PP8 Swap (Reusable Bags)

I particpated in the Potholder Pass Bag Only swap once again. After knowing that I had a package at the post office, but was too late to pick it up, I made it there today to sign for the package. Sign for the package?? The postmaster said I needed to sign since it was registered and foreign. Laura from Brazil sent this beautiful bag from the Jane Market Bag (Posie Gets Cozy) to me. I love the bird print in the middle! The polka dot print is perfect to coordinate and she used a plaid to line the bag. Along with the bag, she sent some blue floral fabric (my girls already said it needs to go on the piano), stickers and a card. Thank you Laura - this was a really neat swap package and know when people ask about the bag, I can say it was handmade from Brazil!

Another Jane Market Bag

I think I know this pattern well. I offered to make an "Angel Bag" for Potholder Pass 8 (PP8) when someone's package didn't show up. Well, the package did show up (yah!!!) and even better, the person I was making the bag for wanted to complete a swap together. My partner had several birds in her favorites including a stitchery pattern. I don't do a lot of embroidery, but decided to trying stitching a design on the machine. Overall, I think I like it. Hopefully my partner likes it. It is a very strong bag. I interlined most of the bag with canvas and there is also interfacing in the center panals and the pocket. The pocket is also lined and bound at the top. The straps are a little longer than the pattern calls for so it can be worn over the shoulder. I also decided to try piecing the straps together for a patchwork effect. Next time, I may try a couple different fabrics in the straps. I used cotton ric rac along the seams and when I tried sewing the straps on, my machine really gave me fits where the ric rac was at. Next time I use ric rac, I may purposely cut the ric rac short since you don't see it anyway.

Crochet Dishclothes

When my forth child was born, I had a hard time sitting still in the chair. I'm one that likes to be doing "something." So, I decided to make crochet dishclothes for all the ladies that I worked with at the time. My goal was to make one per day (that meant I had to sit down and concentrate on the crochet rather than think about all the things I should be doing which meant I would be walking around while moving around). I did meet my goal that year, I healed faster than if I cleaned everything around the house, and I have continued to crochet dishclothes while we travel or if I watch tv with my husband.

The discloth with the cream border is a pattern I saw when I first started crocheting these where the stitches alternate front and back post single crochet. This is my favorite pattern all around although I rarely put anything other than a single crochet border around the edges. My oldest daughter wanted to know how to complete a scalloped edging so I showed her on this one. The second dishcloth is from a pattern that I first printed six years ago. I had to look to see if the pattern is still online and guess what - it is. Here is the link to the directions if you are interested. Cindy's Simple Dishcloth http://crochet.borgbilly.com/patterns/dcloth1.htm.

Jane Market Bag for PP8

I'm participating in the PP8 hosted by Amy at During Quiet Time. My partner this time requested orange and turquoise or red and turquoise. She also stated that she likes flowers and fruit. When I searched through her favorites, I discovered she also likes crochet so I used size 10 thread to crochet the two flowers (attached with safety pins). I used osnaburg for the center panel with Kona solids strips at the top. I also quilted random flowers in the osnaburg (quilt sandwich made with flannel and more red checks for the back of the pocket). The ric rac came from a vintage lot I bought while thrifting. The straps are Kona with orange topstitching. I did use interfacing throughout this entire bag including the straps. The lining is also the red checks (properly aged - over 10 years). The bag is headed east and hopefully the new owner likes it!!

Sneak Peak for PP8

I've finished the crochet flowers I wanted to make. My plan is to make the Jane Market Bag with the Osnaburg in the middle with a patchwork border. The red checks will be the backing behind the pocket and the lining. I'm debating on the ric rac. I've thought about putting it the vertical side seams or horizontally near the top of the pocket. Now, I'm just waiting to find some Kona cotton that matches the turquoise floral and the turquoise in the thread flowers.

Armrest Pincushion

My daughter wanted to make a pincushion for the fair (4-H project). I immediately thought of the scrappy armrest pincushion tutorial at During Quiet Time blog. I decided to make one up so she can see the size of it and be thinking how she wants to use her quilt scraps. I used quilting cottons, denim, osnaburg, and pieced batting scraps to make this. The hardest part was deciding on a binding. The red I originally planned on using didn't match both the red checks and the red in the pockets. Cream looked too matchy. Blue just didn't work. I finally tried this batik purchased at a thrift store. The batik looked olive green in some lighting and tan in others, but I just decided I would go with it. It also has pink, purple, and blue in parts of the batik. I tried to cut the square for the binding in areas with mainly blue and the olive/tan color, but there are parts with the pink and purple in the pincushion too if you look carefully.

Jane Market Bag for PP7

I sewed this Jane Market Bag for my PP7 partner. From her Flickr photos and favorites, she seems to like birds. I ordered the bird fabric from Fat Quarter Shop and was pleased with how quick everything came. I also ordered a lime green floral for the lining. The only modifications I made to the pattern were on the straps. I interfaced the straps to help them feel sturdier, and I also topstitched each strap four times. Overall, I am happy with how the bag turned out. It did take me a long time to sew this, not because the pattern was difficult in any way, but because I ended up with a sinus infection, we had an early May blizzard that knocked power out for several days, and then I had a kidney stone that really, really hurt. Knowing that we had a blizzard two weeks before this picture was taken, look at how green the grass is.