaching the cording to the front pieces. Yes, you read that right...pieces....plural....both of them....rip, rip, rip, rip.................
Yeah, attaching the cording to the front was supposed to make it easier to handle when sandwiching the pieces together. You know, to avoid slippage, secure the corners for a better fit, etc. All of this was probably for the best anyway. Because after taking the cording off, removing an inch from top and bottom and re-adjusting the cording piece to fit, I decided to round the corners. That cording is fairly large and just did not make a pretty corner. At least I couldn't make it make a pretty corner. That's probably more accurate. The curved corners are a nice effect  don't you think? . And no square corners to poke the little boys in the eyes when they decide to have a pillow fight, right? :-)
Anyway, they finally turned out really cute. I  have one more to make for a granddaughter but need some additional fabric to finish it off. She gets ruffles instead of the cording. Just thought the ruffles would be more girlish. Then there are all the rest of the grandkids that need something....have to keep it fair after all. Most likely, they are just getting a cute monogrammed pillow case. Those should go well. Uh, huh....I heard that. LOL
Well, here are the long awaited pictures...front and back of course:

The pillow forms are 24"X24".
That is a good size for a child's floor pillow.
The boys love their cars!
They also like to snitch their mother's pillow off the couch to lay in the floor and read their books or watch their favorite movie.
These will be perfect for "pajama day".

Not sure how well it shows up in the photo, but there is a fold over flap on the back top of the pillows that covers the zipper. This way the covers can be easily removed for washing. Or to change them to another theme such as during the holidays or for special occasions like their birthdays. Their mother has thought up lots of variations for the pillows. Good thing she has a sewing machine and knows how to use it!

Well, that's it for this post. Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend with lots of sewing projects to keep you company.

Kathy

This and That in the Sewing Room

It's been awhile since I've written anything on here and that makes me feel like such a slacker, although most of my time has been spent in the sewing room working on various projects. It just seems like there is never enough time in the day to get it all done.  And that's inexcusable because we are retired and I really have no obligations...other than cooking, cleaning, laundry, and walking the dog....It has become evident that I need to learn to prioritize my time. So in my evening 'down' time which is and has always been devoted to reading or crocheting (Yes, I do that too, and will eventually get photos up on this blog.) I'm reading a self help book titled "The Willpower Instinct" by Kelly McGonigal, PhD. My hope it that it will help me learn to be more focused in accomplishing  my goals. I'll keep you posted on progress.... Now on to what really matters on here....SEWING!

Several people have been very kind in their comments of my tote bags and that is extremely appreciated. Thank you! Tote bags and hand crafted purses are one of my favorite things to make. Most of the bags I have made are for gifts, but on occasion one is just for me. As in this "Professional Tote".

I absolutely LOVE this bag! In fact so much so, I have purchased fabric to make another one in dark (Purple of course!) colors for fall and winter use. This is the perfect travel bag. On the next one I make, the handles will be just a tad shorter with an adjustable shoulder strap added. These handles are long enough to go over my shoulder, but not in a comfortable way. And I'm "vertically challenged" so making the handles longer isn't an option, because then the bag would drag on the floor.

BUT all this isn't what this blip is all about today. What I really want to share is the label I made for this tote. Since this bag was made for me by me I wanted the label to reflect that. So here's a photo of the label:

What I originally wanted to print on it was:

 Hand Made 

by

"The Old Bag"

for 

"The Old Bag"

By Me for Me

 (Kathy Biggs)

2010

....but decided I wasn't really an old bag... not yet anyway.  (Uh...the real reason I didn't print that is it made the label too big/long for the space available.) :-)
The label is printed on inkjet printable iron on fabric.
Anyway, this makes me officially one of the "bag ladies" of our time!

This week project is in line with the tote bags, but not exactly. It's a fabric box. Yes, BOX. To be used in my sewing room to hold my QWIP's (quilt works in progress). Isn't it cute?

It really is square, the photo angle makes it look out of lopsided. The box is 10 X 10 X 10. Here is a peak down inside.

This is made using a pattern for the "Large Fabric Tote" from the Fast & Furious Family book by Gudrun Erla. There are two other size patterns in the book and I already have fabric picked out for them. Just not sure I  have enough stabilizer on hand for both. These boxes are really easy to make and go together quickly. It takes longer to cut them out than to sew them up.
Like I said previously, I love making totes and this tote type container fits right in.

Have a SEW great day everyone!
Kathy