A quilty week

Last weekend was a long one for South Australia and the start of school holidays.  I had decided to go "home" to country Victoria to visit my parents with the children.  We were suppose to stay the whole week but for various reason had to come home early.  Before I left though I got to have a child free catch up with my friend Lisa...and she had made me a present...this gorgeous bag....just because I came to visit, how good is that!  

So at first I thought it would make a good shopping bag, but decided it was too cute to mix with my dirty green supermarket bags...and its too nice to only use for groceries!

So then I thought...well I stopped thinking actually and just filled it with my current patchwork projects!

 Because we came home early I was able to pick up where I left off, with my version of the Sleepover bag by Melly and Me.  Let me just say up front that the pattern is fine, I did get a bit confused in a couple of spots and because I am a visual person diagrams would have been nice.  BUT the pattern was fine, it is just not a "quick and easy/do in a weekend" type of project.  I just figured because I had all the pieces cut out and done the cross hatch quilting (green bit) that the rest could be done in a snap.  But honestly bag feet are a TOTAL pill, really more hassle then I thought could be possible...and Ann you did warn me, so I am just saying out loud, that you were right!   However I need a rest before I make another one of these....and I will make another one (and I will omit stripped fabric next time round as well), just not straight away!  PLEASE note that the bag top and pocket fabric is from Michelle Hills William Morris range... it was the best fit with the green and I love William Morris....and of course Michelle is an Adelaide girl, so it seemed appropriate!

 Please note that I used the green (bag outer) and cream (as lining) that I had previously brought for my Luck of the Irish Quilt and then didn't use...I felt guilty about buying 3 m of fabric and then not using it...plus this pattern had been in my sewing room for awhile, feeling unloved...!

So after finishing the bag I did need a quick simple project.  And while at Lisa's house, after admiring all her cool quilts (her style is very fresh and modern) I spotted a strawberry....hmmm I have that pattern....hmmm it has been unused and living at my house for far too long!  So I decided that I would make up the watermelon pincushion (which accompanies the strawberry) from the Fruit Salad Pincushions pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.  When I finished it this morning I stuffed it to an inch of its life, using the last of my crushed walnut shells and loads of wadding....and now it is top heavy and wants to roll over and lie upside down....not very useful as pin cushions go, still it looks cute!

I have been checking through my pattern collection of which half have never been made up.  I think I needed to express myself after finishing the top of Luck of the Irish.  But I really needed a pick me up after my friend/teacher told me that I had to UNPICK two of the Celtic blocks...the applique was too close to the edge....the only reason I didn't cry was because there was chocolate on hand.  So my hopes of getting this top together soon have been dashed.  So while I sit and unpick and restitch I am going to reward myself with at least one more "quick easy" fun project from my pattern stash.  Perhaps that should be next years goal...to either make up OR give away my unused patchwork patterns...yikes! 

Happy quilting, Sue.