A second "Crumby" tote bag

 

I'm still trying to find the perfect inserted bottom - perhaps another trip to Hobby Lobby or Home Depot.   I did purchase  a "Yard Sale" sign on a stick, for one dollar, for and that was good enuf for 2 totes bottoms, but still could use something more sturdy.  The tote is squared off nicely and will hold a lot of something.  There is little planning to the pieced panel.  I just kept moving bits around until it looked kinda balanced.  This one had the panel, batting, backing and a lining.  The quilting is casual  straight-line sewing with a walking foot.  

It's fun to try new things!  

National Quilting Day, 2021

 In honor of this special day, I put a few quilts outside for viewing by passer by traffic.  Days like this, I wish a had a long, high fence in my yard to show off and honor our quilting passion.  I just grabbed a few from the top of a stack.   Have a great day! 

The above  much-loved 16 Patches and Pinwheels has been a favorite designs, ala Quiltville.com.  So clever, so easy if you get the light/darks in the right places.  I've made this design at least 6 times, most of them for kids quilts.  This is a queen size, now needing a little repair, sorta like the old gate, that also needs a little repair. 

(Our snow is gone in many flat places, but huge piles still exist.) 

A Crumby Tote Bag

Having fun - an easy project.  It has a hard bottom insert, and is lined, all crumbs as you see.  This was a Craftsy Class that I've been admiring, called a Grocery Tote Bag, by Christina Camelli.  I must admit, that over the many years of making quilts on my own designs, I 've almost forgotten how to READ instructions, so used this as my "practice" project.   It's about 17" x 20".

Sometimes a person gets so engrossed in piecing, one forgets to put the important block in the center!  LOL

Like many of you who live in the central USA, our area was buried with the latest blizzard of storm Xylia.  I am still shoveling, and also being grateful for neighbor teenager who refused payment for snowblowing.  It's been a nice couple of days to stay inside and be glad I had a "stash". 

Crumbs, TATW, Bargello, Puzzle Done

Pretty amazing what can be done with scraps and crumbs.  Triangles were sewn in the back corners and I inserted a paintstick for a hanging dowel.  I think the recipient liked it.  I LOVE the crookedyness.  

Having fun with Bargello/Trip Around the World, I didn't  understand how a TATW would actually be organized, but in the meantime, during my learning time, these were was a LOT of fun.  I made 4 of each style, and kept the "order" the same for each block - that is 2 strips of darks, one light, one contrast and 2 lights.   Right now, I have 9 sets of 4 blocks and will likely make 3 more sets of 4, using the same order so it ends up rectangular.  Perhaps I'll mix all of these blocks just to see what happens visually.  It's funny, the blocks that I really didn't care for are the ones that ended up looking most interesting.  A few of them laid out 2 one way, and 2 the other.  These are made tube style, Bonnie Hunter method.  

Only too late I realized a "true" TATW would be a whole 'nuther plan.  That plan, yet to happen, is not something done as quickly as these blocks.  Below is a picture taken from Lissa Alexander's book, which I eventually purchased, "Sisterhood of Scraps", more like what I had in mind at first.  The  method in her book takes more organization and a different method of construction - live and learn. 

Here is a jigsaw puzzle finally FINISHED this morning!  Yeaaaaaaaa!  thank you Alice!!!   This lived on my table since before Christmas and was unexpectedly helpful with my frazzled concentration after my husband's passing.   I don't know if that would work for everyone, but it sure kept my brain together, one piece at a time.  One blogger told me she not only made up the same puzzle, but then she made the actual quilt which was beautifully done and quilted.  Wow - who knows what inspires us?