Frenzy!

Nancy warned me that this would be addictive.  "Like eating popcorn," she said.  But did I believe her?  Not initially.  In fact, I had some decorative thread in my Bernina that I'm using on another project and I thought instead of changing that out, why not just try out one or two of these blocks on the Pfaff?

My Pfaff (a 1019 Tipmatic) has been with me since 1983.  It basically does a straight stitch.  And goes backwards.  Oh, OK, it does a zig zag and a buttonhole, but ask me how often I've used either one.  I love my Pfaff and always will, as it does a great straight stitch and has never given me any trouble.  But the Bernina (a few years old now ... less than 5, I'm sure) has some features that really spoil a gal..... so after I started on the Pfaff, I switched over to the Bernina.  I was just going to make a couple blocks... but hey, why not make it easy on myself.

Before I realized it, I had about 12 of these things going.  Because ... YES, Nancy, they ARE like popcorn.  :)

I'm doing some sort of ladder thing in the middle, with miscellaneous-sized strips going the other way on either side.  (Maybe I need to shoot a pic of one block today.)  And in that middle "ladder" is a little piece of BDU fabric.  And, yes, I HAVE to work within a theme - the fabs are all from my scrap baskets and are military or patriotic themed.  The next one won't be as "matchy matchy", I promise.  Bear with me; I alphabetize my spices, you know?

I am extremely easily amused, as some of you know.  So is my Guide Dog for the Color Blind.  As per Nancy's suggestion, I'm using my phone book as foundation papers.  Both Dave and I liked this page:

LOLOL!  Sorry.  I can't help myself.  

My sewing table and my pressing table are in different rooms.  I like the separation, but when I'm doing a lot of paper piecing, it gets old in a hurry to keep getting up to go hit the iron.  I made good use of this wooden presser thing yesterday:

Very handy.

Here's what I got done in a couple hours' time:

The blocks aren't sewn together yet, they're just thrown on the floor.  You get the idea, though.

VERY fun, VERY addictive!  I'm heading back down to the Studio now to do some more!  :)  I can't wait to get this all together!

Thanks for reading!

KZK

Totally Unexciting...

I covered my mousepad.  

I know.... but I didn't want you to think I'm not doing anything!

I'm also working on a new denim quilt for our bed (the other two are getting WAY too worn), a couple new bags, and some "frenzy" blocks, à la Nancy.  :)  Pictures soon.

Thanks for reading!

KZK

Chrissie's Deeve Bag

The question is... did Chrissie's Deeve Bag get to her before she left for Dubai?  I hope so.  I was holding off posting the pix so she could be surprised.  My sister got hers (the Sunflower Super Shopper) before Chrissie was due to leave and since it had further to travel... 

OK.  So.  You've seen several "in progress" shots of Chrissie's bag, now here it is!  In the Studio...

...and out in the natural light:

This was SUCH a fun bag to make!  It was cheerful and I just loved making it!  I did a bit of a different treatment for the button/claspy thing.  (Pardon the technical terms.)  Here's a closer look:

Isn't it fun?  And how perfect is the thread that we chose?!!?  I think it ties everything together and "zips" that brown up!  (You might not be able to tell, but the brown has little black freckles in it... it's a darling fabric!)

I wasn't going to hang any glass beads on it, because Chrissie does beadwork... and I thought, "Yikes, what will she think of my primitive work?" then I thought some people think that about making a quilt for me and I always LOVE anything anyone makes... so why not go for it!  Besides, I know how much Angus Mhor likes to whap beads with those lovely, extra-toed paws of his.  I had to do something for Angus as well as Chrissie!  :)  Here's a look at the very whappable beadwork:

I think he'll have fun with that.

Here's a look inside the bag:

I used the same fab I used for the placket and for the Hold the Phone! Bag.  There are two large pockets from the main fabric, to hold your keys and all those "little things" that end up at the bottom of your bag that you can never find.  :)

Here's another look:

You can see the stitching I did on the strap for the Deeve - that's a dark purple polypro.  I have the polypro on the Deeve I carry and LOVE it.  The stitching on the strap for the Hold the Phone! Bag is visible, too - a little extra swaying around... mostly because I love that THREAD!

Chrissie, have a safe, wonderful time in Dubai with "The Sandy Man"!  I hope your bag is with you.  :)  Thanks for your order!

And thank you for reading!

KZK

Sunflower Super Shopper

I'm so far behind with blogging about what I've been up to quilt-wise, it's enough to make my head spin.  Let me get right to it!  Here is a Sunflower-themed Super Shopper I recently finished!  Let's start with the front:

...and the back:

How to tell the front from the back?  Can you see the tag sticking up there by the strap on the right in the first picture?  Yes, the tag I normally put in the seam.  Oops.  Well, call it creative.  It's the front.

Here's a detail shot of the pocket on the front:

I love these fabs!  Sunflowers, watering cans, seed packets, ETC.  Enough to make a gardener happy.  :)  Here's the pocket on the "back":

Cute placement for the potted sunflowers, doncha think?  I had fun with that.

Here's a look at the top:

I popped the lining up about 1/8 of an inch for accent.  Speaking of the lining, let's take a look inside!

There is another roomy pocket in there, as you can see!

I hope to have this and Chrissie's Deeve Bag in the mail within the next couple of days!  Look for a post showing the completed Deeve soon!

Thanks for reading!

KZK