Bionic Gear Bag!!

BIONIC!!  I love the name of this little sewing grab-bag!  It delivers too.......... it can hold everything but the kitchen sink and I don't take that with me when I head out to sewing class so that's ok!  I mean, check out this picture from the website - it holds TONNES!!!





For ages, I've been dying to make the Sew Together bag by Sewdemented on Craftsy and when I started to go online and look for it, I happened upon this bag pattern.  Oh me, Oh MY, I had to have it.  So, I purchased the pattern and printed it out.  All 36 PAGES of it.  I went to the printers and got it bound, knowing that I would make more than one of these if I liked it.  

Daunted? Me?  Eh.........yeah.  I mean 36 pages of double dutch and I had never, ever put a zip in anything before so of course I chose this pattern with 5 zips!!



I decided I wouldn't rush it.  I'm a bit of a divil for rushing projects, jumping ahead of the instructions and I was scared of this one before I even started.  So Day 1, I cut all my fabric, ironed on the interfacing and laid out my zips and stopped!



Day 2, I went to my sewing class and got some help with the first zip from Roisin at The Quilt Shop.  She had assured me they were "easy peasy" but I didn't believe her.  In fairness, she spoke the truth, they were easy but despite the instructions, I don't think I would have gotten it right without a bit of help.  

Day 3, I finished putting the next 3 zips in and sewing down the pockets, then I got really brave and I put it together with the sides and onto the back.



That left just the binding and the final zip!  The pattern says it can be put together in 3/4 hours.  I'd say in total, I probably took 7 or 8 but I was happy enough to go slow and steady since it was a completely new project for me but MAN, I love it and I'm sure the next one will go faster. 



My side pleats were the only thing that I was a little unhappy about. They could be a tad neater but my next one will be better!



So now I have to make one for my son.  He "needs" a lego grab bag, reckons the small pocket at the front would be ideal for his lego men (I'm inclined to agree) and the tray would be handy on road trips.  He's got foresight, I'll give him that.  And if you didn't see my pic on facebook or instagram during the week, he did make me this lego sewing machine so he kind of deserves one.........



Oh what's that?  You want to know where to get the pattern?  Try clicking HERE!  If you make one, I'd love to see it - so link back here if you can!

AND..........if you have any suggestions as to what kind of fabric to use for a Lego bag, I'd really appreciate it!

Progress!

So I have been working.  Yes, I've been quiet in blog-land but that's when the most work is done!!!  Less time to pontificate, more time to sew, sew, sew..........and sew I did!

I went back to my favourite method of sewing for this quilt.... Foundation Paper Piecing.  Some say that ripping the paper out afterwards is almost therapeutic.......RUBBISH.  It's tedious and creates a large, stinking mess........but the actual process of paper piecing is just addictive.  If you haven't ventured yet, do!  And if you don't like it first time, leave it a few days/weeks and then try again....... so worth it!

Did I show you my little paper pieced blocks?  I know I posted them on instagram each time I finished one.........felt the need for a little insta-love!  Well, these are all part of a quilt I'm making for a special little girl.  She's the perfect age to identify with each fairy story and let her imagination go wild. 

 The Little Mermaid was my first block....... it's so dreamy, I love it!

This was followed pretty quickly by Jack & The Beanstalk, Cinderella (& her mop) and The Ugly Duckling.......

and then these characters joined them.........

Rapunzel & Thumbelina,

 Sleeping Beauty
 & Snow White

And finally, I got to put them all together.  I chose a deep red from the Stof Quilting Shadow range at The Quilt Shop, Tuam for the sashing.  I also got all my different blue skies/background fabrics there..... the selection is mega! 

And the almost finished product..........

I have to finish some embroidery detailing and I think it really needs another border in the red all around the outside and then I can quilt and bind!
What do you think?  Would love to get some feedback...










I have made great progress on another of my WIP's that I'll hopefully be able to share soon but I think I need to gift it first!

Accumulating UFO's

I'm finding it very hard to concentrate these days.  I have started so many projects and not finished one this past month!!  I have been hand-quilting my "summer in the park" quilt this week and that has taken two full days but it's done now and I just have to do the binding, hooray!!

I also cut lots of fq's up last week to make a little boy blanket.  I've been admiring my cut rectangles all week but have been putting off actually piecing it until I get the hand-quilting done.........I'm really trying not to be a quilter with 15,000 UFO's!  However, I couldn't resist and put it together on wednesday afternoon, it's a very simple design, lots of bright spring colours, perfectly suited to the little one I'm making it for.

My poor little Economy Block-Along quilt came to a standstill 2 weeks ago when I couldn't find the fabric I wanted to complete it.  I had been using fussy cuts from Riley Blakes "The Simple Life" and I LOVED IT but you can only use so many of the same pictures repeated.  I had used each one about 5 or 6 times and any little girl would absolutely adore them.  You can just imagine how their imagination would run wild looking at all the little scenes.  Falling asleep while making up stories to go with them...........   OR maybe it was just me, maybe I was bored with the repetition and the fabric is far too cute to get bored of!  So, I went on the hunt and found a similar but different Riley Blake pattern called "Little Red Riding Hood".  It was on a white background too and had a few different scenes!  I also came across another gorgeous print by Riley Blake called "Country Girl"............ah for goodness sake, they were getting cuter and cuter..........but this one, I couldn't find in Ireland or the UK!  It seems that it's brand new and only in the US so far.  I bit the bullet and bought half a yard of both fabrics and guess what, they arrived in just 5 days!  I opened up this Happy Mail yesterday.

Aren't they gorgeous!!!

  

The pictures on both fabrics are perfect for fussy cutting into my blocks!  Watch this space for more progress! 


So, I'm browsing the net this morning - for fear something mega happened overnight and I might have missed it when I notice someone has pinned something I previously pinned and forgotten.  Oh man, I want to make that too!  How did I forget about such a cute project!  Then, I spy a stained glass project that a fellow quilter is making - it's just stunning and I remember how I loved doing the stained glass block in my sample quilt and suddenly I want to add one of those to my list too! So today, I'm giving myself a good talking to, telling myself to cop on, knuckle down and finish the current quilts and start making an orderly To Do List instead of starting everything at once!  Let's see if that happens.........!

My two little helpers watching the "thorn" (needle) going up and down!